Literally none of the people doing anything even remotely sexual are in their teens. In fact, most were ten plus years older than the characters they’re portraying.
In a larger sense, I do think we should stop fetishizing and glorifying high school in media. It leads to further sexualization of minors, and it’s also unhealthy to present the ages of 14-18 as the best of anyone’s life. But I don’t think Sam Levinson is responsible for that.
A lot of people have so much to say about the sex in euphoria, and I agree it’s too much. But they’re ignoring the greater themes because there’s so much sex. As someone who struggled with mental health and drug addiction as a teenager in high school, the depiction of Rues struggle was something I felt seen by, and I really enjoyed it.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with showing teens have sex onscreen but I found the way it was portrayed on Euphoria super inappropriate and unrealistic. When teens have sex it’s usually quite awkward and not actually that sexy. I think the show Sex Education did a good job at showing teens having sex but also keeping it realistic, none of the sex scenes in that show were supposed to actually turn the audience on, they didn’t fetishise it.
Something about Euphoria’s sex scenes didn’t remind me of teens. They behaved like people 10-20 years older who had been having sex for years and we’re a lot more comfortable in their sexuality than teens typically are. They looked more like porn scenes than the reality of how teens actually have sex.
Euphoria is not supposed to represent the reality for these characters. The whole point of the narrative is that it's unreliable. We set that up in Season 1 explicitly "But I'm not the most reliable narrator". It tells the story as these characters see themselves, not as it really happened. It's literally a drama about dramatization. It allows unrealistic things to happen. To judge it on those points is to misunderstand its presentation. Think of the show as Rue's mind rant. Just how Rue imagines everything went down, after the fact.
Yes and as someone who dealt with sexual assault and harassment in middle and high school I feel like as vulgar or sexualized the show was that was actually an accurate representation of some people’s experiences in highschool. I don’t think it’s glorified or put out as some epic love story. I feel like it’s art imitating life
If Jules was college aged her encounter with Nates Dad wouldn't have been problematic. If Rue was college aged her family dynamic wouldn't be as much at the forefront. Etc.
...Showing an underaged Cassie in several eroticized sex scenes, including one with her fully nude in the back of a truck with red mood lighting isn't good no matter how you cut it. It doesn't matter if you're of legal age. If you're playing a minor, you're exploiting a minor.
Exactly. So much of Euphoria is shot from a hyper-sexualized male gaze pov— not a realistic one. This is blatantly obvious when the camera zooms in on Maddy in a coquette lingerie set or Cassie’s boobs in literally anything. When it comes to subject matter like teen sexuality, the way in which it’s depicted matters.
You say this like we haven't had a hard focus on multiple dicks and Nate Jacob's Ass/Body a dozen and one times.
Cassies Boobs are only as much a sexual object as Nates abs. He's been shirtless plenty.
You’re just straight up misremembering the way in which the characters are filmed and the frequency they are sexualized. There is a distinct stylistic difference as well. Next time you watch the show, really pay attention to these details. [This video](https://youtu.be/QS2-6X2y5Is?si=D553JXxKcXcyerix) shows how the male gaze appears in media and it will likely help you see similar examples in Euphoria.
I think yall are hyperfocusing on Cassie because you guys are obsessed with her breasts. Every single person in the Main Group was shown having sex. Kat was shown engaging in sex work FFS. Why are yall so obsessed with Cassie?
Because she's the biggest victim of Sam's hyper-sexualization, and as a fellow big tits haver, that's where I can relate the most.
Jules is also very hyper-sexualized, which I know is a part of her storyline. But those scenes in her bonus episodes where she's taking pictures of her body in a hyper-focused, stylized way...Like, this show can get across that these teens are sexually active without exploiting them.
And don't even get me started on Kat. Her entire storyline was her being a mean, fat, CHILD cam girl. And they didn't even try to show how bad it is to be doing that underage, like with the drugs and stuff. Kat genuinely is praised for being a child cam girl.
It’s more like Sam Levinson was clearly obsessed with Sydney Sweeney/Cassie’s character and it is very very obvious with how horned up her scenes are. And it’s okay to call that out. Comparing Kat’s scenes to Cassie’s is like apples and oranges. One was more plot-based/character development based. Levinson clearly wanted Cassie’s scenes to be about her body (S1 especially)
But a central theme to Cassies character and development is that she uses sex the way Rue uses drugs.
It's her way to medicate. To validate herself. To feel good.
Likely because of her daddy issues. The sex tape, how she was hyper sexual towards McKay, the way she was so desperate for nates love.
All these circle back to the same themes/issues her sex scenes do. Sex and sexuality is a HUGE component of cassies character. It IS plot based/driven.
We ALL know girls and gay guys, maybe even a straight guy or two who sluts themselves out for validation. It's something MANY highschool girls who had a "hoe phase" can resonate with.
Yeah, it is absolutely insane how he exploited Cassie AND Sweeney. Didn't she get into conflict with him because of how uncomfortable she was?
Also, I know people say Sweeney is still being exploited because of how she's dressed by her stylists and her roles after Euphoria still being of overt sexual behavior, but if she's uncomfortable doing that, she probably would've voiced it in the same way she did during S2.
That’s a false dichotomy I’m not presenting.
I’ve said before and will say again, people would have taken Euphoria far more seriously if it had less sex. That said, sex is part of life for most high school students, so it shouldn’t be entirely ignored…just scaled back like crazy and not portrayed to be sexy or exciting. Maybe clumsy or cringey.
I agree with you per my second paragraph.
A lot of aspects feel very real. But the portrayal of it was weird and uncomfortable to watch. Kat’s behavior in S1 was negatively received but it’s not unthinkable nor something that’s never happened. It’s just weird to have seen.
Now, I can’t say if there would have been an appropriate way to show a lot of these things on television, or ever, but some of it was realistic.
I also can relate to Kat because I did some similar things, albeit at a year or two older than she is in the show. It’s pretty common.
I’m fairly certain the sex between the younger characters was mostly portrayed as awkward or bad pretty often so I really think the most unrealistic part is the lingerie and sex toys lol
i don’t have an issue with all teen sex scenes, obviously teenagers have sex and i imagine a lot of adult writers just pull from their own teenage life for that, but euphoria is not like the oc or pretty little liars or whatever, where the scenes are raunchy sure but fair game for teen dramas.
the scenes are so graphically traumatizing for the women involved most of the time that i just can’t really get behind the “but it’s art” perspective, because it was written by a grown man.
you can be provocative and make people uncomfortable without constantly outright depicting a rape fantasy on screen and just adding purple lighting and glitter to tell the audience that it’s not endorsed by the writers, they’re just trying to tell a story! honestly you can only hide behind that for so long, and i have to say that if sam levinson isn’t a major creep then he is at the very least uncreative in that respect.
there’s a chapter title in a book i like called “i dreamt i ate the testicles of the celebrated author who writes so lovingly about cruelty to women” and much of euphoria makes me think of that. none of us are inside sam’s head and we don’t know what his intentions were with some of this shit, but all yall in this comment section crying “media literacy” sound just as ridiculous as those who are automatically labeling him as a pedo. there is absolutely validity to people finding it concerning how much he fetishizes young female sexual trauma as a 40 year old straight man
Not to mention, this is media literacy at play. Media literacy is the ability to analyze media messages and reflect on them. We just love to throw around pop culture buzzwords to shut people down. Immediately dismissing someone’s interpretations as stupid or wrong will be the actual death of media literacy.
I do think (in the US at least) we can be a little too conservative about sex and nudity. Teens do have sex, and I think it’s okay to show things that make us on comfortable sometimes, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t also a bad way to do that. A lot of the female nudity and sex scenes do seem to be shown under the lens of the male gaze. Male nudity on the show is often used in a humorous way. They’re not often shown in the same sexual desirable light that the women on the show are. There not often portrayed as seductive or provocative. I think that’s a fair criticism.
I get a lot of people feel seen by the show, and I think there is value on that, but that doesn’t mean it’s above critique. It can be really good and progressive in some ways, and it can need work in other areas. Everyone deserves a seat at the table of critique.
I don't know if I agree here.
The show is definitely using Jacob Elordis body/ass for women/gay men the way it does Sydneys body/boobs for straight men/lesbians.
When he's fucking Maddy. When he's changing in the locker room. When he's getting in the shower after beating Tyler up etc.
I don't mind teen sex scenes, but the way these ones are written strays so far from art, into violent and porno territory.
Of course, teens do it in all the same ways non-teens do it. But seriously, these characters are minors (or freshly 18, don't remember), you do not need the explicit rough sex with a middle aged man.
He definitely wrote the sex scenes-many of which portray (statutory) rape, sexual assault, and are generally objectifying the woman involved-intending for them to be perceived as attractive or enjoyable.
And it really does feel like he fetishizes female sexual trauma. Outside of money I cannot understand why these women are willing to even go near the guy, let alone work with him.
There is no part of Jules/Cals sex scene that is remotely erotic. It looks uncomfortable, dark, gross.
And cassies sex scenes are usually cut short/interrupted or later exploited against her. They're not desirable.
The only sex scenes in this show that are remotely pornographic/potentially enjoyable are between Maddy and Nate.
And they last like 9 seconds.
It's not just the direct eroticizing that's the problem. It's the frequency, which makes it feel like they are being fetishized or eroticized even if they aren't filmed that way.
Like, you're going to tell me that Jules/Cal sex scene was absolutely necessary and integral to the plot? Or the others that I won't even bother to list because there's so many?
Let me get one thing straight. I think sex scenes are fine, but the amount of them in this show tells me that it was written by a man who sexualizes women far too much.
And one last thing. Like you said, most of these scenes aren't desirable because they're forced, emotionally traumatizing, and gross. Sadly, though, there is an audience for those types. That, combined with the total amount of sex scenes, and the fact that most of them are gross or nonconsensual, really speaks volumes.
Have you seen Assasination Nation?
Theres very little actual sex or graphic sexual scenes but a girl's sexuality being exploited and slut shaming are central themes in the movie.
I don't think Sam is predatory. I think Sam has a certain niche for his media he likes and it's Young Adult.
I don't see a problem with that. I'm the same way.
