THE EUPHORIA SENSATION
DENIZ AKKAYA
Sam Levinson, creator of the dark drama Euphoria, narrated by 17-year-old Rue who struggles with addiction, has become a favourite of the younger generation, although the series has received plenty of criticism for its unfiltered narration of sex, drugs, violence and pornography. Despite the criticism it received, Euphoria, managed to conquer Gen Z’s heart by not romanticizing the psychological problems and with its diverse set of characters.
The characters in Euphoria consist of young people who are still in figuring themselves out. This is exactly why the show is so famous for its makeup and costumes: a group of young people who can express themselves freely and realistically. What sets Euphoria apart from previous teen dramas like Gossip Girl; The characters have qualities that everyone can relate to, they can see themselves in the characters. The character that got Zendaya an Emmy goes against gender norms both in style and in who she is, preferring androgynous, psychedelic street wear.
Euphoria’s fashion symbolizes Gen Z’s experimental spirit. This generation’s intense interest in past styles stems not only from the wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, but also from their ability to access the past in a more concrete way. However, social media probably plays the biggest role in shaping Gen Z’s current fashion choices. Social media, which is quite toxic channels for some, is a place where they can express themselves freely for others.
This sense of freedom is arguably the result of a perfect storm of cultural change, more daring than previous generations. According to research from the 2020 Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation and the most comfortable generation with fluid gender norms ever. Famous for her make-up looks, Doniella Davy, the make-up artist of the series, said she took details such as glitter application under the eyes and neon eyeliner from the young generation she saw on social media. “When Gen Z decides to be passionate about something, it spreads like wildfire,” Davy says.
The colorfully illuminated visuality of the series is not based on drugs, parties and happiness; it was to “shed light” on the perversity of the troubles young people experience in our age.
Unlike most series,” Euphoria ” consists of seven main characters, none of whom appear to play the lead role. The diversity of characters outside of Rue allows more perspectives to be shown on a social and cultural level. These different perspectives give viewers the opportunity to relate and empathize with the characters in the show. The series reveals many mental health problems such as drug addiction, depression, anxiety, OCD and ADD in all their realities, without any filter.
The character of Rue allows mental illness to evolve from a subject that is seen as a taboo to a status that many people fight every day, that needs to be normalized and accepted. Jules is a romantic looking for excitement without thinking about the consequences, Kat’s instinctive fear when she meets a man who is really nice to her, Maddy and Nate’s toxic relationship; in addition to reflecting very human emotions, it also shows very strikingly the characters ‘ own insecurities and what they tolerate as a result. Although the series features tight friendships, everyone who actually watches can clearly see how lonely the characters are at their core.
While the characters all suffer from their own troubles; it is an undeniable fact that feelings of loneliness, isolation, heartbreak and anxiety are universal, and this form the basis of the series…
The highly anticipated second season of the series is expected to be released in late 2021 or early 2022.
