Mike White on The White Lotus: I Want To Make Gay Sex Transgressive Again
Share
The creator and show runner of the HBO hit series The White Lotus, writer Mike White, responded to last night’s shocking season two finale by saying he “wants to make gay sex transgressive again.”
I’m in awe of actor-writer-director Mike White. I’ve loved him since THE GOOD GIRL, but THE WHITE LOTUS has convinced me he’s a genius: not only for his brilliant dialogue, but for the concept of traveling to a different country/resort each season for a well paid vacation. pic.twitter.com/JCEUNI2pOG
— A Gregory Lamberson Film (@GregLamberson) November 28, 2022
Season 1 of “The White Lotus” left jaws wide open when, at the end of its fourth episode, Murray Bartlett’s Armond is caught face-deep in his employee Dillon’s (Lukas Gage) asscheeks. But with the latest second-season episode, Mike White’s HBO series may have topped that (pun intended).
View this post on Instagram
“The White Lotus” introduced new characters and conflict last week when English millionaire Quentin (Tom Hollander) recruits Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) to join him, his flamboyant friends and his hunky nephew Jack (Leo Woodall) in partying at the beach club. Portia’s budding fling with Albie (Adam DiMarco) begins to flicker when Jack takes interest in her, leading to an awkward, jealous showdown at the bar between Portia and Jack and Albie and Lucia (Simona Tabasco). The most shocking revelation, however, comes when Tanya roams around Quentin’s palazzo late at night and walks in on Jack having sex with his, erm… uncle?
Speaking with Variety ahead of the Episode 5 premiere, White said the scene was an “echo” of Bartlett and Gage’s Season 1 moment. Both feature a character walking in on gay sex behind closed doors, and both occur two episodes before the finale.
“There’s a pleasure to me as a guy who is gay-ish to make gay sex transgressive again,” White said. “It’s dirty… men are having sex and you have this ‘Psycho’ music underneath. It just amuses me.”
White continued: “I just think transgressive sex is sexier. I guess I’m old school. There’s this Gothic vibe of walking through a haunted hotel or haunted house and people are having sex behind closed doors.”
As far as whether Quentin and Jack are actually related, White teased, “Well, you’ll have to see.”
View this post on Instagram
