Lukas Gage, The White Lotus, and the Rimming Revolution: How One Scene Sparked a Queer TV Milestone

In the ever-expanding universe of queer TV moments, few have made as much noise—or sparked as much conversation—as the now-infamous rimming scene from HBO’s The White Lotus. On a show already packed with biting satire and simmering eroticism, the image of Lukas Gage’s Dillon getting his “salad tossed” by Murray Bartlett’s Armond was a shot heard around the world. But as the dust settled, what became clear is that this was more than a fleeting shock or a meme-ready punchline. It was a watershed moment for queer visibility, authenticity, and, let’s be real, the normalization of butt stuff on screen.

Here’s the tea: That scene wasn’t even in the original script. Lukas Gage revealed on Watch What Happens Live that what was supposed to be a more traditional sex scene became something much more original and, frankly, much more queer. “It was my idea, yeah. I thought we should normalize rimming,” Gage told Andy Cohen, adding, “I think that, like, ass eating needs to be talked about more. In the script, it was sex ‘We’ve seen sex on TV. Let’s have some ass eating’”.

Murray Bartlett, who played Armond, later confirmed that the moment was “totally improvised”—and that spontaneity is part of what made it so electric. The actors worked closely with an intimacy coordinator to ensure everyone felt safe, respected, and empowered to deliver a scene that was both hot and honest.

Let’s be honest: In an era when full-frontal nudity and explicit hetero sex are practically network TV staples, why does a rimjob still feel so radical? For one thing, analingus—especially between men—remains a taboo subject, even in queer spaces. Mainstream media has barely touched it since HBO’s Girls aired its own boundary-pushing scene back in 2015.

But The White Lotus didn’t just show it; it centered it, made it messy, awkward, and yes, memorable. The internet’s response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive, with queer viewers celebrating the authenticity and boldness of the portrayal—even as some critiqued the “technique” (let’s just say the gays have notes). Social media buzzed with both applause and playful side-eye about rimming “form,” but the consensus was clear: This was a win for realness.

Gage himself embraced the chaos, quipping, “I can’t wait for my ass to get retweeted all over the Internet,” a line that instantly became legend among fans.

More than just a viral moment, the scene’s impact runs deeper. For LGBTQ+ audiences long starved of authentic, unapologetic representation, the rimming scene was both a riotous surprise and a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t sanitized or shuffled offscreen; it was messy, passionate, and unmistakably queer—an act of defiance in an industry that still shies away from frank depictions of queer sex.

Bartlett, reflecting on the creative energy of the scene, credited creator Mike White’s writing for its “natural defiance” and willingness to burn down stale conventions. Gage, meanwhile, has become an accidental standard-bearer for sex-positive, shame-free TV. “Ass eating needs to be talked about more,” he insisted, and who are we to argue?

The aftershocks of The White Lotus’s big rimjob moment are still being felt. Online, the scene has inspired everything from memes to think pieces to honest, overdue conversations about queer sex, pleasure, and the kinds of stories we want to see on screen. Queer creators and audiences alike are pushing for more—more authenticity, more kink, more joy, and more stories that