If you’ve spent any time watching The White Lotus, you know the series loves to throw audiences in intensely awkward moments. This season’s most talked-about cringe-fest doesn’t even involve a vacation showdown or any bodies falling off a boat (yet). Instead, it’s Jason Isaacs’ Timothy Ratliff accidentally flashing his family in a lorazepam-induced haze, thanks to the not-so-secure tie on his robe.
And, because the internet loves nothing more than an anatomically awkward moment, questions spiraled fast. Was it real? Was it prosthetic? Is this really what we’re talking about right now? His The White Lotus co-star Sarah Catherine Hook confirmed the latter, but Isaacs isn’t thrilled that the debate about his nether regions has eclipsed conversation about, well, anything else.
The frenzy culminated in an awkwardly defensive appearance by Issacs on CBS Mornings. When Gayle King asked about the prosthetic, Isaacs deflected, saying, “Nobody’s asking Mikey Madison about her vulva.” He then doubled down by dragging Margaret Qualley into the mix, adding, “Nobody would dream of talking to her about her genitalia or her nipples.” He then later accused the journalists of “being obsessed with penises.” Yeah.
Here’s the thing — while we get that making a penis prosthetic the focal point of an interview feels absurd, Isaacs’ claims are not entirely accurate. Mikey Madison? She’s talked openly about nudity in her Oscar-winning role as a stripper in Anora. She shadowed real dancers, trained on a pole at home, and described nudity as integral to her character’s job.
Margaret Qualley? She didn’t shy away either, going full press tour with her prosthetics in The Substance, casually discussing her on-screen nudity and prosthetic breasts in a way that felt empowering, not silenced. “Unfortunately there is no magic boob potion, so we had to glue those on,” the actress explained of her “’80s-inspired, Jessica Rabbit” silhouette. “Coralie found an incredible prosthetic team to endow me with the rack of a lifetime, just not my lifetime,” Qually joked.
And maybe that’s why Isaacs’ attempts to dodge the prosthetic question feel less like a critique and more like an awkward misfire. His “why are you obsessed with penises?” comeback might’ve worked if it didn’t seem like a clumsy way to dodge the real issue. Sure, Hollywood has blatant double standards around nudity and gender, but if everyone’s still stuck talking about your prosthetic penis instead of your character’s meltdown, maybe it’s time to rethink how you’re shaping the conversation.
Instead of aiming for a gotcha moment, Isaacs could’ve chaotically leaned into the absurdity while elevating his actual point. Because right now? One of TV’s smartest satires is being eclipsed by bathrobes and badly executed media moments.
Before you go, click here to see actors who have spoken out about pressure to get naked for a role.
