Welcome to my feature length Euphoria video/movie/catastrophe. Go to www.casetify.com/shanspeare today to save 15% off your order! - Edit: just wanted to echo a few comments about Nate here: he doesn’t ever explicitly mention his sexuality nor does he define it. The show instead tries to do it for him through other characters (who can be unreliable) but the labeling has been so adamant in the show that a lot of viewers assume it’s the truth. I was primarily referencing how he’s *implied* to be queer in the show, and the impact that has on queer representation etc, rather than him in full actuality being queer (since we don’t know). I apologize for that! Thank youuuu 🤍 - I hope you guys enjoy the video 🤍🤍🤍 Okay so 3 things: 1. I…forgot to put in a title card at the end of the video, which marks the section for empathy. It was a good title card too, y’all. I guess you’ll never know what it looks like (jk, check my sources link!). 2. There’s also lipstick on my teeth in the beginning. 3. Subtitles will be up as soon as possible! The video’s quite lengthy, and The Tube is trying its hardest to sync my script to the audio so I can edit for accuracy 😅. I’ll try to remind everyone in my community tab once those are posted! Love you!!! See you in June
For real. I thought Jules' feature episode was really good, but it was also mostly written by Hunter. I feel like Sam can only write Maddy and Rue well. He needs someone else to help him write the rest of the characters and someone else to keep him in check
@@juli8288 Well even though we would like to see characters grow. It's also realistic for people to revert back to their old ways. Cassie didn't grow at all in fact she got worse.
I feel like teenagers having sex is overrepresented in american media. Yes, there are teenagers that have sex and that can and should be discussed in media. But the majority of the people in my agegroup that i know do not have sex. You almost never see teens that do not have sex. Wich is really harmful because it adds to the pressures to have sex.
on top of the pressure to have sex, it also imo puts pressure for us to be perfect and "good" at sex when in reality it's awkward and nothing like portrayals in media. and teenagers do not look like the perfect hairless smooth skinned actors who wear makeup in every scene. which makes us feel insecure about our appearances as we are comparing ourselves to these non-teenagers on tv and on top of that.. why are the sex scenes so graphic!! they're supposed to be teenagers it's so weird lol
On a bit of a devils advocate stance here could that have anything to do with the fact that a lot of international viewers have consent ages of 14 or 16 so they don’t have the same “you’re not 18” hold up that the USA does. So to you it’s overdone and romanticised. To everyone else it’s like not worth batting an eyelid over. Personally I’m from a place where the age is 16. And after thinking for a bit too long I think I remember maybe 5 people at a push who I know for a fact weren’t sexually active to some degree by the time they turned 18.
and they make it so glamourous as well, with pretty lighting and build up where everyone knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing on a whim. I wouldnt be so shocked at the amount of sex in this show if they even tried to make it realistic, but the closest thing I feel like we got was when mckay(?) chocked cassie without asking, just because he thought that was what he was supposed to be doing
Honestly, I don't care about when media makes things look glamorous. Lol I'd rather watch that than ppl who look like they haven't showered in days. I think portrayal can matter but It's not about total realism. It is still supposed to be enjoyable too.
@@hollyro4665 but the show takes place in America. Even if international viewers are used to that in their own countries, that’s not how most of America is and that contributes to a lot of misconceptions about American teens. Heck, I’m in college and at least a third of the people I know are virgins, and the majority of those who aren’t are in relationships and don’t sleep around
how is no one congratulating your mom on coming out about her story? SO IMPACTFUL. she speaks with so much class and poise. I hope she knows how much she’s done by sharing ❤️
I am grateful for her sharing her experience in part because the account resonates with my experiences with an ex. It is difficult to live through and we never stop loving them. This kind of experience is so isolating and it is important to speak and share so that others know that they are not alone and that there is a lot of love and support for them.
Fr. Especially woc who already have so much trauma to unload as is. So proud of your mom, please tell her she's so gd brave. It's so fucking hard to leave a man who is so scary when you thought you knew him, especially when they threaten your future...
Yes, I agree. Euphoria would be a greater show if the characters where older and in college. In fact a lot of the temes portraied can be related more to the young adulthood than to the teen years. At least in my personal experience
Perhaps. My response to people who say that is when you observe the way these characters attend school, in terms of their attire, their lack of study, the lack of even proper bags to hold their books, and more; the high school in Euphoria just seems like a hangout spot-a setting rather than a plot point. Going to college requires drive and motivation that almost none of these characters seem to exude; they're all too busy doing drugs, attending parties, arguing, and sexing each other, that a college setting would seem even more unrealistic 😂. I'm not saying some college kids don't take these things too far whilst in college but that's literally all that the characters do in the show lmao. Sam L. has dedicated so much showtime to that that we don't even know what these characters want to do after high school is over as none of them even slightly mention it. Going to college would require Sam L. to give overall life goals for those on screen that would also have to be fleshed out, which takes time away from other things (not saying that's a bad thing 😒). To add, I'm postive that at least half of these characters would not realistically be in college, so the next realistic place would be high school where they are required by the state to attend 😬.
@@jewelernest4984 ...alright you got me. That's actually a good point. It does make me viscerally uncomfortable. But at least in this case it makes sense 😭
The first person who told me about Euphoria was a coworker who was about 27 and consistently dated 18-20 yo girls. I am very aware that this show definitely serves as a vehicle for older men to sexualize teen girls, and it's been what keeps me away. Your look might be enough to give it a second chance
I thought it was just me who was bothered by the fact that we never see any teachers. Like why did no one step in or break up the fight between Cassie and Maddy at the end? Made no sense. I can only suspend my disbelief so much
@@queerlibtardhippie9357 Sure but did that fight happen literally center stage during the middle of a high school play, in front of the entire school staff and pArents included?
@@queerlibtardhippie9357 yea that's quite irresponsible. Also shameful how Cassie's mother never protects her from actual, physical abuse. If I ever had a child and someone punched and slapped her for a mistake that so many teenagers make, I would've put the fear of God in that person ngl. You can talk your issues out but violence, especially in a situation like this, is not the answer. If this was real life, Nate, Rue, Maddy, Ash and possibly Fez (he's a minor?) would've been in juvie by now and for good reasons
I mean, I don't really think Mulan was weird, creepy, or abusive, but it also isn't a romance necessarily. Also, I could write an essay on how people's misconceptions of Beauty and the Beast lead it to being percieved as abusive when it isn't, but...yeah, not wasting that on the youtube comment section. I could also cite Hercules, as there's nothing inherently creepy, weird or abusive about Megara and Hercules's relationship. Or Anastasia, or Atlantis: The Lost Empire, or Pride and Prejudice.
idk if im just sensitive, but jules falling for a man hurt me personally, i am so SICK of straight men fetishizing wlw, of thinking its some sort of game to try to "steal" a woman from a woman. maybe jules is not confirmed to be a lesbian but it makes my skin crawl that a fonky man came between a wlw relationship yet again in the media. also, turning maddy into this hypersexual violent caricature of a latina really set my soul ablaze. you can tell the writer just wanted to frame cassie as this innocent, mousy gentle ww in comparison to maddy.
totally agree. Elliot was such an unnecessary part of s2. and people definitely seem to have so much more sympathy for Cassie than they do for Maddy, despite both characters going through heavily traumatic experiences with Nate and their own family lives. the racial caricature that Maddy is portrayed absolutely contributes to that perception imo
Swear a white woman can do the most horrible thing and cry and then people will sympathize and like her again. (Not saying she doesn't deserve sympathy or help but it's still a big pattern in media)
I feel like the Cassie and Maddy racism thing was sort of purposefully there if that makes sense, in public Cassie is seen as the quiet innocent one and Maddy is the loud violent one, but in private (especially shown when Lexi is narrating) it’s the opposite, Cassie is rude, violent, and loud, while Maddy is kind, gentle, and sweet. It’s really interesting.
@@izzie1277 that's what i was thinking too, i hope euphoria addresses issues like these in s3 because i'd love to see a good resolution to maddie and cassie :(
i have a personal conspiracy that BB was written in to the show so that the writers can say "yeah all of our female characters of color are stereotypes, but we made the 'ghetto' girl white so it balances out" and she was never supposed to be a real character
kudos to your mom for gathering the courage to re-live through the trauma and narrate it. Her voice cracks really showed just how much hell she must've been through. So glad you overcame that dreary situation. Your mom is truly an inspiration.
the interview with your mother was so valuable and important. how she started by thanking you for letting her to "your show" made me say "aww", but her retelling of what she has been through froze my blood. abxse is so common, and sadly normalized in even the most "advanced" 1st world society. sending lots of love to both of you, two smart, strong women 💕💕💕💕
I thought the exact same. I felt the fear through Shan's mother's voice. That interview really made me rethink this whole thing, almost made me see Maddie "in a different light," even though I had seen her as an abusive victim previously as well. Beautiful video, absolutely loved the personal experience added in as well. Sending love to y'all too 💕
exactly. Plus @busers usually tell victims "no one's gonna believe you" so the victims don't even try. I recently came across a video of the Depp VS Heard trial and they played a recording where she said "Tell the world that, I Johnny Depp, a man, I too am a victim of domestic v1olence and see who believes you Johnny, see who's side the world is on." and my heart absolutely broke for him and for how alone he must have felt in that moment. The funny thing is that Johnny would've never turned her in (he didn't even go to the hospital for his severed finger as Amber would've been questioned right away) but she falsely accused him and got her own self in trouble. Her lawyers also had the audacity to air a recording of him saying how much he wants to die because of how much pain he's in- now this doesn't do HER any favors but they just made a person live through the worst time of his life. If Johnny Depp, a privileged, talented, rich man can go through this and is not able to get help then I wonder how countless, more unfortunate people live through this. It's time that we, as a society, decide stricter punishments for abusers and work on the stigma surrounding victims and survivors. While it's unfortunate that Depp is having his personal matters being aired out, it's also a great insight on how parasitic abusive relationships can be.
the way Euphoria season 2 feels like a complete different show from season 1 is sad. season 1 was actually really good and written so well. season 2 was just mix of beautiful cinematography and vibes.
@@visa9313 rues running scene was just tension for tensions sake because it had no real consequence on the plot. the drug plot was almost the same because honestly season 1 gave us a better withdrawal and recovery plot than this season did and she wasn't even clean by the end. Season 2 was definitely mostly vibes and you can tell by how the few plots that were present led absolutely nowhere and many characters were just There but had no arcs unlike season 1 where everyone was up to something. Maddie was part of arguably the central plot of season 2 which is the whole cassie Nate thing and none of us can mention any motivations or arcs she was a part of besides just being there and being bitchy or being sad being angry etc. Just reacting Even cassie herself felt like a caricature of what she could have been with the story she was in. We never truly understood what she was thinking unlike in season 1 where we cut deep into the minds of characters and their choices. Jules and kat were minor characters this season and Lexi's play, iconic as it was, was more spectacle than plot point
season 2 had terrible writing. There is just so much talent on that show, so it's not as noticable as it should be. Great cinematographers, actors, makeup artists, stylists, music, etc.
Lexi pulled a low blow by including the carousel scene in the play. While it was a little shady of her to air out everyone's dirty laundry altogether, you can't blame Cassie being upset at her own sister for publicly humiliating her like that, although at least Lexi didn't include Cassie's abortion.
@@everything4dolls more like he just wanted it to be funny and did not care if it went against what kind of person he already established the character to be
I felt the exact same way. Lexi was clearly just jealous of her sister because her sister gets way more attention than her, but that's not Cassie's fault.
Thank you for bringing up how problematic the locker room scene in Lexi's play was. It was so disturbing to see people on social media praising her, just like Maddy did, and laughing along. In addition to that, this whole narrative of Lexi as a director, taking charge and doing something for herself was such a missed opportunity even beyond her exploitation of her peers' lives. Seeing her behind the scenes, threatening someone in the crew and being inconsiderate to an actor potentially breaking out because of the body oil really left a bad taste in my mouth. Really goes to show how Sam Levinson thinks a leader, and by extension a "strong female leader", is supposed to behave. Not to mention how he conceptualizes a potential female empowerment story arc simply by reproducing the same toxic, borderline abusive patterns that have been so heavily criticized in Hollywood over the past years. That, combined with the rumours that have been surrounding Levinson lately, raises some serious red flags. Congrats on this incredible video essay! It was so well done, I felt like I was watching a documentary. Really looking forward to your next one!
In Broey Deschanel's video about Euphoria, she mentions how Sam Levinson used the writer character's monologues in _Malcom & Marie_ as his personal soapbox, while sorta using his black identity as a way to obscure the expy and deflect from criticism. It seems like that was also the case with Lexi; we're supposed to find it fun how she publicises and ridicules everyone's traumas, insults her cast, and leans on tired, problematic tropes for the sake of spectacle. A win for girlbosses everywhere!
if sam would stop with the excessive nudity, just stick to writing rues storyline, and get some writers who’d actually do all the characters justice we’d be okay
as a lesbian, elliot also reminded me of those men that insist on flirting with lesbians. even if rue & jules weren't stated to be strictly lesbian, it's still a man forcing his way into a wlw relationship. i kinda wish they at least didn't portray elliot in a good light. it felt like they tried to make him seem like this cool guy who's super chill and doesn't do anything wrong, when he was the one to fuck up many things in season 2.
@@lochofmceo Because he insisted on getting with people he knew were already in relationships? Those people also being lesbians/wlw and uninterested? No duh people are gonna pursue people they want to be with, but there's a line when sexuality's involved. I mean, if a gay man were to ask out a straight man he knew was both straight and in a relationship, the straight guy would be 'in the right' to freak out or feel grossed out by him. But if it's a straight man to gay women/a gay woman, he's just being persistent, isn't he? You're probably not aware, but there is a trope of lesbians turning out to actually be bi or pan or instantly leave their partner for a man. It's not cool, for any sexuality to just be invalidated like that. And you may think it's okay because some people do realize they are bi or pan and not lesbian as they once thought, but 10 times out of 10 that realization of sexuality is only meant to fulfill a fantasy certain men have, of always getting more or what they can't have. But if none of this makes you reconsider any lesbophobia or misogyny you may have, thinking it's not wrong for a guy to always get what he wants and represent a certain audience that hopes for a fantasy like that, then I dunno what to tell you or why you even chose to respond to them. ((It's not a matter of being right or "politically correct", it's a matter of decency and how his actions weren't portrayed in a negative light. I'm not here to win a debate))
yeah, I've had this guy try to flirt with me and stuff, he has a super like big vibe, and I just feel uncomfortable, I know something isn't right, I'm a lesbian and I've told him many times cause I don't think he gets it.
