It's hard to look away from the gritty teen drama not only because of its many NSFW scenes but also because of its trope-breaking characters like the transgender teen Jules played by Hunter Schafer. Sam Levinson, the only writer for the show, seemed to find a way to balance gritty drama with aesthetics. I think he is because everything he has produced shows an absolute contempt and disgust for the LGBT community. Theres no take on us its on our own terms. 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 . However, being the sole writer and creator of the series can create some discrepancies, especially in regard to the diversity on the show. Jules Vaughn, played by acting newcomer Hunter Schafer, is a fully fleshed-out, nuanced character whose complex . Euphoria has stepped into problematic territory with its portrayal of Rue, Jules, Nate and Cal. In terms of representing the LGBTQ+ community, Euphoria receives full marks as it is a pinnacle of positive representation. Having queer individuals involved in the story and writing process of shows, not just Euphoria, allows for marginalized groups to have a way to tell their own stories, instead of people who have not gone through their experiences telling it for them. Tragically, Kat does not get the chance to recover from this traumatic experience and is instead reduced to a clich as McKay was. Obviously! This becomes a serious issue when Nate finds out, and it motivates him to catfish Jules. In an uncharacteristically safe move for Soloway, Josh balks at following through with a sexual relationship after finding out Shea is HIV-positive. Emanating a manic pixie trans girl energy unlike anything seen onscreen before, Jules floats magically through every frame in which she appears. newsletter, most compelling television series of 2019, not only gets, but respects, todays teens, advocate turned model turned teen drama star. People find it shocking and vulgar but simultaneously intriguing and even applicable to their own lives . Several substories have had the "trans women are women" point driven in and Kiryu has shown interest in dating them. Its a true, authentic human connection and a state of human being that theyve managed to capture and that people love. McKay is absent for the vast majority of the second season, a disappearance which remains unexplained. Though the show is not exceptionally diverse, its characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters and characters from other marginalized communities already suffer from Levinsons inadequate writing. Additionally, with the show's casting of a trans actor to play a trans character and exploring that as a subplot is not something often seen in film and television. I do like people to know that Im not a cis girl because thats not something that I am or feel like I am, Schafer remarked during a North Carolina public radio show. Queerty is a trademark of Q.Digital, Inc., registered in the state of California. Bella Hadid Is the Blondest Shes Ever Been in New TikTok Video. Polygon: You wore a few hats during the production of Euphoria. representation has an elemental power. The second season recently wrapped up, so this is your chance to binge watch until the new season premieres! Member. While television shows Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) and Transparent have made headlines for their inclusion of trans performers and their debatably authentic takes on trans experiences, Euphoria signals a new era in trans representation, one that is defined by a "cool" trans aesthetic that epitomizes multiplatform television's investment in trans as an edgy brand marker. Buckling under the pressure to match up with older members of the college team while navigating a new environment, McKay experiences intense emotional turmoil. 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 . Jules conflicts in the first season revolve around her romantic relationships with Rue, the violent jock Nate Jacobs, and Tyler, a fake online persona that Nate created to catfish her. The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, These Oscar Categories Are the Hardest to Predict, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, Why TR Looks Different from Every Other Movie of 2022, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. Trans people dont experience mental illness more than other people because were trans. That makes Euphoria the first onscreen depiction of a trans-amorous male gaze. 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. Created by Sam Levinson, and currently airing Sundays on HBO, Euphoria is a dark dive into the addictions and escapism of a group of suburban teens living in the middle of nowhere. Its a symptom of what you do to us because were trans. Euphoria, like lots of movies and TV shows, especially those created by men, heavily sexualizes its teenage . Im trans, she says. 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. Photos Courtesy of HBO TV Features Euphoria. Tragically, Kat does not get the chance to recover from this traumatic experience and is instead reduced to a. Euphoria is a funhouse mirror, taking the very real experiences of present-day American teenagers and reflecting an exaggerated and dramatic image that tugs at the audiences emotions. Editorial: The New York Times article on Maitland Jones was incomplete. It is reasonable to want positive representation in hit shows. The most prominent issue that Euphoria exaggerates and gets wrong about Gen-Z teenagers is sex. 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. His character enduring something so traumatizing, even just to watch, just to be sidelined. Jules started transitioning when she was 13 years old. