The Perverse Pleasures of "The White Lotus"
Deep psychological truths underlie the shock value of "The White Lotus."
Posted April 1, 2025 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
What is appealing to us about The White Lotus ? Or, more specifically, what kinds of psychological enjoyment do we derive from it? Online commentators often speak to the show's "shock value" and its capacity to raise the bar in terms of “acceptable” television, particularly in regard to sex, pleasure, and what some may call “perverse” or unorthodox desires.
Below are some thoughts on the kinds of “deviant” and ambivalent pleasures The White Lotus provides viewers.
Rich People Behaving Badly
The show depicts rich, mostly white, Americans acting badly in foreign countries. Part of our enjoyment is watching their affluence and privilege be undermined by either ignorance of local culture or their own domestic dysfunction.
For example, Tim, the patriarch of Season 3, struts about in his Duke T-shirt and seems to embody the American ideal. His problems initially seem to be limited to which elite school his son should go to (Duke or UNC), or whether or not his daughter should take a gap year in Thailand (i.e., first world problems).
As the show unfolds, however, we see that Tim has gotten himself in over his head financially and may face jail time as well as the shame and humiliation of public failure. The perverse enjoyment of watching Tim’s downfall is that while there is a sadistic pleasure in watching him fail, there is also a feeling of empathy in what appears to be intense suffering on his part. Tim genuinely seems drawn to Buddhism and the spiritual questions that are asked by the local teacher. He also seems to feel a deep attachment to his family, and his suicidal fantasies are framed as ways to relieve them of his shame and suffering.
This ambivalent identification extends to one of the seemingly more despicable characters, his son Saxon. At the beginning of Season 3, we are invited to see him as a privileged "sex pest." A stereotypical “finance bro,” Saxon represents a very attractive but easily dismissible villain-type. Again, there is great pleasure in watching him be rejected by the women he pursues or in his ego-crushing realization of fraternal incest. Part of the appeal of this particular narrative is that it represents something painfully humiliating for Saxon, revealing not only homosexual impulses but incestuous ones. In a way, it is perhaps the most significant kind of perverse downfall imaginable because it reflects fantasies of his own making.
As the season proceeds, however, our initial sadistic delights in Saxon’s shame are modified by genuine pathos for what appears to be an authentic reckoning with his actions. We might expect a character like him simply to “double down” and deny and refute any claims about his sexuality . Instead, there are glimpses of what we often hope to see in couples therapy —genuine remorse and self-inspection. These actions complicate our image of a supposed bad actor, lending sympathy to what we come to see as a young man genuinely struggling with his self- identity and masculine expression.
The Incest Taboo and Family Enmeshment
Saxon also figures prominently in the show’s primary viewer shock—the incestuous moment between him and his brother Lochlan. On the surface, we might appreciate this sequence (or not) for the sheer audacity of staging such a thing on television. If we look at the incest theme metaphorically or symbolically (like we may do with a client’s dream or fantasy), we can better appreciate the range of pleasures we take from it.
Part of the appeal lies in watching a reversal of family power—firstborn Saxon is “put in his place” by the younger, less-imposing Lochlan. Watching Saxon’s confused and unsettled facial expression beside Lochlan’s excited and slightly conniving face gives us surreptitious pleasure.
But what is the perverse fascination with the sexual reversal? After all, power could be upended by traditional force or wits—for instance, Lochlan could beat Saxon at arm wrestling. But the show stages this reversal through explicit sexuality.
One psychological issue highlighted by the brotherly dynamic is what we might call individualization vs. enmeshment. Lochlan is being recruited by his brother to be like him— get buff, bed women, do finance. This would make Lochlan an enmeshed, narcissistic extension of his brother. Narcissistic extensions of ourselves often serve one party (Saxon), while costing the other party their authenticity and individuality (Lochlan). These patterns often play out in enmeshed family dynamics, where one member’s ego-wounds or vulnerabilities are “solved” by remaking another family member in their image (i.e., succeeding in areas where they failed to succeed).
From this angle, we can see the incest scene as a radical and violent refusal or rejection of his brother’s recruitment efforts or social grooming. It is as if Lochlan were saying, perversely, "This is what it looks like to be enmeshed with you." It is a shocking act that radically redefines the relationship and marks a distinct cut or separation between the brothers.
In clinical practice, it is not unusual for overly enmeshed family members to have incest dreams . When this occurs, the client can feel tremendously disoriented and have strong feelings of shame. It is always important to remember that our dreams and fantasies are metaphorical reflections of our lives (not literal wishes or desires) and can often serve as important messages or directives from the unconscious .
In a case like this, we might see a fantasy or dream of incest as a critical wake-up call for the client, perhaps spurring them toward necessary differentiation or individualization from an enmeshed or overly codependent relationship.
The enjoyment we take from watching this play out may come in part from Lochlan's expression of individualization—a core wish to separate and differentiate himself from the family path. The fact that this takes a perverse route might speak to the radical rejection of the path presented by his brother and family. Family enmeshment can often be unconsciously repressive, and perverse rebellions may be the only route envisioned by individual members.
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Nicholas Balaisis is a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario. He works with both individuals and couples and has specializations in CBT/ DBT, EFT couples therapy, trauma, CBT-I (insomnia), sex therapy, and existential psychotherapy.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.