I think Jules falling for Elliot wouldn't be so bad if she didn't say she wasn't into men anymore.... I think nobody would've had a problem with her being bi or pan, but Sam had to do a weird "the lesbian falls for a guy".... Yikes Edit: Yes, you can definitely argue that Jules is in fact bi and just disappointed in men, therefore saying she's not interested in them anymore. I just read her character different, sleeping with straight men to affirm her gender and gain validation, not out of an honest attraction to them. Her saying she's no longer interested in them to me sounded more like her not needing this external validation anymore. For everyone who knows Contrapoints, her video about her attraction to women and how her trans identity influenced her feelings is kinda what I thought Jules' storyline was supposed to be.
Falling for Elliot wouldnt be so bad if she wasnt a hypocrate and didnt decide to CHEAT on Rue AGAIN. I have seriously run out of excuses for her, people seem to gloss over her wrong doings because being in a relationship with a drug addict Is hard, but after they broke up she still went back to her after she ran out of cocks to ride. She doesnt deserve the hate but Im glad they pointed out the problems in their realtionship that come from her side.
To be fair, I don't really think she was serious when she said that... she was just tired of previous experiences. A lot of the first season was dedicated to her getting dicked down lol. I think it would've been bad if it was like Rue or something that they did this to
@@rheimy7819 Sexuality is fluid, sure, but like an aqueous mixture, not a cup of water. It _shifts_ with time, maturity and experience. It doesn't just slip and slide around with every little thing you do. No, this is bad. Lesbians exist. Gay men exist. Now sure, there are people who labelled themselves as one or the other, but later found that they're more open sexually. However, there is a reason why labels exist. Because they recognize that people have preferences-and for a lot of people, those preferences are ingrained. So uh, yeah, it's bad. Especially since this "sexuality is fluid" argument pops up only whenever lesbians aren't lesbian actually in media, but never happens with gay men.
Another thing re: domestic violence. Strangulation/choking is actually usually something abusers progress to and studies have shown that once a domestic abuser starts strangling their victims along with the other abuse, it’s an indication that they are prepared to k-word them (mentally in the subconscious way not necessarily making a real plan). This seems to be something not many people talk about, but activists in America are advocating for strangulation to be a felony I think as most states don’t classify it that far it leads to these guys getting out really soon and basically just finishing what they started. Making it a higher level crime wold give survivors more time to come to terms with their situation along with planning for and following through escape. I’d never thought of strangulation as a small thing (I mean it was/is a running joke on the Simpsons which I grew up with), but now whenever I see it come up fictional or otherwise it’s very chilling.
Season 2 would have been better without his ass, and an investigation could be interesting/tense but instead we have “incase of boring episode break glass” character as she (creator) states.
@@andrewstephens5885 and the boring, useless and generic plot of "high school girl (Cassie) has s3x with ex-boyfriend (Nate) of her best friend (Maddie)".
@@yuenmienyu it’s more about the fact that Cassie got with Maddie’s ABUSIVE ex. She’s Maddie’s best friend, she knew every detail of how he abused Maddie and chose to betray her for him. That’s the actual betrayal
A very minor but still important thing to note about Levinson's handling of Kat's storyline: Kat's childhood weight gain was IMPOSSIBLE. Not that it's impossible to gain weight as a child, but that I and many others have done the math and even though it seems pretty crazy to drink so many piña coladas on a trip, and it's certainly unhealthy, it would likely have resulted in either no weight gain or only about one/two pounds. This is not just a silly little plot hole, as it shows that Levinson did not do his research, which is concerning for a show that's supposedly a realistic view of teen life and a character who is supposedly good representation for plus-size girls.
i don't think it's written poorly. that's how a fat person would remember it. "one day i was pretty and normal and then i went on vacation and came back and everything was different--that's when i became a 'fat' kid". like no child remembers every pound they gained in an accurate sequence. it's not meant to be so literal
Actually that's exactly how I remember my excessive weight gain in childhood. One day I was fine and then I was fat. It wasnt like that in real life.. but that's how it felt.. when did i become so fat??
can we just appreciate the fact that Shanspeare made a full documentary for this… the effort and work this took… i can’t imagine. i’ve been watching ur videos for a really long time and am so proud for how far you’ve come ❤
Your mother is AN ABSOLUTELY STRONG person. She spoke about something that she knew is a painful memory and really translated it well. I appreciate her strength to speak and I love the content and bravery you make in these videos and the information in them. Bawse girl stuff!!1
as a teenager i guarantee that nudity doesn't bother me when it's important to the plot, and advances the story between to characters. but the amount of unnecessary nudity in euphoria that was CUT OUT too?????? it's insane
cool, youre a teen therefore you still dont understand yet how WEIRD it is that, the man who wrote this wrote it the way he did. This was a fantasy for a man, like much other media. Its BS that yall keep it as successful as it is . Giving that creep success for telling the world he's a creep.
[Sorry for the long comment] This is something I heard someone point out regarding Euphoria. McKay was sexually assaulted and he's since been dropped from the show basically, yet Cassie is shown in compromising sexual situations constantly. This happens with a lot of the female characters where their trauma and emotions are constantly shown in a lot of explicit detail but the male characters are treated differently. It reminds me of how the response to trauma is treated differently by people when the victim is a man or a woman - the man's feelings and trauma are laughed off, brushed under the rug, and never discussed again, whilst the woman's is made a spectacle out of, shown with a lot of detail, and portrayed in what's almost a very exploitative way. I think since the male and female characters aren't treated fairly in how their traumas are shown and depicted makes some scenes feel exploitative, like did the director just want to show a woman suffering while naked? And why drop McKay's whole character? Sexual assault isn't something you just throw at a character and then dismiss them, that sh!t is traumatic and to treat his character's SA like it wasn't anything serious is problematic. SA is used in many "hazing rituals" and that could have been interesting to explore but just like the majority of men who are sexually assaulted while being "hazed" aren't taken seriously, Sam Levinson ignores it and then McKay altogether. It doesn't sit right with me to show a woman being abused in graphic detail but ignore it when it happens to a man. Like his pain and feelings aren't worth being explored. In my eyes, it makes the scenes where female characters are put in similar situations feel exploitative. Just keep it fair ffs
As a matter of fact he writes Mckay's handling of the intrusion and subsequent assault by having him take it out on Cassie almost immediately after, which is definitely.. a choice. And i know there are *a lot* of questionable things at play in the way that particular scene was handled from his character's perspective - and i think it's obvious when we compare the way he was shafted to the way Nate's perspective is explored for instance - but i genuinely hate that absolutely no one *ever* mentions what happens *after* the college goons leave (or else). When i'm not too pissed off by that show and the circus around it, my guess would be that it's bc most people simply do not remember past that first part, as most didn't seem to actually remember much from s1 once s2 started rolling in. You're right that there is just something that feels very sinister and i'm still not 100% sure what the intent is, but The Idol didn't make me very hopeful regarding Sam's thought process - nothing right about that show but let's just say the main character has a lot in common with one Euphoria character in particular.. at least the public discourse was different this time i guess!
I know it's been a year, but it's also because of sexualization, yeah, like you said: exploitation. I've met MANY people online who get off to female SA stories (REAL SA stories, not just erotica). They don't get off to men. Horror porn, trauma porn, actual porn - that's how female SA is often treated in media. Male SA doesn't provide that for people, since it's seen as "less serious" (and most of the men who are into womens' assault tend to be heterosexual, while men with kinks for assault on the 'receiving' end are generally the minority).
touching on the reason of jules' cheating and the build up, i've also seen and heard from trans lesbians who have expressed the fact that due to compulsory heterosexuality, lesbians sometimes use relationships (especially sex) with men as a form of self harm. it's psychological and can have detrimental long-lasting affects on your relationships with other people, i could understand how her being a trans lesbian while also being manipulated in a vulnerable state could lead to her cheating with elliot. (of course, that doesn't excuse her actions)
@@youvebeenpoisoned5018 Ikr, it's like homophobes tried to bring lgbtq+ into something, or they wanted to fufill their fantasies of "changing" homosexuals
that's the thing, struggling with compulsory heterosexuality would've been great to portray! but the way it was actually done didn't make it look like that was the case, be it from absence of dialogue from jules relating this struggle or other subtextual ways. I think we the viewers are doing too much trying to conpensate for levinson's poor writing this season lol
she might look more aesthetically pleasing than those before her but (as much as i love her) they turned maddy into the spicy latina trope this season (and maybe in season 1 aswell)
shes an all around stereotype, nothing about her character even says latina except for the harmful stereotypes and loud aesthetics, shes just the brown threath we always are in american media.
I’m sobbing uncontrollably after I just listened to your mom speak, all of it hurt my heart, nobody can save me , only I can save myself and I don’t know how.
High school was so boring and stressful but college is much more freeing, exploratory and fun. Why are writers so obsessed with high school? My nieces are in their freshman and senior years in High school. I asked them about euphoria…. Their response was “euphoria is like a Marvel version of High school”. Neither of them watch it or find it interesting because it’s so far removed from their actual lives. That’s the sad part. Instead of a show actual teens could watch and work out struggles through we get adult man fantasy about children. Great video! PS. If you’ve never had baby with bbq sauce at 3am you haven’t lived and I’m not sorry 😜
It comes across as grooming in a way. I don't know how people can watch this show. Even for college students no one is acting like this. This show only mimics the lives of everyday drug and sex addicts with either no jobs, porn stars, prostitutes, or Hollywood musicians and actors. But defintely not high schoolers or college students. You wouldn't graduate if your life was as dysfunctional and drama fueled as the people on Euphoria.
That might be the experience of your nieces (and that is absolutely a GOOD thing, their life should not be like this show!) but I will say, this was very close to reality for me and a lot of other people I grew up with, and seeing a show like euphoria made me feel seen in a big way when I first watched it. The show is obviously glamorized and dramatized more than real life, but when I was growing up my life and the lives of the people around me involved and were influenced by drug addiction, abuse, sexual assult, crime, sex with adults, etc. It's messed up, and I don't believe the intentions of the writer was entirely pure, but this was teendom for many people and many can see themselves in it. When you're in a certain environment as a teenager you want to believe you are more grown than you are, so the behavior of these children is not entirely unbelievable because while they are teens they are trying to act like adults.
as a fat teen, i havent watched euphoria but ive seen the clip of influencers yelling at kat. it genuinely broke me as ive had ALMOST THE EXACT SAME words thrown to me by naturally attractive and thin people. ITS NOT EASY LOVING MYSELF. it doesnt help to yell at fat people when the world itself hates us and basically wants us dead.(medical fatphobia, bullying making ppl unalive themself etc)
right??? I have an eating disorder and bpd and depression so I obviously am not happy with myself lmao but I’m so sick of the literal beauty standard telling me I should love myself, like it’s easier for you, everyone loves you because of your looks!
that scene was pretty powerful to me too...as a butch it hits on another level too, but im older than u and i can tell you it gets a lot easier to love yourself with age, or at least not see your body as a problem!
Better to just stop caring about what ppl think about your looks and just start working on yourself FOR yourself. Some prejudicial ppl will never change but you can show that you didn't try to change for them but exactly because you never cared about their opinion and you did for your own happiness
THANK YOU! I swear! It’s not easy. It will NEVER be easy for people who are not the societal standard. Ever. And I especially hate how women are represented in the media as someone who can never be sexy or attractive, but just a big freaking joke especially the butt of the joke, which is so annoying. That’s a whole other conversation but it really does tie into how society treats people who are bigger in the media. Like we already see it enough in real life, so the media portrayal doesn’t make it any better. One thing I can say though is that thankfully as I get older and my brain grows along with my body, I find it easier when I take steps to be healthier and love myself regardless of everything that people have said in the past. It gets easier to try and be positive and speak kindly to myself, as well as love myself a whole lot more than when I was younger.
Thank you for bringing up Elliot being a manipulator!!! So many people brushed it off because “how can he be a master manipulator when he’s only a teenage boy??!??!?!” 🙄🙄🙄🙄
I know a person who was manipulative since he was a kid. The thing was the more he got away with it the more he was obsessing about doing it. I know him in many aspects so now that he has a "healthy relationship" seems really bizarre and unnatural. And for the record he even looks like Elliot with the lips and the lashes and the curls and the drugs! If he was in the same spot as Elliot he definitely would have done the same exact thing!!! I am really repulsed by Elliots character because I know the same exact person. That's some snake sh*t 🤭
As a hs student who was pretty critical about this season and got into more than a few debates over it with people I know, I'm excited to see what Shan has in store for this one.
I’m so glad other high schoolers are being critical of the show because at mine, everyone that watches the show, will go to bat for the show on any problematic parts of it. It is super weird to witness.
@@silent-hills Wish some those people went to mine, it is just so bad here...can’t stand it. I can’t make it through a conversation without someone thinking I’m the weird one for finding it problematic We a weird breed I guess
@@lpchambers3681 damn, sorry to hear that. But if it makes you feel better, know that the people glamorizing it are completely in the wrong and will most likely cringe back at that aspect of themselves when they’re older lol
One of the things I think is perfect about Nate's characterization, is a pattern I've noticed from my own life and the people around me- abusive men are almost always men who are insecure in their manhood / masculinity.
Yesss! I wish the play had focused more on those aspects of Nate’s personality than “closeted gay = evil”. Although I do have to say that Ethan killed that dance number and I’m so happy to see him gain some confidence!
the scene with rue screaming at her mom and sister for around 7 minutes in season two was to me the most heartbreaking scene. i have severe depression and in high school i was in a total low. and my depression manifested with anger. i have done similar things and seeing something like that on tv is so meaningful.
My sister had depression as a teenager and I remember her and my parents having intense fights, because neither party knew what to do. My parents didn’t know how to care for her and she was a child who didn’t have the tools to communicate her needs. That scene with her mom felt so real.
im a senior, i have a close friend who i’ve seen go through countless rehab places/residentials, mental hospitals, and just overall hell with withdrawals. i do think euphoria does a really good job portraying how horrific and painful addiction really can be especially for the family. it did romanticize drug use with the gorgeous lighting but there’s no denying how horrendous Rue’s life was and for every high, there was a more devastating low.
Im not a drug user, never used but i think the sparkles and beauty followed by extremely violent outrage scenes (jules and elliot moment) really made me say "ok i am not even using weed this is horrifying" so i guess it did its job for me.
i cant explain how happy it made me to hear someone actually giving the disability rights movement when using the phrase "nothing about us without us" - i love your work & am excited to continue watching this video but i just had to say this!
as someone who was been in multiple abusive relationships, i can’t watch this show because the few clips ive seen of the way nate acts have been way too gut-wrenching for me. i adore you, your videos, and your excellent wealth of insight. your mom seems like such a beautiful person and i look up to strong women like her. im so sorry that that kind of trauma came from one of the people you were supposed to be able to trust and depend upon the most.