I'm a grown man but I love "On My Block" Heartbreak High, "Gen V", GLEE, "Pretty Little Liars", "SKINS" , "Euphoria" Etc.
Sam's big on LGBT representation, Transgender representation, Political discourse, FEMINISM, and diversity/representation.
I think he shows female sexuality so much cause he sees it as empowering. Like he's so against slut shaming and wants to tell the world "teenage girls want and like sex as much as teenage guys and that's okay" 🤷🏻♂️
okay first off
every show you listed besides skins is completely completely different from euphoria in terms of how it displays teenage sexuality. no one’s getting mad at HBH or glee or any of those other shows because they keep it cool, and they don’t make sex painfully traumatizing experiences for the women that choose to engage in it.
second
with all due respect, as you’ve admitted you are a grown man. it’s a little hard for you to see perspective on this in the same way i would because you’re closer to sam’s perspective than his subjects, teenage girls. i am a teenage girl, and i can appreciate that sam shows sexual desire in women, but nothing, or at least *very* little about euphoria feels empowering to me. it feels like that’s what he may want people to think he’s doing, but empowerment does not come from writing nearly every sex scene to be deeply psychologically damaging to the young women involved, and in such a way where it’s still sexually appealing to the men that are watching. if he really cared about empowering women then the scenes wouldn’t be shown from such a male gaze.
a great contrast is the show girls. it also has a ton of uncomfortable, very graphic sex scenes and often times the women in those situations aren’t being properly taken care of. yet the scenes clearly arent written to be any kind of trauma porn, there is no miscommunication that the audience shouldn’t feel turned on, man or woman. this is because the *actual* priority is depicting uncomfortable or traumatic sex, not propping up women to be mistreated yet still sexual enough that the male audience can still jack off to it.
i’ve spoken about euphoria with my friends at length and i don’t think any of us feel empowered watching this shit
My empowerment comment was more about the character of Lily in assassination Nation.
Traumatic Sex is part of the discourse in Euphoria. It's also not exclusive to females. Nates observation of the tapes and recurring dream is a form of sexual trauma.
And one of McKay and Cassies experinces was far more traumatic for him than her.
As the only opnely gay teen who went to a small rural school and could only find Hookups with older gentlemen on Grindr, Jules and Cals first encounter directly mirrors experinces I've lived - even though she's a girl and I'm a guy. This is probably true for a lot of LGBT persons regardless of gender identity.
Furthermore - Kats sexuality wasn't shown purely traumatic. She was shown to enjoy casual sex and feel empowered by it. Yes the video/porn bit from her first time could be seen as traumatic but it can also be seen as a source of her confidence.
Rue and Jules sex scene was also not intended to be traumatic. It was awkward and realistic and everything you give credit to Girls for doing.
Also plenty of people are mad at HBH because they believe that the scene between Malachi, Harper and Dusty was a blatant display of SA.
i love the storytelling in euphoria and the characters are very relatable, i just cringe every time a sex scene is show, or extreme nudity. it’s just so unnecessary and makes me super uncomfortable. personally, i feel as though the show would do better if the sex was toned down
the world is getting truly sad when writing fiction is now ALWAYS considered connected to reality by a certain segment of our population. some of this has come from the politicization of pedophilia. one party particularly wants their followers to be scared of the pedo behind every tree & of course anyone of the opposite party must be a pedo....it's the last few years of the mainstream discussion of conspiracy theories of pedos everywhere that has ruined the idea of fiction for people.
This is what I've been trying to say but couldn't word as well.
There's this cultural obsession/thrill will labeling everything problematic/predatory to the point a COMING OF AGE series can't have SEXUALITY.
Thank you! This is such a bad take from OP, I’m not sure when everyone became so pearl-clutchy all of a sudden. People see a dick or a titty and lose their damn minds it’s weird. God forbid someone tells a story that’s not all sunshine and rainbows, that must make them a mega creep or abuser. Bffr guys, storytelling has not and has never equated endorsement or glamorization.
It’s not the fact that sex is shown— but the way it’s depicted in this show is hyper male gaze-y. The camera is always zooming in and lingering on the bodies of the female cast who are playing teenagers. There are ways to depict teen sexuality that don’t objectify the characters and have a realistic vibe.
I mean, I guess you could argue that but there’s an almost equal amount of men being shown in this same light tho, no? I even remember when season 1 came out people made such a big deal about the locker room scene because media usually doesn’t show men fully nude like that, and definitely not THAT MANY naked men. In media it was (and still is) more common/acceptable for women to be shown naked and in sexual positions but not men. So I actually think the show deserves points for pushing the envelope like that, it was a bold move and it worked well. And if you listen to the voiceover during the scenes you’re describing where the camera lingers, Rue is usually describing the negative emotions the female characters are experiencing in that moment. For example, Jules’ hookup with Cal, Cassie and McKay after he got jumped, Maddie fucking Nate in the hotel, etc. Every single one of those things either has some voiceover that tells us the character is having/had some negative feelings during this or the camera is focused on their face to show the viewer how they are feeling. And even without everything else I just said, this is a show on HBO. HBO is literally KNOWN for their shows having overt sex/nudity, profanity, and violence. That’s why HBO has always been a channel that you had to pay for by itself, because the shows/movies they aired weren’t considered appropriate for the general audience. So this type of show is nothing new for HBO, in fact it’s pretty on brand for them. Idk, it if offends you or you just can’t stand it that badly maybe you should pick something else to watch
Like the majority of media, the nudity/sexualization of the female characters on Euphoria happens much more frequently and to a larger degree than the male nudity/sexuality. Maybe it’s because people aren’t used to seeing male nudity in media that even a small amount seems equal to the female characters because as viewers we are desensitized to female sexual exploitation? Similar to the [studies](https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_68785_7/component/file_506904/content) that show that men think women talk more at work but in reality, men do. Female bodies and sexuality is also depicted very differently in the show. When the female characters are filmed in sexual situations or even just by themselves, the camera POV is filmed as if the viewer is a universal straight man. It lingers on their boobs, lips and asses.
The way in which the female characters are filmed is completely different from the male characters and it’s really easy to spot. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. I was trying to find a couple great analysis videos that I have seen discussing the male gaze in film and the way in which teen bodies and sexuality is depicted but ofc I can’t find them. [This video](https://youtu.be/QS2-6X2y5Is?si=D553JXxKcXcyerix) shows how the male gaze appears in media and it will likely help others see similar examples in Euphoria.
This take would make sense if you ignore the entire plot of the show. You act as if the show is encouraging any of these things happening, when the ENTIRE POINT of it is to dissect the not so glamorous parts of life and show how each of these people got there. The show is supposed to be a cautionary tale and is supposed to make the audience feel uneasy.
Exactly. Euphoria is not a romcom. It's showing the raw, vulnerable, realistic moments of a fucked persons life. Multiple fucked up people at that. It's a "weird show" if you watch it out of context but if you take it at face value and go in with that mindset, you understand it and maybe even relate to it a little. Idk... the show is just not for everyone.
Yup, I agree with you. It’s sad that we’re at a point in time where media literacy is so far gone that people can’t see sex and drug use without assuming the creator of the media is some kind of monster. I’ve personally met many, MANY people who are similar to the characters in the show so seeing these things portrayed on screen in such a raw and unfiltered way was really fascinating. Hell, I even relate to these characters and some of the things they’ve gone through. It’s silly to think this kind of storytelling shouldn’t be allowed when it’s so realistic, whether people wanna admit that it is or not. Like you said, it’s not for everyone and that’s fine. But if the contents of the show bother someone maybe they should just stop watching 🤷♀️
I mean I’m only halfway through HS and I can tell you that most of the storylines are pretty realistic, just not common. I think euphoria is always gonna be controversial and ruffle some feathers. If you don’t enjoy it then maybe something like “Never have I ever” is more up your alley.
yeaaaahh if that's true you are going to have a COMPLETELY different take on this when you are an adult and realize that high schoolers aren't as grown up as they feel.
This is a show about children.... literal children
Hard disagree.
I'm grown now. Almost 30.
However when I was in highschool I still watched Hypersexual series including about teenagers.
SKINS for instance.
Or Most notably "Queer as Folk." I was like 15 watching Justin and Brian have very graphic sex scenes.
If youre unfamiliar, Queer as Folk is a love story between Justin, a 17 year old private school student. And Brian, a 29 year old ad executive.
I don't think of it any differently as an adult today.
Although society probably would.
I think this is more political than social though.
There are a lot of realistic things in the world, that doesn't mean there should be shows that glorify it
The show was not made by a teenager, it's written by a 40 year old dude. There is absolutely zero reason for anyone in this show to be under the age of 18, he CHOSE to make them juniors in high school.
It's the same thing as KIDS, which is what euphoria is based on. Was it a well-made movie? Yes. Is it really fucking weird that the opening scene is a middle school girl having sex? YES! You can make things that are realistic without being a perv.
I mean I don't see the glorification. The characters face a decent amount of consequences and the ones that don't, don't. That's sometimes just how life works. I think that the show is realistic to high school because I've seen a lot of the stuff in the show happen IRL. However, I do think that some of the sex scenes don't need the amount of detail that they were given. All in all, I'm real grateful that a show like this, that fully displays the good and bad of high school exists but they should def make some changes for the next season.
How so? Because I thought it showed that the 8 teen characters were immensely different from the others. For example, everyone in the play's audience was shocked at it, everyone at the carousel disapproved of Cassie's behavior, none of the characters have any friends outside of other characters and notice how everyone in the background simply blends together in a dull grey while the others stand out? If the entire school was as crazy as the main cast, then that would be unrealistic but they aren't showcasing that. The regular students go to class and come home, their lives aren't interesting enough to have a show written about them. Euphoria shows the lifestyles of the kids your parents tell you to stay away from(which very much exist), not the one's that sit next to you in math class.
