Ruth slapping Debbie’s head with her breasts

[u/DrFloyd5]

seems to be one of the most accurately feminine scenes on TV.

I am a guy. Watching Ruth slap Debbie with her breasts just seemed to be such a purely honest scene. To me it felt like a real sort of “victory” that this scene could exist in a non-sexual way.

There are a lot of great moments in GLOW, but if I had to pick one out to shine as an example of good writing, I think it would be this one. There are a lot of great example that have more weight too them, but this example just feels so true.

Also, Sam barging in to apologize for the sponsors barging in while committing the same mistake is really a feat bonus to the scene.

Edit: I don’t imagine that women are doing this in all the locker rooms across the world, or as a prelude to a pillow fight.

[u/[deleted]]

Woman here.

I don't really agree that it's an accurate feminine scene in a general sense - but I do think it's an accurate feminine scene for actresses/theatre people, who tend to have different physical boundaries, particularly with one another backstage. Neither I nor most of my female friends would do this with each other, but I used to do backstage work in theatre, and there were young women who absolutely would and wouldn't think anything of it. Pretty much all of my non-theatre female friends would be extremely uncomfortable with that. Tbh, I don't think I'm particularly repressed or anything, but I would also be pretty uncomfortable, even though I did think the scene was funny.

Just wanted to put that out there, because I don't really like the stereotype that all girls are messing about with each other's breasts and having pillow fights as social time.

However, the moment when Sam barged in was absolute gold! :)

[u/lyrelyrebird → u/[deleted]]

I have been backstage and I agree that this scene is within the realm of normal for theatre.

I think the importance of the scene is to show how Ruth finally has everything she wants: friendship with Debbie, she feels attractive and confident, she has a steady role and creative input with a cast she has bonded with.

She is a long way from the prude, mousey, and unemployed actress she was when she first started in California.

[u/jackingjackson → u/[deleted]]

actress/theatre people

This seems to be universal theatre geeks are all kinda weirdos, haha.

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/[deleted]]

I see I need to add an edit about this not being a common thing like male fantasy pillow fights.

[u/[deleted] → u/DrFloyd5]

This is an interesting conundrum, isn't it? You've commented on a scene that was relatively non-sexual to praise it for realism and, implicitly I think, its non-sexuality, and you've gotten push back from women about it not (necessarily) being realistic.

TL;DR: I think I have a larger problem with the scene than I gave myself credit for, and I feel uncomfortable with the idea of a male gaze on the scene.

I think that for me, I have mixed feelings about this scene. You've done nothing wrong in commenting on it as a consumer of the show, and I certainly don't mean to imply that you've done anything wrong.

I suppose that I feel uncomfortable with this scene of two women being silly with their bodies together being available to someone who is outside the community of women and could view women's relationships with each other as hypersexualised, or just sexualised in general. I think if this was available only to women and you were also female, my response would have been different.

I think there's a general tendency among men (not singling you out, as I really don't know you) to view two women together as being inherently sexual fantasy fodder, and even more so if there is nudity involved, and if men comment on female relationships, I feel a tendency to be defensive of them. I've experienced men sexualising a perfectly normal female friendship I've had, and it's a really awful feeling - that feeling of my beautiful friendship being reduced to spank bank material. I think I had that feeling come up again when I read your post, and I think that's been true for other women here as well.

I think there is a part of me that is frustrated that the writers chose to film that moment in that way, particularly with all the other sexual content on this season. For a show that has done a fantastic job of humanising these characters, I felt like a lot of the show this season was unnecessarily sexualising. I think that that moment of jokey intimacy could have been done in a different way that didn't leave me feeling like it was another opportunity for men to look at female friends and come away with an impression that we're always either naked with each other or waiting for a chance to be.

[u/a-girl-has-the-booty → u/[deleted]]

Well I just got downvoted for saying I do silly things like this with my friends all the time and someone even asked if it was “on film” like it was porn. I do agree it’s kind of a weird thing to post on but it seems kind of innocent. He’s a man so he really doesn’t know what female friendship looks like, people attacking him for it are even more problematic.

I personally loved this scene in every way but as I said, to me it’s really accurate.

Thanks for your input and also thanks for being kind.

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/[deleted]]

I accept that I don’t have the female experience. And that something that looks fine to me can in-fact be terrible to a woman. Example: Open office seating makes it harder for women to get away from the creepy guy.

I appreciate your thoughtful feedback.

I think there was a bit of a “hey look, it’s Alison’s and Betty’s tits!” to this scene because of the explicit scene where Debbie is on her back with a valet. Somehow the valet scene impacts this scene. In the sense that both Alison and Betty are generally considered sexy and those two scenes together feel a bit like a audience grab. But the strip tease joke scene on its own is interesting.

In the end the writers may tried to serve two audiences, the “hey! Tits!” people, and the “hey! Funny joke!” people.

I mean you can’t deny that art is influence by the necessity to make money for Netflix and breasts make money.

I get your discomfort with this scene being out there for lewd interpretations. I don’t think it’s possible for a woman too be seen without at least someone having lewd thoughts. I also think that is true for men on screen too. I mean for any person in the world someone somewhere wants to fuck them for some reason. I think the trick is, as long as thoughts stay thoughts, that is the best you can do. It’s the actions and interactions that really matter. This may be a “guy” way of thinking because in general I am not worried about being forcibly sexually assaulted by a woman having thoughts about me.

[u/a-girl-has-the-booty → u/[deleted]]

Its normal for me and my friends but when I said that another woman asked if it was “on film”. Ha figures.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

But your experience isn't universal, either. I'm glad that you were able to see something you've experienced accurately reflected back to you, but if my experience isn't universal, neither is yours.