“Romance in the media sets the stage for romance in real life” YES 🙌 I have my students write a paper on “TV as an agent of socialization” every semester (SOC 101)
If you’d ever like a really weird example of this please feel free to use me. I grew up entirely on American tv and film despite living in England and as a result as a young kid I started to pick up an American accent and used American terms instead of the British ones. I was completely oblivious to it being around 6/7 when it was noticed by my family. It took years to filter it out. (Id like to add that tv was a constant in our home. I used to wake up early to get my cartoons in which my parents accepted because it meant I was up and had plenty of time to get ready for school. Then my mum would blast the tv while we got ready for school to stop my brother going back to sleep. Then I’d watch my after school shows and then usually we’d put on a film as a family before bed. I also had a tv in my room with videos of Disney or Barbie movies) When I went to secondary school multiple students and teachers asked me about my morphed British/American accent. The hardest bit was that my inner voice had an American accent. So if I was playing by myself or spoke out loud to myself in any way it came out with this accent i didn’t know I had. So I managed to pick up an accent and dialect from a place I’d never been through tv despite living in a tiny village right in the middle of England. Honestly it’s a really weird thing. Some people have told me it’s so weird that it’s the sort of thing I should keep to myself. Honestly that seems a bit overdramatic to me. As someone who went to university to study Sociology I find it quite fun and interesting as a little fact about my childhood. I also credit the tv to my generally theatrical mannerisms and speech. As well as my colourful and dramatic fashion choices. Also my family (dad) were “questionable” in a lot of ways so there was a level of escapism and retreating into the fantasy of tv and film that I’m sure contributed also.
@@hollyro4665 I get what you mean. I've watched anime since I was 7 and I ended up developing theatrical mannerisms as well lol. I find myself doing silly monolouges like the characters, if anyone heard what's in my mind I'd be really embarrassed!!! Reading light novels doesn't help my case...
@@hollyro4665 I ended up watching anime as a kid lol and developed SO MANY weird habits which I unconsciously did. I still remember my teacher actually complained to my Dad that I wasn't "sleeping" well because I would put my head down in many situations ( actually putting my head down in class meant I was angry, I can't explain it but in anime when the character is frustated by everything they bow their head down or something and I followed that) Also how sexist anime really is, made me also have bad experiences with guys in my class because in anime the girls were okay with such dirty things done to them even though they really didn't want it, so I kinda did the same.. :/ I am over this behaviour as I grew older.
Being a bipolar adult myself, I would’ve appreciated Euphoria a lot when I was a manic, drug addicted & mostly unsupervised teenager in a wild city. Is it artsy? Yes, but I actually enjoy that part. I’ve spent so much time wallowing in my dark times that it’s kinda nice seeing a handful of glitter thrown onto it.
I really relate to this-the last line of your comment was absolutely beautiful and encapsulated how I feel about that aspect of this show. Thank you for putting it into words ♥️
The problems in Euphoria especially in season 2 is not the drug addiction portrayal itself but the other storylines that are incoherent. Euphoria isn't only about drug addiction, it tackles different issues as well like obsession, sex, and manipulating others to get what you want and this is the parts where the show kind of get messy and disorganized. Sam Levinson needs a writer room honestly , his raw approach of drug addiction was amazing because he experienced it himself but other aspects of life that are being portrayed in the show need different perspectives to have raw and authentic approaches. Let's be honest here the writer main strength is only the drug addiction, experiences related to it and results using it but it gets really messy outside of that.
I’ve never watched euphoria. The way my heart literally sank when u said Maddie lost her virginity to an older man on vacation at 14. I was 14. I was wearing a swimsuit. I was on vacation. He told me he was 22, but I saw him in daylight the next day. He was no younger than 30.
Your mom's segment talking about her abuse made me cry. She deserved so much better than what happened to her. I'm sorry, I normally try to comment on the bulk of the video but that part alone is so poignant and so real that it made me want to reach out and hug your mother through the screen. Please tell her we all support her and love her.
I really resonated with your mother's segment. especially the part where she was sharing the uncleaned dishes story. my father used to show signs like this when I was younger and I also used to be physically disciplined and I thought nothing of it when I was a kid. I'm now 20, and although I have not been clinically diagnosed, I know I struggled and still struggle with anxiety and panic attacks surrounding this kind of behavior. My father has done a large amount of inner work and although he has made a lot of similar mistakes as Yvonne's husband in the past. he now acknowledges that what he did was wrong and he also noted that a lot of his tendencies come from his abusive father as well. i know this isn't the situation for most DA cases but i want to shed light on the fact that things can get better with time. with the right amount of help and realization families can heal.
I relate as well, except my father likes to brush off what he did and does not bring it up & has never apologized. But thats ok. I think that even if things dont get better with time, thats ok, you can move on and apart. I moved 2,000 miles away and have no relationship with my dad, and thats ok because I am happy.
@@skankfaceBECCA well for one I am so sorry that it had to come that in order for you to be happy and healthy. Fathers can be very prideful and they often put their ego first before the truth, my father used to be like that as well. But after my mother and the rest of my family kept threatening to leave him if he kept up his act, he realized the damage he had done and the dangerous path he was heading towards. I wish you all the best, hopefully he’ll pit his pride aside one day and apologize for what he had done. Best of wishes 🤍
So appreciate hearing her mother's survivor story and hopefully it will help other people to see this toxic dynamic for what it is. It's an amazing segment through and through.
My dad has brought up the fact that he gave me a roof over my head, has never hurt me physically (which is false since he did spank me when I was younger) and food to eat as a way to excuse his abusive ways. He doesn’t know that he, like a roof or food or water, is a part of my environment and can have great effect on me. My dad grew up poor and was extremely physically abused while I grew up financially provided for and so he compares his upbringing to mine and decides that because I for the most part grew up priveledged that my pain is invalid. Also the things he mentions he provided for me are the bare fucking minimum.
hearing her story made me think of how similar it is to my own mother's experiences in the past dealing with my father. he was very controlling of her and she had no one for support when they immigrated to the US, she could only depend on him and ive witnessed physical/emotional abuse. my mom had no way of leaving it - she was in an unfamiliar country away from family and our culture vilifies divorce, and having kids makes it tougher. it was scary growing up as the eldest child, and definitely contributed to my anxiety and distrust around my father and other people. thankfully he's not physically abusive anymore but he can be manipulative and very strict about doing things his way and guilting me for past decisions ive made, and i feel like im not strong enough to stand up to him bc i tend to let people run my life and dictate what i do. i dont know how my mom stayed strong for so many years, i feel dumb for being weak and easily hurt. i would much rather not live in the same house as him but my culture and religion stigmatizes girls like myself to move out.
I loved that you included your mom(a survivor of domestic violence) in the video. As a survivor myself, she spoke so candidly about the fear of leaving. From them beating you or even potentially killing you. Thank you for this.
One of my biggest issues with euphoria is the treatment of kat starting in season 1. I feel it’s never properly addressed that what she’s doing by camming underage is illegal, dangerous, and likely to have horrific consequences as time passes , even if she vows to stop camming . It seems like such a bizarre oversight to me especially since the weaponization and seriousness of cp (especially in Jules catfished by Nate storyline) is such a huge part of the show yet when it comes to kat camming underage nothing of that sort is really commented on … i feel like her whole storyline was a hamfisted effort to show kat coming into her own and recognizing her ~sexual~ power yet not acknowledging that she is literally committing crimes and not showing any ramifications to the dangers of what she’s doing..
dang, your mom spoke a lot of truth and i relate to all of what she said about domestic violence and how it functions. my mom was a victim of extreme abuse by her father figure and in turn was abusive to me growing up but was so charismatic to everyone else that knew her. she would say that it was my fault that she’d hurt me and that if i did better she would treat me like a normal daughter. your mom’s dirty dishes story is similar to my mom destroying my furniture because my clothes weren’t folded correctly. I realized really late that it’s not my fault and that if she wanted to treat me better, then she would do it. If a person wants to hurt you, they’ll continue to do it and find/make up reasons to do so to justify it to everyone else around because you’re the only one receiving the abuse. I’m an adult still living at home, no doubt my independence is crippled because of our relationship. I don’t know how to start living without her around, she pretends like all the stuff she did didn’t happen or that i’m being dramatic :/
okay now that i've finished this video my opinions are: freud would've had a field day with this show with all the overtly phallic imagery, daddy issues, and drugs cause my guy was a cocaine chimney
I just got out of an abusive relationship and the conversation with your mom hit me so hard. Thank you to her for being brave and strong enough to talk about her experience when we’re taught to be ashamed and stay quiet.
People say "love yourself" like it's this instant switch you can flip, or like you can just build this confidence up on your own. Humans naturally want to belong. We want to be liked. I've slowly built up confidence by spending time with the people who celebrate me and who see me for who I am. It takes being reminded of your worth over and over, by people who actually know you and understand you, to really minimize that feeling of being "built wrong". It's so important to spend time around people who can share your enthusiasm.
"No teenager's going to NA unless they're court-ordered" - I hate the way people infantilize teenagers sometimes, as if they're not capable of wanting help or trying to find their own way of dealing with their addiction. I sought after recovery on my own, at age 18, with that fellowship and a sponsor who I still have to this day, almost a decade later. People need to realize that not every addict has their story; just because it didn't happen to you, doesn't mean it can't happen
I just wanted to say that I really admire your work, the fact that you take so much time to write, record, edit and generally produce videos like this, it's just amazing. I really admire you a lot, thank you very much for taking the time to make such entertaining and informative videos.
It’s her calling this a show for me. It’s her coming on and talking about her trauma, so people would notice those red flags in their own relationships for me. Your mom seems so strong and I’m glad for y’all that she found the strength to leave and allow herself to heal and feel safe! Thanks for sharing this with us 💗
Amazing video!! Thank you for spotlighting the weird hatred and affective double standards that circle around Jules!! As a trans viewer (albeit one way older than the characters) it makes me feel really weird 1) how irresponsibly the character seems to have been written all season 2, KNOWING the stakes involved in representing trans youth, and 2) how Euphoria fans aren't able to evaluate Jules' function as a cultural representation with any level of critical awareness, but instead take criticism of Jules' actions as an opportunity to display their thinly-veiled transphobia. I've seen it a lot on instagram too, where people write negative comments under pictures of Hunter Schafer by denigrating the Jules character/ under the guise of venting about the character and not the real person. it's really fucking obvious, and disturbing to me.
im just curious what do you think season 2 was lacking for Jules? do you like that they barely touch upon her transition or do you think they should go more into depth? Also what kind of transphobia do you see towards jules ?
Your mother seems to have such a kind heart and I’m happy she was able to share her story I wish her the best. I’m also on a binge of all ur videos rn they are so well done you do some excellent work
This show is wild, I tell ya. Season 1 was much more cohesive than season 2, but after rewatching both seasons and the special episodes, it made me understand season 2 a bit more. My biggest gripe with season 2 was that it felt rushed while also feeling like it payed too much attention to the teen melodrama aspect and not enough attention to the emotional realism that was present in season 1. Sam doesn't write teen melodrama well, but he does phenomenal with the drug/ mental health storyline in my opinion. What needs to happen in season 3 is that Sam gets a writers room and gives them the storylines for everyone except Rue. As we saw in season 1, Rue's special episode , and season 2 episode 5, Sam knows drug addiction and mental health and the toll it takes on the addict and those around him. His writing shines best when he is writing Rue's story arcs. As for the ever present claim that this show romanticizes drugs/sex/violence, I understand the critic, but I disagree because much of what we see is a distorted version of reality told from the perspective of horny, drug addicted, teenagers. And we all know, teens lie. They lie, embellish, fool around, it's what they do. So how much of this "romanticization" is actually an illusion?
I agree. This is a show meant for an older demographic, so the idea of anything being romanticized would likely come from a 13/14 year old watching this with little life experience to contextualize the show and unsupervised access to the HBO app. It definitely has gratuitous sex/drug use/nudity, it it’s not meant for a romanticized element. But part of the issue is that people interpret this as a teen show (like Degrassi on steroids) because it has adults playing teenagers, but it’s an adult show about someone’s teenage years. It’s a white, adult male looking back at their addiction journey, with stylized elements, lots of embellishment, and added characters to make the show fit into the zeitgeist of the time. Rue is speaking from the future, likely as an adult, or even more likely, as someone who is dead. The teenagers in the show romanticize each other and certain situations, but they are meant to be unreliable narrators, it’s not intended for the viewer to adopt their perspective. With that said, Sam DEFINITELY NEEDS other writers. He doesn’t have the breadth to tackle certain storylines or to give depth to certain characters.
I’d like to take this moment to thank everyone who is dragging Jules/Cassie/Kat/McKay for being a bad people while they’re actively begging Sam for Nate’s redemption arc
i want him to develop a better relationship w his mother and fucking go to therapy. i hate him but it would be nice to portray an irredeemable man as capable of at least trying to change for once instead of just letting him continue to be evil 😭
Because at least everyone else you mentioned has good qualities about them. Nate is such a lazy villain character that it’s genuinely hard to believe he’s real. I can believe that a person would do the things he has. But him having absolutely no good qualities and being an irredeemable psychopath in a “supposedly realistic” show is BS. What the show should’ve done is not have a villain and instead make every character deeply flawed in many unique ways.
The final Lexi episode triggered my childhood memories. That hug with Rue's mom was everything. I even can't remember how many times my dad get to hospital for alcohol intoxication. Most times me and my siblings thought he would die. Also part of Rue behaviour is relatable too. Mb because im anxious and depressed or mb cause i also have unpleasant attitude.
Thank you so much Yvonne for talking what you went through. My mother went through something similar with both my father and my brother's father (She had terrible luck with men) and it's so important for survivors to tell their stories. I'm so glad you were able to make it out alive, as many don't have that luck. Thank you again for sharing your story
Not only is the video itself wonderful in production, analysis, set design, etc but having your mother on to speak her truth is incredible. Thank you and your mother for adding this to the narrative.