I agree with this take. The show was realistic to me in how my group of friends and I behaved in high school. I actually had a shirt back then that said ‘we are the people your parents warned you about’ and wore it proudly. Sex, drugs and alcohol were a large part of our daily lives. We graduated in 1992 and our group included a teen girl that went to therapy for her sex addiction that slept with her older, married male sex therapist, her gay boyfriend - they were a couple so he didn’t have to come out (he’s trans now), a 25 year old college student that made liquor runs to New Orleans to sell us bootleg $8 1/5’s of Evan Williams, Jack Daniels, or acid and opiated cough syrup. We’d usually start our party at his apartment before migrating to whatever house no parents were at for the night or weekend. We had a few jocks, a juvenile delinquent, a musician, a straight A thrill seeker and the girls that hung around with us were unintentionally and sometimes intentionally shared like a small town incestual teenage family. I thought it was what all the kids were doing. It took college and life and moving away and meeting other people to learn how wrong I was.
Was in high school in the 2000s and things were very similar to the high school in Euphoria. I figured this was because of Sam Levinson. I am surprised to hear that teens today find it relatable.
I must be insane because season 1 was way worse in sexual content terms. Aside from episode 2, season 2 was rather tame in sex scenes. There weren’t any in the 2nd half
But how else will I virtue signal that I'm the most virtuous person on the Internet??? I have to be stunning and brave by denouncing this controversial topic /s
idk if sam himself is a pedophile but i think everything he’s doing in euphoria IS weird. like yes teens have sex but we don’t have to see it in full detail 😭
looking back at it in this light... is like EW what the actual fuck. It's so obvious he was just creating his fantasy. However without this regard, euphoria S1 is still fucking amazing.
okay my last comment was a little bit rude so i deleted it
but when i said i have no idea i meant that as i didn’t know what the op specifically was talking about, but i did recall seeing a video of someone saying sam was a pedo or something but i guess that was on me for being lazy when wording it
I mean unless this video had anything substantial backing up its claims, I think we can all safely disregard it entirely.
Accusing people of heinous crimes without checking if there's any truth to it is incredibly disrespectful to actual victims.
I think we all gave this show the benefit of the doubt because we thought it was actually leading somewhere so there was a reason for all the hyper sexual scenes and character choices.
Now that it’s been made apparent Sam Levinson actually had no plan for any of the characters and is actually just a bad writer. A lot of this show was super fucked up from the perspective he was just writing whatever twisted fantasy he wanted and we not only let him get away with it, we hyped him up.
I didn't like that none of the parents really worried about where their teen child was at night, nor did anyone care what they wore to school.
I know it's a show. I get it. It's fantasy. Hell, I wish I had that much freedom as a teen.
Season one was a masterpiece and had all the potential in the world to spawn a successful series. Season two is unwatchable soap opera slop with the most insidious undertones. A downfall that needs to be studied and explained as to not repeat ever again
No, you are not supposed to be AT ALL weirded out by the 40 year old nepo baby failson that saw SPRING BREAKERS and said "good, but what if they were younger?"
They’re playing 16 year olds. They could have easily made them college aged. It’s just weird that we even need to see people *pretend* to be 16 and fuck. An R rated show about people under 18
So… I’m a little older and I don’t know if I just grew up in a strange place or time, but my high school experience was actually pretty similar. To me I see this as a “coming of age” show and people trying to figure out who they are. High school can be the best years for some people, but for me it was the worst. I feel like that’s why they named it Euphoria. Drugs, sex, dramatic relationships and make-ups… can feel good at the time but come with a price.
Yes I’m aware that they’re adults. But why do we enjoy graphic stories about teenagers having sex. It’s a very disturbing part of our culture. It sets really toxic standards for children to look and act like adults. And it fetishises teenagers
Its r rated. And even if they still expected teenagers to watch it. Do teenagers actually like seeing dozens of penises and a 16 year old sleep with a 50 year old in a motel? And if they do, should we be feeding into that?
Yes it’s a highly sexualized show in a lot of ways but not everything is portrayed in a positive light. Just because sex is portrayed on screen doesn’t automatically make it gratuitous. We aren’t supposed to get any pleasure from what we see Cal doing. It’s clear that we are supposed to find it gross, and hopefully we all do. The teen sex is just part of what teens do. I don’t always find it necessary and I personally find too many sex scenes just boring but I’m also human and I’m not going to complain too much about naked people on screen. It’s when it takes too much away from the story for me or when it could be using that time to give us more plot and/or character development. At the end of the day, it’s just sex. None of us would be here without it and somehow it’s the thing people get the most weird about.
Also, don’t you remember being a teenager? (or maybe you are currently a teenager). I’m a 33 year old woman and I remember being a horny teenager and couldn’t get enough of seeing sex on screen but everyone will feel different about it🤷🏻♀️
Idk I think it’s dangerous to be so passive about things like this. Sure, it’s just what teens do but I don’t think we need to see things as graphicly as we do. I also think our society has a really toxic porn culture that’s paralleled in some of these teen dramas. And even though some of the sex scenes are portrayed negatively, some people, especially teenagers will not be able to determine the nuance. In fact, after reading all these comments I’m very sure people aren’t thinking critically about the show at all lol.
I think some of these people are just offended because they like the show and dismissing what I’m saying. You can enjoy the show while being cognisant of who is writing it, what their intention is. Which parts are gratuitous, why are certain things being used for shock value. What’s the reason they included this particular detail. Why are these scenes for these age groups so common?
I think the show has some of most genuine trans representation in all media which is great. but we as adults are really encouraged to sexualise teens, through porn, through mainstream media and I don’t think it’s necessary to perpetuate that. I don’t personally want to see a 16 year old and think of their sex life. I think your experience as a teen is normal but many people had the receiving end of being surrounded by very sexual and often violently sexual people who have unrealistic expectations of sex through these mediums.
It can be fairly complicated. There’s a lot of things to consider. I also think censorship isn’t the answer and there should be education and conversations about sex in the household. It’s not an artists job to make sure their art makes everyone happy and sends the “right message” to young people. Obviously this isn’t the case for a lot of people but I just think it’s a parents job to w we educate and censor what their kids are consuming.
I also don’t think the sex scenes are all that tilting or graphic. There’s a lot of sexual situations in Euphoria and they all create relevant conversations. Because I agree 100% that there isn’t a lot of critical thought (in general but) around this show and a lot of younger people likely won’t pick up on the nuance. Although I wouldn’t totally underestimate them.
I agree with you but assuming parents are having healthy conversations about sex with their teenagers is maybe overly optimistic. It’s not the media’s job to educate teenagers but minimising its impact is hypocritical. We look towards media for so much, and while I agree censorship is not the answer, we have to create and consume media with an awareness of how powerful is. What are the possible effects of this show and are they worth the entertainment factor.
I don’t normally underestimate teenagers. But especially with the current cultural milieu and the perception of women right now, it’s pretty obvious how easily manipulated even adults are let alone children. My little brother is a teen and recently came out, I encourage him to talk as freely as he wants and be as critical as he can, and to analyse the media he views. But not everyone has this.
I think that works of art shouldn't be seen as an example on how you have to live your life though. Imagine if all movies and series were censored to the point were bad life decisions and crimes weren't showed. It would just be very boring, watered down art imo.
Regardless, the reason it happens is because it's HBO, so everything gets sexualized, because sex sells and we live in a capitalist society, were financial profit is the highest value.
Hmm you had me in the first half. I agree morality is subjective and it’s very difficult to strike a balance between expression and public welfare. It’s a difficult question. ~~I wish we spent more time discussing this balance for when art is overtly used for propaganda rather than debating whether we should see people that look like teenagers having sex~~
The turning point for me was watching some of Sam levinsons other works, particularly idol. And realising his niche is just sexualising young girls for shock value. I don’t think there’s much artistry behind how many times cassie took off her top in season 1.
>it's HBO, so everything gets sexualized, because sex sells and we live in a capitalist society, were financial profit is the highest value.
Art kind of loses value when you assign it to a soulless capitalist enterprise lol. Is it protected because it’s art or necessary because it makes money? Because in my mind those things contradict each other.
And yes I agree it’s a greedy cash grab ultimately by a brand. And this is why it’s uncomfortable for me for them to use teenage characters- 'sex sells, and kids having sex sells even more'. Watching Brooke Shields' documentary, and some of the stories about Dan Schneider from Nickelodeon helped me see how mainstream media can be used to toe the line between art and exploitation. Using underage or young-looking actors to do sexual things on camera for the sake of art and comedy, but ultimately its consumed by paedophiles and potentially traumatises the actors.
I don't have a solution to get around it, i'm also cautious of censorship and there's a lot of it happening right now with laws around lgbt community. I know how people can disguise discrimination as 'protection'. I'm just noticing a lot of these toxic patterns in media and feel helpless about how we progress.
Anyway, I won't be posting any more comments bc I'm procrastinating my actual work. Feel free to enjoy the content you want, I wasn't trying to attack anyone, these are my personal assessments.
No, I don't felt attacked at all.
I think those conversations are important, not because something is necessarily going to change, but it's important to know what you believe in.
Those things I said are contradictory, but both can be true. There are a lot of reasons why teenagers are sexualized so much and some are more dangerous than others. It's just a very complicated issue.
But just keep in mind Euphoria was the second most watched show on HBO. I am sure some weird people watched it, but most people who did, didn't really focus on the fact that they were teens. I also don't think it's the same as the Brooke Shield's situation, because Brook was actually 12 when she starred in Pretty Baby, while Sydney was already in her 20s and had already some acting experience.
Sure, there is a whole culture of sexualizing teens and especially teenage girl and Euphoria is a proof of that, I agree. I just think it's important to try and talk about it like the nuanced topic it is and see all sides.
Idk what thirteen is. And I’m clearly commenting on society in general and the normalisation of shows like these, not just euphoria.
You made some really irrelevant points…and if no one enjoys sex scenes why do they put them in?
I really liked the show until realising some of the things I mentioned. By all means enjoy the show, but it’s a story about teenagers getting naked and having aggressive sex. 🤷🏽♀️
Edit: also teenagers definitely watch this unless you’ve missed every euphoria social media trend ever.
I think that is supposed to feel uncomfortable, one of the things about Euphoria that people seem to miss is none of the behaviors on the show are glamorized. I remember watching it and saying that I had never so many unsexy uncomfortable sex scenes. I remember talking to people who are younger than me and them saying that it was disturbingly accurate to life in high school and got terrified for my children.
