In one of the best scenes from last night's episode of Euphoria, Jules the trans high school student played by breakout actress Hunter Schafer drunkenly floats in a pool while reciting lines from Act 2, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to her recovering drug addict girlfriend, Rue. 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. 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. She also was able to transition at 13 and have a safe place to live, and this is not the reality for many trans teens, including myself.. In terms of representing the LGBTQ+ community, Euphoria receives full marks as it is a pinnacle of positive representation. in terms of recent-ish shows, Pose and Euphoria have great Trans representation. The second-best part of "Euphoria" is Schafer as Julesa young trans woman playing a young trans woman. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. (Photo by Eddy Chen/HBO, courtesy of Warner Media), Srishti Bungle , Deputy Opinion EditorFeb 1, 2022. All Rights Reserved. Close. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. 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. Ive never met anyone in my entire life like Jules, says Rue, the tomboy drug addict played by Zendaya on Euphoria, HBOs provocative teen-drama-for-adults and the networks newest hit of the summer. Euphoria, first released in 2019 on HBO, stars Zendaya and Hunter Schafer as Rue Bennett and Jules Vaughn, respectively. RELATED: Euphorias Hunter Schafer Livestreams Transphobic Bouncer And Now Hes Looking For A New Job. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Were so much more complex than just one identity.. I feel the way it depicts Jules is exploitative and dehumanizing. trans, and is it ever clearly stated in the series? In early high school (during a more primary stage in my transition), I felt safer using the womens restroom and locker room., Schafer is critical of trans representation in Hollywood and would like to see trans roles played by trans actors because she feels they can bring their experiences forward to their performances. 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. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. RELATED: 10 Best Quotes From Euphoria Season 2. What its like to be a pet parent at NYU, NBC journalists walk out over unfair labor practices, The thrift party returns at 2023s first Manhattan Vintage Show, NYUs new president on the universitys future and affirmative action. Euphoria is still considered one of the most diverse series on television at the moment, even though there's still a disparity in the people of color casted which just goes to show that there is still work needed to be done in the entertainment industry so that it can be representative of the world that we experience. Editorial: The New York Times article on Maitland Jones was incomplete. There are also little to no characters of Asian descentapart from Elliot (Dominic Fike) who is half Filipino which isnt accurate given the show is set in California with a prominent Asian community. My job was to take what I know about being an actor and what I know as an advocate and as a media expert, and make sure that both the actors got what they really needed and were seen the way that they really wanted to be seen and heard and that the audience got the benefit of the representation. Jules transition journey isnt seen in the series, but her personal development and relationships are a fascinating part of the show. Euphoria and Pose offer two very different trans . McKay is absent for the vast majority of the second season, a disappearance which remains unexplained. Yes. We wanted to make sure that everybody knew the writers and were showing and doing what they would and would not want to do. While Euphoria 's first season established Cal as an outwardly successful man with a secret life, the second season spent two episodes delving into Cal's backstory and then the breakdown he experiences, which included a spectacular telling off of his family, when he can no longer conceal his identity as a gay man any longer. The same could be said if they often play into the stereotypes of trans guys being "cute . 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. With words, that was not said in any way. . It does not store any personal data. While there is a demand for a more racially diverse cast, it means that there needs to be a racially diverse writers room. Shes white, skinny, conventionally attractive, and passes well. newsletter, most compelling television series of 2019, not only gets, but respects, todays teens, advocate turned model turned teen drama star. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Courtesy of HBO. It seems as though Levinson writes for shock and drama without ever caring to resolve the many traumas he pushes his marginalized characters through. It has a very negative perception of the LGBT community. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Despite the show featuring a significant amount of problematic relationships, I also make the argument Lysettes character in Transparent, Shea, is the closest parallel to a sexually desirable trans character like Jules. Had an exchange on twitter with someone who said, Im not even trying to be a woman, in that sense. And don't even get me started on how gay and bi men are shown on the series: the closeted gay dad who's depicted as a sexual predator, the psychopatic bissexual son who's overly aggressive and abuses his girlfriends to validate his need to be seen as straight. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "I do like people to know that I'm not a . Cis women have been objectified for many, many years. Sam took me to the edit booth and showed me the opening to episode 4 where Jules is a child, and its really hard. 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. Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. A . Polygon: You wore a few hats during the production of Euphoria. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. One of the most compelling characters on the Drake-executive produced show is Jules Vaughn, played by trans actress Hunter Schafer. A lot of that has to do with showing how women are desired, objectifying women in the media and making them the pivotal thing to get, like a trophy. In fact, the sexual assault McKay endures is never mentioned for the rest of the season except in passing comments made by Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), his white girlfriend, to her friends. Then, I came on set and I worked with everybody in the crew. 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. Oct 22, 2020 . Trans women, especially trans women of color, face unprecedented levels of violence, often from sexual partners. Hide Gif. Please enter a valid email and try again. January 9, 2022 8:00am. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. There are even several blink-and-youll-miss-it moments in episodes where we see her inject hormones or swipe on gay dating apps. Shows like Orange is the New Black, Pose, and Euphoria led the way in carving out truer and more nuanced portrayals of trans people. Almost every episode was followed by a lengthy discussion across social media platforms. Men are so quick to profess their love for cis women. Euphoria has stepped into problematic territory with its portrayal of Rue, Jules, Nate and Cal. Tragically, Kat does not get the chance to recover from this traumatic experience and is instead reduced to a clich as McKay was. When we see Jules in the series, she is a trans woman already comfortable in her gender identity. 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. Trans representation in Euphoria. Rue finds out that Jules is trans in the third episode of Euphoria. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Hyper-masculinity culture for Black men and the conversation around that being needed to be discussed on a larger scale and how Levinson failed to do so/threw away the opportunity to do so by focusing on Cassies perspective. We would have to explain things to the people much higher up who have a say in how the story gets told. Doncha love how theyre just abandoning the TWAW thing? But the difference with Hunter is that she was already an activist. The record-breaking second season premiere of Euphoria comes in the wake of a provocative first season.Controversy is great for views, but these massive numbers make it evident; there is more than . Shes in a mental institution for self harm. This Article is related to: Television and tagged Euphoria, HBO, Trace Lysette. Jules is depicted as mentally unstable, her depiction rooted in negative cliches of what trans people are. Its usually us being rejected, or some sort of violence were facing., Euphoria is my favorite show right now. 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