1:27:45 Nate's ultimate fantasy is to be seen as The Man^TM. All of his fucked up actions stem from a desperate attempt to prove his masculinity. And, with Cassie as his girl, it seems as though his fantasy has been fulfilled. Until Lexi ~outs~ him. I put outs in quotes because it rly doesn't matter if Nate is attracted to men, or not. What matters is that people think he is. The v toxic strain of masculinity Nate subscribes to (yes, I just implied masculinity is a disease; deal with it) is centered around external validation. You're only as much of a man as people think/say you are. And, unfortunately, because We Live In A Society^TM, being perceived as gay (irregardless of the fact if you're actually gay) shatters that illusion. Nate does everything in his power to become The Man^TM, only for it to be rendered naught by one person with their silly little play. The shit is still homophobic, though. It's homophobic as FAWK!! Humbling a man by implying he's gay plays into the v same system that made you want to humble him in the first place. Framing gayness as a punishment only hurts LGBT people, in the long run. Which is why I'm at Sam Levison's door with you, sis. I am SO tired of this god forsaken trope.
As a transgender teenager, The depiction of jules was EXTREMELY well done. Well in my personal opinion (Which may be bias because she practically is exactly like me) From the early age of 14-15 I was already wearing mini skirts and cropped tops around town only to get the attention of much older men. I think I dated guys like 10 years old then me.
Shout out to Mamaspeare🥺❤️we appreciate these words. There have been too many women in my life suffer from domestic violence and abuse partners. I hope all the people watching this video take that message home and remember to look out for the red flags in their partnership.
To Shan's mother: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and message. It takes unbelievable strength to escape from a situation like the one you were in, and even more strength to talk about it to the public. Thank you, and thank you again. Much love to you and your daughters.
im really conflicted about Nate’s portrayal and the idea that his sexuality shouldn’t be a notable motive for his poor actions. when i was 14-15, i dated a boy who in time came to treat me not so great. it was never abusive, but our dynamic was absolutely toxic. he had a hard time expressing his feelings or listening to mine, strung me along, and made me feel unwanted 6 years later we’re currently seeing each other again and he did a total 180. attentive, communicative, affectionate, everything you’d need in a healthy relationship. i asked him how and why he changed, and he said he was sick of not accepting himself, part of that unacceptance being his bisexuality. although his family and i would’ve been supportive (all the men ive dated were coincidentally bi) his friends growing up reinforced homophobic rhetoric often found in male friendships i agree that sexuality shouldn’t be framed as the sole motivator for a male antagonists actions, but we do a lot of queer men a disservice when we’re afraid to portray them as anything but kind and good. queer men struggling with their identity can attest that their turmoil can and will absolutely manifest in poor behavior, albeit rarely as evil as Nate
the part about domestic abuse rings so true. You're mother is so strong to share her story. Ever since I was 8 I pleaded my mom to kick our father out of the house or for me and my siblings to leave the house and she didn't want to leave him. At 24 years old after so many times of trying to plead with her (we even had to stop going to school to work since he doesn't have a job and mom lost her, they both promised that if we stop going to school to work they'll stop fighting, it didn't stop no surprise) to leave or kick him out since we are now the breadwinners, she didn't want to leave. And the part where your mom said, the abusers really strip you away of all self worth, so that you'll be comfortable to stay despite the abuse, reminds me of how my mom said to me that day that "you can still leave, I can't. I'll rot here." (rough translation from tagalog) I chose to leave instead (my brother and sister didn't want to join me, cause they were afraid to leave her behind and I understood that too) and after 2 years of living away, it did help a lot for me to grow out of the abusive household, although I still struggle with so much trauma, this was still better than staying. Sometimes though I lay awake at night, thinking how can I deserve this silence when I know back home they're fighting, or worse, he's trying to kill her again for money. But I know I did my best since I was old enough to think, and sometimes you can't save everybody, sometimes you can only save yourself. So its heartwarming to see your mom conquer that. I hope more domestic abuse survivors (man/women) can gain the strength. Please realize that you have more to offer life, and more to experience from life. And that you are still deserving.
1:00:00 Hey, I‘m a nerd, and just wanted to make a footnote that the androgynous icon Rue dressed up as for Halloween is actually Marlene Dietrich, not just an androgynous but also actual queer icon of German and later American cinema
THE SET DESIGNS AND OUTFITS ARE GORGEOUS!!!! THE WAY YOU LEVEL UP THE QUALITY OF YOUR CONTENT IN EVERY VIDEO IS SO INSPIRING 🙌🙌🙌💖💞💕 YOUVE IMPROVED SO MUCH AND IM SO PROUD OF YOU
Euphoria baited the audience by pretending to have diverse characters. It clearly only used Mckay as a racial diversity card for brownie points. His storyline could have been developed further along with his assault trauma and the need to live upto his father's expectations. But no, he was clearly just used to pretend to show some racial diversity. I mean, the only black male character and he's a football player. Could this be more obvious? Not to mention the complete shift in focus from the so called diverse cast to the blond girl with big boobs and white rich guy anyway. A part of the reason why people were so drawn to Euphoria in season 1 was due to the diverse nature of characters and immense representation. What was the point of so much representation of diverse characters that usually dont get depth and attention when it comes to writing when in the end they made it about the conventionally attractive white blond girl and white rich guy? I personally would have much rather preferred development in the characters of Mckay, Kat, Ethan etc. It is no doubt that Sydney Sweeney performed tremendously to say the least but that's partially due to the fact that her character was given the opportunity due to the complete shift in the storyline and how it started catering to her character. In addition to a compelling narrative, season 1 of Euphoria drew audiences due to its representation of diverse characters which is what made it different from any other white centric tv series but season 2 confirmed that the casting choices made for season 1 had no real purpose but to get brownie points for representation. Extremely disappointed in the writing.
It feels weird to me that the ONLY thing this season did well was set up how manipulative Elliot is, how he's just there for himself and only cares about other people up to the point where it stops him from getting what he wants and yet people are still blaming Jules? What the hell?
I would like to extend a thank you and a hug to your mother. She’s incredible. She is sweet and compassionate with an iron core of strength. Hugs to you both!
Your mother is so so so WONDERFUL!! I hope she knows that we are grateful for her being so vulnerable and educating us on domestic abuse!! We needed to hear it💕
i think at least in season 1, they did a great job showing the shortlived, temporary high and manufactured "peace" drugs can give you and then contrasting it with the struggles of day to day life. i do agree they should have focused more on her mental health struggles playing into the vicious cycle of her addiction, because it would have been an excellent conversation to start about how healthcare is terrible and unkind to struggling people, especially in the realm of mental health.
i love how we are bringing attention to how over romanticized this show is.. it's so strange how these traumatic scenes are overlapped with beautiful cinematography, glitters, and bright colors to paint an image that these events are "aesthetically pleasing". especially if you're someone who has had similar trauma in your past, seeing YOUR OWN trauma being romanticised can be so confusing. to add on to that, it normalizes numerous amounts of horrible subjects to young kids such as domestic violence, addiction, self harm, and the list goes on. i think these topics being brought up isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, the way that its portrayed in a glorified way is terrifying. sending love to your mother, nobody deserves to go through what she went through and it was so, SO brave of her to share her story❤️
Honestly cassie's case make me so sad??? not only do they treat her horribly in the show OUTSIDE OF THE SHOW AS WELL the things people say about her make me feel really bad in a way I can't explain
I love your videos, thank you so much for making this one! I only have one critique, which is that Nate is not gay, and is in most tangible ways not queer, as he is solely portrayed as attracted to a trans girl during the show. Thank you again!
Thank you!! Yeah I definitely should have emphasized that; i was primarily referencing what the show itself implies, that he’s “struggling with his sexuality,” that he’s “not straight” etc. and how that coupled with his characterization leads to questionable portrayals of queerness (because they keep implying that he is)-especially because viewers may take these statements at face value. Thank you for this ❤️
@@Shanspeare thank YOU for such an incredible response, I so appreciate you taking the time to write this, I was mostly replying in hopes that some watchers would see and know that being attracted to trans women doesn’t make him gay lol!! I really, really appreciate your analysis of this character and show, both in your video and this comment, especially as a transfemme viewer, absolutely I so appreciate seeing someone see that part of it so clearly. Thank you again.
I just want to extend so much gratitude to your mom for sharing her story and you as well because you share that story. This is such a good body of work and I can't imagine how much time and effort you put into it.
I personally believe that regardless of whatever Elliot could've done for the plot at the start, he really should not have been added to the show. His presence in the plot just made it rancid and either erasing him or completely changing his character would've been better for me.
Hearing your mom talk make me cry a little. I was in an abusive relationship from 17 to 18 years old and because it was only an 8 month long relationship I thought I’d be over it with enough time. I’m 24 now and I’ve been in a very loving relationship for over 3 1/2 years but though I wished otherwise hearing stories of abuse and the hearing the same tactics that my ex used still takes me to a place of pain I thought I’d recovered from. After all I was a kid and it wasn’t long and I experienced a lot of SA but no hitting… idk sometimes I feel weak that I still feel that pain after all these years, and it’s nothing compared to a lot of women so I can’t imagine what they go through. And yeah I know I’m valid and not weak I’m not asking for pity it’s just that.. people saying that doesn’t make you not feel that way and I can absolutely imagine holding a love for someone if you were with them a long time even if they don’t deserve it and people saying that it’s wrong also won’t make you not feel that way. Abuse is more complicated than people think. It’s not just a period in your life, it’s a reprogramming of your brain that can take years to undo and parts will never be undone, be it 8 months or years with the person. I won’t fall to those tactics my ex used again, but because I did even if I’m not with guys like that I still forgive too much, apologize for everything, and don’t stand up for myself on simple things because it’s ingrained that doing that is wrong and I should fear the outcome. I can’t tell you how many times I finally have said my piece and my boyfriend is like “why didn’t you just say that earlier? I understand”. Once you’ve been with someone abusive and so adept at manipulating your mind it’s so hard to undo it. It’s hard to overcome the fear they instill when you do something “wrong”, like wearing something too revealing, telling your friends too much about your relationship good or bad.. all of it is hard to reconcile. I commend you mom for being so strong through it all. My story is nothing compared to hers, but raising kids through that and still being able to come to herself in the end is so admirable. I hope she knows how strong she is.
Welcome to my feature length Euphoria video/movie/catastrophe. Go to www.casetify.com/shanspeare today to save 15% off your order!
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Edit: just wanted to echo a few comments about Nate here: he doesn’t ever explicitly mention his sexuality nor does he define it. The show instead tries to do it for him through other characters (who can be unreliable) but the labeling has been so adamant in the show that a lot of viewers assume it’s the truth. I was primarily referencing how he’s *implied* to be queer in the show, and the impact that has on queer representation etc, rather than him in full actuality being queer (since we don’t know). I apologize for that! Thank youuuu 🤍
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I hope you guys enjoy the video 🤍🤍🤍 Okay so 3 things: 1. I…forgot to put in a title card at the end of the video, which marks the section for empathy. It was a good title card too, y’all. I guess you’ll never know what it looks like (jk, check my sources link!). 2. There’s also lipstick on my teeth in the beginning. 3. Subtitles will be up as soon as possible! The video’s quite lengthy, and The Tube is trying its hardest to sync my script to the audio so I can edit for accuracy 😅. I’ll try to remind everyone in my community tab once those are posted! Love you!!! See you in June
Well done! I loved your thorough analysis of the series. I also appreciated your mother sharing her story. It’ll help people in similar situations.
omg ur perspective is so interesting
Can ya do a video on why Lindsay Lohan deserves an apology from the media. Thanks, girl.
Oh no "geriatric" 😅😩😩
Have ago, with Melanie Klein.😊
if anything I think Euphoria is a case study for why a television show needs more than one writer lol
this is a fair assessment lol
For real. I thought Jules' feature episode was really good, but it was also mostly written by Hunter. I feel like Sam can only write Maddy and Rue well. He needs someone else to help him write the rest of the characters and someone else to keep him in check
I made it go to 1k
110 d*** n' ****s,
Talk about hot dogs from Fifty-Five Guys
@@juli8288 Well even though we would like to see characters grow. It's also realistic for people to revert back to their old ways.
Cassie didn't grow at all in fact she got worse.
I feel like teenagers having sex is overrepresented in american media. Yes, there are teenagers that have sex and that can and should be discussed in media. But the majority of the people in my agegroup that i know do not have sex. You almost never see teens that do not have sex. Wich is really harmful because it adds to the pressures to have sex.
on top of the pressure to have sex, it also imo puts pressure for us to be perfect and "good" at sex when in reality it's awkward and nothing like portrayals in media. and teenagers do not look like the perfect hairless smooth skinned actors who wear makeup in every scene. which makes us feel insecure about our appearances as we are comparing ourselves to these non-teenagers on tv and on top of that.. why are the sex scenes so graphic!! they're supposed to be teenagers it's so weird lol
On a bit of a devils advocate stance here could that have anything to do with the fact that a lot of international viewers have consent ages of 14 or 16 so they don’t have the same “you’re not 18” hold up that the USA does. So to you it’s overdone and romanticised. To everyone else it’s like not worth batting an eyelid over.
Personally I’m from a place where the age is 16. And after thinking for a bit too long I think I remember maybe 5 people at a push who I know for a fact weren’t sexually active to some degree by the time they turned 18.
and they make it so glamourous as well, with pretty lighting and build up where everyone knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing on a whim.
I wouldnt be so shocked at the amount of sex in this show if they even tried to make it realistic, but the closest thing I feel like we got was when mckay(?) chocked cassie without asking, just because he thought that was what he was supposed to be doing
Honestly, I don't care about when media makes things look glamorous. Lol I'd rather watch that than ppl who look like they haven't showered in days. I think portrayal can matter but It's not about total realism. It is still supposed to be enjoyable too.
@@hollyro4665 but the show takes place in America. Even if international viewers are used to that in their own countries, that’s not how most of America is and that contributes to a lot of misconceptions about American teens. Heck, I’m in college and at least a third of the people I know are virgins, and the majority of those who aren’t are in relationships and don’t sleep around
how is no one congratulating your mom on coming out about her story? SO IMPACTFUL. she speaks with so much class and poise. I hope she knows how much she’s done by sharing ❤️
it was eso painful to hear her crying, may she be well
I am grateful for her sharing her experience in part because the account resonates with my experiences with an ex. It is difficult to live through and we never stop loving them. This kind of experience is so isolating and it is important to speak and share so that others know that they are not alone and that there is a lot of love and support for them.
Fr. Especially woc who already have so much trauma to unload as is. So proud of your mom, please tell her she's so gd brave. It's so fucking hard to leave a man who is so scary when you thought you knew him, especially when they threaten your future...