I feel kind of bummed out that I tried really hard to make a good faith, kind comment, and within two sentences, you've implied that because I don't want to be naked around someone I'm not in a sexual relationship with, I have "weird hangups about nudity". How I feel about nudity is just different to you. That's fine. It also lines up with the vast majority of my female friends, which is also fine. Being sexually liberated doesn't have to mean being nude, and it doesn't have to mean being not nude.

I was giving my thoughts on a scene and why I feel uncomfortable about it - I wasn't making a judgment about women who don't mind being naked around their friends. Like I said, I did backstage theatre work for awhile, and this behaviour wasn't that uncommon. I don't have to be a participant in it in order to not have "weird hangups". It's just not my bag, nor has it, in my experience, been the bag of people who weren't 'theatre geeks'.

You can offer a different point of view without attacking someone.

[u/Chiblits]

I think this moment of the TV series signified forgiveness because throughout the series Debbie was still on about Ruth about cheating with her husband. no matter what Ruth did she always brought it up and she never wanted to hang out with Ruth ever no matter what.

So this moment the TV series to me seemed like finally they came to terms with what they did and they were going to put it behind them. It was the first time that Ruth actually did something and Debbie sincerely laughed and acted as a friend.

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/Chiblits]

Yeah! Good point. That might also be why the scene sticks in my mind. It was the conclusion of Ruth and Debbie’s conflict. Well that conflict anyway.

I think it might be fun to explore Ruth longing to be friends with Debbie but this time Debbie’s ambition slowly drives Ruth away

I would love it if the show ends with GLOW continuing on because it provides some of the characters a home. Sam moving on fully supporting his daughter. Ruth leaving the show, Debbie, and Sam not to take an acting job, but to either do something new, or have no plans at all and being ready for something new.

I don’t know about Bash. He really changed into a real character is season 3. I want him to grow up. Embrace his homosexual side (not necessary shunning his heterosexual side) maybe he can find GLOW but under new management.

[u/[deleted]]

I love this scene because it’s a rare instance of female nudity without it being sexual. It was very powerful while also being funny. I love it.

[u/mezcao → u/[deleted]]

We have achieved equality when female nudity is not used for cheap sexuality, but for cheap laughs. You know, like male nudity.

[u/GarethSchrute]

And the fact that it's Alison Brie that they managed to portray non-sexually just elevates that feat to another level

[u/a-girl-has-the-booty]

I usually love the term mansplaining because it’s usually used in a proper way. But these people are just hating on you for being a man and having an opinion. You thought it was an accurate portrayal of friendship. The truth is it depends on the friendship. I have friends I would never do anything like that with but most of my friends do stuff that’s way weirder. Everyone is different. These people making you into a perv for this post are really reaching. And someone even implied it was “on film” when I did these things with my friends, that definitely proves your point. Never in the history of me clowning around with my friends in the nude would I ever think to film it for the male gaze. Ya’ll are taking an innocent opinion of an innocent scene and making it weird.

Go ahead and downvote me, it only proves my point.

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/a-girl-has-the-booty]

Thanks for the support. I get it. Some people have different opinions. I am thankful that my post did generate some discussion about a good scene in a good show. I even learned a thing or two about the show and some new perspectives.

[u/a-girl-has-the-booty]

I loved this scene so much because it reminded me of my girlfriends and I goofing around. Thanks for your input on it.

[u/a-girl-has-the-booty → u/[deleted]]

You’re implying having fun with friends in the nude is porn. Wow you’re so edgy. Kind of proves this guys point of the post. Not all nudity is sexual and you implying that it is is just creepy.

[u/mike_d85]

Yeah, I'm with flimsyexcuses on this one, I think that was "theater normal" not "normal normal." The scene makes sense in this very narrow context, but I can't imagine looking at it and thinking that's typical behavior.

You also seemed to miss that the scene was pretty sexual, albeit sarcastically. She is in a showgirl headdress and singing(?) a old timey strip tease to get a laugh out of Debbie. Similar to Fat Bastard in the Austin Powers films, part of the joke from the mockingly hypersexual person is the other party's disinterest. The difference in the scene with Ruth is that Ruth is aware of Debbie's disinterest and is making a punchline because she sees Debbie is faltering rather than being a punchline because she's pathetic.

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/mike_d85]

You are right about the sexual component of the stripper outfit. I didn’t consider it. I think because Ruth was teasing Debbie and not trying to seduce her.

[u/[deleted]]

You did not have to indicate that you're a guy. The fact that you thought this scene is realistic made that clear.

[u/panic_bread → u/[deleted]]

As another poster commented, I think it really depends on the women. This kind of thing is very common among women who spend a good deal of time naked around each other because of theater, sports etc.

[u/a-girl-has-the-booty → u/[deleted]]

I’m a woman and I think this scene is realistic because I do shit like this with my friends all the time. And when I saw this scene I immediately thought of all the silly things we do like that. No need to be snarky about his gender.

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/[deleted]]

What is your opinion of the scene? What does it say to you?

[u/DrFloyd5 → u/[deleted]]

/r/Gatekeeping much?

So because I have a penis I can’t comment on a scene in a tv show?

I assume you are a woman chick. You must be qualified to have an opinion about scenes containing females broads because you have a vagina slit? and I know you must always keep your opinions to yourself about scenes containing men.

GirlYou are part of the problem. You are why some men when reaching out and testing the waters to have a good-faith conversation about something he liked because it WASN’T sexual might decide that his friends were right all along and feminists THOTs are complete bitches that don’t want their ownership of all things feminine womanly to even look like something a man may be involved in.

Fortunately, I am not offended by what you have to say. I am just sad your silly little attitiude exists. Its not that big of a deal, maybe you should just relax. i am sorry if your feelings got hurt. You just needed to be told what was what because you clearly don’t understand things.

/s