I stopped trying after a couple of lines, but please look-up McCarthyism; I'm sure the thought you.so.had.to.share was profoundly original tho' and none mentioned anything of the sort before.
I see what you’re saying, but the whole sex life of the teenagers isn’t what really bothers me cause none of the actors are actually teenagers or minors, they’re all in their mid 20s and they’re all adults. I didn’t see it as teenagers having sex, I saw it as adults playing teenagers in order to tell a story. It’s not uncommon for teenage shows to have sex scenes. I think the sex part is very realistic and relatable tbh, I mean that’s how it was when I was in high school. I don’t see it as “violating their privacy” cause they’re not actually 17 year olds. I just didn’t care for the second season at all because it was so over the top and the plot was all over the place, it didn’t have a nice flow to it like the first season did. I remember the whole euphoria craze and how everyone would count down the minutes every week until the new episode of the second season came out, but now after rewatching the second season, I realize just how bad it is.
i would also like to bring up the idol,, that show is really weird and has crazy mixed messaging
but for my bojack fans: he reminds me of Flip and euphoria reminds me of Phibert especially ESPECIALLY in episode one of season five,,, i just know that man would complain abt women not wanting to show off their bodies
Sex has always been a main trope for teenagers, since the 70s and 80s. I blame the 60s, with the sexual revolution, the pill, and hyper sexual/free love aspect in young people of that era. Plus, the hormonal aspect. It's been a prevalent topic in media ever since. Before the 60s, people were saving themselves for marriage. While euphoria tends to fall on the extreme side of everything, whether it's sex or drugs, sex among teenagers has pretty much always existed. Even in some of my favorite shows, like twin peaks.
I mean I think the show was chaotic for making it seem like all of this is common, but some of these things DO happen.
Jules being tricked by Nate does happen just not for the reason why Nate did it.
All the drug experiments and addictions do happen
The abuse the assaults it does happen in highschool
I think the show is unrealistic for a lot of reasons but I do think some of it is more accurate than people want to accept.
That being said I agree we should not be watching characters that r supposed to be teens getting freaky
Haven’t watched the show, not even sure how it crossed my feed, but I’ve seen a lot of snippets & caught wind of critical reviews pointing to stuff like this. I guess there’s a reason Kendrick Lamar pointed out that Drake was a producer on the show 🥴
1. I’m just happy they have adults playing teens in all these situations rather than actual teen actors. There are so many situations where actors who are too young are playing roles not suited for their age.
2. These things do happen in high school. Not to everybody and not everywhere, but they sometimes do happen. It’s all for entertainment after all, it wouldn’t be as fun to watch a regular boring teen’s life.
3. I feel like the main audience is kids in high school. I generally feel weird watching shows about people younger than me. I was in high school when Euphoria first aired and now I’m out of college. I lost interest in the show over time. It’s pretty immature but it does scream high school behavior. It’s just focusing on the extremes.
They’re not actually teens IRL. It’s a drama taken to the extremes and told but an unreliable narrator.
If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But it’s exhausting to hear people rag on tv shows over something like the “sex not being realistic”. Get over it sweetie.
I think people have some weird cultural obsession with trying to label anything and everything as predatory. Like there's this "true crime podcast" thrill from it.
For instance, "Quiet On Set" - There's absolutely zero accusations of sexually inappropriate behavior by Dan Schnider. The issue is he was toxic, mean, rude. Crass. An asshole essentially. There's zero evidence or accusations of him being a sexual predator. YET every meme and post about him on the internet is about that.
People tried to say Hillary Clinton was selling children out of a pizza shop. And that Wayfair was selling children in lockers. Etc.
Euphoria is a "coming of age" series. They've existed since, forever.
20 something year old actors portraying teenagers in sex scenes is common place. Cruel Intentions, Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Glee, The Virgin Suicides, Call Me By Your Name, Queer As Folk, etc.
Yes, Euphoria can be more graphic and show total nudity because of its platform, but you were still watching a 22 year old Sarah Michelle Gellar pretend to be 16 with sex scenes.
Why? Because sexuality is part of coming-of-age. It resonates with the audience when they feel nostalgia or relatability watching these characters.
Sex in art is not inherently erotic/pornographic.
Nobody is watching Cassie on that carnival ride and jerking their meat. It's not supposed to be erotic or pornographic. It's supposed to be RAW and unfiltered.
I'm sorry for double commenting - but also what sex scenes are yall finding "fantasy" in?
Jules and Cal was DARK. Scary. Disturbing. Gross even.
Cassie and McKays sex scenes were ALWAYS cut short or didn't even happen because as soon as her top came off it was a problem. When they did happen they resulted in negative consequences or McKay being sexually assaulted by his frat.
The pool scene with Maddy? Showed essentially nothing graphic and was mostly a "eyes of spectators" type deal.
Kats sex tape? Was a grainy nightmare filmed on flip phone.
The ONLY sex scene in the entire series that was filmed in a way it could be even remotely erotic/enjoyable sexually - was the one where nate was fucking Maddy in her bed.
And it lasted for about 7 seconds. We saw his ass and her back. That's it.
So what sex scenes exactly are yall talking about here?
Haters gonna hate I guess?
Like you're entitled to your opinion but why go on a sub just to bitch about a show? How this got 400+ upvotes just goes to show that people are here only to demonize it. If you pulled this on the HBO Watchmen sub you'd get death threats lol.
I agree all of the sex and violence towards women is a bit much but I think that's kind of the point? It's supposed to make you uncomfortable or maybe even upset.
These comments are so funny because i lived Maddie/Cassie and Rues life sis. Someone called me a virgin too, lmao i wish I was at times...truly.
I wasnt going to reply to any ridic comments but based on so many funny reactions. I have to truly giggle when yall say this because its giving projection. Many of the fans of this show are dreamers..
Someone called me illiterate, while they themselves actually exposed their lack of literacy, because they do not read about Sam's weird behavior and "art" getting creepier. So they act like he has these great ideas coming from thin air...when the last 2/3 big productions he was a part of dealt with teen girls being exploited in some way. The 3rd being a show where the female lead was a sexpot that controlled a cult (idol) If u like that, which some of u have exposed here. Just own it and stop being mad that others are not here for it.
Some called me dumb, im sorry that this fantasy show is what makes u feel like u had this experience...when i would say 75% to 80% if not more were Lexi/Kat/Ethan in HG pretending to be Cassie/Elliot/Rue/Nate/Jules or Maddie.
Ill probably be downvoted, but its silly how yall assume that I someone with time to reflect on a show i also once liked is stupid, because I now see it being icky via S2.
To attack me without knowing me lmao. Its giving attachment and dreamland.
Be blessed love.
The show made me feel seen in ways that a show has never done before. A lot of the hypersexualism and drug abuse was prevalent in my high school.
I related to a lot of the characters, and in a way it was therapeutic to see it in fucked up nostalgic, kind of “I’ve grown so much” way. This show made me and my boyfriend ball our eyes out watching it. All my friends say the same thing.
Perhaps I was a bit abrasive, but this is Reddit after all. What I should have said was “Perhaps you can’t relate to the show in ways that others can,” maybe that wouldn’t have triggered you so much.
Be blessed also!
Art isn’t always comfortable. I don’t know all the facts, and I pray that he’s not doing anything malicious. But to base your allegations on the fact that it’s a “pedos wet dream” despite the fact that non-pedos fucking adored the show……It made me and you and millions of others emote. It’s art.
>they do not read about Sam's weird behavior and "art" getting creepier.
Unless we're missing something, the only things that have been said about Sam by certain cast members is that he's been difficult to work with, not that he's been "weird" or as the posts suggest, that he has pedophilic fantasies that he's using the show as a means for. Which is a very serious accusation.
I think the bigger annoyance is that there's post like this that blow up on the sub almost every week insisting that the Sam is a sex-pest. Most people DO agree that sex scenes are overdone and gratuitous. Problem is the insistence that the show lacks artistic value because of the content it portrays.
Never seen the show and never will because of this reason. My friends thought I was being weird but I guess they just couldn’t see my pov. Watching people portraying as high schoolers do that shit is WEIRD. Idc if “that’s what high school is really like” so weird.
And you must have been exposed to sex way too young and now it’s your entire existence because you have daddy issues and are going to spend the rest of your life chasing meaningful relationships with me. than want nothing more than sex from you, until you’re old and alone and you realize that maybe there is some beauty in the boring.
oh and let’s not forget that drake also is behind the scenes of euphoria and ifykyk
Drake is behind Euphoria, and The Weeknd is behind The Idol. Both Sam Levinson projects. And both Canadian rappers…..
Illuminati confirmed
Yoooooooo
I mean, the weeknd ain't a rapper but stil...🧐🤯
The Weeknd is NOT a rapper 😭
Okay hol up Kendrick really was cookin huh?
why do u think that one song is called euphoria?
Yeah I really didn't connect the dots until like just now LMAO holy shit
he went IN
I’m glad you noticed too!
LMAOO indeed
Certified lover boy?
❌ certified pedophile ✅
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
WOP WOP WOP WOP WOP
LMFAO
Literally none of the people doing anything even remotely sexual are in their teens. In fact, most were ten plus years older than the characters they’re portraying. In a larger sense, I do think we should stop fetishizing and glorifying high school in media. It leads to further sexualization of minors, and it’s also unhealthy to present the ages of 14-18 as the best of anyone’s life. But I don’t think Sam Levinson is responsible for that. A lot of people have so much to say about the sex in euphoria, and I agree it’s too much. But they’re ignoring the greater themes because there’s so much sex. As someone who struggled with mental health and drug addiction as a teenager in high school, the depiction of Rues struggle was something I felt seen by, and I really enjoyed it.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with showing teens have sex onscreen but I found the way it was portrayed on Euphoria super inappropriate and unrealistic. When teens have sex it’s usually quite awkward and not actually that sexy. I think the show Sex Education did a good job at showing teens having sex but also keeping it realistic, none of the sex scenes in that show were supposed to actually turn the audience on, they didn’t fetishise it. Something about Euphoria’s sex scenes didn’t remind me of teens. They behaved like people 10-20 years older who had been having sex for years and we’re a lot more comfortable in their sexuality than teens typically are. They looked more like porn scenes than the reality of how teens actually have sex.
