Last summer, the highly anticipated HBO show “Euphoria,” directed by Sam Levinson, was released, billed as a show that would reveal the intricacies and realities of life for teenagers. In particular, it focuses on Generation Z, often defined as living in a “post-9/11” world. Levinson is not subtle about his intention to make “Euphoria” generation-defining, as he includes actual footage of 9/11 in the show’s opening scenes as an introduction to the main character, Rue Bennet, portrayed by actress Zendaya.
It turns out that creating one show meant to speak for an entire generation is far too lofty a goal. When my friends and I watched the show, we quickly realized that it was not, in fact, made for real teenagers, or at least not teenagers like ourselves. While “Euphoria” certainly has its moments, such as an Emmy-winning performance by Zendaya and a willingness to tackle complicated issues, the show ultimately fails to deliver a realistic portrayal of high school life.
The problem with styling a show as generation-defining is that no singular show could ever successfully capture the totality of a generation’s experiences. Thus those stories deemed “less interesting” are pushed to the side. Indeed, by presenting itself as a realistic show, “Euphoria” risks alienating its viewers whose lives are far more mundane than those of its characters. Most teenagers do not deal with the issues that it so brutally represents, and the show perhaps inadvertently defines the standard or desirable teenage experience through a very narrow lens, normalizing extreme events.
“Euphoria” seems to define itself in opposition to a different type of teen show, typified by long-running series like “Gossip Girl,” “Riverdale,” and “One Tree Hill.” None of these productions ever claim to present anything approaching realism at all. Instead, they lean heavily into wish fulfillment and fantasy, providing viewers with an image of high school where drama and house parties abound, but homework and parental supervision are mysteriously absent. The allure of “Gossip Girl” comes from its exclusive focus on the rich and privileged, “Riverdale” follows murder-solving teenagers, and most “One Tree Hill” plotlines read like a soap opera.
Despite all of the supposed differences between these two approaches to teen-focused programming, they are actually far more similar than they might seem. All of these shows, whether meant to be realistic or glamorous, warp the perceptions of their teenage fans. Even shows that are meant to be completely fantastical, like “Teen Wolf,” still cast 20-year-olds as high school sophomores, creating misleading expectations about appearances for actual teenagers that can have lasting consequences. While wish-fulfillment shows are more blatantly corrosive, shows like “Skins” or “Euphoria” almost overcorrect in trying to distinguish themselves from the rest, with characters living similarly unattainable lives.
“Euphoria,” for all of its grit and darkness, has the same shortcomings as shows that do not take themselves so seriously. Zendaya, who plays the troubled Rue Bennet, is 24. Jacob Elordi, responsible for portraying the show’s hypermasculine villain Nate, is 23. In fact, Storm Reid is the only teenaged actor, and she plays Rue’s younger 13-year-old sister.
“Euphoria” also has a habit of offering compelling visuals devoid of much substance, thus selling viewers the same hollow fantasy as the shows it endeavors to separate itself from. For example, scenes from the fourth episode, “Shook Ones: Pt. II,” are often posted on social media or listed in compilations of the show’s best moments. Unfortunately, the content lacks narrative depth; the episode is overstuffed, and the individually entertaining plot points never connect to deliver a meaningful arc.
With this inaccurate casting comes pressure for real-life teenagers to always strive to appear older. Many have identified the risks that social media poses to adolescents, particularly in regards to body image and mental health. Especially with the advent of social media, many feel that they should grow up quickly. Girls, in particular, feel the pressure of a constant emphasis on presentation and brand curation. While it is perhaps impossible to stop middle and high schoolers from wanting to be older, very few depictions of teenagers make immaturity seem like an acceptable option. These television shows essentially present an escapist fantasy as a possible reality tantalizingly close to being realized. They promise their young audience that they, too, can and should live the lives of their characters.
This worldview asserts itself later in life as well. On campus, many first-years take advantage of their newly-found independence by pushing themselves to go to as many parties as possible and drink as much as they can. While a survey by the National Institutes of Health found that respondents had an average of only 20 people at the last party they threw, many of the events of “Euphoria” take part during massive school-wide house parties, such as in “Pilot” and “The Next Episode.” Additionally, while drugs are a constant presence in the show (and fairly easy to come by), only 11% of 12th graders reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana in the past year during a recent survey.
While many eventually find a happy balance, this phenomenon illustrates the pressure many feel to play “catch up” in college after not experiencing the “typical” high school experience that they see portrayed in the media. Many also feel that their lives are not as spontaneous or eventful as they should be, worrying that their peers are more advanced and adventurous in their substance use.
This dissatisfaction will persist despite how we choose to live because regardless of the specific lifestyle a show endorses, the commonality between “Gossip Girl” and “Euphoria” is unattainability. At Harvard, where students tend to have spent a lot of their time in high school doing schoolwork or extracurriculars, I have seen many of my friends get caught up in wanting to live up to these impossible standards; every year, ambulances get called to Harvard Yard in the middle of the night to attend to those who drank too much.
Even during a pandemic, this semester has been no exception. As we age out of the target audience for teen television, these shows now haunt us as a reminder of what we thought high school would be. Instead of being happy with our experiences, we can’t help but wish that somehow we had been different. This is at the core of what fuels the demand for shows like “Euphoria”; they are generation-defining, but only in the sense that they set impossible goals that each generation is left to emulate as best as it can.
Image Credit: HBO
