The penis montage in 'Minx' has purpose

Around 20 minutes into the first episode of Minx, we witness what can only be described as a penis montage. The staff of a '70s feminist porn magazine watches as prospective male models bare everything right to camera. What follows is an avalanche of full-frontal nudity, with an up-close and personal view of many, many penises.

In the wrong hands, the montage could feel gratuitous. But in Minx, it fits right in. Like the rest of the new HBO show, it's subversive, provocative, and funny. Plus, this racy montage is relevant to the plot: Feminist journalist Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond) teams up with porn magazine publisher Doug (Jake Johnson) to produce Minx, an erotic magazine for heterosexual women. Hence the penises.

It's no secret that there are more penises on TV than ever before. Full-frontal male nudity has popped up in recent high-profile shows like Euphoria, Pam and Tommy, and The White Lotus. On-screen penises might reveal a character's vulnerability or mine humor from a situation. Think Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) having a heartfelt conversation with his penis (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas), or Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) accidentally sending a dick pic to his father.

In the worst cases, full-frontal male nudity can come across as simple shock value or as a way to "even out" excessive female nudity. Euphoria's first season made headlines for its locker room scene starring 30 penises — which could have been just as effective, if not more so, without them. However, in its second season, Euphoria tended to use male nudity more as background set dressing, while female nudity remained the focal point of scenes that presented women's bodies in a far more sexual (and sometimes humiliating) light.

Unlike previous examples of on-screen penises, Minx turns the tables by presenting male nudity explicitly for the straight female gaze. The penis montage happens because the Minx staff are looking for something that will turn women on. Throughout the scene, female onlookers, including Joyce and fellow Minx staffers Bambi (Jessica Lowe) and Tina (Idara Victor), nod their approval. In a quick aside, two other women, who work at Doug's publishing company, try to get a peek into the room. It's a funny moment, one that affirms their desire without shaming them for it.

To be fair, the scene is a lot to take in at first. But it's necessary. It's Joyce's first real exposure to the world of porn, and the audience is plunged in right alongside her. "We're opening the show by putting it front and center to immerse you into that world and put you where Joyce will be," Lovibond explained in a video call with Mashable.

Joyce begins the show with a firm view of what feminism is, and how it relates to sex. Lovibond said of Joyce's arc, "You see her quite narrow, limited view of what the magazine can do and who it should be for shift, along with her ability to be a bit more relaxed and lean into her sexuality." In many ways, the penis montage is one of Joyce's first steps to understanding that it's more than OK for women to enjoy and explore sex.

One of the highlights of the sequence is the diversity of the auditioning models in terms of race, age, body type, and, yes, what their penises look like. As Bambi explains to Joyce, "Not all weiners are the same, babes. There's shorties, fatties, long ones, flatties."

Minx creator Ellen Rapoport revealed to Mashable that only four prosthetic penises were used throughout the show's first season — including in the centerfold shoots — meaning that the penises in the montage are the actors' own. It helps keep the scene real and grounded, while also celebrating the variety of bodies shown throughout the sequence. Intimacy coordinators were present on set as well to ensure the cast felt safe and comfortable.

"This show showed so many different body types," said Victor over a video call. "I think that what's really fun about it is that you get to see all of these different forms and they wind up being celebrated. That's what makes the show different when it comes to the nudity."

Added Lowe, who was also on the call: "All of the sexuality is treated in such a caring way in the show, so they're never the butt of the joke."

Lowe is right: The entire penis montage is funny, but not at the expense of the nude models. Much of the humor comes from the Minx staff's reactions — especially Joyce's — and from many of the centerfold hopefuls generally looking like they're having fun. It's an excellent sequence, and a perfect introduction to the raunchy, hilarious world of Minx.

Minx is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes every Thursday.