Euphoria is not supposed to represent the reality for these characters. The whole point of the narrative is that it's unreliable. We set that up in Season 1 explicitly "But I'm not the most reliable narrator". It tells the story as these characters see themselves, not as it really happened. It's literally a drama about dramatization. It allows unrealistic things to happen. To judge it on those points is to misunderstand its presentation. Think of the show as Rue's mind rant. Just how Rue imagines everything went down, after the fact.
Yes and as someone who dealt with sexual assault and harassment in middle and high school I feel like as vulgar or sexualized the show was that was actually an accurate representation of some people’s experiences in highschool. I don’t think it’s glorified or put out as some epic love story. I feel like it’s art imitating life
It’s like this entire show could take place in a college environment and not high school and would’ve made way more sense
If Jules was college aged her encounter with Nates Dad wouldn't have been problematic. If Rue was college aged her family dynamic wouldn't be as much at the forefront. Etc.
...Showing an underaged Cassie in several eroticized sex scenes, including one with her fully nude in the back of a truck with red mood lighting isn't good no matter how you cut it. It doesn't matter if you're of legal age. If you're playing a minor, you're exploiting a minor.
Exactly. So much of Euphoria is shot from a hyper-sexualized male gaze pov— not a realistic one. This is blatantly obvious when the camera zooms in on Maddy in a coquette lingerie set or Cassie’s boobs in literally anything. When it comes to subject matter like teen sexuality, the way in which it’s depicted matters.
You say this like we haven't had a hard focus on multiple dicks and Nate Jacob's Ass/Body a dozen and one times. Cassies Boobs are only as much a sexual object as Nates abs. He's been shirtless plenty.
You’re just straight up misremembering the way in which the characters are filmed and the frequency they are sexualized. There is a distinct stylistic difference as well. Next time you watch the show, really pay attention to these details. [This video](https://youtu.be/QS2-6X2y5Is?si=D553JXxKcXcyerix) shows how the male gaze appears in media and it will likely help you see similar examples in Euphoria.
I think yall are hyperfocusing on Cassie because you guys are obsessed with her breasts. Every single person in the Main Group was shown having sex. Kat was shown engaging in sex work FFS. Why are yall so obsessed with Cassie?
Because she's the biggest victim of Sam's hyper-sexualization, and as a fellow big tits haver, that's where I can relate the most. Jules is also very hyper-sexualized, which I know is a part of her storyline. But those scenes in her bonus episodes where she's taking pictures of her body in a hyper-focused, stylized way...Like, this show can get across that these teens are sexually active without exploiting them. And don't even get me started on Kat. Her entire storyline was her being a mean, fat, CHILD cam girl. And they didn't even try to show how bad it is to be doing that underage, like with the drugs and stuff. Kat genuinely is praised for being a child cam girl.
It’s more like Sam Levinson was clearly obsessed with Sydney Sweeney/Cassie’s character and it is very very obvious with how horned up her scenes are. And it’s okay to call that out. Comparing Kat’s scenes to Cassie’s is like apples and oranges. One was more plot-based/character development based. Levinson clearly wanted Cassie’s scenes to be about her body (S1 especially)
But a central theme to Cassies character and development is that she uses sex the way Rue uses drugs. It's her way to medicate. To validate herself. To feel good. Likely because of her daddy issues. The sex tape, how she was hyper sexual towards McKay, the way she was so desperate for nates love. All these circle back to the same themes/issues her sex scenes do. Sex and sexuality is a HUGE component of cassies character. It IS plot based/driven. We ALL know girls and gay guys, maybe even a straight guy or two who sluts themselves out for validation. It's something MANY highschool girls who had a "hoe phase" can resonate with.
Yeah, it is absolutely insane how he exploited Cassie AND Sweeney. Didn't she get into conflict with him because of how uncomfortable she was? Also, I know people say Sweeney is still being exploited because of how she's dressed by her stylists and her roles after Euphoria still being of overt sexual behavior, but if she's uncomfortable doing that, she probably would've voiced it in the same way she did during S2.
What worse? Ignoring the greater themes or ignoring the sexualization of high schoolers?
That’s a false dichotomy I’m not presenting. I’ve said before and will say again, people would have taken Euphoria far more seriously if it had less sex. That said, sex is part of life for most high school students, so it shouldn’t be entirely ignored…just scaled back like crazy and not portrayed to be sexy or exciting. Maybe clumsy or cringey. I agree with you per my second paragraph.
A lot of aspects feel very real. But the portrayal of it was weird and uncomfortable to watch. Kat’s behavior in S1 was negatively received but it’s not unthinkable nor something that’s never happened. It’s just weird to have seen. Now, I can’t say if there would have been an appropriate way to show a lot of these things on television, or ever, but some of it was realistic.
I also can relate to Kat because I did some similar things, albeit at a year or two older than she is in the show. It’s pretty common. I’m fairly certain the sex between the younger characters was mostly portrayed as awkward or bad pretty often so I really think the most unrealistic part is the lingerie and sex toys lol
i don’t have an issue with all teen sex scenes, obviously teenagers have sex and i imagine a lot of adult writers just pull from their own teenage life for that, but euphoria is not like the oc or pretty little liars or whatever, where the scenes are raunchy sure but fair game for teen dramas. the scenes are so graphically traumatizing for the women involved most of the time that i just can’t really get behind the “but it’s art” perspective, because it was written by a grown man. you can be provocative and make people uncomfortable without constantly outright depicting a rape fantasy on screen and just adding purple lighting and glitter to tell the audience that it’s not endorsed by the writers, they’re just trying to tell a story! honestly you can only hide behind that for so long, and i have to say that if sam levinson isn’t a major creep then he is at the very least uncreative in that respect. there’s a chapter title in a book i like called “i dreamt i ate the testicles of the celebrated author who writes so lovingly about cruelty to women” and much of euphoria makes me think of that. none of us are inside sam’s head and we don’t know what his intentions were with some of this shit, but all yall in this comment section crying “media literacy” sound just as ridiculous as those who are automatically labeling him as a pedo. there is absolutely validity to people finding it concerning how much he fetishizes young female sexual trauma as a 40 year old straight man
Not to mention, this is media literacy at play. Media literacy is the ability to analyze media messages and reflect on them. We just love to throw around pop culture buzzwords to shut people down. Immediately dismissing someone’s interpretations as stupid or wrong will be the actual death of media literacy. I do think (in the US at least) we can be a little too conservative about sex and nudity. Teens do have sex, and I think it’s okay to show things that make us on comfortable sometimes, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t also a bad way to do that. A lot of the female nudity and sex scenes do seem to be shown under the lens of the male gaze. Male nudity on the show is often used in a humorous way. They’re not often shown in the same sexual desirable light that the women on the show are. There not often portrayed as seductive or provocative. I think that’s a fair criticism. I get a lot of people feel seen by the show, and I think there is value on that, but that doesn’t mean it’s above critique. It can be really good and progressive in some ways, and it can need work in other areas. Everyone deserves a seat at the table of critique.
I don't know if I agree here. The show is definitely using Jacob Elordis body/ass for women/gay men the way it does Sydneys body/boobs for straight men/lesbians. When he's fucking Maddy. When he's changing in the locker room. When he's getting in the shower after beating Tyler up etc.
I don't mind teen sex scenes, but the way these ones are written strays so far from art, into violent and porno territory. Of course, teens do it in all the same ways non-teens do it. But seriously, these characters are minors (or freshly 18, don't remember), you do not need the explicit rough sex with a middle aged man. He definitely wrote the sex scenes-many of which portray (statutory) rape, sexual assault, and are generally objectifying the woman involved-intending for them to be perceived as attractive or enjoyable. And it really does feel like he fetishizes female sexual trauma. Outside of money I cannot understand why these women are willing to even go near the guy, let alone work with him.
There is no part of Jules/Cals sex scene that is remotely erotic. It looks uncomfortable, dark, gross. And cassies sex scenes are usually cut short/interrupted or later exploited against her. They're not desirable. The only sex scenes in this show that are remotely pornographic/potentially enjoyable are between Maddy and Nate. And they last like 9 seconds.
It's not just the direct eroticizing that's the problem. It's the frequency, which makes it feel like they are being fetishized or eroticized even if they aren't filmed that way. Like, you're going to tell me that Jules/Cal sex scene was absolutely necessary and integral to the plot? Or the others that I won't even bother to list because there's so many? Let me get one thing straight. I think sex scenes are fine, but the amount of them in this show tells me that it was written by a man who sexualizes women far too much. And one last thing. Like you said, most of these scenes aren't desirable because they're forced, emotionally traumatizing, and gross. Sadly, though, there is an audience for those types. That, combined with the total amount of sex scenes, and the fact that most of them are gross or nonconsensual, really speaks volumes.
