This portrayal of sexual empowerment is problematic as it gives the message that women aren’t as worthy or empowered if they are not constantly displaying sexual confidence.Ī big problem in Season 1 is that it constantly depicts teen girls in sexual relationships with adult men in a way that portrays the teen girl as responsible for her sexual actions. Kat starts to feel confident and comfortable in her body once she starts feeling sexually desirable and expressing sexuality, which equates her self-worth and empowerment only with her sexual worth. Kat becomes an independent, empowered woman as a result of being sexually exploited. Instead of criticising the violation of her privacy or the rape culture that causes non-consensual filming, the show presents her being violated as something that eventually has a positive impact on her self-love, confidence, and sexuality. Hence, as Kat is underage, these acts are statutory rape or child pornography. Kat is portrayed to reclaim control over being sexually violated through more sexual acts, most of which are actually sexual abuse. Instead, Kat discovers she enjoys being desired by others and decides to sign up for camming.Īlmost all her sexual interactions, including online and in real life, are with men who are older than 18, and those that are online are all middle or old-aged men. However, the show does not explore her feelings about her sexual privacy being violated or how this is a crime. At the beginning of the season, Kat is filmed secretly while she is having sex for the first time and the video is posted online without her consent. The way Euphoria has depicted acts of sexual abuse of teen girls often frames these acts as sexual empowerment of teen girls.įor instance, in Season 1, Kat’s storyline revolves around her gaining confidence by becoming sexually active. Moreover, the sexualisation of teen characters helps normalise the sexualisation of teens in general. Although most actors portraying teens are often adults in real life, there is a big problem with the sexual objectification of many female child stars. The depiction of teen sexuality is tricky because it risks leading to the sexualisation of teens. However, Euphoria sometimes forgets its main characters are teenagers and portrays them as equals to adults in sexual situations and their acts of sexuality as those of an adult.Īctor Zendaya who plays the main character Rue has stated multiple times that Euphoria is not intended for teen audiences but for adult audiences, although this probably only encourages more teens to watch the show and possibly get influenced by the messages of the show. For example, Episode 7 of Season 1 portrays the manic and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder in a realistic way and Episode 5 of Season 2 depicts the real consequences of drug addiction without glamorising it.Ĭoming-of-age teen stories often include teenagers exploring their sexuality and encountering sexual situations for the first time where they need to figure out what to do. The largely-female led show has had significant depictions of mental health and drug addiction. The American drama show is about a group of teenagers, dealing with a wide range of issues, such as drug addiction, and exploring their sexualities.Įuphoria has a diverse cast of characters in terms of race, gender identity, and sexuality, which includes a trans woman, Jules, as one of the main characters, and a female queer relationship between Jules and the main character, Rue, who is a Black woman. Euphoria is one of the most popular television shows at the moment, with its second season having recently wrapped up airing its episodes.
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