Ah, the good ole “who’s the woman” discourse between gay men.
The 10th episode of And Just Like That season two features a sex scene between Anthony (Mario Cantone) and his new, well-endowed Italian boyfriend named Giuseppe (Sebastiano Pigazzi). The scene starts with them just finishing off having sex, with Anthony having just topped Giuseppe.
“You are a wonderful lover. And now, my turn to f*ck you, yes?” Giuseppe asks.
Anthony is surprised to hear that question and shuts down the idea right away, which prompts Giuseppe to ask why.
“Because it’s not who I am,” Anthony responds. “You’re the bottom. I’m not.” Giuseppe tells Anthony that he can be whatever, that he’s in love and wants to experience different things between them.
“Have you seen yourself down there?” Anthony quips back, referencing that Giuseppe has a large nine-inch penis. Giuseppe then sits up and asks Anthony what this issue is really about.
“Okay, look, I’ve never done it. I’ve never been f*cked,” Anthony explains. But when Giuseppe chuckles and asks how is it possible for someone who’s had that much sex to never have bottomed, Anthony is quick to react: “Because I’m not the woman, okay?” This has Giuseppe even more confused, asking Anthony if he sees him as “the woman” in the relationship.
“Look, gay men of my generation see things differently,” Anthony argues. “The roles were more defined.”
Giuseppe asks, “Why does someone have to be the woman? Why can’t we be two men, each one getting fucked on and off? Monday me, Tuesday you.”
“You kids today with the versatility!” Anthony claps back. “Come on, this doesn’t have to be a thing. Plenty of gay relationships exist without penetration. Not to mention most straight marriages.”
Giuseppe sighs and seemingly understands Anthony’s point… while still offering a poetic final thought, “But why would you be afraid of more love?”
Though the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ representation on And Just Like That is all over the place, this was a refreshingly interesting conversation between two queer men of different generations. Given that this was only the first time that these characters talked about this topic, one can hope that more conversations like these will take place in a series that has generally minimized the role of gay male characters to quippy one-liners and BFF emotional support.
And Just Like That season two is now streaming on Max.