Yes, I agree. Euphoria would be a greater show if the characters where older and in college. In fact a lot of the temes portraied can be related more to the young adulthood than to the teen years. At least in my personal experience
@@WhitneyDahlin good point! But i think you responded to the wrong comment lol 😝
Perhaps. My response to people who say that is when you observe the way these characters attend school, in terms of their attire, their lack of study, the lack of even proper bags to hold their books, and more; the high school in Euphoria just seems like a hangout spot-a setting rather than a plot point. Going to college requires drive and motivation that almost none of these characters seem to exude; they're all too busy doing drugs, attending parties, arguing, and sexing each other, that a college setting would seem even more unrealistic 😂. I'm not saying some college kids don't take these things too far whilst in college but that's literally all that the characters do in the show lmao. Sam L. has dedicated so much showtime to that that we don't even know what these characters want to do after high school is over as none of them even slightly mention it. Going to college would require Sam L. to give overall life goals for those on screen that would also have to be fleshed out, which takes time away from other things (not saying that's a bad thing 😒). To add, I'm postive that at least half of these characters would not realistically be in college, so the next realistic place would be high school where they are required by the state to attend 😬.
I PERFECTLY AGREE BROOOOO
In high school we be busting our asses to study to get into dream college 💀💀💀
@@jewelernest4984 ...alright you got me. That's actually a good point. It does make me viscerally uncomfortable. But at least in this case it makes sense 😭
The first person who told me about Euphoria was a coworker who was about 27 and consistently dated 18-20 yo girls. I am very aware that this show definitely serves as a vehicle for older men to sexualize teen girls, and it's been what keeps me away. Your look might be enough to give it a second chance
the actors aren't teenagers though. they're mostly in their mid twenties
@@edithputhy4948 they play teens
@@edithputhy4948 why cant they just be attracted to the actor instead of the character then 🤨
@@salemmarz3809 it's literally the same person galaxy brain
@@edithputhy4948 your logic is messed up man
I thought it was just me who was bothered by the fact that we never see any teachers. Like why did no one step in or break up the fight between Cassie and Maddy at the end? Made no sense. I can only suspend my disbelief so much
Another way they just could've been ofage for the story 🙄
I've seen fights where teachers didn't do anything. There are literally some on youtube lol
@@queerlibtardhippie9357 Sure but did that fight happen literally center stage during the middle of a high school play, in front of the entire school staff and pArents included?
@@haileys5224 ... Yes. You're literally ON UA-cam. You could look it up. People just stand around a lot. People have always just stood around.
@@queerlibtardhippie9357 yea that's quite irresponsible. Also shameful how Cassie's mother never protects her from actual, physical abuse. If I ever had a child and someone punched and slapped her for a mistake that so many teenagers make, I would've put the fear of God in that person ngl. You can talk your issues out but violence, especially in a situation like this, is not the answer. If this was real life, Nate, Rue, Maddy, Ash and possibly Fez (he's a minor?) would've been in juvie by now and for good reasons
her: whats a romance media that isnt overtly creepy, weird, or abusive?
me, immediately, for some reason: shrek.
Megamind
Wdym for some reason, shrek is a masterpiece haha
I mean, I don't really think Mulan was weird, creepy, or abusive, but it also isn't a romance necessarily. Also, I could write an essay on how people's misconceptions of Beauty and the Beast lead it to being percieved as abusive when it isn't, but...yeah, not wasting that on the youtube comment section.
I could also cite Hercules, as there's nothing inherently creepy, weird or abusive about Megara and Hercules's relationship. Or Anastasia, or Atlantis: The Lost Empire, or Pride and Prejudice.
@@khalilurtrahman agreed :)
its not really wrong-
Your time, energy, creativity, emotional labor, vulnerability, and humor are so so SO appreciated. 💕
😍
OMG MY FAVS INTERACTING???
Thank you Khadija 😭 so much ❤️
I recognize your voice around 6:18 :)
Icons supporting icons. We love to see it.
idk if im just sensitive, but jules falling for a man hurt me personally, i am so SICK of straight men fetishizing wlw, of thinking its some sort of game to try to "steal" a woman from a woman. maybe jules is not confirmed to be a lesbian but it makes my skin crawl that a fonky man came between a wlw relationship yet again in the media. also, turning maddy into this hypersexual violent caricature of a latina really set my soul ablaze. you can tell the writer just wanted to frame cassie as this innocent, mousy gentle ww in comparison to maddy.
totally agree. Elliot was such an unnecessary part of s2. and people definitely seem to have so much more sympathy for Cassie than they do for Maddy, despite both characters going through heavily traumatic experiences with Nate and their own family lives. the racial caricature that Maddy is portrayed absolutely contributes to that perception imo
Swear a white woman can do the most horrible thing and cry and then people will sympathize and like her again. (Not saying she doesn't deserve sympathy or help but it's still a big pattern in media)
I feel like the Cassie and Maddy racism thing was sort of purposefully there if that makes sense, in public Cassie is seen as the quiet innocent one and Maddy is the loud violent one, but in private (especially shown when Lexi is narrating) it’s the opposite, Cassie is rude, violent, and loud, while Maddy is kind, gentle, and sweet. It’s really interesting.
@@izzie1277 that's what i was thinking too, i hope euphoria addresses issues like these in s3 because i'd love to see a good resolution to maddie and cassie :(
i have a personal conspiracy that BB was written in to the show so that the writers can say "yeah all of our female characters of color are stereotypes, but we made the 'ghetto' girl white so it balances out" and she was never supposed to be a real character
kudos to your mom for gathering the courage to re-live through the trauma and narrate it. Her voice cracks really showed just how much hell she must've been through. So glad you overcame that dreary situation. Your mom is truly an inspiration.
the interview with your mother was so valuable and important. how she started by thanking you for letting her to "your show" made me say "aww", but her retelling of what she has been through froze my blood. abxse is so common, and sadly normalized in even the most "advanced" 1st world society. sending lots of love to both of you, two smart, strong women 💕💕💕💕
I thought the exact same. I felt the fear through Shan's mother's voice. That interview really made me rethink this whole thing, almost made me see Maddie "in a different light," even though I had seen her as an abusive victim previously as well. Beautiful video, absolutely loved the personal experience added in as well. Sending love to y'all too 💕
@@_klc_ i also thought that while abxse is so commonly used as a trope in media, it is often poorly dealt with. euphoria s2 is a big example of that.
exactly. Plus @busers usually tell victims "no one's gonna believe you" so the victims don't even try. I recently came across a video of the Depp VS Heard trial and they played a recording where she said "Tell the world that, I Johnny Depp, a man, I too am a victim of domestic v1olence and see who believes you Johnny, see who's side the world is on." and my heart absolutely broke for him and for how alone he must have felt in that moment. The funny thing is that Johnny would've never turned her in (he didn't even go to the hospital for his severed finger as Amber would've been questioned right away) but she falsely accused him and got her own self in trouble. Her lawyers also had the audacity to air a recording of him saying how much he wants to die because of how much pain he's in- now this doesn't do HER any favors but they just made a person live through the worst time of his life. If Johnny Depp, a privileged, talented, rich man can go through this and is not able to get help then I wonder how countless, more unfortunate people live through this. It's time that we, as a society, decide stricter punishments for abusers and work on the stigma surrounding victims and survivors. While it's unfortunate that Depp is having his personal matters being aired out, it's also a great insight on how parasitic abusive relationships can be.
💜
the way Euphoria season 2 feels like a complete different show from season 1 is sad. season 1 was actually really good and written so well. season 2 was just mix of beautiful cinematography and vibes.
Nah Season 2 wasn't just beautiful cinematography. Especially Rues runaway spree with her ending up at the drug dealers place and getting clean.
@@visa9313 rues running scene was just tension for tensions sake because it had no real consequence on the plot. the drug plot was almost the same because honestly season 1 gave us a better withdrawal and recovery plot than this season did and she wasn't even clean by the end. Season 2 was definitely mostly vibes and you can tell by how the few plots that were present led absolutely nowhere and many characters were just There but had no arcs unlike season 1 where everyone was up to something.
Maddie was part of arguably the central plot of season 2 which is the whole cassie Nate thing and none of us can mention any motivations or arcs she was a part of besides just being there and being bitchy or being sad being angry etc. Just reacting
Even cassie herself felt like a caricature of what she could have been with the story she was in. We never truly understood what she was thinking unlike in season 1 where we cut deep into the minds of characters and their choices. Jules and kat were minor characters this season and Lexi's play, iconic as it was, was more spectacle than plot point
Anyway heyyyy Chu!!! Love seeing my faves watching my faves
S1 + the 2 special episodes>>> season 2
season 2 had terrible writing. There is just so much talent on that show, so it's not as noticable as it should be. Great cinematographers, actors, makeup artists, stylists, music, etc.
Lexi pulled a low blow by including the carousel scene in the play. While it was a little shady of her to air out everyone's dirty laundry altogether, you can't blame Cassie being upset at her own sister for publicly humiliating her like that, although at least Lexi didn't include Cassie's abortion.
It probably wasn't added because I'm certain Sam Levinson forgot Cassie had the abortion.
I'm curious how a highschool production got the budget for all of that.
@@everything4dolls more like he just wanted it to be funny and did not care if it went against what kind of person he already established the character to be
"at least" 💀
I felt the exact same way. Lexi was clearly just jealous of her sister because her sister gets way more attention than her, but that's not Cassie's fault.
Thank you for bringing up how problematic the locker room scene in Lexi's play was. It was so disturbing to see people on social media praising her, just like Maddy did, and laughing along. In addition to that, this whole narrative of Lexi as a director, taking charge and doing something for herself was such a missed opportunity even beyond her exploitation of her peers' lives. Seeing her behind the scenes, threatening someone in the crew and being inconsiderate to an actor potentially breaking out because of the body oil really left a bad taste in my mouth. Really goes to show how Sam Levinson thinks a leader, and by extension a "strong female leader", is supposed to behave. Not to mention how he conceptualizes a potential female empowerment story arc simply by reproducing the same toxic, borderline abusive patterns that have been so heavily criticized in Hollywood over the past years. That, combined with the rumours that have been surrounding Levinson lately, raises some serious red flags.
Congrats on this incredible video essay! It was so well done, I felt like I was watching a documentary. Really looking forward to your next one!
man, Lexi was my favorite in s1 and they just had to ruined her for me
In Broey Deschanel's video about Euphoria, she mentions how Sam Levinson used the writer character's monologues in _Malcom & Marie_ as his personal soapbox, while sorta using his black identity as a way to obscure the expy and deflect from criticism. It seems like that was also the case with Lexi; we're supposed to find it fun how she publicises and ridicules everyone's traumas, insults her cast, and leans on tired, problematic tropes for the sake of spectacle. A win for girlbosses everywhere!
what are the rumors about Levinson? 👀
LITERALLY THANK YOU
if sam would stop with the excessive nudity, just stick to writing rues storyline, and get some writers who’d actually do all the characters justice we’d be okay
Agreed!!!
as a lesbian, elliot also reminded me of those men that insist on flirting with lesbians. even if rue & jules weren't stated to be strictly lesbian, it's still a man forcing his way into a wlw relationship. i kinda wish they at least didn't portray elliot in a good light. it felt like they tried to make him seem like this cool guy who's super chill and doesn't do anything wrong, when he was the one to fuck up many things in season 2.
How is Elliot bad?we don't gaf about another man or woman if we want somebody
@@lochofmceo Because he insisted on getting with people he knew were already in relationships? Those people also being lesbians/wlw and uninterested? No duh people are gonna pursue people they want to be with, but there's a line when sexuality's involved. I mean, if a gay man were to ask out a straight man he knew was both straight and in a relationship, the straight guy would be 'in the right' to freak out or feel grossed out by him. But if it's a straight man to gay women/a gay woman, he's just being persistent, isn't he?
You're probably not aware, but there is a trope of lesbians turning out to actually be bi or pan or instantly leave their partner for a man. It's not cool, for any sexuality to just be invalidated like that. And you may think it's okay because some people do realize they are bi or pan and not lesbian as they once thought, but 10 times out of 10 that realization of sexuality is only meant to fulfill a fantasy certain men have, of always getting more or what they can't have. But if none of this makes you reconsider any lesbophobia or misogyny you may have, thinking it's not wrong for a guy to always get what he wants and represent a certain audience that hopes for a fantasy like that, then I dunno what to tell you or why you even chose to respond to them.
((It's not a matter of being right or "politically correct", it's a matter of decency and how his actions weren't portrayed in a negative light. I'm not here to win a debate))
@@Vesperad0 TLDR
yeah, I've had this guy try to flirt with me and stuff, he has a super like big vibe, and I just feel uncomfortable, I know something isn't right, I'm a lesbian and I've told him many times cause I don't think he gets it.
@@lochofmceo Why would you even ask that question if you didn’t want a thoughtful response 💀
I think Jules falling for Elliot wouldn't be so bad if she didn't say she wasn't into men anymore.... I think nobody would've had a problem with her being bi or pan, but Sam had to do a weird "the lesbian falls for a guy".... Yikes
Edit: Yes, you can definitely argue that Jules is in fact bi and just disappointed in men, therefore saying she's not interested in them anymore.
I just read her character different, sleeping with straight men to affirm her gender and gain validation, not out of an honest attraction to them. Her saying she's no longer interested in them to me sounded more like her not needing this external validation anymore.
For everyone who knows Contrapoints, her video about her attraction to women and how her trans identity influenced her feelings is kinda what I thought Jules' storyline was supposed to be.
as a lesbian i'm so tired of the lesbian turned straight/bi trope not only in shows but in music as well
Falling for Elliot wouldnt be so bad if she wasnt a hypocrate and didnt decide to CHEAT on Rue AGAIN. I have seriously run out of excuses for her, people seem to gloss over her wrong doings because being in a relationship with a drug addict Is hard, but after they broke up she still went back to her after she ran out of cocks to ride. She doesnt deserve the hate but Im glad they pointed out the problems in their realtionship that come from her side.
To be fair, I don't really think she was serious when she said that... she was just tired of previous experiences. A lot of the first season was dedicated to her getting dicked down lol. I think it would've been bad if it was like Rue or something that they did this to
I don't think thats Bad per se. Sexuality is fluid
@@rheimy7819 Sexuality is fluid, sure, but like an aqueous mixture, not a cup of water. It _shifts_ with time, maturity and experience. It doesn't just slip and slide around with every little thing you do. No, this is bad. Lesbians exist. Gay men exist. Now sure, there are people who labelled themselves as one or the other, but later found that they're more open sexually. However, there is a reason why labels exist. Because they recognize that people have preferences-and for a lot of people, those preferences are ingrained.
