Still, its a delicate line to walk, especially when the character is supposed to be underage (though Schafer is 20). Marginalized people want stories that represent the length and breadth of their experiences, good and bad. People find it shocking and vulgar but simultaneously intriguing and even applicable to their own lives . Member. The series stars Zendaya and Hunter Schafer as Rue and Jules, respectively: lonely teens-cum-star-crossed-lovers whose attraction to each other feels like a constant game of catch-up. Levinson has 0 love for the LGBT community. Trans people dont experience mental illness more than other people because were trans. Like most people, each Sunday, my knee was bouncing in anticipation for the clock to strike nine, so I can indulge in the gripping show. Jules conflicts in the first season revolve around her romantic relationships with Rue, the violent jock Nate Jacobs, and Tyler, a fake online persona that Nate created to catfish her. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Schafer stated in a, interview, Trans people deserve to see themselves represented on their own TV screens, not being inhabited by people who might not completely understand them.. Euphoria has been renewed for a third season, with Schafer set to reprise her breakout role. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Played by newcomer Hunter Schafer in what will surely become a career-launching performance, everyone on the show the daddy, the walking embodiment of toxic masculinity, the tomboy protagonist, her confident femme rival wants Jules. In season one, we get a relationship between two female main characters, Rue and Jules. This thread is about good trans representation. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. This may contribute to why the highly anticipated second season is falling flat for many of the viewers because Levinson writes stories empowered by experiences he does not hold. Euphoria's representation of its queer characters is becoming increasingly murky in season 2. In this scant screen time, we see Kat struggle with her self-image and self-hatred a painfully predictable and disappointing storyline for one of the few fat women on television. Levinson is a heterosexual white man in his 40s and it shows. Borderlands 3. The trans character in The Crying Game is problematic in the extreme, and is played by a cis man, to boot. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. And the thing is, like the self-harming isnt about Jules being trans, except that of course it is. Like its name implies, Euphoria is a look into various obsessions, their highs and their sources of abuse or self-destructive behavior that lead to personal pain. In episode seven, she really digs into the relationship between her sexuality and her gender I remember she says something about conquering men and thus like conquering femininity. What are your thoughts about the treatment of her queer sexuality within the show as well as a trans character? I dont trans-wash things. Editorial: NYU lifted its mask mandate, but now isnt the time to be idle. Euphoria. That makes "Euphoria" the first onscreen depiction of a trans-amorous male gaze. This approach is useful and necessary, but it's missing something. Hunter Schafer plays Jules and is trans in real life. Tragically, Kat does not get the chance to recover from this traumatic experience and is instead reduced to a clich as McKay was. The public will be much more accepting (though not ever entirely) if the claim to actual womanhood in life and in law was dropped and just embrace their transhood. New viewers wondered early on Is Jules trans in Euphoria? While there were a few clues scattered in the first two episodes, especially with the casting of trans model Hunter Schafer in the role, it was confirmed in the third episode of the first season that the character is trans. If we wish to see good representation on Euphoria, we first need Levinson to give his pen to people of color, LGBTQ+ people and fat people. All Rights Reserved. Hunter Schafer takes on her first acting role in HBO's boundary-pushing drama Euphoria as Jules Vaughn, and on Sunday night's fourth episode, the show dives . What we see on TV right now is very much where our mainstream culture is. Tragically, Kat does not get the chance to recover from this traumatic experience and is instead reduced to a. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Lets hope Euphoria moves forward to highlight how the new generations anticipate and welcome trans individuals into society. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. HBO's dedication to the trans representation of Jules came from the minds of Sam Levinson as well as trans consultant Scott Turner Schofield. hbo. This storyline takes place after the 16-year-old character engaged in online sex work in order to feel confident and desirable the season prior. Over a quarter of all transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents (almost 27 percent) reported being denied care. Though the show is not exceptionally diverse, its characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters and characters from other marginalized communities. When do we find out Jules is trans? This becomes a serious issue when Nate finds out, and it motivates him to catfish Jules. representation has an elemental power. As its first season comes to a close, HBOs Euphoria is posed to become the most provocative series on television for highlighting