Vice season 6, episode 23 recap: ‘Consent’

On the latest episode of Vice, the show took a look at the idea of consent in relationships and what it means.

Approximately a year ago the topic of sexual assault became one of the defining stories of the year and Vice is explaining the implications of the topic show no sign of going away.

This episode began with some individuals talking about their past encounters involving a lack of consent, with Isobel Yeung of Vice having a story of her own about an encounter that lacked consent. The rest of the episode was a discussion with various individuals of different backgrounds about what is really involved with the idea of consent.

This episode is quite different from most others as it’s not really a look at a specific issue, so much as it’s a look at an idea in our culture, specifically within relationships. The concept of consent, like most other subjects related to relationships and sexuality, is one where there is an enormous amount of grey area and nuance. The Supreme Court of the United States famously tried to define pornography as: “You know it when you see it.”

If there is one big idea that one can take from this episode, it’s that in healthy relationships good communication with the other person is of the absolute importance. There’s a good reason virtually every article in existence about marriage, dating, or relationships talks about communication. While it may seem like a cliché at this point, there really is some truth to be found in the idea.

It’s a safe bet that no two people will have the same experience regarding dating and relationships. Which is why it’s important to remember that how one person defines consent may be totally different from what someone else thinks. Which is why it’s something people need to discuss and be aware of.

What did you think of this episode of Vice? Be sure to tell us in the comments below!