So uh, yeah, it's bad. Especially since this "sexuality is fluid" argument pops up only whenever lesbians aren't lesbian actually in media, but never happens with gay men.
Another thing re: domestic violence. Strangulation/choking is actually usually something abusers progress to and studies have shown that once a domestic abuser starts strangling their victims along with the other abuse, it’s an indication that they are prepared to k-word them (mentally in the subconscious way not necessarily making a real plan). This seems to be something not many people talk about, but activists in America are advocating for strangulation to be a felony I think as most states don’t classify it that far it leads to these guys getting out really soon and basically just finishing what they started. Making it a higher level crime wold give survivors more time to come to terms with their situation along with planning for and following through escape. I’d never thought of strangulation as a small thing (I mean it was/is a running joke on the Simpsons which I grew up with), but now whenever I see it come up fictional or otherwise it’s very chilling.
As someone who was strangled, I agree about making strangling a worse crime.
Yes! My therapist actually told me this. Strangulation is a high indicator of death
k-word?
@@Pyotiru killed
@@Pyotiru kill
"Nate is dead in the original script"
I AM STILL PISSED ABOUT THIS
Season 2 would have been better without his ass, and an investigation could be interesting/tense but instead we have “incase of boring episode break glass” character as she (creator) states.
@@andrewstephens5885 and the boring, useless and generic plot of "high school girl (Cassie) has s3x with ex-boyfriend (Nate) of her best friend (Maddie)".
@@yuenmienyu it’s more about the fact that Cassie got with Maddie’s ABUSIVE ex. She’s Maddie’s best friend, she knew every detail of how he abused Maddie and chose to betray her for him. That’s the actual betrayal
A very minor but still important thing to note about Levinson's handling of Kat's storyline: Kat's childhood weight gain was IMPOSSIBLE. Not that it's impossible to gain weight as a child, but that I and many others have done the math and even though it seems pretty crazy to drink so many piña coladas on a trip, and it's certainly unhealthy, it would likely have resulted in either no weight gain or only about one/two pounds. This is not just a silly little plot hole, as it shows that Levinson did not do his research, which is concerning for a show that's supposedly a realistic view of teen life and a character who is supposedly good representation for plus-size girls.
that’s something no one talks about that’s always bothered me too!!!
yeah ive always thought about that like what a poorly written excuse for a fat joke
i don’t think it’s really relevant “why” she’s fat but rather the way fatness has impacted her life. I don’t think it’s really important
i don't think it's written poorly. that's how a fat person would remember it. "one day i was pretty and normal and then i went on vacation and came back and everything was different--that's when i became a 'fat' kid". like no child remembers every pound they gained in an accurate sequence. it's not meant to be so literal
Actually that's exactly how I remember my excessive weight gain in childhood. One day I was fine and then I was fat. It wasnt like that in real life.. but that's how it felt.. when did i become so fat??
can we just appreciate the fact that Shanspeare made a full documentary for this… the effort and work this took… i can’t imagine. i’ve been watching ur videos for a really long time and am so proud for how far you’ve come ❤
thank you bestie 😭🤍
@@Shanspeare ur welcomeeee but u rly don’t needa thank me. i love ur videos sm
Absolutely! And the clip of your mother explaining her experiences. Wow. Thank you so much to you both for being willing to share that experience.
Come through with the 2 hrs run time and this glamorous ass thumbnail fam!
Leftube is just a competition to see who can come up with the longest video essay
I love your channel!!
@@gonzalo4722 exactly why I love it. Lol super long video essays about tv shows I’ve never even seen is my favorite genre
👀👀 a collab?
Your mother is AN ABSOLUTELY STRONG person. She spoke about something that she knew is a painful memory and really translated it well. I appreciate her strength to speak and I love the content and bravery you make in these videos and the information in them. Bawse girl stuff!!1
as a teenager i guarantee that nudity doesn't bother me when it's important to the plot, and advances the story between to characters. but the amount of unnecessary nudity in euphoria that was CUT OUT too?????? it's insane
cool, youre a teen therefore you still dont understand yet how WEIRD it is that, the man who wrote this wrote it the way he did. This was a fantasy for a man, like much other media. Its BS that yall keep it as successful as it is . Giving that creep success for telling the world he's a creep.
[Sorry for the long comment] This is something I heard someone point out regarding Euphoria. McKay was sexually assaulted and he's since been dropped from the show basically, yet Cassie is shown in compromising sexual situations constantly. This happens with a lot of the female characters where their trauma and emotions are constantly shown in a lot of explicit detail but the male characters are treated differently. It reminds me of how the response to trauma is treated differently by people when the victim is a man or a woman - the man's feelings and trauma are laughed off, brushed under the rug, and never discussed again, whilst the woman's is made a spectacle out of, shown with a lot of detail, and portrayed in what's almost a very exploitative way.
I think since the male and female characters aren't treated fairly in how their traumas are shown and depicted makes some scenes feel exploitative, like did the director just want to show a woman suffering while naked? And why drop McKay's whole character? Sexual assault isn't something you just throw at a character and then dismiss them, that sh!t is traumatic and to treat his character's SA like it wasn't anything serious is problematic. SA is used in many "hazing rituals" and that could have been interesting to explore but just like the majority of men who are sexually assaulted while being "hazed" aren't taken seriously, Sam Levinson ignores it and then McKay altogether.
It doesn't sit right with me to show a woman being abused in graphic detail but ignore it when it happens to a man. Like his pain and feelings aren't worth being explored. In my eyes, it makes the scenes where female characters are put in similar situations feel exploitative. Just keep it fair ffs
so true
FACTS
Men are never questioned when coming forward with abuse. Look at the men in the metoo movement. Yet the women...called liars still
As a matter of fact he writes Mckay's handling of the intrusion and subsequent assault by having him take it out on Cassie almost immediately after, which is definitely.. a choice. And i know there are *a lot* of questionable things at play in the way that particular scene was handled from his character's perspective - and i think it's obvious when we compare the way he was shafted to the way Nate's perspective is explored for instance - but i genuinely hate that absolutely no one *ever* mentions what happens *after* the college goons leave (or else). When i'm not too pissed off by that show and the circus around it, my guess would be that it's bc most people simply do not remember past that first part, as most didn't seem to actually remember much from s1 once s2 started rolling in.
You're right that there is just something that feels very sinister and i'm still not 100% sure what the intent is, but The Idol didn't make me very hopeful regarding Sam's thought process - nothing right about that show but let's just say the main character has a lot in common with one Euphoria character in particular.. at least the public discourse was different this time i guess!
I know it's been a year, but it's also because of sexualization, yeah, like you said: exploitation. I've met MANY people online who get off to female SA stories (REAL SA stories, not just erotica). They don't get off to men. Horror porn, trauma porn, actual porn - that's how female SA is often treated in media. Male SA doesn't provide that for people, since it's seen as "less serious" (and most of the men who are into womens' assault tend to be heterosexual, while men with kinks for assault on the 'receiving' end are generally the minority).
i enjoy that nate jacobs has his own trigger warning
touching on the reason of jules' cheating and the build up, i've also seen and heard from trans lesbians who have expressed the fact that due to compulsory heterosexuality, lesbians sometimes use relationships (especially sex) with men as a form of self harm. it's psychological and can have detrimental long-lasting affects on your relationships with other people, i could understand how her being a trans lesbian while also being manipulated in a vulnerable state could lead to her cheating with elliot. (of course, that doesn't excuse her actions)
Thank you for talking about this in a way that’s easy to digest.
True, but "lesbian character gets with man" is such an annoying trope
There are many ways it could have been explained in the series, but it was simply so poorly executed
@@youvebeenpoisoned5018 Ikr, it's like homophobes tried to bring lgbtq+ into something, or they wanted to fufill their fantasies of "changing" homosexuals
that's the thing, struggling with compulsory heterosexuality would've been great to portray! but the way it was actually done didn't make it look like that was the case, be it from absence of dialogue from jules relating this struggle or other subtextual ways. I think we the viewers are doing too much trying to conpensate for levinson's poor writing this season lol
she might look more aesthetically pleasing than those before her but (as much as i love her) they turned maddy into the spicy latina trope this season (and maybe in season 1 aswell)
Omg fr I feel like they always make latinas "angry, mean or like a "bad girl" its so anoyinggg!!!!
Yes! x(
shes an all around stereotype, nothing about her character even says latina except for the harmful stereotypes and loud aesthetics, shes just the brown threath we always are in american media.
Am I the only one who think that the way the authors sexualise Cassie is very creepy? She's topless most of the scenes.
Yeah I feel like the whole "she's just not affected and totally confident and that makes her not worthy of being vulnerable" ain't it
I’m sobbing uncontrollably after I just listened to your mom speak, all of it hurt my heart, nobody can save me , only I can save myself and I don’t know how.
best of luck to you 💞💞💞
read "why does he do that" by lundy bancroft. and dont let him catch you with it.
I sincerely wish you the best! I hope you found a solution!
hi luv, im late but i hope ur in a better place ︎
♡︎ ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა
High school was so boring and stressful but college is much more freeing, exploratory and fun. Why are writers so obsessed with high school? My nieces are in their freshman and senior years in High school. I asked them about euphoria…. Their response was “euphoria is like a Marvel version of High school”. Neither of them watch it or find it interesting because it’s so far removed from their actual lives. That’s the sad part. Instead of a show actual teens could watch and work out struggles through we get adult man fantasy about children.
Great video!
PS. If you’ve never had baby with bbq sauce at 3am you haven’t lived and I’m not sorry 😜
It comes across as grooming in a way. I don't know how people can watch this show. Even for college students no one is acting like this.
This show only mimics the lives of everyday drug and sex addicts with either no jobs, porn stars, prostitutes, or Hollywood musicians and actors. But defintely not high schoolers or college students. You wouldn't graduate if your life was as dysfunctional and drama fueled as the people on Euphoria.
That might be the experience of your nieces (and that is absolutely a GOOD thing, their life should not be like this show!) but I will say, this was very close to reality for me and a lot of other people I grew up with, and seeing a show like euphoria made me feel seen in a big way when I first watched it. The show is obviously glamorized and dramatized more than real life, but when I was growing up my life and the lives of the people around me involved and were influenced by drug addiction, abuse, sexual assult, crime, sex with adults, etc. It's messed up, and I don't believe the intentions of the writer was entirely pure, but this was teendom for many people and many can see themselves in it. When you're in a certain environment as a teenager you want to believe you are more grown than you are, so the behavior of these children is not entirely unbelievable because while they are teens they are trying to act like adults.
as a fat teen, i havent watched euphoria but ive seen the clip of influencers yelling at kat. it genuinely broke me as ive had ALMOST THE EXACT SAME words thrown to me by naturally attractive and thin people. ITS NOT EASY LOVING MYSELF. it doesnt help to yell at fat people when the world itself hates us and basically wants us dead.(medical fatphobia, bullying making ppl unalive themself etc)
right??? I have an eating disorder and bpd and depression so I obviously am not happy with myself lmao but I’m so sick of the literal beauty standard telling me I should love myself, like it’s easier for you, everyone loves you because of your looks!
that scene was pretty powerful to me too...as a butch it hits on another level too, but im older than u and i can tell you it gets a lot easier to love yourself with age, or at least not see your body as a problem!
Better to just stop caring about what ppl think about your looks and just start working on yourself FOR yourself. Some prejudicial ppl will never change but you can show that you didn't try to change for them but exactly because you never cared about their opinion and you did for your own happiness
THANK YOU! I swear!
It’s not easy. It will NEVER be easy for people who are not the societal standard. Ever.
And I especially hate how women are represented in the media as someone who can never be sexy or attractive, but just a big freaking joke especially the butt of the joke, which is so annoying.
That’s a whole other conversation but it really does tie into how society treats people who are bigger in the media. Like we already see it enough in real life, so the media portrayal doesn’t make it any better.
One thing I can say though is that thankfully as I get older and my brain grows along with my body, I find it easier when I take steps to be healthier and love myself regardless of everything that people have said in the past. It gets easier to try and be positive and speak kindly to myself, as well as love myself a whole lot more than when I was younger.
Hey, I hope all of you are well!
Thank you for bringing up Elliot being a manipulator!!! So many people brushed it off because “how can he be a master manipulator when he’s only a teenage boy??!??!?!” 🙄🙄🙄🙄
it's like have you met teenage boys lol
Nate Jacobs would like to have a word 😂
And the response is a fairly simple one: "Easily."
I know a person who was manipulative since he was a kid. The thing was the more he got away with it the more he was obsessing about doing it. I know him in many aspects so now that he has a "healthy relationship" seems really bizarre and unnatural. And for the record he even looks like Elliot with the lips and the lashes and the curls and the drugs! If he was in the same spot as Elliot he definitely would have done the same exact thing!!! I am really repulsed by Elliots character because I know the same exact person. That's some snake sh*t 🤭
they should meet my ex😭
As a hs student who was pretty critical about this season and got into more than a few debates over it with people I know, I'm excited to see what Shan has in store for this one.
I’m so glad other high schoolers are being critical of the show because at mine, everyone that watches the show, will go to bat for the show on any problematic parts of it. It is super weird to witness.
@@lpchambers3681 Aa
@@lpchambers3681 I’m surprised! I’m a high schooler myself and everyone I know at school is really critical of it and makes fun of it lmao
@@silent-hills Wish some those people went to mine, it is just so bad here...can’t stand it. I can’t make it through a conversation without someone thinking I’m the weird one for finding it problematic
We a weird breed I guess
@@lpchambers3681 damn, sorry to hear that. But if it makes you feel better, know that the people glamorizing it are completely in the wrong and will most likely cringe back at that aspect of themselves when they’re older lol
“You never stop loving someone you truly loved” that’s so true and painful at the same time
Your mom is so strong, thank you and her so much for the insight on violence in the home
Your mom's segment made me cry, I am very happy she is better and safe sane with you and your siblings.
One of the things I think is perfect about Nate's characterization, is a pattern I've noticed from my own life and the people around me- abusive men are almost always men who are insecure in their manhood / masculinity.
So true.
Yesss! I wish the play had focused more on those aspects of Nate’s personality than “closeted gay = evil”. Although I do have to say that Ethan killed that dance number and I’m so happy to see him gain some confidence!
the scene with rue screaming at her mom and sister for around 7 minutes in season two was to me the most heartbreaking scene. i have severe depression and in high school i was in a total low. and my depression manifested with anger. i have done similar things and seeing something like that on tv is so meaningful.
