Owen and That Spray

[dreamer_easy]

Posting this for my own reference more than anything else:

In fact, some of the fans who saw the UK airing of "Torchwood" were concerned about the scene early in the series where Owen uses a pheromone spray to attract a reluctant woman. They felt that the woman couldn't consent and so it was a form of sexual assault.

Chibnall states emphatically that they never meant to give that impression. "Obviously, people can read things the way they want, and that's the great thing about drama. That's not the intention of that scene. It's not directed in that way. It's not written that way. Also, why would we have that character as a hero? No. Maybe we didn't make it clear enough, I don't know, but it's absolutely not the intention."

"The spray only accentuates feelings that are already there," suggests Clarke.

"Yeah," agrees Chibnall. "And actually, if you look at the way the scene is directed - she's looking at him, she's eyeing him up. You know, it's meant to be comic. Really. It's a comic scene. And sometimes I think when you interpret comic scenes in a very serious way, it forces a misreading. It's a tricky one." Chibnall adds, "When you write something, you never know how it's going to be interpreted, you know, and you can't really correct that. You have to let the discussion go."

http://classic-horror.com/newsreel/torchwood_aliens_monsters_and_sex_coming_to_bbc_america

Comments

[matthewwolff.livejournal.com]

We simply don't know enough about how the thing works to assume it completely overrides normal judgement and preference. You can either assume a largely benign effect similar to alcohol (which is, of course, the usual social lubricant), or you can assume that the second, full-strength shot is really self defense to diffuse a dangerous situation.

I couldn't agree more. We are given no evidence that this thing actually compromises a person's judgment or will like a date rape drug, so why does anyone insist on reading this into the scene? I read exactly what Chibnall describes of the scene on first viewing without even knowing about the controversy exploding in British fandom. And, yes, I also read the same into the pissed off boyfriend part of the scene. Kind of typical closet case macho behavior, I'd say, which is dropped once the spray lowers his inhibitions a little.

Yeah, Owen is meant to be seen a little dodgy.... I just don't see why fandom insists on judging the worst into not just the character, but also the creative team behind the show when the on screen evidence, at best, can be interpreted either way?

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Yes we are; when he uses it on the boyfriend, it tells you all you need to know about it compromising someone's judgment or will.