Intersexions Has a Winner

Intersexions asked you, the public, to come up with story ideas for season 2 of the smash hit SABC1 series Intersexions – and you responded with fantastic plots.

The producers of Intersexions are delighted to announce that the winning entry has been identified through public voting, and that it and two runner-up stories in total are to be incorporated into Intersexions II.

The winning story, Instant Gratification, has won author Khono Mtetwa a R2 000 prize. She and fellow authors Mbali Mthembu and Nasiphi Pupuma will be invited to work with the Intersexions scriptwriters to bring their stories to life in Intersexions II.

Instant Gratification tells the story of a young woman who grew up without a father, and who uses sex to obtain the attention and affection that is missing from her heart, if only fleetingly. 

Intersexions head scriptwriter Brent Quinn comments: “This is really good. The protagonist sees sex as a fix, an antidote for all that she has lost, specifically the dad she never knew. She is broken, empty on the inside. Her yearning has made her cynical. She doesn’t care about risk …

“She doesn’t mind the lies, or if people close to her deceive her; she needs her fix and that look in the eyes of the lovers she has – that look of desire and appreciation.”

Mthembu’s entry, in the form of a poem titled Hold Tomorrow for Me, captures a woman who is torn between herself and her conscience, and the better person she wants to be.

“This is very good. Love how the writer wrestles with her conscience – how she wants something else but mistrusts herself. The poet’s voice can open a really fascinating and torn character. A character who cannot reconcile her sexual self with the ‘moral’ idea of the self she feels she ought to become,” says Quinn.

The second runner-up, Pupuma’s All Good Things Come in 3s, is an erotic tale of two women who are close friends and regular lovers, who seduce a male friend – but ensuring that they practise safe sex.

“Excellent. This is classic Intersexions – people in the shadows, exploring and finding themselves but acting responsibly. Love the story and love the tone of the storyteller,” says Quinn.

Ricahrd Delate, managing director of Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA), the health communications NGO that conceptualised Intersexions, says the storytelling competition has been an extension of the unique interaction that Intersexions has enjoyed with its fans.

“Intersexions I was quite unlike any other drama series to be screened in South Africa, in that the audience took it and its authentic stories – as well as the underlying health messaging around HIV and AIDS – to heart. This was evidenced by the very active fan engagement with the series on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and the series blog.

“By asking fans to come up with story ideas for Intersexions II, we’ve maintained that engagement – and they have responded magnificently, with scores of plot suggestions. This will help to keep Intersexions II relevant to its audience, with stories that resonate strongly with them.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to heartily congratulate the authors of our three winning entries. We very much look forward to seeing their stories come to fruition on the small screen,” says Delate.

Winning Entries

                 Winner

Runners-up