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Though the show is not exceptionally diverse, its characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters and characters from other marginalized communities. That the major honor that I give to the show. People find it shocking and vulgar but simultaneously intriguing and even applicable to their own lives, especially regarding main characters being openly queer, something that not a lot of TV shows have. The public will be much more accepting (though not ever entirely) if the claim to actual womanhood in life and in law was dropped and just embrace their transhood. What its like to be a pet parent at NYU, NBC journalists walk out over unfair labor practices, The thrift party returns at 2023s first Manhattan Vintage Show, NYUs new president on the universitys future and affirmative action. There you have it, Ellie. A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Euphorias trans consultant on why the series tells authentic trans stories, Sign up for the Schafers chosen pronouns are she/they, and she has openly talked about being trans. His role as the only Black male lead is replaced by Elliot (Dominic Fike) in season two a drug addict, another, This enablement of stereotypes extends to Kat (Barbie Ferreira). Sam took me to the edit booth and showed me the opening to episode 4 where Jules is a child, and its really hard. In this scant screen time, we see Kat struggle with her self-image and self-hatred a painfully predictable and disappointing storyline for one of the few fat women on television. Emily St. James is a senior correspondent for Vox, covering American identities. With that in mind, how can TV and film portray trans women as desirable without simply objectifying them? When do we find out Jules is trans? Their powers combined made my job really easy in that regard. We have life beyond this, and thats what were seeing with Jules. It does not store any personal data. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. in terms of recent-ish shows, Pose and Euphoria have great Trans representation. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch and can be triggering., Zoe says that she had to stop watching the latest episode as the scene where Nate printed Jules nudes to blackmail her, caused her to have a panic attack. Now it's been renewed for season 3 after viewership went up by 100%. The same could be said if they often play into the stereotypes of trans guys being "cute . Reym. Over a quarter of all transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents (almost 27 percent) reported being denied care. To be able to look yourself in the eyes and be satisfied with who you are, inside and out; pure gender euphoria. Having that kind of communicated authenticity combined with the fact that Jules narrative is only barely tied to her trans identity what do you think sets her character arc apart from other trans narratives that we see on TV? The typical narrative element of transgender representation in thrillers is that these characters are framed through the pathologizing lens of criminal deviance: just as popular as the comic image of the "man in a dress" is the trans killer, popularized by movies such as Psycho, Dressed to Kill, and the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs. Yet the characters holding these obsessions are humanized by being shown through a sympathetic and honest lens. Yes. There are even several blink-and-youll-miss-it moments in episodes where we see her inject hormones or swipe on gay dating apps. Shes in a mental institution for self harm. HBO's dedication to the trans representation of Jules came from the minds of Sam Levinson as well as trans consultant Scott Turner Schofield. Rue was concerned for Jules safety and tried to convince her to meet this person somewhere public. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. New viewers wondered early on Is Jules trans in. They are not mentioned once. Shes clearly a positive force of energy for Rue. Adding, Having a trans character being portrayed this positively in such a popular television series makes me feel so incredible. One of the only Black characters, McKay (Algee Smith), is a football prodigy which fuels the already common stereotypes of Black men having to be hyper-athletic and hypemasculine was introduced in season one, and his storyline has seemed to be abandoned in the new season. Clementine says that she loves the way Euphoria handles their bond with so much love and empathy., Euphoria is one of my favorite shows on air at the moment, says Clementine, Im very excited to see what direction they take these characters., 2023 Cond Nast. Women and trans women are more than just victims. The trans character in The Crying Game is problematic in the extreme, and is played by a cis man, to boot. Despite the popularity of Euphoria, the HBO show suffers for its lack of non-exploitative representation. According to Scott Turner Schofield, Euphorias trans consultant, thats due to showrunner Sam Levinsons earnest desire to listen to trans individuals and fairly and accurately represent their experiences on screen. She also was able to transition at 13 and have a safe place to live, and this is not the reality for many trans teens, including myself.. Schafer stated in a New York Times interview, Trans people deserve to see themselves represented on their own TV screens, not being inhabited by people who might not completely understand them.. HBO's brand new drama, Euphoria, gives us an unflinching look at the highs and lows of substance abuse, depression, self-harm, and accepting our own sexuality, along with . 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Elsa: Humor, Sunglasses, and a Bag of Chips. The series follows Rue, Jules, and a handful of other teens as they struggle with addiction, sexuality, abuse, and identity. In a piece for, , she wrote, As a transgender teenager who grew up in North Carolina, navigating bathrooms on my own was an extremely difficult journey, particularly at public school. 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 . A showcase of some of the best young up and coming actors. Hunter Schafer plays Jules and is trans in real life. Purportedly, Ferreira and Levinson, on the direction of her character in the upcoming season, leading to reduced screen time. Just take a look at queer icons like Britney Spears, Cher, and Madonna. Levinson is a heterosexual white man in his 40s and it shows. The Yakuza series has multiple trans characters, mainly women. 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