Have you seen Assasination Nation? Theres very little actual sex or graphic sexual scenes but a girl's sexuality being exploited and slut shaming are central themes in the movie. I don't think Sam is predatory. I think Sam has a certain niche for his media he likes and it's Young Adult. I don't see a problem with that. I'm the same way. I'm a grown man but I love "On My Block" Heartbreak High, "Gen V", GLEE, "Pretty Little Liars", "SKINS" , "Euphoria" Etc. Sam's big on LGBT representation, Transgender representation, Political discourse, FEMINISM, and diversity/representation. I think he shows female sexuality so much cause he sees it as empowering. Like he's so against slut shaming and wants to tell the world "teenage girls want and like sex as much as teenage guys and that's okay" 🤷🏻♂️
okay first off every show you listed besides skins is completely completely different from euphoria in terms of how it displays teenage sexuality. no one’s getting mad at HBH or glee or any of those other shows because they keep it cool, and they don’t make sex painfully traumatizing experiences for the women that choose to engage in it. second with all due respect, as you’ve admitted you are a grown man. it’s a little hard for you to see perspective on this in the same way i would because you’re closer to sam’s perspective than his subjects, teenage girls. i am a teenage girl, and i can appreciate that sam shows sexual desire in women, but nothing, or at least *very* little about euphoria feels empowering to me. it feels like that’s what he may want people to think he’s doing, but empowerment does not come from writing nearly every sex scene to be deeply psychologically damaging to the young women involved, and in such a way where it’s still sexually appealing to the men that are watching. if he really cared about empowering women then the scenes wouldn’t be shown from such a male gaze. a great contrast is the show girls. it also has a ton of uncomfortable, very graphic sex scenes and often times the women in those situations aren’t being properly taken care of. yet the scenes clearly arent written to be any kind of trauma porn, there is no miscommunication that the audience shouldn’t feel turned on, man or woman. this is because the *actual* priority is depicting uncomfortable or traumatic sex, not propping up women to be mistreated yet still sexual enough that the male audience can still jack off to it. i’ve spoken about euphoria with my friends at length and i don’t think any of us feel empowered watching this shit
My empowerment comment was more about the character of Lily in assassination Nation. Traumatic Sex is part of the discourse in Euphoria. It's also not exclusive to females. Nates observation of the tapes and recurring dream is a form of sexual trauma. And one of McKay and Cassies experinces was far more traumatic for him than her. As the only opnely gay teen who went to a small rural school and could only find Hookups with older gentlemen on Grindr, Jules and Cals first encounter directly mirrors experinces I've lived - even though she's a girl and I'm a guy. This is probably true for a lot of LGBT persons regardless of gender identity. Furthermore - Kats sexuality wasn't shown purely traumatic. She was shown to enjoy casual sex and feel empowered by it. Yes the video/porn bit from her first time could be seen as traumatic but it can also be seen as a source of her confidence. Rue and Jules sex scene was also not intended to be traumatic. It was awkward and realistic and everything you give credit to Girls for doing. Also plenty of people are mad at HBH because they believe that the scene between Malachi, Harper and Dusty was a blatant display of SA.
i love the storytelling in euphoria and the characters are very relatable, i just cringe every time a sex scene is show, or extreme nudity. it’s just so unnecessary and makes me super uncomfortable. personally, i feel as though the show would do better if the sex was toned down
what an evocative and original take, i’ve never seen this groundbreaking critique before.
lmfaooo tbf who’s expecting a high brow critique on reddit of all places 😭
I think this post proves people are drastically becoming illiterate. Storytelling does not equate to endorsement.
the world is getting truly sad when writing fiction is now ALWAYS considered connected to reality by a certain segment of our population. some of this has come from the politicization of pedophilia. one party particularly wants their followers to be scared of the pedo behind every tree & of course anyone of the opposite party must be a pedo....it's the last few years of the mainstream discussion of conspiracy theories of pedos everywhere that has ruined the idea of fiction for people.
This is what I've been trying to say but couldn't word as well. There's this cultural obsession/thrill will labeling everything problematic/predatory to the point a COMING OF AGE series can't have SEXUALITY.
Thank you! This is such a bad take from OP, I’m not sure when everyone became so pearl-clutchy all of a sudden. People see a dick or a titty and lose their damn minds it’s weird. God forbid someone tells a story that’s not all sunshine and rainbows, that must make them a mega creep or abuser. Bffr guys, storytelling has not and has never equated endorsement or glamorization.
It’s not the fact that sex is shown— but the way it’s depicted in this show is hyper male gaze-y. The camera is always zooming in and lingering on the bodies of the female cast who are playing teenagers. There are ways to depict teen sexuality that don’t objectify the characters and have a realistic vibe.
I mean, I guess you could argue that but there’s an almost equal amount of men being shown in this same light tho, no? I even remember when season 1 came out people made such a big deal about the locker room scene because media usually doesn’t show men fully nude like that, and definitely not THAT MANY naked men. In media it was (and still is) more common/acceptable for women to be shown naked and in sexual positions but not men. So I actually think the show deserves points for pushing the envelope like that, it was a bold move and it worked well. And if you listen to the voiceover during the scenes you’re describing where the camera lingers, Rue is usually describing the negative emotions the female characters are experiencing in that moment. For example, Jules’ hookup with Cal, Cassie and McKay after he got jumped, Maddie fucking Nate in the hotel, etc. Every single one of those things either has some voiceover that tells us the character is having/had some negative feelings during this or the camera is focused on their face to show the viewer how they are feeling. And even without everything else I just said, this is a show on HBO. HBO is literally KNOWN for their shows having overt sex/nudity, profanity, and violence. That’s why HBO has always been a channel that you had to pay for by itself, because the shows/movies they aired weren’t considered appropriate for the general audience. So this type of show is nothing new for HBO, in fact it’s pretty on brand for them. Idk, it if offends you or you just can’t stand it that badly maybe you should pick something else to watch
Like the majority of media, the nudity/sexualization of the female characters on Euphoria happens much more frequently and to a larger degree than the male nudity/sexuality. Maybe it’s because people aren’t used to seeing male nudity in media that even a small amount seems equal to the female characters because as viewers we are desensitized to female sexual exploitation? Similar to the [studies](https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_68785_7/component/file_506904/content) that show that men think women talk more at work but in reality, men do. Female bodies and sexuality is also depicted very differently in the show. When the female characters are filmed in sexual situations or even just by themselves, the camera POV is filmed as if the viewer is a universal straight man. It lingers on their boobs, lips and asses. The way in which the female characters are filmed is completely different from the male characters and it’s really easy to spot. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. I was trying to find a couple great analysis videos that I have seen discussing the male gaze in film and the way in which teen bodies and sexuality is depicted but ofc I can’t find them. [This video](https://youtu.be/QS2-6X2y5Is?si=D553JXxKcXcyerix) shows how the male gaze appears in media and it will likely help others see similar examples in Euphoria.
Storytelling does not inherently equate to endorsement but it absolutely can and it does all the time. Like all the damn time.
I agree storytelling does not always equate to endorsement but when you know this show is literally being funded by Drake...
This take would make sense if you ignore the entire plot of the show. You act as if the show is encouraging any of these things happening, when the ENTIRE POINT of it is to dissect the not so glamorous parts of life and show how each of these people got there. The show is supposed to be a cautionary tale and is supposed to make the audience feel uneasy.
Exactly. Euphoria is not a romcom. It's showing the raw, vulnerable, realistic moments of a fucked persons life. Multiple fucked up people at that. It's a "weird show" if you watch it out of context but if you take it at face value and go in with that mindset, you understand it and maybe even relate to it a little. Idk... the show is just not for everyone.
Yup, I agree with you. It’s sad that we’re at a point in time where media literacy is so far gone that people can’t see sex and drug use without assuming the creator of the media is some kind of monster. I’ve personally met many, MANY people who are similar to the characters in the show so seeing these things portrayed on screen in such a raw and unfiltered way was really fascinating. Hell, I even relate to these characters and some of the things they’ve gone through. It’s silly to think this kind of storytelling shouldn’t be allowed when it’s so realistic, whether people wanna admit that it is or not. Like you said, it’s not for everyone and that’s fine. But if the contents of the show bother someone maybe they should just stop watching 🤷♀️
I mean I’m only halfway through HS and I can tell you that most of the storylines are pretty realistic, just not common. I think euphoria is always gonna be controversial and ruffle some feathers. If you don’t enjoy it then maybe something like “Never have I ever” is more up your alley.
If you’re halfway through HS you should definitely not be discussing Euphoria of all shows with strangers on Reddit.
yeaaaahh if that's true you are going to have a COMPLETELY different take on this when you are an adult and realize that high schoolers aren't as grown up as they feel. This is a show about children.... literal children
Hard disagree. I'm grown now. Almost 30. However when I was in highschool I still watched Hypersexual series including about teenagers. SKINS for instance. Or Most notably "Queer as Folk." I was like 15 watching Justin and Brian have very graphic sex scenes. If youre unfamiliar, Queer as Folk is a love story between Justin, a 17 year old private school student. And Brian, a 29 year old ad executive. I don't think of it any differently as an adult today. Although society probably would. I think this is more political than social though.
Ok but how does that change the fact that the show’s realistic?
There are a lot of realistic things in the world, that doesn't mean there should be shows that glorify it The show was not made by a teenager, it's written by a 40 year old dude. There is absolutely zero reason for anyone in this show to be under the age of 18, he CHOSE to make them juniors in high school. It's the same thing as KIDS, which is what euphoria is based on. Was it a well-made movie? Yes. Is it really fucking weird that the opening scene is a middle school girl having sex? YES! You can make things that are realistic without being a perv.
I mean I don't see the glorification. The characters face a decent amount of consequences and the ones that don't, don't. That's sometimes just how life works. I think that the show is realistic to high school because I've seen a lot of the stuff in the show happen IRL. However, I do think that some of the sex scenes don't need the amount of detail that they were given. All in all, I'm real grateful that a show like this, that fully displays the good and bad of high school exists but they should def make some changes for the next season.
The show portrays the storylines as common. Which makes it unrealistic.
How so? Because I thought it showed that the 8 teen characters were immensely different from the others. For example, everyone in the play's audience was shocked at it, everyone at the carousel disapproved of Cassie's behavior, none of the characters have any friends outside of other characters and notice how everyone in the background simply blends together in a dull grey while the others stand out? If the entire school was as crazy as the main cast, then that would be unrealistic but they aren't showcasing that. The regular students go to class and come home, their lives aren't interesting enough to have a show written about them. Euphoria shows the lifestyles of the kids your parents tell you to stay away from(which very much exist), not the one's that sit next to you in math class.
I agree with this take. The show was realistic to me in how my group of friends and I behaved in high school. I actually had a shirt back then that said ‘we are the people your parents warned you about’ and wore it proudly. Sex, drugs and alcohol were a large part of our daily lives. We graduated in 1992 and our group included a teen girl that went to therapy for her sex addiction that slept with her older, married male sex therapist, her gay boyfriend - they were a couple so he didn’t have to come out (he’s trans now), a 25 year old college student that made liquor runs to New Orleans to sell us bootleg $8 1/5’s of Evan Williams, Jack Daniels, or acid and opiated cough syrup. We’d usually start our party at his apartment before migrating to whatever house no parents were at for the night or weekend. We had a few jocks, a juvenile delinquent, a musician, a straight A thrill seeker and the girls that hung around with us were unintentionally and sometimes intentionally shared like a small town incestual teenage family. I thought it was what all the kids were doing. It took college and life and moving away and meeting other people to learn how wrong I was.
