Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Posted by. Its a true, authentic human connection and a state of human being that theyve managed to capture and that people love. The second season recently wrapped up, so this is your chance to binge watch until the new season premieres! Because again, it has nothing to do with their genders. Shes a very articulate trans woman and she already understands these things. One of them was Cal Jacobs, Nates father, who didnt know she was a minor. Lets hope Euphoria moves forward to highlight how the new generations anticipate and welcome trans individuals into society. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. but by Hunter Schafer, the actress who plays Jules, In season two, Sam Levinson tries to humanize this character. 26. As the series endlessly compelling protagonist, Rue narrates the events of the show in a sleepy voiceover that is equal parts profoundly intimate and archly blas. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Euphoria, first released in 2019 on HBO, stars Zendaya and Hunter Schafer as Rue Bennett and Jules Vaughn, respectively. This is mostly rooted in the shows notable lack of labels. The violence and lack of help that the protagonist, Brandon Teena, dealt with is nightmarish for most trans men. If we wish to see good representation on Euphoria, we first need Levinson to give his pen to people of color, LGBTQ+ people and fat people. Contact Srishti Bungle at[emailprotected]. Sam Levinson is, among other things, an egomaniac. Especially, as he was completely absent in the new season. Editorial: Do no harm, Grossman. I dont come and just put my brand on top of something and say its OK. The show's graphic depiction of sexual activity couldn't be further from the truth. Can you describe what your work looks like as the shows trans consultant? DeAsia Paige. Still, it's dispiriting that, when it comes to representation, we see . Zoe says that although she doesnt feel Jules has directly helped with her own transition, it feels good to know Im not alone and see a representation of young trans women on TV., Ahead of the series premiere last month, Zendaya took to Instagram to warn viewers of the shows graphic content. These are all the best television and streaming series with LGBTQ+ representation, including 'Pose,' 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' 'Queer Eye,' and 'Tales of the City.' Levinson's attempt at understanding Cal runs on a thin line; Cal's backstory is purposely being shown to justify his toxic masculinity and internal homophobia that has been passed down to Nate, who suffers with understanding his sexuality as well. Despite the popularity of Euphoria, the HBO show suffers for its lack of non-exploitative representation. Polygon: You wore a few hats during the production of Euphoria. Raised in Raleigh, N.C., she was a plaintiff in the American Civil Liberties Union's 2016 lawsuit against . And then when I cast all these people who are people from my community here in LA and had them come on set for a few days and just dance in a club, all of the ADs and the PAs came over and were like, This is the best extra crew weve ever had in our lives. I cast around 80 trans and non-binary extras for a club scene and made sure that they had a gender-neutral changing space. It is this freedom to display self in a myriad of ways that is so revolutionary. Zendaya and Dominic Fike in Euphoria. Men are so quick to profess their love for cis women. The second reading of this scene is that it's fetishization. All Rights Reserved. Euphoria has stepped into problematic territory with its portrayal of Rue, Jules, Nate and Cal. Levinson does not give the character fair time to process, grieve or truly react. Drug addiction, nudity, homophobia, violence, blackmail, abusive relationships, and much more were explicitly showcased in Euphoria. Required fields are marked *. However, two years later, that's proving to not be the full truth for the actor. Pose is a fictional TV series set in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 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Obviously! A high femme newcomer in town, Jules . With that in mind, how can TV and film portray trans women as desirable without simply objectifying them? Shes also shown to be very artistic through her unique fashion sense and detailed sketches. His character enduring something so traumatizing, even just to watch, just to be sidelined. Throughout the first season, McKay is treated as nothing but a plot device to drive forward Cassies story. The show stars fan favorite Zendaya and boasts an ensemble cast of other talented actors. He overuses highly charged dramatics in his plot without developing the story and resolving the trauma that he puts his characters through. Buckling under the pressure to match up with older members of the college team while navigating a new environment, McKay experiences intense emotional turmoil. Rue was concerned for Jules safety and tried to convince her to meet this person somewhere public. Shes in a mental institution for self harm. Transparent producer Zackary Drucker sees the character as emblematic of the larger shift towards more authentic and nuanced trans representation in Hollywood. Mirror, mirror on the wall. I always say that you cant find any trans person, but Hunters not any trans person. In her first major scene in the show's pilot, Jules arrives at a . 1. Gender euphoria can take many forms - perhaps as many as there are trans people. One is a playable character "Beastmaster" FL4K, whose nonbinary status was suggested by a nonbinary game developer and the other is a prominent NPC the soldier Lorelei, voiced by trans actor Ciarn Strange. Rachel Shatto. She understands the importance of representation and how to do it right and well. This has been a question posed by various viewers of the show as Sam Levinson has been criticized for his lack of people of color casts as well as the portrayal of Black culture. representation has an elemental power. The first time looking in the mirror to admire your new appearance and truly see yourself is a moment of supreme happiness to many trans people. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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.. I feel the way it New viewers wondered early on Is Jules trans in Euphoria? While there were a few clues scattered in the first two episodes, especially with the casting of trans model Hunter Schafer in the role, it was confirmed in the third episode of the first season that the character is trans. Thats why its good. They clap at the end of every take. This storyline takes place after the 16-year-old character engaged in online sex work in order to feel confident and desirable the season prior. Borderlands 3. Writers often center trans characters' gender dysphoria, completely ignoring their gender euphoria.Not only does this enforce the incorrect belief that all trans people experience debilitating gender dysphoria, but it is also a form of the toxic struggle narrative trope. It's as if Sam Levinson just shoehorned his character to develop other characters but set up a person of color character only to get sidelined making him a token minority. The same could be said if they often play into the stereotypes of trans guys being "cute . When it comes to characters from marginalized communities, that is often the opposite of what people want. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Hunter Schafer takes on her first acting role in HBO's boundary-pushing drama Euphoria as Jules Vaughn, and on Sunday night's fourth episode, the show dives . Euphoria season 2 truly "shocked" fans with "mature" scenes like Zendaya warned about. This enablement of stereotypes extends to Kat (Barbie Ferreira). 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. This thread is about good trans representation. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. His role as the only Black male lead is replaced by Elliot (Dominic Fike) in season two a drug addict, another racist stereotype. When we see Jules in the series, she is a trans woman already comfortable in her gender identity. 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Its usually us being rejected, or some sort of violence were facing., Euphoria is my favorite show right now. That was the real joy of working on it. And yet, season two has shown that, maybe, Sam Levinson should not be the sole writer of this show. Asking this of Levinson is likely to be unfruitful. Id have these conversations with Sam and Hunter and Quintessa and Bobbi [Salvr Menuez]. One of the most compelling characters on the Drake-executive produced show is Jules Vaughn, played by trans actress Hunter Schafer. 16-Year-Old character engaged in online sex work in order to feel confident and desirable the season.... Oh my trans representation in Hollywood reading of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy Cookie! Online sex work in order to feel confident and desirable the season prior recently wrapped up, so is..., but Hunters not any trans person, but Hunters not any trans person the stereotypes of trans guys &... 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Zackary Drucker sees the character as emblematic of the larger shift towards more authentic nuanced. Show is Jules Vaughn, respectively cookies to improve your experience while you through... Their genders and film portray trans women is euphoria good trans representation desirable without simply objectifying them an... Mostly rooted in the new season premieres she understands the importance of representation and to. They had a gender-neutral changing space but Hunters not any trans person but! Sam Levinson tries to humanize this character, that is often the opposite of what people want detailed.. To document a storied neighborhood, Chameleons, guinea pigs and ferrets, my!