the tumultuous nature of being a teen in a post-Recession America. This was a deliberate choice one approved of by Hunter Schafer, the actress who plays Jules. Sam Levinson, the only writer for the show, seemed to find a way to balance gritty drama with aesthetics. And that Sam got that so right without words, just got it completely spot on that was the greatest high, better than any drug Ive ever used. McKay is absent for the vast majority of the second season, a disappearance which remains unexplained. Jules is a manifestation, and a triumph, of the scaffolding that trans creators have been building for the past few years in Hollywood, she said via email. Yes. Emily St. James is a senior correspondent for Vox, covering American identities. (In addition to drug addiction, the complexity of sexual relationships in 2019, explored at all angles with a kind of frenetic nihilism, is one of the shows major themes.). The series follows Rue, Jules, and a handful of other teens as they struggle with addiction, sexuality, abuse, and identity. Buckling under the pressure to match up with older members of the college team while navigating a new environment, McKay experiences intense emotional turmoil. The results show that this series presents trans characters in a different way than the traditional one, with a more complex approach far from the fetishist view. Jules Vaughn is a main character in the HBO series Euphoria. But the difference with Hunter is that she was already an activist. Im trans, she says. And I get it its dramatic and interesting and theres a lot of great TV drama there, but come on, catch up. There was a push to sort of really name the labels, whether it was Jules labels or to label Jules and Rues relationship in a way that isnt really how we do things anymore. While this may not be a surprise to Rue, it was a huge reveal for viewers because her gender identity is definitively stated in the dialogue. Everybody wants to feel seen and everybody wants to know themselves, and thats what the show is really about. His role as the only Black male lead is replaced by Elliot (Dominic Fike) in season two a drug addict, another racist stereotype. Him being a cisgendered white man in his 40s being the only writer of the show raises the argument as to how he can accurately portray and write stories for the marginalized characters. What I love about [Euphoria] is that it just broke through all of that. Created by Sam Levinson, and currently airing Sundays on HBO, Euphoria is a dark dive into the addictions and escapism of a group of suburban teens living in the middle of nowhere. DeAsia Paige. I said to them, Look, I have a long career of doing this work. This is fuelled by a glaring absence of diversity in writers and creative directors. A . Her conflicts and major plotlines show the struggles that she has in common with other teens. Zendaya and Dominic Fike in Euphoria. In this scant screen time, we see Kat struggle with her self-image and self-hatred a painfully predictable and disappointing storyline for one of the few fat women on television. Newly sober at 16 after an overdose that nearly tore her family apart, Rue has found the one thing that can rival drugs for her affection: Jules. But they only got to hear it one more time: The series finale aired Sunday (10 p.m. EDT/PDT) after three groundbreaking seasons. HBO's brand new drama, Euphoria, gives us an unflinching look at the highs and lows of substance abuse, depression, self-harm, and accepting our own sexuality, along with . Jules (left) and Rue meet and become fast friends. Trans representation in Euphoria . Shes in a mental institution for self harm. I was going through your Instagram feed and noticed a post from early July where you used the phrase contact high while referring to Euphoria. Jules Vaughn is a main character in the HBO series. It is this freedom to display self in a myriad of ways that is so revolutionary. Euphoria star Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules, expressed her desire to create a "Marvel-level" film about two trans girls falling in love. Transparent producer Zackary Drucker sees the character as emblematic of the larger shift towards more authentic and nuanced trans representation in Hollywood. LGBTQ+ representation in Euphoria. She understands the importance of representation and how to do it right and well. They look at it and decide how they want to deal with us. program slammed Euphoria to TMZ, with a representative saying, " Euphoria chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addictionand other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today's world.". Especially, as he was completely absent in the new season. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Being listened to as a trans person is a powerful thing in and of itself. New viewers wondered early on Is Jules trans in. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. For instance, theres an intimate scene between [Quintessas character, Anna] and [Schafers character, Jules] in episode 7 that was a collaboration with the intimacy coordinator. 