Parents' Guide to

The Principles of Pleasure

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Positive docuseries has nudity, frank sex talk, diversity.

TV Netflix Reality TV 2022
Poster Image for the TV show The Principles of Pleasure, depicting a black woman's hand on a pink background, touching an upside-down letter V.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

Michkel J.
Michkel J. Adult
July 13, 2023
age 18+

The Principle of Hating Men

This series can be enjoyed by anyone of any color or gender. Except for cisgender males, whatever cisgender means. All I’ve learned from wasting my time during this series is that males are the reason women didn’t have orgasms throughout history. And as true as that may be, there’s no information on how to actually fix that in the future. Just hatred to me for being born a man and not artificially changing that. This series was made for LBTQ+ people without a penis, and hated on everyone else. Definition of consumerism.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
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What's the Story?

Actress-comedian Michelle Buteau (The Circle, Always Be My Maybe) narrates THE PRINCIPLES OF PLEASURE, a three-episode docuseries examining women's sexual pleasure through interviews with women and nonbinary folks of various ages from diverse backgrounds -- cis, trans, and queer included. Neuroscientists, psychologists, and sex educators give some historical perspective and help demystify topics like sex toys, human anatomy, and hormones. The show's format includes plenty of helpful illustrations and animations in between the talking-head segments.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This series may have come along at just the right time, given the 2022 culture in which there are dwindling possibilities for sex education in schools and rapidly-disappearing reproductive rights. Though the discussions of anatomy and certain statistics skew pretty woman-centric, The Principles of Pleasure also features enlightening interviews with queer, trans, and nonbinary subjects of various ages and ethnic backgrounds. Michelle Buteau's narration is amusing, yet full of legitimately useful information. They also highlight the studies of researchers and educators who unpack everything from the neuroscience behind an orgasm to dangerous myths about menstruation and hormones. The way the series examines and defines consent is hugely important, as is the focus on honest communication. Viewers are likely to learn a lot they didn't previously know -- and may un-learn some things society has told them that just aren't true.

This is a bold and entertaining series that can be enjoyed by open-minded audiences of any gender or persuasion. The overarching theme is one anyone can benefit from: Knowledge is power, and has the potential to bring people closer together and closer to understanding their own needs. It underscores that self-acceptance is key to being able to experience a truly fulfilling and pleasurable sex life, and that everyone is deserving of it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way sexuality is depicted in various media, as opposed to how it is depicted and discussed among real-life people. What kind of impact do these portrayals have on people and their relationships?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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