Its every cisgender person dealing with the Trans Person Being Trans, and the trans persons only narrative is transition, which would only ever be showing television shows about teenagers. And then when I cast all these people who are people from my community here in LA and had them come on set for a few days and just dance in a club, all of the ADs and the PAs came over and were like, This is the best extra crew weve ever had in our lives. Her narrative is complicated. Cis women have been objectified for many, many years. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Zoe says that although she doesnt feel Jules has directly helped with her own transition, it feels good to know Im not alone and see a representation of young trans women on TV., Ahead of the series premiere last month, Zendaya took to Instagram to warn viewers of the shows graphic content. Whatever lengths Levinson went to in order to mitigate his perspective (and he consulted transgender sensitivity trainer and actor Scott Turner Schofield extensively) as creator, producer, writer, and director of the series, theres no denying that Euphoria employs his gaze and it has been met with acclaim. Most of all, they want their stories, especially the sensitive ones, to be told with respect. It doesnt have anything to do with sexuality. I wouldnt be doing this if I didnt think that this was an amazing show doing something really different for trans representation. I really put myself on the line like that, and to feel totally trusting that was a high. The most prominent issue that Euphoria exaggerates and gets wrong about Gen-Z teenagers is sex. It has a very negative perception of the LGBT community. 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 . 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. "I'm a proud trans man, Dr. Bailey," he said. CN: I have some small clips of some transphobic content in the first half.Patreon: http://patreon.com/verityritchiehttps:. Oct 22, 2020 . Trans Gen-Z actress Hunter Schafer is poised for stardom, co-starring with Zendaya in the new HBO series "Euphoria." . They were super open and willing. 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. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. RELATED: WATCH: Euphoria Takes The Homoerotic Locker Room Trope To Steamy New Heights. Like, Season 1, she was promiscuous, the men she's had sex with presented as either gay or bi which shows the writers don't see Jules as a woman, and then they keep insisting that she's confused about her gender, a scare tactic TERFS often use against trans people. 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. Were so much more complex than just one identity.. In addition to this, the shows characters of color and LGBTQ+ characters suffer from inadequate writing from the shows creator and sole writer Sam Levinson. Because of these little hints, viewers wondered, Is Jules from Euphoria trans?. 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This approach is useful and necessary, but it's missing something. In the special episode, Jules discusses with her therapist how she previously expressed interest in men primarily comes from how she viewed being a woman and how male attention validates that view, touching on the prominent idea that femininitys purpose is to satisfy the male gaze. This was a deliberate choice one approved of by Hunter Schafer, the actress who plays Jules. Shes introduced as Jules, not as the trans girl, but just a new girl who happens to be transgender. Marginalized people want stories that represent the length and breadth of their experiences, good and bad. Emanating a manic pixie trans girl energy unlike anything seen onscreen before, Jules floats magically through every frame in which she appears. Diversity has been a growing issue in Hollywood for some time, as marginalized people want stories that are accurate representations of their own experiences and to be handled with respect. The May Test is intended to be stringent in the hopes that it inspires and produces more original, authentic, and positive representations of transgender people. Having queer individuals involved in the story and writing process of shows, not just Euphoria, allows for marginalized groups to have a way to tell their own stories, instead of people who have not gone through their experiences telling it for them. Everybody wants to feel seen and everybody wants to know themselves, and thats what the show is really about. Euphoria. Levinson is a heterosexual white man in his 40s and it shows. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. representation has an elemental power. When do we find out Jules is trans? What I love about [Euphoria] is that it just broke through all of that. Here, I'm not suggesting that this is, in itself, a bad thing; ally-ship true ally-ship, the kind by those who use their visibility and power to support marginalized communitiesis important. Jules Vaughn is a main character in the HBO series Euphoria. Read on to get the full details on this fan-favorites backstory and find out when her gender identity is revealed. 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. Editorial: NYU lifted its mask mandate, but now isnt the time to be idle. Between the first and second seasons, there are seldom episodes that feature the writing of others. Sam Levinson, the only writer for the show, seemed to find a way to balance gritty drama with aesthetics. LGBTQ+ representation in Euphoria. Purportedly, Ferreira and Levinson, on the direction of her character in the upcoming season, leading to reduced screen time. Its raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today. From its first episode, the HBO original series Euphoria has drawn both excitement and controversy, debates sparking over its choices regarding explicit content and its portrayal of drug use. All Rights Reserved. Queerty is a trademark of Q.Digital, Inc., registered in the state of California. Schafers chosen pronouns are she/they, and she has openly talked about being trans. Feels So Real, Even When It Isn't Realistic. Most characters on the show are all about participating in the most raunchy sexual relations, but according to a 2019 article in The New York Times, the percentage of real-life teens having sex is lower than ever before. Jules transition journey isnt seen in the series, but her personal development and relationships are a fascinating part of the show. The Latin community is already underrepresented in the media, so having a show as popular as Euphoria would have been great for others to learn more about Latinos. Rue finds out that Jules is trans in the third episode of Euphoria. But I understand that thats what a lot of teens are dealing with these days. Oct 21, 2020. 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. Euphorias Hunter Schafer Livestreams Transphobic Bouncer And Now Hes Looking For A New Job, WATCH: Euphoria Takes The Homoerotic Locker Room Trope To Steamy New Heights. Euphoria not only features other trans actors like Quintessa Swindell (Trinkets), but also explores gender and sexuality in a way that feels authentic to its audience. Something went wrong. They really listened and they really represented as opposed to appropriating it for the sake of being trendy and looking cool, and you can always tell when shows do that because [the representation] is never quite right. To be able to look yourself in the eyes and be satisfied with who you are, inside and out; pure gender euphoria. Polygon spoke to Scott Turner Schofield, the trans consultant on the . 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She made her acting debut as transgender high school student Jules Vaughn in the HBO teen drama television series Euphoria (2019-present), which earned her critical praise and nominations for a Shorty . I dont think the show acknowledges Jules is very privileged for a trans woman, she says. Theres no take on us its on our own terms. 10. Just a reminder before tonights premiere, that Euphoria is for mature audiences, wrote Zendaya. Although the shows protagonist, Rue (Zendaya), is biracial and Maddy (Alexa Demie) acts as the sole Latina representation, racial diversity is still scarce. 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. 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