But we cannot limit representation to those in front of the camera. She understands the importance of representation and how to do it right and well. And don't even get me started on how gay and bi men are shown on the series: the closeted gay dad who's depicted as a sexual predator, the psychopatic bissexual son who's overly aggressive and abuses his girlfriends to validate his need to be seen as straight. representation has an elemental power. Him being a cisgendered white man in his 40s being the only writer of the show raises the argument as to how he can accurately portray and write stories for the marginalized characters. . We have to start somewhere, said Valdez. July 22, 2019. Rue was concerned for Jules safety and tried to convince her to meet this person somewhere public. I mean, it took everything: teaching people how to use they/them/their pronouns as a singular; making sure people understood that trans women are women; if someone asks you where to go to the bathroom, this is where you go. With that in mind, how can TV and film portray trans women as desirable without simply objectifying them? Its shown in the series that her mother was unsupportive when Jules was struggling with dysphoria and even committed her to a psychiatric ward when she was only 11. Whether shes biking giddily through an orchard or reciting Shakespeare in a pool without smudging her killer eye make-up, its hard not to fall in love with her. An internet sensation. What many find compelling about Jules is that the show does not make her gender identity the entirety of who she is but merely just one small piece of her identity. Editorial: Do no harm, Grossman. Almost every episode was followed by a lengthy discussion across social media platforms. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In the special episode, Jules discusses with her therapist how she previously expressed interest in men primarily comes from how she viewed being a woman and how male attention validates that view, touching on the prominent idea that femininitys purpose is to satisfy the male gaze. Ive never met anyone in my entire life like Jules, says Rue, the tomboy drug addict played by Zendaya on Euphoria, HBOs provocative teen-drama-for-adults and the networks newest hit of the summer. Member. Theres no take on us its on our own terms. Reject Sabatini. Polygon: You wore a few hats during the production of Euphoria. Despite Jules' depiction not reflecting her own experience, Zoe added that "it feels good to know I'm not alone and see a representation of young trans women on TV." Euphoria Season 1 is . They really listened and they really represented as opposed to appropriating it for the sake of being trendy and looking cool, and you can always tell when shows do that because [the representation] is never quite right. Register *It's free and easy. Most of all, they want their stories, especially the sensitive ones, to be told with respect. Borderlands 3. The male queer representation does not fare much better. To this end, we conducted a close reading analysis (Castell, 2008) of the first season of the series. The results show three axes of representation that move away from the traditional portrayal of trans characters: (a) a narrative that moves beyond the "trans fact" and presents complex and plural stories, (b) a representation of the trans individual as an element of value and love, away from fetishism, and (c) a link between the trans realm and . Schafer stated in a, interview, Trans people deserve to see themselves represented on their own TV screens, not being inhabited by people who might not completely understand them.. On "Euphoria," the characters' digital and physical lives are constantly swirling around one another, usually in a downward spiral that ends in alienation and self-loathing. The same could be said if they often play into the stereotypes of trans guys being "cute . The only Black male lead character in the first season, McKay (Algee Smith), is a football prodigy already an extension of the common racist stereotyping of Black boys and men as hyper-athletic in his first year of college. If you want to objectify me, objectify me. His role as the only Black male lead is replaced by Elliot (Dominic Fike) in season two a drug addict, another racist stereotype. With that being said, Euphoria is undoubtedly an aesthetic masterpiece. of Black boys and men as hyper-athletic in his first year of college. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. While teen drug abuse has . Please enter a valid email and try again. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Mirror, mirror on the wall. Reym. Published Jan 26, 2022. She made her acting debut as transgender high school student Jules Vaughn in the HBO teen drama television series Euphoria (2019-present), which earned her critical praise and nominations for a Shorty . Your email address will not be published. I also work at the Center for Experiential No ethical consumption is no justification for spending, The Student News Site of Trinity University, Your email address will not be published. Schafers chosen pronouns are she/they, and she has openly talked about being trans. Why is he using his negative views of people like us for this show? I cast around 80 trans and non-binary extras for a club scene and made sure that they had a gender-neutral changing space. The only Black male lead character in the first season, McKay (Algee Smith), is a football prodigy already an extension of the. Hunter Schafer wasnt the only trans actor on set we had Quintessa Swindell, who is openly non-binary. Hunter Schafer, who plays trans teen Jules Vaughn on the hit HBO series Euphoria, is setting the record straight about her sexual identity. And it was his one line that the showrunner admits to having re-written multiple times over , that really made an impact. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault. Euphoria also handles the characters sexualities extremely well. Euphoria is one of the most popular shows around right now and the character of Jules has become a cultural icon for trans teenagers and transgender youth. Euphoria, first released in 2019 on HBO, stars Zendaya and Hunter Schafer as Rue Bennett and Jules Vaughn, respectively. Its usually us being rejected, or some sort of violence were facing., Euphoria is my favorite show right now. Its bonkers because its a 30-second flash of scenes, but it took an hour and a half to do and a lot more time for us to really negotiate. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Amid gut-wrenching scenes of overdoses and withdrawals is a take on sexual orientation and power dynamics that becomes more questionable as the episodes go on. There are even several blink-and-youll-miss-it moments in episodes where we see her inject hormones or swipe on gay dating apps. That makes Euphoria the first trans show to employ a straight male gaze, the term coined by Laura Mulvey and popularized by Soloway. Opinion: Stop buying weed from Washington Square Park, Opinion: New York housing programs shouldnt exclude immigrants, Opinion: New York, dont get rid of the MetroCard, Guest Essay: Mayor Adams new policy for the unhoused is dangerous for New York, Opinion: Strike down pepper spray restrictions, Opinion: A 3-step guide to complaining correctly, Opinion: NYU should promote more conversation clubs, Opinion: Its high time we embrace pop music again, Opinion: CAS needs to offer more joint majors, Opinion: NYUs film production allotment isnt enough, Opinion: Lectures are a thing of the past, Off-Third: NYU takes the city is our campus literally, offers off-campus tours to visitors, Off-Third: NYU security asks for magic beans in lieu of Violet Go, Off-Third: What to get your catcallers for Valentines Day, Off-Third: Students skip class to skirt WSP TikTok interviewers, Letter to the Editor: Silver School dean on the case for a tuition-free social work education, Letter to the Editor: Wasserman Center director on the Handshake job search platform, Letter to the Editor: CWS director on suicide response and mental health resources, Letter to the Editor: NYU remains committed to NYU Tel Aviv, Letter to the Editor: An open letter to President Hamilton, Opinion: Liberal Studies students need their own space on campus, Opinion: You should make a move on your class crush, Opinion: Include laundry in the cost of tuition, please, Acquired, stored, forgotten: NYU Dentistrys collection of Indigenous remains, Inside NYUs troubled Campus Safety department, Judith Heumann on NYU commencement and disability activism, Skirting the Screener: How students fake NYUs COVID pass, NYU mens basketball earns first NCAA bid since 2016, First penalty kick wins soccer match, NYU prof finds, How an NYU grad student is making a name for himself on and off the court, NYU mens basketball marches toward madness, NYU baseball gets set to start its 2023 campaign, Love Dissolution | Under the Arch Magazine, The Art of Storytelling | Under the Arch Magazine, Where is Greenwich Village? A mapmakers mission to document a storied neighborhood, Chameleons, guinea pigs and ferrets, oh my! The objective of this article is to explore this second perspective by analyzing the representation of Jules, a trans female character from the American series Euphoria (Levinson et al., 2019-present). Analyzing LGBTQIA representation in 'Euphoria', researchers find the series presents trans characters 'very differently from traditional manner' In the series, there is a narrative that goes beyond the "trans phenomenon", it is not limited to solely presenting her "coming out" or her "transition", but also explores other . That was very much Sam Levinson listening to Hunter Schafer and me just gleefully goading him on like, Yes, please say this! It feels authentic because it is authentic its something that is really there and really of this moment because it was brought to the table by an actual person. Euphoria is still considered one of the most diverse series on television at the moment, even though there's still a disparity in the people of color casted which just goes to show that there is still work needed to be done in the entertainment industry so that it can be representative of the world that we experience. Just take a look at queer icons like Britney Spears, Cher, and Madonna. (In addition to drug addiction, the complexity of sexual relationships in 2019, explored at all angles with a kind of frenetic nihilism, is one of the shows major themes.).
How To Remove Drip Tray From Primo Water Dispenser,
Aragon High School Graduation 2022,
Articles I