I can live without ‘Euphoria’
Connor Goudie
The slam dunk success of HBO’s hit series, “Euphoria”, has recently been making headlines with the release of its second season. Specifically with younger demographics the show has been a major talking point in social settings and on apps like TikTok and Instagram.
The studio who helped produce “Euphoria”, A24, is no stranger to being put in the spotlight for its controversial and boundary pushing projects including skater movie “Mid90’s” and thriller “Midsommar”. While I am personally very fond of many of their movies like Mid90’s, Hereditary, and my favorite, The “Lighthouse”, the teen party, drug, sex filled series “Euphoria” misses the mark on many issues and aspects of a good story.
The part of the series which I least enjoy is its reliance on wildly insane and bizarre shock factor moments. While these scenes are entertaining and have made my jaw drop on multiple occasions, they are a sign of a script that has little substance without these insanely unrealistic events.
Since “Euphoria” is supposed to be set in a “realistic” high school setting, the show brings itself into deeper controversy as it provides a narrative of teenage life that is shockingly exaggerated and, in many cases, simply not true at all. Even the cast who admittedly performed very well, do not have any members who fall into the age groups of high schoolers. One of the main characters, Maddy, is played by an actress who is 31 years old yet her character is supposed to be only 18.
However, “Euphoria” relies on these insane reaches and exaggerations as its many selling points and appeal. The show is aimed at the demographic it depicts and many high schoolers have built a strong following behind the show that have been dragged in through hearing about how insane the events that take place are.
In regards to the characters, while they do represent a number of different people and minority groups, very few if any are the kinds of characters that audiences can look up to. Many deal with issues ranging from mental health to drug usage and even sexual exploitation. However, these characters rarely work to improve their situations or are empowered to seek change. Instead, they add fuel to the fire and create the same kind of destructive and crazy moments the show relevancy is built on.
Many of the issues addressed in the show are very important and should be looked at seriously. Drug usage undeniably happens in high school, and while it is depicted in the absolute extreme in “Euphoria” it is good to show audiences the harmful and destructive behaviors associated with it.
Even though the show is stated to be for more mature and older audiences, it has quickly become one of the most popular shows for high schoolers and middle schoolers. The lack of maturity among the audience has led to a romanticization of the events that take place and mimicry of behaviors found in the show.
Even though there were a few individual scenes that showed meaningful themes in powerful and moving ways, the sheer amount of absurdity depicted throughout the majority of the show undermined these moments. At most “Euphoria” is a show that is enjoyable to watch but beyond that the amount of meaningful substance is very lacking.
‘Euphoria’ is the reason I breathe
Achintya Perumal
Flooding Twitter feeds and Tiktok pages, the HBO Max show “Euphoria” takes high schoolers by storm. Probably the only stable thing in my life that can hold my attention span for more than 15 seconds, “Euphoria” is more than just a Sunday night—it’s a reason to breathe.
While the show might be hated by many traditional-minded individuals, the truth is that the themes of drugs and abuse are widespread throughout the world of high school. “Euphoria” highlights the corrosiveness of withdraw through Zendaya’s character Rue and examines the destructiveness of trauma through Jacob Elordi’s character Nate.
Even though I, personally, am not a drug user, it would be naive to deny that many students in our school are, and “Euphoria” displays the harm that it can cause to people and the people’s loved ones. The people who claim the show romanticizes drug use have never watched the show and, thus, have no say in the conversation.
The show extends from drugs into the teenage epidemic of depression and mental health. “Euphoria” intertwines its plot into the overarching ideas of sadness and loss as the characters go through traumatic experiences and face harsh aftermaths from their grievances. In a society that sugar coats the lives of teenagers, “Euphoria” shows a sense of acceptance and empathy to the reality of the world that we as young adults must go through.
Unlike the cringe-worthy high-school based shows like Riverdale that are based off unrealistic cliches, “Euphoria” creates characters without mentioning the “epic highs and lows of high school football.” Even though the show is made by a middle-aged man, it’s surprising how realistic the actions of the characters are to present-day teenagers.
With a plethora of new and up-and-coming actors on the show, the talent is clear throughout the impactful long dialogues and the emotional fighting scenes. The fan favorite Fezco was found by a casting agent while working in a chicken and waffle shop and has shown to be a skillful part of the show.
Additionally, the actors are diverse and have representation that no other show has. Casting with a black, trans and plus-sized woman as lead roles allows for someone that people can look up to as successful minority actresses.
What I love most about this is that the show restrains from making it a huge point in the show. Contrary to many shows that have a diverse cast purely for the publicity, “Euphoria” doesn’t constantly mention the characters’ identities, allowing for diversity to be a normalcy.
More than just the acting, the stunning costume design and makeup have produced trends throughout social media and impacted fashion through captivating, camp looks. While I’m not any type of a fashion connoisseur, “Euphoria” has given me a reason to expand my closet from black and white to black, white and blue.
The art of the show from the use of colors to the symbolism and foreshadowing of small details makes for an easy English class essay. Garnering three Emmys in the first season alone, the show has made its mark as a cinematic masterpiece, and its genius is undeniable.
The soundtrack itself takes my soul away; produced and written by popular artists like Labrinth, Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish, I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times I ugly cried, alone in the car, to “I’m Tired” from the season two soundtrack. The music has a distinct, magical sound with songs like “Still Don’t Know My Name” blowing up on Tiktok.
It’s clear that a large group of people find the show to be average and a waste of time, but to say that is pretentious. Anyone who doesn’t enjoy the show just wants to be unique and feel special, but they can’t even say anything because they probably call The Office peak TV. People need to stop acting like they don’t like the show and give into everything that Zendaya has to offer in “Euphoria.”