My sister had depression as a teenager and I remember her and my parents having intense fights, because neither party knew what to do. My parents didn’t know how to care for her and she was a child who didn’t have the tools to communicate her needs. That scene with her mom felt so real.
im a senior, i have a close friend who i’ve seen go through countless rehab places/residentials, mental hospitals, and just overall hell with withdrawals. i do think euphoria does a really good job portraying how horrific and painful addiction really can be especially for the family. it did romanticize drug use with the gorgeous lighting but there’s no denying how horrendous Rue’s life was and for every high, there was a more devastating low.
Im not a drug user, never used but i think the sparkles and beauty followed by extremely violent outrage scenes (jules and elliot moment) really made me say "ok i am not even using weed this is horrifying" so i guess it did its job for me.
i cant explain how happy it made me to hear someone actually giving the disability rights movement when using the phrase "nothing about us without us" - i love your work & am excited to continue watching this video but i just had to say this!
update i just finished the video and absolutely loved it. amazing work
as someone who was been in multiple abusive relationships, i can’t watch this show because the few clips ive seen of the way nate acts have been way too gut-wrenching for me. i adore you, your videos, and your excellent wealth of insight. your mom seems like such a beautiful person and i look up to strong women like her. im so sorry that that kind of trauma came from one of the people you were supposed to be able to trust and depend upon the most.
same ..... Nate makes me hurt inside everytime he is on screen meanwhile people are thirsting over him
@@joemamacool Anytime I see people thirst over him and feel a pit in my stomach :/
“Romance in the media sets the stage for romance in real life” YES 🙌
I have my students write a paper on “TV as an agent of socialization” every semester (SOC 101)
Amazing topic idea!
If you’d ever like a really weird example of this please feel free to use me. I grew up entirely on American tv and film despite living in England and as a result as a young kid I started to pick up an American accent and used American terms instead of the British ones. I was completely oblivious to it being around 6/7 when it was noticed by my family. It took years to filter it out. (Id like to add that tv was a constant in our home. I used to wake up early to get my cartoons in which my parents accepted because it meant I was up and had plenty of time to get ready for school. Then my mum would blast the tv while we got ready for school to stop my brother going back to sleep. Then I’d watch my after school shows and then usually we’d put on a film as a family before bed. I also had a tv in my room with videos of Disney or Barbie movies) When I went to secondary school multiple students and teachers asked me about my morphed British/American accent. The hardest bit was that my inner voice had an American accent. So if I was playing by myself or spoke out loud to myself in any way it came out with this accent i didn’t know I had. So I managed to pick up an accent and dialect from a place I’d never been through tv despite living in a tiny village right in the middle of England. Honestly it’s a really weird thing. Some people have told me it’s so weird that it’s the sort of thing I should keep to myself. Honestly that seems a bit overdramatic to me. As someone who went to university to study Sociology I find it quite fun and interesting as a little fact about my childhood. I also credit the tv to my generally theatrical mannerisms and speech. As well as my colourful and dramatic fashion choices. Also my family (dad) were “questionable” in a lot of ways so there was a level of escapism and retreating into the fantasy of tv and film that I’m sure contributed also.
@@hollyro4665 I get what you mean. I've watched anime since I was 7 and I ended up developing theatrical mannerisms as well lol. I find myself doing silly monolouges like the characters, if anyone heard what's in my mind I'd be really embarrassed!!! Reading light novels doesn't help my case...
@@hollyro4665 I ended up watching anime as a kid lol and developed SO MANY weird habits which I unconsciously did. I still remember my teacher actually complained to my Dad that I wasn't "sleeping" well because I would put my head down in many situations ( actually putting my head down in class meant I was angry, I can't explain it but in anime when the character is frustated by everything they bow their head down or something and I followed that)
Also how sexist anime really is, made me also have bad experiences with guys in my class because in anime the girls were okay with such dirty things done to them even though they really didn't want it, so I kinda did the same.. :/ I am over this behaviour as I grew older.
Being a bipolar adult myself, I would’ve appreciated Euphoria a lot when I was a manic, drug addicted & mostly unsupervised teenager in a wild city. Is it artsy? Yes, but I actually enjoy that part. I’ve spent so much time wallowing in my dark times that it’s kinda nice seeing a handful of glitter thrown onto it.
As a fellow bipolar adult, I feel the same!
I really relate to this-the last line of your comment was absolutely beautiful and encapsulated how I feel about that aspect of this show. Thank you for putting it into words ♥️
Literally haha
The problems in Euphoria especially in season 2 is not the drug addiction portrayal itself but the other storylines that are incoherent. Euphoria isn't only about drug addiction, it tackles different issues as well like obsession, sex, and manipulating others to get what you want and this is the parts where the show kind of get messy and disorganized. Sam Levinson needs a writer room honestly , his raw approach of drug addiction was amazing because he experienced it himself but other aspects of life that are being portrayed in the show need different perspectives to have raw and authentic approaches. Let's be honest here the writer main strength is only the drug addiction, experiences related to it and results using it but it gets really messy outside of that.
I’ve never watched euphoria. The way my heart literally sank when u said Maddie lost her virginity to an older man on vacation at 14. I was 14. I was wearing a swimsuit. I was on vacation. He told me he was 22, but I saw him in daylight the next day. He was no younger than 30.
So sorry you went through that. It happened to me to. It is a very painful thing to go through. Much ❤
Euphoria is the creepiest show.... could never watch it
Your mom's segment talking about her abuse made me cry. She deserved so much better than what happened to her. I'm sorry, I normally try to comment on the bulk of the video but that part alone is so poignant and so real that it made me want to reach out and hug your mother through the screen. Please tell her we all support her and love her.
I really resonated with your mother's segment. especially the part where she was sharing the uncleaned dishes story. my father used to show signs like this when I was younger and I also used to be physically disciplined and I thought nothing of it when I was a kid. I'm now 20, and although I have not been clinically diagnosed, I know I struggled and still struggle with anxiety and panic attacks surrounding this kind of behavior. My father has done a large amount of inner work and although he has made a lot of similar mistakes as Yvonne's husband in the past. he now acknowledges that what he did was wrong and he also noted that a lot of his tendencies come from his abusive father as well. i know this isn't the situation for most DA cases but i want to shed light on the fact that things can get better with time. with the right amount of help and realization families can heal.
I relate as well, except my father likes to brush off what he did and does not bring it up & has never apologized. But thats ok. I think that even if things dont get better with time, thats ok, you can move on and apart. I moved 2,000 miles away and have no relationship with my dad, and thats ok because I am happy.
@@skankfaceBECCA well for one I am so sorry that it had to come that in order for you to be happy and healthy. Fathers can be very prideful and they often put their ego first before the truth, my father used to be like that as well. But after my mother and the rest of my family kept threatening to leave him if he kept up his act, he realized the damage he had done and the dangerous path he was heading towards. I wish you all the best, hopefully he’ll pit his pride aside one day and apologize for what he had done. Best of wishes 🤍
So appreciate hearing her mother's survivor story and hopefully it will help other people to see this toxic dynamic for what it is. It's an amazing segment through and through.
My dad has brought up the fact that he gave me a roof over my head, has never hurt me physically (which is false since he did spank me when I was younger) and food to eat as a way to excuse his abusive ways. He doesn’t know that he, like a roof or food or water, is a part of my environment and can have great effect on me. My dad grew up poor and was extremely physically abused while I grew up financially provided for and so he compares his upbringing to mine and decides that because I for the most part grew up priveledged that my pain is invalid. Also the things he mentions he provided for me are the bare fucking minimum.
hearing her story made me think of how similar it is to my own mother's experiences in the past dealing with my father. he was very controlling of her and she had no one for support when they immigrated to the US, she could only depend on him and ive witnessed physical/emotional abuse. my mom had no way of leaving it - she was in an unfamiliar country away from family and our culture vilifies divorce, and having kids makes it tougher. it was scary growing up as the eldest child, and definitely contributed to my anxiety and distrust around my father and other people. thankfully he's not physically abusive anymore but he can be manipulative and very strict about doing things his way and guilting me for past decisions ive made, and i feel like im not strong enough to stand up to him bc i tend to let people run my life and dictate what i do. i dont know how my mom stayed strong for so many years, i feel dumb for being weak and easily hurt. i would much rather not live in the same house as him but my culture and religion stigmatizes girls like myself to move out.
EUPHORIA?? 2 HOURS??? WE'RE GETTING FED SO WELL, MY GOD SHANNN
IM SO EXHAUSTED BUT STILL FULL OF LOVE AND EXCITEMENT
I loved that you included your mom(a survivor of domestic violence) in the video. As a survivor myself, she spoke so candidly about the fear of leaving. From them beating you or even potentially killing you. Thank you for this.
One of my biggest issues with euphoria is the treatment of kat starting in season 1. I feel it’s never properly addressed that what she’s doing by camming underage is illegal, dangerous, and likely to have horrific consequences as time passes , even if she vows to stop camming . It seems like such a bizarre oversight to me especially since the weaponization and seriousness of cp (especially in Jules catfished by Nate storyline) is such a huge part of the show yet when it comes to kat camming underage nothing of that sort is really commented on … i feel like her whole storyline was a hamfisted effort to show kat coming into her own and recognizing her ~sexual~ power yet not acknowledging that she is literally committing crimes and not showing any ramifications to the dangers of what she’s doing..
It's that girlboss bs where women replace men in all the exploitative and toxic behaviours and position but it's girl power bc a woman does it 🙄
dang, your mom spoke a lot of truth and i relate to all of what she said about domestic violence and how it functions. my mom was a victim of extreme abuse by her father figure and in turn was abusive to me growing up but was so charismatic to everyone else that knew her. she would say that it was my fault that she’d hurt me and that if i did better she would treat me like a normal daughter. your mom’s dirty dishes story is similar to my mom destroying my furniture because my clothes weren’t folded correctly. I realized really late that it’s not my fault and that if she wanted to treat me better, then she would do it. If a person wants to hurt you, they’ll continue to do it and find/make up reasons to do so to justify it to everyone else around because you’re the only one receiving the abuse. I’m an adult still living at home, no doubt my independence is crippled because of our relationship. I don’t know how to start living without her around, she pretends like all the stuff she did didn’t happen or that i’m being dramatic :/
I feel you, I hope you gain your independence as soon as possible.
'nate is dressed as a prisoner because that's what he deserves to be'
can we just appreciate this queen
Literally tho
I saw it more as him feeling like a prisoner in his own mind as he struggles with his own sexuality and the need to dominate others.
okay now that i've finished this video my opinions are: freud would've had a field day with this show with all the overtly phallic imagery, daddy issues, and drugs cause my guy was a cocaine chimney
once i saw a pink floyd dark side of the moon shirt that said pink freud the dark side of your mom
I'm sure Freud is very tired and no longer able to participate in Field Day.
I just got out of an abusive relationship and the conversation with your mom hit me so hard. Thank you to her for being brave and strong enough to talk about her experience when we’re taught to be ashamed and stay quiet.
People say "love yourself" like it's this instant switch you can flip, or like you can just build this confidence up on your own. Humans naturally want to belong. We want to be liked.
I've slowly built up confidence by spending time with the people who celebrate me and who see me for who I am. It takes being reminded of your worth over and over, by people who actually know you and understand you, to really minimize that feeling of being "built wrong".
It's so important to spend time around people who can share your enthusiasm.
"No teenager's going to NA unless they're court-ordered" - I hate the way people infantilize teenagers sometimes, as if they're not capable of wanting help or trying to find their own way of dealing with their addiction. I sought after recovery on my own, at age 18, with that fellowship and a sponsor who I still have to this day, almost a decade later. People need to realize that not every addict has their story; just because it didn't happen to you, doesn't mean it can't happen
You are a rare case though, and almost not a teen at that point. By 20 you're no longer a teen
18 is a legal adult.
I just wanted to say that I really admire your work, the fact that you take so much time to write, record, edit and generally produce videos like this, it's just amazing.
I really admire you a lot, thank you very much for taking the time to make such entertaining and informative videos.
😭😭😭🤍
It’s her calling this a show for me. It’s her coming on and talking about her trauma, so people would notice those red flags in their own relationships for me. Your mom seems so strong and I’m glad for y’all that she found the strength to leave and allow herself to heal and feel safe!
Thanks for sharing this with us 💗
Amazing video!! Thank you for spotlighting the weird hatred and affective double standards that circle around Jules!! As a trans viewer (albeit one way older than the characters) it makes me feel really weird 1) how irresponsibly the character seems to have been written all season 2, KNOWING the stakes involved in representing trans youth, and 2) how Euphoria fans aren't able to evaluate Jules' function as a cultural representation with any level of critical awareness, but instead take criticism of Jules' actions as an opportunity to display their thinly-veiled transphobia. I've seen it a lot on instagram too, where people write negative comments under pictures of Hunter Schafer by denigrating the Jules character/ under the guise of venting about the character and not the real person. it's really fucking obvious, and disturbing to me.
im just curious what do you think season 2 was lacking for Jules? do you like that they barely touch upon her transition or do you think they should go more into depth? Also what kind of transphobia do you see towards jules ?
Your mother seems to have such a kind heart and I’m happy she was able to share her story I wish her the best. I’m also on a binge of all ur videos rn they are so well done you do some excellent work
This show is wild, I tell ya. Season 1 was much more cohesive than season 2, but after rewatching both seasons and the special episodes, it made me understand season 2 a bit more. My biggest gripe with season 2 was that it felt rushed while also feeling like it payed too much attention to the teen melodrama aspect and not enough attention to the emotional realism that was present in season 1. Sam doesn't write teen melodrama well, but he does phenomenal with the drug/ mental health storyline in my opinion. What needs to happen in season 3 is that Sam gets a writers room and gives them the storylines for everyone except Rue. As we saw in season 1, Rue's special episode , and season 2 episode 5, Sam knows drug addiction and mental health and the toll it takes on the addict and those around him. His writing shines best when he is writing Rue's story arcs. As for the ever present claim that this show romanticizes drugs/sex/violence, I understand the critic, but I disagree because much of what we see is a distorted version of reality told from the perspective of horny, drug addicted, teenagers. And we all know, teens lie. They lie, embellish, fool around, it's what they do. So how much of this "romanticization" is actually an illusion?
I agree. This is a show meant for an older demographic, so the idea of anything being romanticized would likely come from a 13/14 year old watching this with little life experience to contextualize the show and unsupervised access to the HBO app. It definitely has gratuitous sex/drug use/nudity, it it’s not meant for a romanticized element.
