Sometimes it’s a little too hot to venture outside in the summer. But it’s never too hot to live out your fantasies in the most bingeable sex-positive shows to keep you company this summer. These shows highlight women living their life on their terms — even if for some — it is a struggle they have not yet mastered.
It takes a lot to come into the full essence of black girl magic, and it requires self-care to maintain it. That’s why we’ve also included some mental health programming.
This list combines programs that allow you to spend hours entertaining your sexual appetite and feeding yourself mentally and emotionally.
Insecure (HBO)
Wait! Has someone been telling my business? Issa Rae’s “Insecure” gives you that feeling. Issa Rae, the creator of this HBO hit, is also one of the main characters. We are pulled into her life and the lives of her friends.
You get to see more than sex and the ups and downs of relationships between friends, lovers, and not-so-much friends. We experience the aspirations, failures, and triumphs that come
when you’re balancing following your dreams, looking for love, managing familial interactions and expectations, and dealing with your inner self.
“Insecure” is like that old potato chip commercial. You can’t eat just one. Try it. You can’t watch just one episode. If you don’t mind a little addiction, binge out on Insecure.
Chewing Gum (Max)
Truth be told, I don’t know quite how to describe this one. Do you remember trying to get rid of your virginity because it seems like it has expired? Maybe yes. Maybe no. A virgin at 24 sounds like a rarity nowadays. Maybe that’s what makes this show so unique. Tracy is a 24-year-old virgin who is … a little awkward and insecure. It doesn’t help that she lives with a sister and mother who are religious fanatics. Get ready to laugh and decipher the accents in this comedy created and starred in by Michael Coel. This London-based show is definitely a must-see.
Run the World (Starz)
Twenty-something meets 30-something. We go from being a fly on the wall of the young and insecure, to a window seat into the lives of four women and the challenges being 30-something brings. “Run the World” is full of confident, educated, sophisticated sistuhs. These four women allow us into the sexual corners of their lives. You will see yourself in one of these characters — it’s inevitable!
She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix)
The freedom to choose. And the freedom to do what you want with that choice. Two different things. “She’s Gotta Have It” shows what happens when the beautiful Nola has and exercises both. The men in her life are like a different color on one of those multicolored popsicles. Nola has a variety of flavors.
She has the key to her pu … to her vag … Nola holds the key to her loving. It’s her business if she’s made multiple copies of those keys. And it’s nobody’s concern if and to whom she gives the copies. Everything is on her terms — as it should be!
Sexless (Tubi)
If you’re not getting any, you can at least think about it so vividly that you can almost feel it. You have to take your hat off but keep your clothes on for these four young women who are expressing their sexual freedom by not having sexual intercourse.
Luckily, even though they don’t, from time to time we get to see what it would look like if they did, through their fantasies. “Sexless is one of the most real shows you will ever watch. Enjoy how these women maneuver relationships with men as celibate ladies in their twenties.
Mental Dialogue Talk Radio (mentaldialogue.com)
Montoya Smith, also known as Black Socrates, provides information and education on topics integral to our psychosocial health. He conducts interviews and brings in mental health experts to have hard conversations on race, sex, and culture.
Based out of Atlanta, Black Socrates covers issues we have all either discussed or thought about. And if you haven’t, you will after listening to this talk radio show. Catch it live Saturdays, 10 am to 12 pm, or enjoy replays on the website or platforms like Apple and Spotify.
Therapy for Black Girls Podcast (therapyforblackgirls.com)
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford provides a space where women can hear expert advice regarding issues we face. As the host and a licensed psychologist herself, Dr. Bradford shares her platform with other mental health and wholistic healing professionals to fully address topics like “superwoman schema,” how trauma impacts us neurologically, and dating and relationships.
I don’t know which of the sex or sexless shows I like best. Fortunately, a choice is not necessary. Like a good orgasm, you can watch these bingeable sex-positive shows over and over and over … and over again. And when you’re done, tune into talk radio to learn more about yourself and grow.
LaShonda Tucker
LaShonda Tucker is a freelance writer, poet, and spoken word artist in Atlanta. When she isn't writing, she enjoys playing her violin. She earned her master's degrees from the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University.
