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'The melodramatic penis': How The White Lotus reveals the hidden codes of male nudity on screen

Laura Martin
Warner Bros Discovery Jason Isaacs in The White Lotus season 3 (Credit: Warner Bros Discovery)Warner Bros Discovery
(Credit: Warner Bros Discovery)

Full-frontal male nudity in all three series of The White Lotus has provoked waves of reaction and comment. Why does showing a penis on screen still have the ability to shock?

Episode four of The White Lotus season three, which is set in Thailand, saw the increasingly agitated millionaire dad Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) sit down for breakfast in a loosely tied dressing robe. His family are unaware that Tim is wanted by the FBI for illegal financial dealings and will likely end up in prison – and that he's been popping tablets of anti-anxiety medication Lorazepam like sweeties. 

Warning: This article contains language that some may find offensive

"Everyone at the club…!" he mutters to himself in horror, and, imagining his acquaintances finding out about his crimes, he puts his hands up over his head, accidentally exposing his genitals as a result. "Oh my god, Dad!" his three near-adult children cry out in disgust. "Your balls!"

It might have been only a flash of male genitalia in this third series of Mike White's hugely successful dramedy about one-percenters on holiday, but it instantly became a much-discussed moment on social media. "Jason Isaacs I was unfamiliar with ur game," one person posted on X, while another added: "[the] full frontal made me spill my soup I wasn't ready." Others connected Isaacs' nakedness back to his other famous role as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. "Well, I didn't expect White Lotus to show Lucius Malfoy's wand tonight, but here we are…" one quipped. 

But this was far from the first time the male anatomy was the focus in this series. In the first episode, Isaacs' on-screen son, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) was shown flashing his penis and buttocks while announcing to his younger brother that he was going to masturbate to pornography in their shared bathroom; and the two prior series have also been replete with naked men. 

Warner Bros Discovery A flash of male genitalia in the third series of The White Lotus instantly became a much-discussed moment on social media (Credit: Warner Bros Discovery)Warner Bros Discovery
A flash of male genitalia in the third series of The White Lotus instantly became a much-discussed moment on social media (Credit: Warner Bros Discovery)

In fact, it's become a running theme: every opening episode from each three White Lotus series features a penis set loose. Hawaii-set series one had Steve Zahn's Mark Mossbacher ask his wife to inspect his testicles as he believed he had cancer. In the first episode of series two (set in Sicily) cocky finance bro Cameron (Theo James) goes to his friend's partner's hotel bedroom to borrow some swimming shorts, then changes in full view, giving her and the viewers a glimpse of his penis. "What do you think? A little snug, right">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });