FTA: Lack of consent and of frank conversations are no strangers to the teen movie genre. Back to the Future, Sixteen Candles, and Ghostbusters, to name a few, display a complete disregard for the bodily autonomy of the many young characters, be they protagonists or background characters. (And yes, Judge Kavanaugh was the target audience of these films when they debuted.) However, in the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, it’s time for Netflix and other production companies to step up to the plate for the multitude of young people watching and modeling these movies. Accurate and honest depictions of consent and conversations about consent could make the difference between a bad teen movie and one that goes viral for all the right reasons.
I think that’s fair - media can and should reflect or even model social change and appropriate behavior. Lots of things that people didn’t bat an eye at in the 80’s are cringeworthy now. Just have to keep moving forward.