What ‘I May Destroy you’ teaches us Brits
We have all been there — blinking open your eyelids into a world of blurred vision after losing nine hours of your previous sober life. A study has found that 40 percent of the population is prone to blackouts when drinking heavily. Wouldn’t it be easier if someone could invent an alert button in our brains when we were reaching that hole of emptiness? I May Destroy You is a new BBC Drama which is by far the best thing on television in years, placing comedy and terror on a seesaw for audiences to sit back and rethink many major issues for British viewers.
Race Representation in work
Michaela Coel is my hero for producing, writing, and directing this series. Her embrace to confront race representation in this series is outstanding, as she brushes upon the worrying theories of how parts of society view young black Londoners as rebellious and undereducated. Arabella leans on her closest friend Terry, as they live out their 20’s being exactly who they want to be, wandering the streets high and swigging wine. But Terry’s career as an actress is at the crossroads after an audition leaves her feeling deflated and unwelcome due to her race. There are many lines from the actress’ that get your fists pumping in the spotlight for these important issues. When Arabella finds out her publisher's boss is, in fact, black was a significant moment to write into a BBC Drama as she says, “Susie is black, she isn’t just cool… she is Obama.” Actress Weruche Opia spoke on Stylist’s working-from-home podcast to say, “It’s a cultural reflection. I feel like things are moving forward.”
Sexual Assault is beginning to be heard
There is no beating around the bush in how the series looks into sexual assault. The comedic stance that Michaela takes on the series, with her characters deflection to look at the rape as a joke, is just the right amount of sly jokes for young people watching to finally stand up and realise - this is not okay. Unfortunately, it’s a horrific topic that young people don’t feel comfortable coming forward to speak about, truthfully because they are unaware or uneducated about what it can be classed as. Arabella’s confusion with the assault, her memory flashes or events, is exactly what needs to be spat out into the viewers' faces; yes this is what happens; yes people brush it off; yes it takes immense courage to speak out about it. The series doesn’t just do justice for British women, but it draws upon queer relationships and male rape, holding a medal for one of the first BBC series to look at LGBTQ couples.
And…woman really do have periods
I was applauding this scene like I’m sure many other females would have been glaring at a bloody tampon on the screen. Arabella goes to have sex in Italy after a wild 24-hour boozer, but holds back as her time of the month stares at her in the face, questioning the challenge, “I’m quite a heavy bleeder, I’m just letting you know that… seen as you have been so helpful today.” Too many times have I watched couples have sex on television or in film and thought wow, maybe she doesn’t have a period? RAINCHECK— of course, she has beetroot stains covering her sheets. It’s great to finally see a real representation, even a dangling blood clot, of the women's ways.
Not only has the series lifted the accuracy of boozing for us brits in London, the damages and risks of not looking after yourself, but its battled substantial topics we are starting to unpick within our capital as we link arms together after lockdown.