Ever watched your favourite movie back recently and felt the intimate scenes were not quite how you remembered?
If you think back to scenes from popular classics like Star Wars, The Devil Wears Prada, Sleeping Beauty and Wedding Crashers, would you be able to identify what was non-consensual?
Not-for-profit organisation Consent Labs recently commissioned a study where more than 1,000 Australians aged 18–44 were shown a variety of intimate scenes from popular movies and TV shows.
Chief executive Angelique Wan said three-in-five of those surveyed could not identify intimate scenes that lacked consent.
"From scenes in children's films where women are kissed while they're asleep, to rom-coms where men are tied to a bed and their struggle is played for laughs," Ms Wan said.
"Or scenes that are depicted as romantic, even though the person says 'no' again and again — these acts are designed to add dramatic effect, but the visualisation without warning perpetuates and normalises lack of consent."
"I think we've all become accustomed to certain tropes.
"Media is incredibly powerful in shaping our understandings and expectations of what relationships or what a sexual activity should look like."
Ms Wan said films and TV shows were not depicting when consent was lacking.
"In turn, young people are normalising that absence of consent," she said.
The study also showed 22 per cent of those surveyed defined giving consent as a body movement, 19 per cent said it could be "a look" and for 16 per cent it was "a feeling".
"Consent is agreeing something freely and voluntarily," Ms Wan said.
"Consent has to be verbal — if both parties are speaking, consent has to be actively sought and it has to be continuous. Body language is not at all a replacement for consent."
Ms Wan said in light of the research Consent Labs would be petitioning the Classification Board to add a new classification called "(C) – Lack of Consent" across Australian television, streaming and movie content.
"There's power in knowing what you're watching. That's why we classify coarse language, nudity and drug use and that's why we must classify lack of consent," she said.
"Our research shows that despite Australians having the best intentions to either teach or learn about consent – such as in school or as parents – we're still seeing it being defined incorrectly.
"While adding a classification to content may seem simple, it's a powerful addition and can even be used as an education tool."
A spokesman for the Classification Board said a new classifiable element such as lack of consent would require a change to legislation.
Consumer advice can include "sexual violence" if this was the most impactful element or a significant element of the film.
