
In the pilot
episode of the series, Hank meets a young woman named Mia reading his book in a
bookstore. Shortly after meeting one another, Mia and Hank engage in sex with
one another. While having sex, Mia punches Hank in the face twice. Hank’s
feelings of Mia’s behavior are ambiguous, but soon after having sex with Mia,
Hank learns that having sex with Mia will have detrimental consequences.
In the
episode, “Getting the Poisons Out” Hank obtains a prostitute for his adult son
Levon. Despite the inclination to characterize an act of prostitution as a
negative sex act, the characters in this scene all experience positive
outcomes. Even when exploring questionable cultural transgressions and taboos, Californication utilizes witty and
raunchy humor, realistic consequences, and unique production techniques to
depict sexual activity.

When Mia and Hank
have sex in the pilot episode of Californication,
the scene initially depicts the sex in a lighthearted manner. The music is
upbeat and almost comical. While Mia’s bare breasts are displayed on screen,
she is on top of Hank in a dominant position. The scene is not romantic. Mia
and Hank seem to be engaged in pleasure, yet they seem indifferent of one
another. The lighting of the scene is bright, and it lacks the dimly lit, warm
tones characteristics of passionate sex. Mia asks Hank if he is going to have
an orgasm, and Hank replies, “Might as well.” Mia punches Hank in the face.
Hank is shocked and confused, but in general, his feelings are ambiguous. Mia
punches Hank again as she seems to climax, and she quickly and unabashedly gets
off Hank, picks up her clothes, and leaves Hank’s house without saying a word.
Hank lies in bed, laughing with confusion.
The sex between
Hank and Mia is awkward and violent. Although Mia punches Hank twice, the scene
depicts the act of sexual violence as more unexpected, shocking, and somehow
humorous than damaging to Hank’s body or psyche.
Despite the use of humor in
the scene, Hank eventually learns that there where many unexpected consequences
to sleeping with Mia. The scene of sexual activity between Mia and Hank lasts
for less than a minute, but the narrative of the encounter continues throughout
the episode and the entire series. At the end of the pilot episode, Hank learns
that Mia is the daughter of the man that is marrying the love of Hank’s life,
Karen. Hank also learns that Mia is sixteen years old. It becomes clear that a
couple punches to the face are the least of the negative outcomes from the sex
act of the scene. Instead, now Hank faces a range of negative consequences,
such as public humiliation, Karen never speaking to him again, and prison.
Despite Mia clearly taking a dominant role in the scene, the cultural
constructs and laws of the real world and the universe of Californication consider sex between a minor female and a
middle-aged male a reprehensible act. Even Hank considers his sexual encounter
with Mia an abhorrent behavior. Hank is terrified, and the experience magnifies
his preexisting self-loathing. At the end of the episode, Hank sits alone in a
dark room as melancholy music plays. He drinks heavily and attempts to write,
but he can only write a single word on the blank computer screen, “Fuck.”

Although sex with
Mia presented Hank with a range of negative consequences, he continues to lead
a highly active sex life. Sex and the pursuit of love are always at the center
of Hank’s life. While not without regret about sex with Mia, Hank generally
embraces aberrant behavior and does not apologize for his transgressions.
However, Hank also has a daughter and a son. He is very traditional with his
daughter, yet he takes a progressive approach to dealing with his son. During
the episode “Getting the Poison Out,” we learn that Hank’s adult son Levon is
still a virgin. Eventually, Hank and his family friend Marcy decide that Levon needs
to have sex. Marcy and Hank decide to seek out a prostitute for Levon. Despite
the overtones of objectification and lack of love involved in paying for sex,
both the prostitute and Levon are extremely pleased with the outcome of their
sexual experience.
The sex between
Levon and the prostitute in “Getting the Poison Out” provides an interesting
and unique depiction of a sexual relationship. The show uses humor once again throughout
the scene, but unlike Hank’s interaction with Mia, the humor is more overt and
not nearly as awkward. The sex between the prostitute and Levon is implied in
this scene. In contrast to the sex scene between Hank and Mia, Levon and the
prostitute engage in sex in a dimly lit room, and the music playing is sultry
and hypnotic. There is a tenderness and empathetic tone to the scene. The scene
does not portray Levon as a misogynist objectifying a woman, and the raunchy
humor between all of the characters involved adds a sense of levity to the
scene. The humor in this scene aids in fragmenting the viewer from reality and
suspending disbelief of the scenario. Rather than churning the audience’s stomach,
the scene leaves the viewer amused and happy for Levon. Perhaps the most
interesting way the scene depicts sex is the range of perspectives introduced
to Levon before he decides to engage in sex with the prostitute. Levon agrees
that he would like to have sex with someone special and without paying for sex.
However, Levon does not believe his first time has to be special, and he makes
the clever point that Hank is paying, not him. At the end of the episode, the
prostitute tells Levon that she had a lot of fun, and she tells Levon to tweet
her sometime. Ultimately, the episode depicts a sexual act with a prostitute as
a positive experience, and the episode demonstrates that sex acts and sexuality
exist on a continuum.

Works
Cited
“Getting the Poison Out.” Californication: The Final Season. Writ.
Tom Kapinos. Dir. Seith
Mann. Showtime
Entertainment, 2014. DVD.
“Pilot.” Californication: The First Season. Writ. Tom Kapinos. Dir. Stephen
Hopkins.
Paramount, 2014.
DVD.
Scott, Jason. “And sex on TV...”
Arizona State University. Bateman Physical Sciences Center,
Tempe, AZ. 19 Feb.
2015. Lecture.