![]() The show cast trans performer Hunter Schafer as the now iconic Jules but appears less interested in debates about the perceived authenticity of trans identities than in employing transness as a marker of transgressive youth culture. While television shows OITNB (Netflix) and Transparent (Amazon Prime) have made headlines for their inclusion of trans performers and their debatably authentic takes on trans experiences, 4 Euphoria signals a new era in trans representation, one that is defined by a “cool” trans aesthetic. Through the character of Jules, the show explores questions of identity, authenticity, and the complex relationships between gender and sexuality that increasingly inform youth culture-all while avoiding the focus on transition that typically characterizes transgender characters’ narrative arcs in mainstream media. ![]() While the show’s central narrative arc follows the queer cisgender character Rue as she deals with drug addiction and mental illness, it also focuses on her increasingly complex romance with the new girl in town, the transgender Jules. But where Euphoria breaks new ground is in its unapologetic focus on Gen Z youth culture and its success at tapping into contemporary discussions about gender and sexuality. In August 2019, an article in the Guardian summed up the response to a new HBO show with the headline “ ‘It Triggered Mass Panic!’-Is Euphoria the Most Shocking Teen Show Ever?” 1 Drawing on the wave of controversy surrounding the show’s debut, the article references the now infamous “30 penises scene” before describing the “provocative” show’s exploration of “sex, social media, anxiety and addiction.” 2 Recalling the controversies associated with teen dramas such as Skins and Kids, Euphoria depicts harsh realities long associated with teen life, including teen sexuality, mental illness, and substance abuse. Finally, Euphoria illustrates the crucial role of showrunner auteurs for HBO and, more specifically, the function of transgressive trans characters in Sam Levinson’s auteur brand. The show’s stylized aesthetic, represented through hypermobile cinematography and surreal lighting, reflects this transgressive approach while also highlighting the show’s hypersubjective framing. Euphoria breaks new ground by offering a new aesthetic treatment of trans identity that invokes Gen Z’s ubiquitous use of social media, creative application of makeup, and nuanced approach to gender and sexual identities. ![]() While HBO utilizes both cable and video-on-demand (VOD) streaming services, its recent investment in trans discourses is in part a response to Netflix and Amazon Prime’s successful trans programming and indicative of the competitive value trans content offers content producers in the multiplatform era. Where HBO differs from Amazon’s Transparent and Netflix’s OITNB is in its investment in a new type of trans representation that disrupts the cinematic and television tradition in which trans characters remain closely associated with tragedy or are relegated to the recent past. While television shows Orange Is the New Black ( OITNB) and Transparent have made headlines for their inclusion of trans performers and their debatably authentic takes on trans experiences, Euphoria signals a new era in trans representation, one that is defined by a “cool” trans aesthetic that epitomizes multiplatform television’s investment in trans as an edgy brand marker.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |