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HBO released Euphoria in 2019, unknowingly unlocking a new cult favorite television show for the budding “Generation Z.” Catching eyes with stunning cinematography, flashy make-up looks, and introducing us to intriguing new break-out stars was great for the show’s engagement overall. However, the show’s approach to telling the main character, Rue Bennett’s (played by Zendaya) storyline is what has fans coming back week after week. Like writer and creator of the show, Sam Levinson, had in the past, Rue struggles with addiction. For this reason, Euphoria would inevitably find itself highlighting what is an ever-present issue in our society.
To offer some perspective, the CDC confirms that 841,000 drug-related deaths have occurred spanning from 1999 to 2019. The CDC also named drug overdose as a leading cause of “injury-related death in the United States” in 2021 (( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “America’s Drug Overdose Epidemic: Putting Data To Action”. 8 March 2021. )). While the addiction epidemic runs rampant in America, it is not unusual for addicts to face the stigma that surrounds their disease, making it that much harder to get help. Not only is reducing the stigma vital in terms of positively affecting current addicts, but it is also a great preventative measure to show viewers the root of a character’s addiction.
Euphoria uses both its lead, Rue, and its supporting characters to show how trauma touches everyone’s lives and has the power to dramatically affect one’s way of living. This results in Rue becoming easier to understand through the people and events going on around her. Ultimately, through the lens of empathy that the show provides, audience members can see that addiction is a complex disease that objectively has the power to affect anyone; whether that be directly or indirectly.
Euphoria (2019-): Portrayals Of “Generation Z”
As aforementioned, our main character Rue is an addict, though audience members everywhere know there is much more to her story than that. Episode one of Euphoria gives viewers a deep dive into Rue’s past, present, and psyche. One of the first pieces of information that Rue offers in her narration is that she was born three days after 9/11. This signals two things to the viewer, the first would be Rue’s age which is 16, and the second is that the story and characters you’re about to encounter are “a bleak [interpretation] of teenagers born…in a world [where] terrorism and violence has always been a reality.” (( Highlark. “HBO’s Euphoria: The Kids Will Be Alright If The Adults Listen”. 19, September 2019. )). This small detail about Rue’s life sets the stage for the rest of the show as this would be the first traumatic event of many.
Rue then dives into her mental health struggles, admitting that she has struggled with OCD, ADD, general anxiety disorder, and “possibly bipolar disorder but [at the time of her diagnosis] she [was] little young to tell” (( Euphoria. 2019-Present. HBO. )). Alongside this monologue detailing her mental health struggles, we are shown visuals of social media proving to be a predatory addition to a child’s life. Off the bat, not only Rue but the entire generation born post 9/11 seem incredibly vulnerable to the world around them. When you think about certain disorders Rue has been diagnosed with like generalized anxiety, for example, there has been a recent uptick in the general population’s relationship to this disorder.
The American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” report, a yearly nationwide survey to examine the state of stress across the country, shows 91 percent of “Generation Z” experienced symptoms associated with stress, such as depression or anxiety.” (( Paradigm Treatment. “Why is Generation Z so Anxious? 13, June 2019. )). The visual of Rue being recorded in middle school as she has a panic attack in class is so incredibly deliberate in showing how detrimental social media has been for this generation of young people; and how social media could have been the cause of or at least a part of instigating Rue’s already present troubles.
Due to Rue’s mental health struggles, she already has a predisposition to prescription pills at a young age. Though it wasn’t until her father got sick that she would begin taking drugs recreationally. Rue’s mother had to pick up a second job due to medical bills and her father’s state-issued nurse would, in Rue’s words, “legit just play candy crush on her phone” when she came to visit. As a result, Rue would end up as her father’s primary caretaker. Along with this new position came access to his strong prescription drugs.
While Rue explains to the audience that at this point in her life she uses drugs to numb herself from the overwhelming world around her, when Rue’s relationship with drug use first began, it was far less conscious. Considering Rue’s age and the number of pills she was prescribed daily at that point in her life, it’s not far off for the audience to assume that she was just curious about her father’s pills and had no reason to think they were inherently bad if they were being used to make her father better. Unfortunately, this time in Rue’s life would mark the start of her addiction and soon her father’s death.
Glorifying Or Destigmatizing?
What one can take from Rue’s back story and even the rest of the cast is that trauma is apparent in each of their lives. This trauma shapes Euphoria’s characters to feel more realistic, as trauma has the ability to shape anyone’s real life. Euphoria telling the story of adolescent trauma through such a raw lens has garnered just as much criticism for the show as it has praise. Some have accused the show of glorifying addiction, underage sex, abusive relationships, etc. Though, to glorify something you would aim to make it seem desirable. While some arguments will continue to push the narrative that scenes of Rue doing drugs with glitter on her face make the act seem more glamourous, the scenes of her unable to get out of bed and literally overdosing do a good job of pushing the viewer back to reality.
That reality being that this is not fun, not cool, not desirable at all. Not once, while watching the show should the viewer actually want to be in these characters’ shoes. Maybe an audience member wants to own their outfit… but living their experiences and adopting their vices sounds like a recipe for disaster. Sam Levinson’s goals for the show solidify the approach to creating Euphoria as extremely far from simply putting out shock value content. Everything down to the camera angles has meaning, and he acknowledges, in an interview with Zendaya, that “there’s a real responsibility that any artist has to grapple with, the highs, the lows, the joy, the pain, and, the trauma if they’re going to put it on screen.” (( Youtube. “Euphoria | in conversation: Zendaya and Sam Levinson | HBO”. 19, June 2019. )).
The goal of Euphoria is to create something realistic, authentic, and, to evoke empathy in its viewers. While the approach may result in some graphic scenes, similar events are happening in the real lives of teens all across America. Euphoria doesn’t aim to make trauma seem pretty, though it does aim to show the good and the bad of its characters, because that is realistic. With that established, it’s important to note that most of Rue’s good days are when she’s not using, as addiction is a battle and the audience follows her through times of her using and sober. In these times, we see Rue as apologetic, empathetic, supportive, and, even loving. Showing the good days for characters like Rue does little to glorify her addiction, but it does help to destigmatize it; so we can see her character as more than just an addict.
Trauma & Empathy: Bonding Through Pain
Most people will experience one or multiple traumatic events in their life, as trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Due to this trauma, most people will develop some sort of stress behavior, though the symptoms can fade, they can also manifest into psychological disorders. Some examples are post-traumatic stress disorder, and in an effort to cope, sometimes addiction(( Youtube. “Trauma and Addiction: Crash Course Psychology #31”. 22, September 2014. )). Euphoria illustrates many different forms of trauma throughout the entirety of its cast to show that we all have wounds even if they aren’t the same. In doing so Levinson is trying to remind the viewer that you’re not alone, but he also hones in on the effects of trauma allowing empathy for each characters’ current situation as well.
Levinson aimed to create empathy for young people, particularly “Generation Z”, as he’s stated, “an incredible amount of judgment [is] levied against younger people [while they are trying to] navigate a world-changing month to month”(( Youtube. “Euphoria | in conversation: zendaya and sam levinson | HBO”. 19, June 2019. )). Consequently, we are given a dynamic group of characters showcasing trauma about absent parental figures, parental figures struggling with addiction, loss, abusive relationships, grooming, toxic friendships, physical assault, transphobia, fatphobia, and the list goes on. Zendaya describes these portrayals in an interview by saying:
“It’s somebody’s story and that’s what, you know, we’re really here to do is tell people’s story. Whoever needs to connect with it or see it or watch it, will find there way to it.”
(( Youtube. “Euphoria | in conversation: zendaya and sam levinson | HBO”. 19, June 2019. ))
As people of all different backgrounds relate to a certain character’s trauma, Euphoria takes them on a journey breaking down that trauma and how it affected this character and possibly the viewer as well. As the show helps its audience to better understand how one character’s trauma has shaped them, it is easier to empathize with and understand characters that one may never have given a second thought before. A great example of this would be with Cassie Howard, played by Sydney Sweeny. Given her backstory, the audience can see how she was a victim of her father’s addiction and absence.
Though, in season two she is labeled by many fans as the villain. This is comparable to how Rue is perceived in light of her addiction. With that said one cannot ignore that everything Cassie’s character does in Euphoria has specific motivations that tie back into her character’s trauma, similar to Rue and her addiction. Moreover, with Rue being Euphoria‘s main character and her story at the core, the audience sees most of Rue’s ups and downs and she becomes the easiest to empathize with.
Simultaneously, adding characters like Cassie juxtaposed to Rue may spark empathy in viewers who would’ve been less inclined to try to understand Rue had they not seen the similarities between the two. By putting the story of Rue’s battle with addiction at the forefront and implementing empathy with supporting characters, one is able to see themselves rooting for Rue. In turn, this tells audience members to continue rooting for the people like Rue in their own lives.
How Euphoria (2019-) Uses Empathy To Influence The Viewer
As the show progresses, the amount of trauma showcased is slightly amplified, mostly in how constantly bad things seem to be happening. Yet, this amplification is purposeful as it aids in creating empathy and aims to be a metaphor for how “Generation Z” is constantly having information pushed down their throat. In turn, young people are growing up faster and dealing with a lot more complex issues at a young age. Therefore, Euphoria does a great job at meeting its goal and creating empathy for “Generation Z.” Hopefully, the show will inspire progress towards absolving addicts from the stigma that surrounds their disease, as…
“People with addiction continue to be blamed for their disease. Even though medicine long ago reached a consensus that addiction is a complex brain disorder with behavioral components, the public and even many in healthcare and the justice system continue to view it as a result of moral weakness and flawed character.”
(( National Institute On Drug Abuse. “Adressing the stigma that surrounds addiction”. 22, april 2020. ))
In this latest season, Rue is seen hitting her “rock bottom” in episode 5. Lead actress Zendaya, prior to the episode, asked fans to “not give up hope on Rue just yet. She may be a flawed person… but it’s really important that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for her because I think she has a lot of beauty inside of her.'” (( Yahoo! Entertainment. “Zendaya Says Euphoria ‘s Latest Episode Is Proof Rue Is an ‘Unreliable Narrator.'” 7, February 2022. )).
Thankfully, Euphoria gives representation to not only “Generation Z,” but to those who struggle with addiction and allows its audience a lens through which they can empathize with Rue and see her as a three-dimensional character. At the end of the day, the show helps to shine a light on the beauty that the entire cast and crew, from Sam Levinson to Zendaya, can vouch for in Rue, which ultimately minimizes the stigma surrounding addiction in individuals like her.