As the world faces the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency, here's a spin on the Trump effect that's totally surprising. Jane the Virgin's creator and showrunner used the Republican presidential nominee as inspiration to make sure all the kisses on her show are 100% consensual.
In an interview with Pacific Standard, Jennie Urman said that the infamous footage of Trump's lewd comments made her want to be crystal-clear about the series' views on sexual expression.
"I felt so uncomfortable with any gray area in terms of consent," Urman said. "Those little symbols [of male aggression and lack of consent] are dangerous right now in terms of what we’re talking about and what we’re faced with."
The season 3 premiere features a flashback to the first time Jane smooched Michael at her 21st birthday party. Initially, the episode was supposed to just show Michael showing up at Jane's door and kissing her. Urman said she rewrote it to give Jane the chance to initiate the kiss, showing that the moment was consensual and female-focused.
Urman explained that she made the change because her job is to "understand how all the small nuances and small moments [on the show] are either validating or adding to some problems that we as a society are currently grappling with."
In short: Jane the Virgin won't be the least bit complicit in Trump's gospel of bullying and shaming women.
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