But part of the issue is that people interpret this as a teen show (like Degrassi on steroids) because it has adults playing teenagers, but it’s an adult show about someone’s teenage years. It’s a white, adult male looking back at their addiction journey, with stylized elements, lots of embellishment, and added characters to make the show fit into the zeitgeist of the time. Rue is speaking from the future, likely as an adult, or even more likely, as someone who is dead. The teenagers in the show romanticize each other and certain situations, but they are meant to be unreliable narrators, it’s not intended for the viewer to adopt their perspective.
With that said, Sam DEFINITELY NEEDS other writers. He doesn’t have the breadth to tackle certain storylines or to give depth to certain characters.
I’d like to take this moment to thank everyone who is dragging Jules/Cassie/Kat/McKay for being a bad people while they’re actively begging Sam for Nate’s redemption arc
i want him to develop a better relationship w his mother and fucking go to therapy. i hate him but it would be nice to portray an irredeemable man as capable of at least trying to change for once instead of just letting him continue to be evil 😭
Nate is the only one who deserves 0 sympathy. Idc how much trauma he went through he’s legit a bad person lol.
Because at least everyone else you mentioned has good qualities about them. Nate is such a lazy villain character that it’s genuinely hard to believe he’s real. I can believe that a person would do the things he has. But him having absolutely no good qualities and being an irredeemable psychopath in a “supposedly realistic” show is BS. What the show should’ve done is not have a villain and instead make every character deeply flawed in many unique ways.
My kink is seeing other Black woman doing their thing & killing it 😭 Thank you for blessing us with this feature film!
The final Lexi episode triggered my childhood memories. That hug with Rue's mom was everything. I even can't remember how many times my dad get to hospital for alcohol intoxication. Most times me and my siblings thought he would die. Also part of Rue behaviour is relatable too. Mb because im anxious and depressed or mb cause i also have unpleasant attitude.
Thank you so much Yvonne for talking what you went through. My mother went through something similar with both my father and my brother's father (She had terrible luck with men) and it's so important for survivors to tell their stories. I'm so glad you were able to make it out alive, as many don't have that luck. Thank you again for sharing your story
Not only is the video itself wonderful in production, analysis, set design, etc but having your mother on to speak her truth is incredible. Thank you and your mother for adding this to the narrative.
1:27:45 Nate's ultimate fantasy is to be seen as The Man^TM. All of his fucked up actions stem from a desperate attempt to prove his masculinity. And, with Cassie as his girl, it seems as though his fantasy has been fulfilled.
Until Lexi ~outs~ him.
I put outs in quotes because it rly doesn't matter if Nate is attracted to men, or not. What matters is that people think he is. The v toxic strain of masculinity Nate subscribes to (yes, I just implied masculinity is a disease; deal with it) is centered around external validation. You're only as much of a man as people think/say you are. And, unfortunately, because We Live In A Society^TM, being perceived as gay (irregardless of the fact if you're actually gay) shatters that illusion.
Nate does everything in his power to become The Man^TM, only for it to be rendered naught by one person with their silly little play.
The shit is still homophobic, though. It's homophobic as FAWK!! Humbling a man by implying he's gay plays into the v same system that made you want to humble him in the first place. Framing gayness as a punishment only hurts LGBT people, in the long run. Which is why I'm at Sam Levison's door with you, sis. I am SO tired of this god forsaken trope.
As a transgender teenager, The depiction of jules was EXTREMELY well done. Well in my personal opinion (Which may be bias because she practically is exactly like me) From the early age of 14-15 I was already wearing mini skirts and cropped tops around town only to get the attention of much older men. I think I dated guys like 10 years old then me.
sorry you had to go through that
sorry for that :(
@@zkme2734 what did she get through?
@@ricardynonsant9690 getting into relationships with older men when she was underage
@@ricardynonsant9690 💀
Your mom's segment was heartfelt and impactful. Thanks for bringing her on
I will always be impressed by the ways youtubers are able to get around saying the word sex
Shout out to Mamaspeare🥺❤️we appreciate these words. There have been too many women in my life suffer from domestic violence and abuse partners. I hope all the people watching this video take that message home and remember to look out for the red flags in their partnership.
this is a FEATURE FILM, thank you for feeding us on this fine Saturday afternoon
Almost the same length as the Batman. I was tempted 🤔
To Shan's mother: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and message. It takes unbelievable strength to escape from a situation like the one you were in, and even more strength to talk about it to the public. Thank you, and thank you again. Much love to you and your daughters.
im really conflicted about Nate’s portrayal and the idea that his sexuality shouldn’t be a notable motive for his poor actions.
when i was 14-15, i dated a boy who in time came to treat me not so great. it was never abusive, but our dynamic was absolutely toxic. he had a hard time expressing his feelings or listening to mine, strung me along, and made me feel unwanted
6 years later we’re currently seeing each other again and he did a total 180. attentive, communicative, affectionate, everything you’d need in a healthy relationship.
i asked him how and why he changed, and he said he was sick of not accepting himself, part of that unacceptance being his bisexuality. although his family and i would’ve been supportive (all the men ive dated were coincidentally bi) his friends growing up reinforced homophobic rhetoric often found in male friendships
i agree that sexuality shouldn’t be framed as the sole motivator for a male antagonists actions, but we do a lot of queer men a disservice when we’re afraid to portray them as anything but kind and good. queer men struggling with their identity can attest that their turmoil can and will absolutely manifest in poor behavior, albeit rarely as evil as Nate
I hope you and and him work out really well this time. 💖
the part about domestic abuse rings so true. You're mother is so strong to share her story.
Ever since I was 8 I pleaded my mom to kick our father out of the house or for me and my siblings to leave the house and she didn't want to leave him. At 24 years old after so many times of trying to plead with her (we even had to stop going to school to work since he doesn't have a job and mom lost her, they both promised that if we stop going to school to work they'll stop fighting, it didn't stop no surprise) to leave or kick him out since we are now the breadwinners, she didn't want to leave. And the part where your mom said, the abusers really strip you away of all self worth, so that you'll be comfortable to stay despite the abuse, reminds me of how my mom said to me that day that "you can still leave, I can't. I'll rot here." (rough translation from tagalog)
I chose to leave instead (my brother and sister didn't want to join me, cause they were afraid to leave her behind and I understood that too) and after 2 years of living away, it did help a lot for me to grow out of the abusive household, although I still struggle with so much trauma, this was still better than staying.
Sometimes though I lay awake at night, thinking how can I deserve this silence when I know back home they're fighting, or worse, he's trying to kill her again for money. But I know I did my best since I was old enough to think, and sometimes you can't save everybody, sometimes you can only save yourself.
So its heartwarming to see your mom conquer that. I hope more domestic abuse survivors (man/women) can gain the strength. Please realize that you have more to offer life, and more to experience from life. And that you are still deserving.
1:00:00 Hey, I‘m a nerd, and just wanted to make a footnote that the androgynous icon Rue dressed up as for Halloween is actually Marlene Dietrich, not just an androgynous but also actual queer icon of German and later American cinema
THE SET DESIGNS AND OUTFITS ARE GORGEOUS!!!! THE WAY YOU LEVEL UP THE QUALITY OF YOUR CONTENT IN EVERY VIDEO IS SO INSPIRING 🙌🙌🙌💖💞💕
YOUVE IMPROVED SO MUCH AND IM SO PROUD OF YOU
😭😭🤍🤍🤍
This is a whole movie!!! hold on ill be back tonight with a cozy blanket and a cup of chocolate milk! Ur girl's gotta get her homework done💖💖💖
Proud of you!!!!
@@Shanspeare I'M SO EXCITED TO WATCH U ROAST EVERYONE!!!!!!!
@@Shanspeare Omg just finished the video!!! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SO WELL MADE, SEE U IN JUNE SHAAAN!!!!!!
Euphoria baited the audience by pretending to have diverse characters. It clearly only used Mckay as a racial diversity card for brownie points. His storyline could have been developed further along with his assault trauma and the need to live upto his father's expectations. But no, he was clearly just used to pretend to show some racial diversity. I mean, the only black male character and he's a football player. Could this be more obvious? Not to mention the complete shift in focus from the so called diverse cast to the blond girl with big boobs and white rich guy anyway. A part of the reason why people were so drawn to Euphoria in season 1 was due to the diverse nature of characters and immense representation. What was the point of so much representation of diverse characters that usually dont get depth and attention when it comes to writing when in the end they made it about the conventionally attractive white blond girl and white rich guy? I personally would have much rather preferred development in the characters of Mckay, Kat, Ethan etc. It is no doubt that Sydney Sweeney performed tremendously to say the least but that's partially due to the fact that her character was given the opportunity due to the complete shift in the storyline and how it started catering to her character.
In addition to a compelling narrative, season 1 of Euphoria drew audiences due to its representation of diverse characters which is what made it different from any other white centric tv series but season 2 confirmed that the casting choices made for season 1 had no real purpose but to get brownie points for representation. Extremely disappointed in the writing.
Yeah I kind of confused why he instantly disappeared in the middle of season 2.
It feels weird to me that the ONLY thing this season did well was set up how manipulative Elliot is, how he's just there for himself and only cares about other people up to the point where it stops him from getting what he wants and yet people are still blaming Jules? What the hell?
I would like to extend a thank you and a hug to your mother. She’s incredible. She is sweet and compassionate with an iron core of strength. Hugs to you both!
Your mother is so so so WONDERFUL!! I hope she knows that we are grateful for her being so vulnerable and educating us on domestic abuse!! We needed to hear it💕
Your mom is so strong and brave! It's not easy to talk about abuse even privately. All my respect to the both of you for sharing.♥️
hearing your mom speak was so powerful, i’m so happy she was able to get out of that situation. i wish you both the best, you guys truly deserve it.
2:28 “when you dropped your phone and the battery flew out in 5 different directions, like a boy band”
*Best statement of 2022*
“The 24-year old teenager we’re cursed with for the rest of the series.” 💀💀💀
i think at least in season 1, they did a great job showing the shortlived, temporary high and manufactured "peace" drugs can give you and then contrasting it with the struggles of day to day life. i do agree they should have focused more on her mental health struggles playing into the vicious cycle of her addiction, because it would have been an excellent conversation to start about how healthcare is terrible and unkind to struggling people, especially in the realm of mental health.
also, excellent video, i have watched this twice now because theres so much i want to absorb. thank you for this amazing content 💛
The way my brain was all "wait is that Shanspeare???" When I saw the notification, Thank you for giving me a video to watch while I smoke 🌬 🍃
i love how we are bringing attention to how over romanticized this show is.. it's so strange how these traumatic scenes are overlapped with beautiful cinematography, glitters, and bright colors to paint an image that these events are "aesthetically pleasing". especially if you're someone who has had similar trauma in your past, seeing YOUR OWN trauma being romanticised can be so confusing. to add on to that, it normalizes numerous amounts of horrible subjects to young kids such as domestic violence, addiction, self harm, and the list goes on. i think these topics being brought up isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, the way that its portrayed in a glorified way is terrifying.
sending love to your mother, nobody deserves to go through what she went through and it was so, SO brave of her to share her story❤️
Honestly cassie's case make me so sad??? not only do they treat her horribly in the show OUTSIDE OF THE SHOW AS WELL the things people say about her make me feel really bad in a way I can't explain
For someone who grew up in a similar circumstance, thank you for the conversation with your mother, proud of you all ♡
I should have know Elliot was a walking red flag when my friend pointed out that Elliot is a male evangelion fan 😭
I love your videos, thank you so much for making this one! I only have one critique, which is that Nate is not gay, and is in most tangible ways not queer, as he is solely portrayed as attracted to a trans girl during the show. Thank you again!
Thank you!! Yeah I definitely should have emphasized that; i was primarily referencing what the show itself implies, that he’s “struggling with his sexuality,” that he’s “not straight” etc. and how that coupled with his characterization leads to questionable portrayals of queerness (because they keep implying that he is)-especially because viewers may take these statements at face value. Thank you for this ❤️
@@Shanspeare thank YOU for such an incredible response, I so appreciate you taking the time to write this, I was mostly replying in hopes that some watchers would see and know that being attracted to trans women doesn’t make him gay lol!! I really, really appreciate your analysis of this character and show, both in your video and this comment, especially as a transfemme viewer, absolutely I so appreciate seeing someone see that part of it so clearly. Thank you again.
I just want to extend so much gratitude to your mom for sharing her story and you as well because you share that story. This is such a good body of work and I can't imagine how much time and effort you put into it.
it’s no coincidence that arguably the best written episode of the entire show was the only one sam didn’t write alone, i.e. jules’ special episode.
i like how nate jacobs was trigger warning
*0:03* thank you for the Nate Jacobs tw that’s one of my biggest triggers
I personally believe that regardless of whatever Elliot could've done for the plot at the start, he really should not have been added to the show. His presence in the plot just made it rancid and either erasing him or completely changing his character would've been better for me.
Hearing your mom talk make me cry a little. I was in an abusive relationship from 17 to 18 years old and because it was only an 8 month long relationship I thought I’d be over it with enough time. I’m 24 now and I’ve been in a very loving relationship for over 3 1/2 years but though I wished otherwise hearing stories of abuse and the hearing the same tactics that my ex used still takes me to a place of pain I thought I’d recovered from. After all I was a kid and it wasn’t long and I experienced a lot of SA but no hitting… idk sometimes I feel weak that I still feel that pain after all these years, and it’s nothing compared to a lot of women so I can’t imagine what they go through. And yeah I know I’m valid and not weak I’m not asking for pity it’s just that.. people saying that doesn’t make you not feel that way and I can absolutely imagine holding a love for someone if you were with them a long time even if they don’t deserve it and people saying that it’s wrong also won’t make you not feel that way. Abuse is more complicated than people think. It’s not just a period in your life, it’s a reprogramming of your brain that can take years to undo and parts will never be undone, be it 8 months or years with the person. I won’t fall to those tactics my ex used again, but because I did even if I’m not with guys like that I still forgive too much, apologize for everything, and don’t stand up for myself on simple things because it’s ingrained that doing that is wrong and I should fear the outcome. I can’t tell you how many times I finally have said my piece and my boyfriend is like “why didn’t you just say that earlier? I understand”. Once you’ve been with someone abusive and so adept at manipulating your mind it’s so hard to undo it. It’s hard to overcome the fear they instill when you do something “wrong”, like wearing something too revealing, telling your friends too much about your relationship good or bad.. all of it is hard to reconcile. I commend you mom for being so strong through it all. My story is nothing compared to hers, but raising kids through that and still being able to come to herself in the end is so admirable. I hope she knows how strong she is.
Algo comment cause I'm only 40 minutes in but I know how YouenTube likes to play around the first couple days...