There are a plethora of common fan complaints when it comes to modern Corrie. Doom and gloom storylines, dodgy and unnecessary camera techniques, movie-style background music, dream sequences and of course…issues-based storylines. Most superfans are on board with many of these gripes. They take us far from where life began on the Cobbles and inject an element of unfamiliarity that is often unwelcome and disconcerting.
And yet…yesterday’s Corrie, a smorgasbord of all of these irritating elements, was absolutely superb.
Telling the story of non-fatal strangulation in a soap can not be easy. Especially when that story involves some of the show’s younger characters. So we were taken through a sex scene without one item of clothing removed, no bed, no violence and no graphic depiction of the act. Just a dance between a young couple, a nod to the intimate nature of the scene, and a hand across the neck, very briefly. It was clever.
The issue itself is one worth talking about. Social media and internet use is a big talking point in Western societies at the moment as it’s influence impacts all our lives, but none more so than teens and children. With loopholes around access to porn and graphic content, keeping kids safe online is difficult but imperative, so it’s a brave and noble move from Corrie to generate awareness of an important but little talked about issue on prime time telly. It’s in this context of where society currently is when it comes to young people and external online influences that the story of Betsy’s stroke following strangulation during sex is told.
In once scene, Betsy says ‘everybody does it’, referring to the act of strangulation during sex. Lisa her mum recoils in shock. This is a clear nod to the problem of trends and influence from online content, and a clear generational gap in knowledge and lived experience.
As with all issues-based storylines on Corrie, producers consulted experts. The Institute for Addressing Strangulation, who worked with writers and producers on the story, said:
‘To ensure the storyline’s medical accuracy, Coronation Street’s production team worked closely with IFAS, alongside the Stroke Association and Safeline. IFAS experts reviewed scripts and met directly with the production team and cast to help the storyline be told with clinical accuracy and care. IFAS thanks the Coronation Street production team for their thoughtful collaboration and commitment to portraying this issue responsibly and accurately.
The drama lands against a backdrop of stark data. A recent IFAS study of more than 4,100 young adults aged 16–34 found that over 55% had either experienced or perpetrated strangulation during sex, with prevalence highest among 16–20-year-olds. The findings underline how widespread, and how widely misunderstood, the risks of strangulation remain among young people.’
Corrie Blog editor Glenda wrote more about the storyline HERE.
Whether you appreciate issues-based storytelling on Corrie, or would prefer these kind of scenes were less frequent, this particular example hits differently. Not only was it a much less prominent issue to focus on, the intimate nature of the scenes, how we are being informed and who is impacted by the issue make this a really brave move. Of course the actors deserve the credit for their part alongside writers.
Well done Corrie.
(No more background music and wobbly camera shots for a while though please!)
@StevieDawson
