Under the current guidelines of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, hormone replacement therapy is reserved for children 16 and older, while puberty blockers are typically used for those under 16. Jules Vaughn is a main character in the HBO series Euphoria. Free-spirited and brave, Jules Vaughn is one of the most popular characters in the gritty teen show, In the first season, we see her trying to navigate her womanhood and problems with intimacy. 06.18.19. (Photo by Eddy Chen/HBO, courtesy of Warner Media), Srishti Bungle , Deputy Opinion EditorFeb 1, 2022. Despite her struggle to find loving connections and the harassment shes faced, Jules is shown to remain a big-hearted and kind character. of Black boys and men as hyper-athletic in his first year of college. The second season of Euphoria is preoccupied with a timeworn moral sentiment. Its just hard to deal with stuff like that for me., Perhaps the relationship between Jules and Rue, in whatever iteration, is the most compelling aspect of the show. Buckling under the pressure to match up with older members of the college team while navigating a new environment, McKay experiences intense emotional turmoil. Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. Though the show is not exceptionally diverse, its characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters and characters from other marginalized communities. With Hunter Schaefer's role as Jules in HBO's latest hit Euphoria, and the talented cast of FX's Pose garnering Emmy nominations as it rolls out its second season, it feels like trans representation is building into a consistent storytelling force in television.. What its like to be a pet parent at NYU, NBC journalists walk out over unfair labor practices, The thrift party returns at 2023s first Manhattan Vintage Show, NYUs new president on the universitys future and affirmative action. Its raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today. While there is a demand for a more racially diverse cast, it means that there needs to be a racially diverse writers room. This is mostly rooted in the shows notable lack of labels. Drug addiction, nudity, homophobia, violence, blackmail, abusive relationships, and much more were explicitly showcased in Euphoria. Posted by. When we see Jules in the series, she is a trans woman already comfortable in her gender identity. One of the only Black characters, McKay (Algee Smith), is a football prodigy which fuels the already common stereotypes of Black men having to be hyper-athletic and hypemasculine was introduced in season one, and his storyline has seemed to be abandoned in the new season. July 22, 2019. When Jules recognized Nate from a photo of his wife and young sons on his phone, she quickly left after their encounter. But more than anything, it focuses on family and what that means when you get to pick . Writers often center trans characters' gender dysphoria, completely ignoring their gender euphoria.Not only does this enforce the incorrect belief that all trans people experience debilitating gender dysphoria, but it is also a form of the toxic struggle narrative trope. Why is he using his negative views of people like us for this show? DeAsia Paige. In a piece for i-D, she wrote, As a transgender teenager who grew up in North Carolina, navigating bathrooms on my own was an extremely difficult journey, particularly at public school. If you haven't heard about Orange is the New Black 's stunning portrayal of a black trans woman in prison, portrayed by the brilliant . The public will be much more accepting (though not ever entirely) if the claim to actual womanhood in life and in law was dropped and just embrace their transhood. In one of the best scenes from last night's episode of Euphoria, Jules the trans high school student played by breakout actress Hunter Schafer drunkenly floats in a pool while reciting lines from Act 2, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to her recovering drug addict girlfriend, Rue. Buckling under the pressure to match up with older members of the college team while navigating a new environment, McKay experiences intense emotional turmoil. CN: I have some small clips of some transphobic content in the first half.Patreon: http://patreon.com/verityritchiehttps:. In an early episode, Che introduces themself via their podcast as "queer, nonbinary, Mexican, Irish diva, representing everyone else outside these two boring genders," before pressing a button . Trans actress Hunter Schafer is the series breakout star: An advocate turned model turned teen drama star, she infused Jules storyline with her own personal experiences. Its shown in the series that her mother was unsupportive when Jules was struggling with dysphoria and even committed her to a psychiatric ward when she was only 11. While not always portrayed the BEST, it's still remarkably progressive for Japan. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. As Euphorias second season comes to a close, it only seems fitting to comment on the new season. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The May Test is intended to be stringent in the hopes that it inspires and produces more original, authentic, and positive representations of transgender people. Their powers combined made my job really easy in that regard. Levinson does not give the character fair time to process, grieve or truly react. The record-breaking second season premiere of Euphoria comes in the wake of a provocative first season.Controversy is great for views, but these massive numbers make it evident; there is more than . Having that kind of communicated authenticity combined with the fact that Jules narrative is only barely tied to her trans identity what do you think sets her character arc apart from other trans narratives that we see on TV? So yeah, objectify us.. hbo. Of course, Jules character is complex, and there is no reason that she cannot grow and learn more about herself, but that does not change the fact that there is a noticeable difference in characterization between an episode written by Hunter Schafer, a queer trans woman, and the episodes written by Sam Levinson, a straight cisgender man. Zendaya and Dominic Fike in Euphoria. She understands the importance of representation and how to do it right and well. Asking this of Levinson is likely to be unfruitful. And one million people are watching. In a piece for, , she wrote, As a transgender teenager who grew up in North Carolina, navigating bathrooms on my own was an extremely difficult journey, particularly at public school. Doncha love how theyre just abandoning the TWAW thing? When do we find out Jules is trans? One of the most compelling characters on the Drake-executive produced show is Jules Vaughn, played by trans actress Hunter Schafer. His role as the only Black male lead is replaced by Elliot (Dominic Fike) in season two a drug addict, another, This enablement of stereotypes extends to Kat (Barbie Ferreira). Although many are appalled (myself included) by its graphic nature, it cannot be denied that the series paints a deeply authentic picture of queer people in a way that many shows have been unable to capture. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. It is reasonable to want positive representation in hit shows. Rue was concerned for Jules safety and tried to convince her to meet this person somewhere public. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I had to work really carefully with their costumes and the head of wardrobe; we wanted to make sure that Quintessa felt really seen as non-binary person. In terms of representation of people of color in the cast, it can be said that Euphoria is lacking in that department given that the majority of the cast is white, which leaves many . I mean, it took everything: teaching people how to use they/them/their pronouns as a singular; making sure people understood that trans women are women; if someone asks you where to go to the bathroom, this is where you go. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. January 9, 2022 8:00am. Member. The show's graphic depiction of sexual activity couldn't be further from the truth. In between seasons one and two, Euphoria put out two special episodes, one focusing on Jules and one on Rue. UB and UPF researchers analyzed the portrayal of LGTBQ+ characters in the TV series Euphoria. Were so much more complex than just one identity.. Jules transition journey isnt seen in the series, but her personal development and relationships are a fascinating part of the show. They were super open and willing. Schafer, like Jules, is a trans and queer woman with acute insight into Jules character and what she might be feeling throughout the show by virtue of experience. For instance, theres an intimate scene between [Quintessas character, Anna] and [Schafers character, Jules] in episode 7 that was a collaboration with the intimacy coordinator. Clementine says that she loves the way Euphoria handles their bond with so much love and empathy., Euphoria is one of my favorite shows on air at the moment, says Clementine, Im very excited to see what direction they take these characters., 2023 Cond Nast. They were totally happy to be there and contribute to something. Social media and sex and where the two intersect are another . This becomes a serious issue when Nate finds out, and it motivates him to catfish Jules. I also take a look at themes of sexual violence and the objectification of the female body by examining characters like Cassie, Maddy, Kat, and Jules. Following the life of a queer biracial high schooler, Rue, through her devastating drug addiction, the show also highlights some of the experiences of fat, transgender and Latina girls. Shes a very articulate trans woman and she already understands these things. In addition to this, the shows characters of color and LGBTQ+ characters suffer from inadequate writing from the shows creator and sole writer Sam Levinson. Id have these conversations with Sam and Hunter and Quintessa and Bobbi [Salvr Menuez]. (Jill Soloway, Ryan Murphy, and Steven Canals, respectively.) They clap at the end of every take. Its a symptom of what you do to us because were trans. Its hard for me to see another trans girl going through that stuff, even though I know its fictional. Adding, Ive been in situations similar to Jules, being stalked and harassed online. 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