Was in high school in the 2000s and things were very similar to the high school in Euphoria. I figured this was because of Sam Levinson. I am surprised to hear that teens today find it relatable.
The male gaze in the show is so over the top. Euphoria desperately needs a few female writers.
What an absolute shitty ass take…
I must be insane because season 1 was way worse in sexual content terms. Aside from episode 2, season 2 was rather tame in sex scenes. There weren’t any in the 2nd half
Kinda fucked up just throwing around accusations of pedophilia.
When you know Drake is involved, it does give it an entirely different vibe given his history.
But how else will I virtue signal that I'm the most virtuous person on the Internet??? I have to be stunning and brave by denouncing this controversial topic /s
idk if sam himself is a pedophile but i think everything he’s doing in euphoria IS weird. like yes teens have sex but we don’t have to see it in full detail 😭
i agree but the show is still good to me
looking back at it in this light... is like EW what the actual fuck. It's so obvious he was just creating his fantasy. However without this regard, euphoria S1 is still fucking amazing.
Maybe I’m insane but season 1 is way worse in terms of sexual content
Who is Sam Levinson linked to exactly?
drake lol
Oh yeah 🤮
Is that actually it?
i have no idea but i did hear something about sam being a pedo as well but it was from a while ago
That's some pretty weak sauce for a very serious allegation.
okay my last comment was a little bit rude so i deleted it but when i said i have no idea i meant that as i didn’t know what the op specifically was talking about, but i did recall seeing a video of someone saying sam was a pedo or something but i guess that was on me for being lazy when wording it
I mean unless this video had anything substantial backing up its claims, I think we can all safely disregard it entirely. Accusing people of heinous crimes without checking if there's any truth to it is incredibly disrespectful to actual victims.
yeah i could understand that
I think we all gave this show the benefit of the doubt because we thought it was actually leading somewhere so there was a reason for all the hyper sexual scenes and character choices. Now that it’s been made apparent Sam Levinson actually had no plan for any of the characters and is actually just a bad writer. A lot of this show was super fucked up from the perspective he was just writing whatever twisted fantasy he wanted and we not only let him get away with it, we hyped him up.
I didn't like that none of the parents really worried about where their teen child was at night, nor did anyone care what they wore to school. I know it's a show. I get it. It's fantasy. Hell, I wish I had that much freedom as a teen.
Season one was a masterpiece and had all the potential in the world to spawn a successful series. Season two is unwatchable soap opera slop with the most insidious undertones. A downfall that needs to be studied and explained as to not repeat ever again
The idol is creepy as hell I couldn’t even finish it..i couldn’t get past the 3rd episode it made me feel so ick
How has it taken some of you to realize a hyper sexualized show about high schoolers is weird?
No, you are not supposed to be AT ALL weirded out by the 40 year old nepo baby failson that saw SPRING BREAKERS and said "good, but what if they were younger?"
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They’re playing 16 year olds. They could have easily made them college aged. It’s just weird that we even need to see people *pretend* to be 16 and fuck. An R rated show about people under 18
So… I’m a little older and I don’t know if I just grew up in a strange place or time, but my high school experience was actually pretty similar. To me I see this as a “coming of age” show and people trying to figure out who they are. High school can be the best years for some people, but for me it was the worst. I feel like that’s why they named it Euphoria. Drugs, sex, dramatic relationships and make-ups… can feel good at the time but come with a price.
I think you are missing the point.
i like ur username
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tbf pedophiles do like adults who act like children. see belle delphine… or chloe cherry and that one weird ass photoshoot.
If you say so?
girl. why would belle delphine be so rich if pedophiles didn’t like her.
Cuz other guys like her?
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Yes I’m aware that they’re adults. But why do we enjoy graphic stories about teenagers having sex. It’s a very disturbing part of our culture. It sets really toxic standards for children to look and act like adults. And it fetishises teenagers
I would think it's mostly because a big part of the intended audience is actual teens. And teens like to watch other teens do stupid stuff.
Its r rated. And even if they still expected teenagers to watch it. Do teenagers actually like seeing dozens of penises and a 16 year old sleep with a 50 year old in a motel? And if they do, should we be feeding into that?
Yes it’s a highly sexualized show in a lot of ways but not everything is portrayed in a positive light. Just because sex is portrayed on screen doesn’t automatically make it gratuitous. We aren’t supposed to get any pleasure from what we see Cal doing. It’s clear that we are supposed to find it gross, and hopefully we all do. The teen sex is just part of what teens do. I don’t always find it necessary and I personally find too many sex scenes just boring but I’m also human and I’m not going to complain too much about naked people on screen. It’s when it takes too much away from the story for me or when it could be using that time to give us more plot and/or character development. At the end of the day, it’s just sex. None of us would be here without it and somehow it’s the thing people get the most weird about. Also, don’t you remember being a teenager? (or maybe you are currently a teenager). I’m a 33 year old woman and I remember being a horny teenager and couldn’t get enough of seeing sex on screen but everyone will feel different about it🤷🏻♀️
Idk I think it’s dangerous to be so passive about things like this. Sure, it’s just what teens do but I don’t think we need to see things as graphicly as we do. I also think our society has a really toxic porn culture that’s paralleled in some of these teen dramas. And even though some of the sex scenes are portrayed negatively, some people, especially teenagers will not be able to determine the nuance. In fact, after reading all these comments I’m very sure people aren’t thinking critically about the show at all lol. I think some of these people are just offended because they like the show and dismissing what I’m saying. You can enjoy the show while being cognisant of who is writing it, what their intention is. Which parts are gratuitous, why are certain things being used for shock value. What’s the reason they included this particular detail. Why are these scenes for these age groups so common? I think the show has some of most genuine trans representation in all media which is great. but we as adults are really encouraged to sexualise teens, through porn, through mainstream media and I don’t think it’s necessary to perpetuate that. I don’t personally want to see a 16 year old and think of their sex life. I think your experience as a teen is normal but many people had the receiving end of being surrounded by very sexual and often violently sexual people who have unrealistic expectations of sex through these mediums.
It can be fairly complicated. There’s a lot of things to consider. I also think censorship isn’t the answer and there should be education and conversations about sex in the household. It’s not an artists job to make sure their art makes everyone happy and sends the “right message” to young people. Obviously this isn’t the case for a lot of people but I just think it’s a parents job to w we educate and censor what their kids are consuming. I also don’t think the sex scenes are all that tilting or graphic. There’s a lot of sexual situations in Euphoria and they all create relevant conversations. Because I agree 100% that there isn’t a lot of critical thought (in general but) around this show and a lot of younger people likely won’t pick up on the nuance. Although I wouldn’t totally underestimate them.
I agree with you but assuming parents are having healthy conversations about sex with their teenagers is maybe overly optimistic. It’s not the media’s job to educate teenagers but minimising its impact is hypocritical. We look towards media for so much, and while I agree censorship is not the answer, we have to create and consume media with an awareness of how powerful is. What are the possible effects of this show and are they worth the entertainment factor. I don’t normally underestimate teenagers. But especially with the current cultural milieu and the perception of women right now, it’s pretty obvious how easily manipulated even adults are let alone children. My little brother is a teen and recently came out, I encourage him to talk as freely as he wants and be as critical as he can, and to analyse the media he views. But not everyone has this.
I think that works of art shouldn't be seen as an example on how you have to live your life though. Imagine if all movies and series were censored to the point were bad life decisions and crimes weren't showed. It would just be very boring, watered down art imo. Regardless, the reason it happens is because it's HBO, so everything gets sexualized, because sex sells and we live in a capitalist society, were financial profit is the highest value.
Hmm you had me in the first half. I agree morality is subjective and it’s very difficult to strike a balance between expression and public welfare. It’s a difficult question. ~~I wish we spent more time discussing this balance for when art is overtly used for propaganda rather than debating whether we should see people that look like teenagers having sex~~ The turning point for me was watching some of Sam levinsons other works, particularly idol. And realising his niche is just sexualising young girls for shock value. I don’t think there’s much artistry behind how many times cassie took off her top in season 1. >it's HBO, so everything gets sexualized, because sex sells and we live in a capitalist society, were financial profit is the highest value. Art kind of loses value when you assign it to a soulless capitalist enterprise lol. Is it protected because it’s art or necessary because it makes money? Because in my mind those things contradict each other. And yes I agree it’s a greedy cash grab ultimately by a brand. And this is why it’s uncomfortable for me for them to use teenage characters- 'sex sells, and kids having sex sells even more'. Watching Brooke Shields' documentary, and some of the stories about Dan Schneider from Nickelodeon helped me see how mainstream media can be used to toe the line between art and exploitation. Using underage or young-looking actors to do sexual things on camera for the sake of art and comedy, but ultimately its consumed by paedophiles and potentially traumatises the actors. I don't have a solution to get around it, i'm also cautious of censorship and there's a lot of it happening right now with laws around lgbt community. I know how people can disguise discrimination as 'protection'. I'm just noticing a lot of these toxic patterns in media and feel helpless about how we progress. Anyway, I won't be posting any more comments bc I'm procrastinating my actual work. Feel free to enjoy the content you want, I wasn't trying to attack anyone, these are my personal assessments.
No, I don't felt attacked at all. I think those conversations are important, not because something is necessarily going to change, but it's important to know what you believe in. Those things I said are contradictory, but both can be true. There are a lot of reasons why teenagers are sexualized so much and some are more dangerous than others. It's just a very complicated issue. But just keep in mind Euphoria was the second most watched show on HBO. I am sure some weird people watched it, but most people who did, didn't really focus on the fact that they were teens. I also don't think it's the same as the Brooke Shield's situation, because Brook was actually 12 when she starred in Pretty Baby, while Sydney was already in her 20s and had already some acting experience. Sure, there is a whole culture of sexualizing teens and especially teenage girl and Euphoria is a proof of that, I agree. I just think it's important to try and talk about it like the nuanced topic it is and see all sides.
Thanks for that response it was thoughtful.
