On the new television program “Jessica Jones,” the protagonist is a superhero, and she’s also a rape survivor trying to cope with her trauma. It’s the latest in a surprising number of shows, from fantasy to family drama to comedy, dealing with sexual violence in ways TV has never shown before. Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker’s television critic, talks with feminist writer and performer Lindy West about how to tell frankness from exploitation, and why Nussbaum thinks that the more programs deal with rape, the better.
Nussbaum has written in the magazine about “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and “The Fosters.”
Produced by Jill Du Boff.