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HBO’s Westworld Extras Have to Sign a Consent Form Agreeing to ‘Genital-to-Genital Touching’

Just a taste of things to come.

It’s not an HBO prestige drama unless there’s a lot of nudity. The sci-fi dystopia Westworld, which has been billed as “a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin,” is taking the latter part very seriously. Deadline reports that the show is having some of its extras sign consent forms where they agree to “graphic sexual situations,” including “genital-to-genital touching” as well as some very specific bodily positions, including “contort[ing] to form a table-like shape while being fully nude” and “pos[ing] on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back.” Here’s the relevant part of the contract:

This document serves to inform you that this project will require you to be fully nude and/or witness others fully nude and participate in graphic sexual situations. By accepting this Project assignment, you may be required to do any of the following: appear fully nude; wear a pubic hair patch; perform genital-to-genital touching; have your genitals painted; simulate oral sex with hand-to-genital touching; contort to form a table-like shape while being fully nude; pose on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back; ride on someone’s back while you are both fully nude; and other assorted acts the Project may require. The Project will also include language and sexual situations that some may consider personally objectionable or uncomfortable.

But don’t worry, extras, your union has your back! The actors union SAG-AFTRA is informing its members of their rights, which include that the set be closed, consent can be withdrawn at any time, and photographs cannot be taken without consent. A union representative will be on set to monitor the situation and answer questions. As for your questions about what the heck is going on, we leave you with this 30-second teaser:

Westworld Extras’ Nudity-Consent Form Is Intense