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Idk what thirteen is. And I’m clearly commenting on society in general and the normalisation of shows like these, not just euphoria. You made some really irrelevant points…and if no one enjoys sex scenes why do they put them in? I really liked the show until realising some of the things I mentioned. By all means enjoy the show, but it’s a story about teenagers getting naked and having aggressive sex. 🤷🏽♀️ Edit: also teenagers definitely watch this unless you’ve missed every euphoria social media trend ever.
pedophiles do not always interact directly with children or CSAM. usually they will engage with legal material, aka adults pretending to be children
this take is giving pedo bud
Downvote this if you support being a pedo and love euphiora and the sex scenes with teens
Huhhh?????
I think that is supposed to feel uncomfortable, one of the things about Euphoria that people seem to miss is none of the behaviors on the show are glamorized. I remember watching it and saying that I had never so many unsexy uncomfortable sex scenes. I remember talking to people who are younger than me and them saying that it was disturbingly accurate to life in high school and got terrified for my children.
H
Magic is the perfect word that describes season one of euphoria
I stopped trying after a couple of lines, but please look-up McCarthyism; I'm sure the thought you.so.had.to.share was profoundly original tho' and none mentioned anything of the sort before.
I see what you’re saying, but the whole sex life of the teenagers isn’t what really bothers me cause none of the actors are actually teenagers or minors, they’re all in their mid 20s and they’re all adults. I didn’t see it as teenagers having sex, I saw it as adults playing teenagers in order to tell a story. It’s not uncommon for teenage shows to have sex scenes. I think the sex part is very realistic and relatable tbh, I mean that’s how it was when I was in high school. I don’t see it as “violating their privacy” cause they’re not actually 17 year olds. I just didn’t care for the second season at all because it was so over the top and the plot was all over the place, it didn’t have a nice flow to it like the first season did. I remember the whole euphoria craze and how everyone would count down the minutes every week until the new episode of the second season came out, but now after rewatching the second season, I realize just how bad it is.
This show is going to give the general pop the ick in a couple of years… it won’t be remembered in a good light lol
It’s 100% gonna get the Riverdale treatment in a few years. I’ll give it maybe 6-8 years
What a imbecilic take. How have people lost media literacy to such a staggering degree like this?
i would also like to bring up the idol,, that show is really weird and has crazy mixed messaging but for my bojack fans: he reminds me of Flip and euphoria reminds me of Phibert especially ESPECIALLY in episode one of season five,,, i just know that man would complain abt women not wanting to show off their bodies
Sex has always been a main trope for teenagers, since the 70s and 80s. I blame the 60s, with the sexual revolution, the pill, and hyper sexual/free love aspect in young people of that era. Plus, the hormonal aspect. It's been a prevalent topic in media ever since. Before the 60s, people were saving themselves for marriage. While euphoria tends to fall on the extreme side of everything, whether it's sex or drugs, sex among teenagers has pretty much always existed. Even in some of my favorite shows, like twin peaks.
I’m so glad this is finally the collective opinion cuz when s2 dropped everyone loved it and I got sm hate for saying this
I mean I think the show was chaotic for making it seem like all of this is common, but some of these things DO happen. Jules being tricked by Nate does happen just not for the reason why Nate did it. All the drug experiments and addictions do happen The abuse the assaults it does happen in highschool I think the show is unrealistic for a lot of reasons but I do think some of it is more accurate than people want to accept. That being said I agree we should not be watching characters that r supposed to be teens getting freaky
Haven’t watched the show, not even sure how it crossed my feed, but I’ve seen a lot of snippets & caught wind of critical reviews pointing to stuff like this. I guess there’s a reason Kendrick Lamar pointed out that Drake was a producer on the show 🥴
1. I’m just happy they have adults playing teens in all these situations rather than actual teen actors. There are so many situations where actors who are too young are playing roles not suited for their age. 2. These things do happen in high school. Not to everybody and not everywhere, but they sometimes do happen. It’s all for entertainment after all, it wouldn’t be as fun to watch a regular boring teen’s life. 3. I feel like the main audience is kids in high school. I generally feel weird watching shows about people younger than me. I was in high school when Euphoria first aired and now I’m out of college. I lost interest in the show over time. It’s pretty immature but it does scream high school behavior. It’s just focusing on the extremes.
They’re not actually teens IRL. It’s a drama taken to the extremes and told but an unreliable narrator. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But it’s exhausting to hear people rag on tv shows over something like the “sex not being realistic”. Get over it sweetie.
I think people have some weird cultural obsession with trying to label anything and everything as predatory. Like there's this "true crime podcast" thrill from it. For instance, "Quiet On Set" - There's absolutely zero accusations of sexually inappropriate behavior by Dan Schnider. The issue is he was toxic, mean, rude. Crass. An asshole essentially. There's zero evidence or accusations of him being a sexual predator. YET every meme and post about him on the internet is about that. People tried to say Hillary Clinton was selling children out of a pizza shop. And that Wayfair was selling children in lockers. Etc. Euphoria is a "coming of age" series. They've existed since, forever. 20 something year old actors portraying teenagers in sex scenes is common place. Cruel Intentions, Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Glee, The Virgin Suicides, Call Me By Your Name, Queer As Folk, etc. Yes, Euphoria can be more graphic and show total nudity because of its platform, but you were still watching a 22 year old Sarah Michelle Gellar pretend to be 16 with sex scenes. Why? Because sexuality is part of coming-of-age. It resonates with the audience when they feel nostalgia or relatability watching these characters. Sex in art is not inherently erotic/pornographic. Nobody is watching Cassie on that carnival ride and jerking their meat. It's not supposed to be erotic or pornographic. It's supposed to be RAW and unfiltered.
It's pretty hilarious that people think the day someone turns 18 that something magically changed in their body 💀
I'm sorry for double commenting - but also what sex scenes are yall finding "fantasy" in? Jules and Cal was DARK. Scary. Disturbing. Gross even. Cassie and McKays sex scenes were ALWAYS cut short or didn't even happen because as soon as her top came off it was a problem. When they did happen they resulted in negative consequences or McKay being sexually assaulted by his frat. The pool scene with Maddy? Showed essentially nothing graphic and was mostly a "eyes of spectators" type deal. Kats sex tape? Was a grainy nightmare filmed on flip phone. The ONLY sex scene in the entire series that was filmed in a way it could be even remotely erotic/enjoyable sexually - was the one where nate was fucking Maddy in her bed. And it lasted for about 7 seconds. We saw his ass and her back. That's it. So what sex scenes exactly are yall talking about here?
I’m glad other people are noticing this. It was overhyped back then & I always felt iffy about high schoolers being portrayed like that on the screen.
Haters gonna hate I guess? Like you're entitled to your opinion but why go on a sub just to bitch about a show? How this got 400+ upvotes just goes to show that people are here only to demonize it. If you pulled this on the HBO Watchmen sub you'd get death threats lol.
I agree all of the sex and violence towards women is a bit much but I think that's kind of the point? It's supposed to make you uncomfortable or maybe even upset.
Least protestant westerner be like (probably from the usa/uk)
Someone was sheltered in HS and it shows
These comments are so funny because i lived Maddie/Cassie and Rues life sis. Someone called me a virgin too, lmao i wish I was at times...truly. I wasnt going to reply to any ridic comments but based on so many funny reactions. I have to truly giggle when yall say this because its giving projection. Many of the fans of this show are dreamers.. Someone called me illiterate, while they themselves actually exposed their lack of literacy, because they do not read about Sam's weird behavior and "art" getting creepier. So they act like he has these great ideas coming from thin air...when the last 2/3 big productions he was a part of dealt with teen girls being exploited in some way. The 3rd being a show where the female lead was a sexpot that controlled a cult (idol) If u like that, which some of u have exposed here. Just own it and stop being mad that others are not here for it. Some called me dumb, im sorry that this fantasy show is what makes u feel like u had this experience...when i would say 75% to 80% if not more were Lexi/Kat/Ethan in HG pretending to be Cassie/Elliot/Rue/Nate/Jules or Maddie. Ill probably be downvoted, but its silly how yall assume that I someone with time to reflect on a show i also once liked is stupid, because I now see it being icky via S2. To attack me without knowing me lmao. Its giving attachment and dreamland. Be blessed love.
The show made me feel seen in ways that a show has never done before. A lot of the hypersexualism and drug abuse was prevalent in my high school. I related to a lot of the characters, and in a way it was therapeutic to see it in fucked up nostalgic, kind of “I’ve grown so much” way. This show made me and my boyfriend ball our eyes out watching it. All my friends say the same thing. Perhaps I was a bit abrasive, but this is Reddit after all. What I should have said was “Perhaps you can’t relate to the show in ways that others can,” maybe that wouldn’t have triggered you so much. Be blessed also!
Art isn’t always comfortable. I don’t know all the facts, and I pray that he’s not doing anything malicious. But to base your allegations on the fact that it’s a “pedos wet dream” despite the fact that non-pedos fucking adored the show……It made me and you and millions of others emote. It’s art.
I hear you and respect that point of you. 💝
>they do not read about Sam's weird behavior and "art" getting creepier. Unless we're missing something, the only things that have been said about Sam by certain cast members is that he's been difficult to work with, not that he's been "weird" or as the posts suggest, that he has pedophilic fantasies that he's using the show as a means for. Which is a very serious accusation. I think the bigger annoyance is that there's post like this that blow up on the sub almost every week insisting that the Sam is a sex-pest. Most people DO agree that sex scenes are overdone and gratuitous. Problem is the insistence that the show lacks artistic value because of the content it portrays.
Agree
Never seen the show and never will because of this reason. My friends thought I was being weird but I guess they just couldn’t see my pov. Watching people portraying as high schoolers do that shit is WEIRD. Idc if “that’s what high school is really like” so weird.
U must have had a BORING high school experience. Like still a virgin during college type shit
And you must have been exposed to sex way too young and now it’s your entire existence because you have daddy issues and are going to spend the rest of your life chasing meaningful relationships with me. than want nothing more than sex from you, until you’re old and alone and you realize that maybe there is some beauty in the boring.
Yeah but you watched. So what does that say about you? 😏😳🤨😂
Am I right to assume that you're american?
lol if so their puritan-based, subconscious, cultural bias is showing