The work of intimacy coordinators has value- but an Oscar isn’t necessary

The job of the intimacy coordinator is crucial and valuable. But no, it does not need a special Academy Award

Last week, The Hollywood Reporter wrote about intimacy coordinators' work, specifically speaking with Mam Smith, who filled that role in the recent film Challengers. 

If you’re unfamiliar with it, intimacy coordinators are a relatively recent innovation. They have been hired by more movie and TV studios in the aftermath of the Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement. Essentially, The idea is to ensure the comfort of the actors participating in such scenes and that sex scenes are shot and produced ethically. 

This has, for the most part, been a good thing, especially amid what THR calls the “post-#MeToo revival of sex on screen,” although whether on-screen sex ever really went away is a matter of some contention. 

After all, there’s a long and somewhat horrific history in Hollywood of actresses being forced into bad situations on film sets.