Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Christmas, Happy Valentine’s Day. Then, suddenly, we see Vanessa dressed as a dominatrix, penetrating Wade from behind, and wishing him a “Happy International Women’s Day”. Hilarious, right? Because on International Women’s Day, she’s being all empowered and dominant, and stuff. That’s a great joke.

But, hold on a minute. How does this joke actually work? It works by basing itself on the assumption that penetration is a dominant act to be endured, rather than enjoyed – which is emphasised by the clear discomfort of Wade, and the fact that he can be heard saying “No”, repeatedly. This is a clear judgement on the nature of roles in sex, and it is particularly relevant to Vanessa's character, because she is a sex worker. The t...

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