The 10 Funniest Romantic Comedy Sex Scenes

If you love romantic comedies as much as I do, you probably adore them in part for the same reason I do: the sex. I'm kidding (kind of), but we all know sex can be a lot of things: good, bad, weird, wet and, more often than not, pretty funny. So it makes sense that comedies that involve some type of a love story often feature hilarious scenes about coitus gone wrong - or just a little wacky. If you're into that sort of thing, don't be ashamed! Read on for my list of the funniest scenes about people getting it on, or at least trying to.

Funniest Romantic Comedy Sex Scenes

The Top 10

  • 10. Minnie and Moskowitz

    John Cassavetes is one of the most celebrated directors of all-time, known for his gritty, naturalistic dramas like "Faces" and "A Woman Under the Influence." However, he also made one wonderful, underrated romantic comedy. It stars his wife, Gena Rowlands, as an unstable woman who’s recovering from a breakup when she meets a young parking attendant played by Seymour Cassel. The sex scenes feature a lot of singing and no actual sex, but they’re so bizarrely charming and funny you won't mind, you horndog. Sex aside, every rom-com fan should see this wholly unique and sadly forgotten gem.

  • 9. The 40-Year-Old Virgin

    Judd Apatow’s directorial debut is, in my opinion, still his funniest movie, and certainly his sweetest. It's filled with funny sex-related scenes, but the moment when Steve Carrell’s character is finally about to do it for the first time but can’t figure out how to use a condom is an all-time classic. It’s a scene that will be relatable to anyone who’s ever struggled with or wondered about the mechanics of sex, which is to say everyone who wasn't born a sex god (which is everyone - right?).

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  • 8. Bad Santa

    You may not think of this movie as a romantic comedy, but it’s a comedy, and there’s a romance, which is good enough for me. The funniest sex scene doesn’t occur between the main couple though. It’s when Billy Bob Thornton’s titular bad Santa gets caught doing anal with a woman in a department store dressing room. His only defense when confronted by his boss? “As far as I can recall, I’ve never fornicated anybody.”

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  • 7. Superbad

    Another Judd Apatow production, this movie about high school boys trying to get laid features a lot of funny sex scenes, one of which is every teen boy’s worst nightmare: getting cock-blocked by a couple of cops. As a bonus, watching these kids haplessly try to do it will probably make you feel like a sex god.

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  • 6. It's Complicated

    Anyone who's seen Nancy Meyers’s middle-aged fantasy about a woman (Meryl Streep) torn between her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin) and her architect (Steve Martin) knows that all the real sex occurs between Meryl's character and her about-to-be-redesigned kitchen. There's also one very funny sex scene (sort of) between Baldwin's and Martin's characters. But the sexiest and funniest scene involves no nudity – and a lot of chocolate. I’m talking about the moment when Streep's and Martin's characters get stoned and make chocolate croissants. It's the most absurdly delightful foreplay ever committed to film and proves that you don't have to bump uglies to make love.

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  • 5. Bridesmaids

    True, this is more of a friend love story than a traditional rom-com, but this is my list, and I don't care. One of the most hilarious moments occurs early on when Kristen Wiig's character sleeps with her on-again, off-again non-boyfriend played by Jon Hamm even though he's a jerk and the sex is awful. What's so fun about this scene is that even though Wiig's and Hamm's characters are having a terrible time, they clearly had a great time filming it. And just for the record: Hollywood, if you're reading (and I'm sure you are!), Chris O'Dowd should be the romantic lead in every film. Please and thank you.

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  • 4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

    If you don’t think the “Twilight” series is comedic, you aren’t watching it right. I consider these five films to be the best comedy franchise of the millennium, and I’m not ashamed to admit I saw every single one of them in theaters, on purpose. Every scene even remotely related to sex is hilarious, but the real humor comes when Edward and Bella finally do it for the first time (while on their honeymoon, of course). From their nude ocean foreplay to the moment when Edward breaks the bed to stop himself from literally fucking his new wife to death, the whole sequence is comedy gold. If it doesn't make you laugh, no offense but you have a bad sense of humor.

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  • 3. Girls Trip

    If you don’t know what scene I’m thinking of, you haven’t seen this movie. And if you haven’t seen this movie, you've messed up. This is another movie that's more about friend love than romantic love, which is why it’s fitting that the funniest scene involves Dina (Tiffany Haddish), a banana, a grapefruit and a couple of her closest girlfriends. Extremely educational - insanely funny.

  • 2. The Bronze

    This movie about a former star gymnast (Melissa Rauch) determined to make some cash by coaching a young prodigy to victory is a must-see because of one scene that is, frankly, completely fucking insane. When Rauch's character has hate sex with another gymnast (Sebastian Stan), they tap into all their athletic talents. It's impressive, aggressive, a little terrifying and features a floor routine that any judge would give a perfect 10 out of 10.

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  • 1. When Harry Met Sally

    Nora Ephron's exploration of whether or not men and women can be friends is her rom-com magnum opus and a classic of the genre for so many reasons. But the moment when Meg Ryan's character proves to her longtime friend (Billy Crystal) that women really do fake orgasms is one of the most famous scenes in cinema history - and with good reason. From Ryan's balls-out performance to director Rob Reiner's mother's perfect line, "I'll have what she's having," it's the best scene in what is, in my opinion, the best romantic comedy ever made. Bonus points to Reiner and the dearly departed Ephron for proving that you can film a classic sex scene without making the female lead remove her boxy sweater.

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Meet The Author

  • Mary Cella

    Mary Cella is a stand-up comedian and writer living in New York City. She hosts a show the first Thursday of every month in Brooklyn. Her writing has appeared on Comedy Central, Jezebel, The Hairpin, CNN and HLN.

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    Mary Cella is a stand-up comedian and writer whom audiences have raved has "exactly the right amount of low self-esteem." She hosts a show the first Thursday of every month at Tip Top in Brooklyn. Her writing has appeared on Comedy Central, Jezebel, The Hairpin, CNN and HLN. She's originally from Berkshire County, Massachusetts, where she grew up ski racing on a little hill where it was socially acceptable to ski in jeans. She graduated from Tufts University, if anyone cares, and worked as a producer for CNN and HLN for several years before becoming a comedian.

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