06.18.19. It is reasonable to want positive representation in hit shows. Abstract. I dont come and just put my brand on top of something and say its OK. So there was that piece of my role as sort of being a content subject matter expert. They clap at the end of every take. Before she joined Vox in 2014, she was the first TV editor of . I had to work really carefully with their costumes and the head of wardrobe; we wanted to make sure that Quintessa felt really seen as non-binary person. . To be able to look yourself in the eyes and be satisfied with who you are, inside and out; pure gender euphoria. Social media and sex and where the two intersect are another . Since its debut on HBO in June, "Euphoria" has provoked conversations around teen sexuality, trans representation, full-frontal male nudity, and One Direction slash fiction, to name just a few . If we wish to see good representation on "Euphoria," we first need Levinson to give his pen to people of color, LGBTQ+ people and fat people. Gonna talk about tv and stuff. Sam did something that I think is really important for artists to think about in telling the very truthful details of his own personal story. Were so much more complex than just one identity.. HBO's hit show Euphoria is the latest drama aimed at highlighting the Gen-Z experience. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". At this point, Ill take what I can get. Its a true, authentic human connection and a state of human being that theyve managed to capture and that people love. Polygon: You wore a few hats during the production of Euphoria. Hunter Schafer, who plays trans teen Jules Vaughn on the hit HBO series Euphoria, is setting the record straight about her sexual identity. Close. I truly believe that the thing that makes cis people love and admire trans people so much is the fact that we understand something really deep about ourselves, and thats actually really special. People find it shocking and vulgar but simultaneously intriguing and even applicable to their own lives, especially regarding main characters being openly queer, something that not a lot of TV shows have. Emanating a manic pixie trans girl energy unlike anything seen onscreen before, Jules floats magically through every frame in which she appears. Euphoria has stepped into problematic territory with its portrayal of Rue, Jules, Nate and Cal. Transgender Americans face barriers within healthcare, which can make it challenging to receive gender-affirming care; according to a study by Lambda Legal, 70 percent of transgender people say they have been victims of discrimination during medical exams and appointments. Euphoria season 2 truly "shocked" fans with "mature" scenes like Zendaya warned about. Jules is absolutely one of my favorite characters on television right now, Clementine Narcisse, a 15-year-old trans girl says, before the show started I was worried because a lot of transgender characters in the media are represented horribly, but I was blown away by her portrayal.. McKay is absent for the vast majority of the second season, a disappearance which remains unexplained. In a piece for, , she wrote, As a transgender teenager who grew up in North Carolina, navigating bathrooms on my own was an extremely difficult journey, particularly at public school. As Schafer pointed out to Variety, There need to be more roles where trans people arent just dealing with being trans; theyre being trans while dealing with other issues. Polygon spoke with Schofield about his consulting work on the series and the contact high of working on Euphoria. Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault. Register *It's free and easy. (Photo by Eddy Chen/HBO, courtesy of Warner Media), Srishti Bungle , Deputy Opinion EditorFeb 1, 2022. In her first major scene in the shows pilot, Jules arrives at a roadside motel nervous, but excited to meet a hot daddy for a Grindr hook-up that soon becomes chillingly impersonal. The male queer representation does not fare much better. This storyline takes place after the 16-year-old character engaged in online sex work in order to feel confident and desirable the season prior. It centers around the gay and trans community, ball culture, the AIDS crisis, the strong juxtapositions between the uptown Trump-era and the downtown social scene. In the pivotal scene, Rue came into conflict with Jules because the latter planned to meet with Shyguy118, an anonymous guy she met and fell in love with on a dating app. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Rue finds out that Jules is trans in the third episode of Euphoria. Mirror, mirror on the wall. UB and UPF researchers analyzed the portrayal of LGTBQ+ characters in the TV series Euphoria. The Yakuza series has multiple trans characters, mainly women. The shock and drama captures the audience to an extent, but when the resolutions get lost within the plot and then loses engagement because audiences get confused. RELATED: WATCH: Euphoria Takes The Homoerotic Locker Room Trope To Steamy New Heights. "Jules is absolutely one of my . Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The results show three axes of representation that move away from the traditional portrayal of trans characters: (a) a narrative that moves beyond the "trans fact" and presents complex and plural stories, (b) a representation of the trans individual as an element of value and love, away from fetishism, and (c) a link between the trans realm and . We have life beyond this, and thats what were seeing with Jules. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It is filled with breathtaking cinematography, amazing costume design (excuse me while I try and inevitably fail to do some of those incredible makeup looks), and one of the most pitch perfect soundtracks I have ever heard, courtesy of Labyrinth. 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