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What 'Euphoria' Gets Right-and Wrong-About Teen Drug Use

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Euphoria holds a specific narrative on substance abuse. The reason why their representation of substance abuse in teens is so crucial is because of the popularity of this show. Can the wrong representation affect viewers? Is it romanticizing the idea of drugs? Or bringing proper awareness?

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What ‘Euphoria’ Gets Right—and Wrong—About Teen Drug Use

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Addiction experts weigh in on the popular show

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But what did he really do? This article discusses what might’ve been Drake’s role in Euphoria.

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* HBO's Euphoria debuted last week.
* Drake is an executive producer of the show.
* But...what is his actual role here?

With the premiere of their provocative new drama Euphoria, HBO just might have a hit on their hands. Behind a major star like Zendaya, who's built herself into an influencer as well as a talented actress with big-time projects like the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home, the show has a sturdy base. But it's also played up the involvement of a certain rapper-slash-NBA fan-slash-former Degrassi star in a major way.

Drake's name, throughout the entire rollout of the HBO, has just been thrown in there. It was there during the show's end credits, he was there, smiling at the red carpet premiere, and most headlines associated with the show have made sure to mention his name.

But what, exactly, is Drake's role in Euphoria?

We know that the creative driving force behind the show is creator Sam Levinson, who's said that much of Euphoria's addiction storylines were mined from his own life, and who had already established his dark, chaotic, teen drama mood with his film Assassination Nation.

We also know that outside of a very cringe-worthy cameo in Anchorman 2, some brief cringe-worthy acting in music videos, and, yes, some OK appearances on SNL, Drake has hardly interacted with the film/television side of things since his last appearance on Degrassi, which was back in 2009. Which brings up our question, once again: what is Drake's role here?

Yes, it's certainly possible that Drake's Degrassi pedigree would make him a worthwhile producer on this teen drama show. He grew up on Degrassi, and saw how it's done. But also how likely do you think it is that Drake is sitting around a writer's room, crunching up pieces of notebook paper, and screaming "NEXT!" like he's J. Jonah Jameson? Not very likely. Still, I wonder.

It's also possible, that much like on Euphoria's fellow HBO series, Insecure, that Drake was a major contributor to the show's soundtrack. Insecure has had great music throughout its run, and that came early thanks to assistance from Solange. This could be Drake's role. But is it?

Let's look at some of the evidence. In an interview with , Maude Apatow, a main cast member of Euphoria and daughter of Judd, said that she only saw Drake on set once.

"I only saw Drake on set one time, but he came completely unannounced and I was so nervous," she told the publication. "I turn around and he was standing there and I was like Oh my god. I was freaking out."

A cast member only saw the executive producer on set once? OK. That's fine. At least now we know he was there. But what did he do? How did Euphoria use Drake's entertainment world expertise? He's one of the most famous people in the world-there's got to be some way the show could take advantage of that, right?

Maybe he could use that eye for talent to pick out the show's star. That would be a good use, right? In an ET article titled ' Why Zendaya Is Grateful to Have Drake as an Executive Producer on the author paraphrases, saying that the rapper was 'one of the loudest champions for Zendaya to be cast in the title role,' which has to be somewhat miscommunicated, as the title- Euphoria- is not representative of Zendaya's, or anyone's specific character. But I digress. Zendaya's quote from that same article does not seem to back up the author's paraphrasing: "I don't know if he was involved in the casting, but I will say we're lucky to have someone who believes in the show," she told them. Hmm. Hmmmmmmm.

An Associated Press video from the show's premiere showed Drake glamming it up, as he does, and also played quick clips from three of the show's stars. Zendaya talked about how she met him on set once, in a hurried manner, Hunter Schafer talked about how she met him on the set, once, in a hurried manner, and Storm Reid said that she "can't wait to meet him," meaning that she was walking the red carpet alongside the executive producer of the show that she is a star on, and had not yet met him. OK!

So we don't know if Drake was involved with the casting of Euphoria, and we're sure that he was only around set enough for a main cast member to see him once-ish, and we don't really think he was spending a ton of time brainstorming in the writers room. But, and thank god for this, we can confirm that he threw the cast a wrap party, and he was handing out cash.

"He gave away, I don't want to say how much bread he gave away, but he gave us some money at the wrap party," actor Algee Smith, another Euphoria cast member said in an interview with TMZ. "It was hefty. You could buy a couple cars, I'll say that."

One other thing we can confirm: Drake is as excited to show off his involvement in the show as everyone else seems to want to show off his involvement with the show. He posted this Instagram on the day of the show's premiere last week:

And he made this comment on one of Zendaya's posts, where she and co-star Hunter Schafer are looking at themselves in awe on a skyscraper advertisement:

You know what? I think I've got it figured it out. Drake has been so good at his role as the top fan for the Toronto Raptors-he got in the head of some of the team's opponents, and the Raptors just won the title, after all-that he's taken on that same role, of Top Fan, for Euphoria. Right? I guess so.

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So...What Exactly Is Drake's Role on 'Euphoria'?

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HBO's Euphoria debuted last week. * Drake is an executive producer of the show.* But...what is his actual role here? With the premiere of their provocative new drama Euphoria, HBO just might have a hit on their hands.

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Labrinth is the writer and producer of the original song from Euphoria. His songs help the characters set a mood depending on their scene.

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one of the most interesting things i've seen as a viewer of this show is how much inspiration its cause. This is an instagram page a fan started. She hand makes clothing to dress barbie dolls and recreate scenes from the series. i thin its art even though other people think it's creepy.

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EUPHORIA MADDY PEREZ INSPIRED MAKEUP TUTORIAL

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The artists use of glitter especially on Rue. Rue envisioned herself crying glitter and there’s several scenes in which she’s really crying and there’s glitter streaming down her face.

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The diner used to film the scene where Rue asks to meet Ali (her sponsor) is the same diner from the famous movie, Pulp Fiction

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The make up and fashion in euphoria was something everyone was talking about and still is talking about. The way these make up artists used glitter and rhinestones to make these eye looks perfectly crafted for each of these characters. One of the many. Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie)

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Rue at the ages of 4, 10 and 17

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Euphoria has a very unique narrative unlike any other story told before. The show’s fashion, make up, music and cinematography have inspired viewers around the world. Euphoria opens up several important conversations and brings fresh content to the teenage drama genre and tells the story of young adults in a different light.

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Jacob Elordi being an Emmy award winning actor for 2 minutes and 7 seconds 

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Jacob Elordi being an Emmy award winning actor for 2 minutes and 7 seconds 

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Nate Jacobs tantrum scene as he finally fights his dad.

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Euphoria S01E08 | Nate Jacobs fights his father and has a breakdown | Season Finale

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Euphoria and the evolving boundaries of TV Sexuality 

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Euphoria and the evolving boundaries of TV Sexuality 

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Article i referred to in the paper; good read.

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Aug 20, 2019 4 min read

Playboy examines how Zendaya's buzzy HBO series is informed by previous shows' takes on sex

Before Euphoria even aired its pilot, pearl-clutchers and lovers of TV-MA programming alike were intrigued by one omnipresent headline: HBO's new show about high schoolers was set to have an incredibly high volume of full-frontal male nudity. Specifically, 30 penises were rumored to pepper one episode.

So, it seemed like Gen Z's first U.S. teen drama unbeholden to the cable censors would quickly outpace its predecessors, from Gossip Girl to Skins, in its portrayal of teen sexuality. Which is kind of true. But though Gen X and millennial viewers might get an extreme urge to take every teen in their life to a Disney double feature after binging the recently completed eight-episode season, what's most striking about the show is how closely it's able to stick to classic teen story lines while still raising the blood pressure of Sunday-school teachers everywhere.

That phenomena is probably best captured by Kat's storyline. Played by body-positive model Barbie Ferreira, Kat becomes a camgirl after a video of her losing her virginity is posted online (without her consent), and she sees the positive, though creepy, feedback it gets online. Euphoria isn't the first show to feature a teen girl dabbling in webcam sex work- Brie Larson's Kate on The United States of Tara was sitting on cakes while men virtually watched nearly a decade ago. And while it's still refreshing for a show to costar a plus-sized women (or any woman, really) truly taking ownership of her sexuality and enjoying sex, Kat's saga plays out like so many TV teenage misfits before her.

Certain that she'll be rejected and wanting to preempt it, Kat spurns the sweet guy who likes her for her, instead opting for a series of at times sexually gratifying, but often emotionally damaging, hookups. Eventually, at the school dance, of all places, she admits she's afraid of being hurt, he suggests they give it a try anyway and they go off into the sunset, maybe to have sex in the janitor's closet, but more likely to actually watch Netflix and chill.

Sometimes the show takes a tried-and-true storyline and adds a little nuance for 2019. Toward the end of the season, a teenager-who was cautioned by her mom not to get pregnant-actually gets pregnant, and while that plot point is older than an ABC Afterschool Special, it does paint abortion as a safe, not overly traumatic option.

The bluntness of the question-"What's your number?"-makes the characters bolder than even their early 2000s counterparts.

What does set Euphoria apart from teen shows past is its spotlight on romantic relationships between queer and trans characters (notably, importantly, played by trans actors). Fans of even the original Degrassi could point out that LGBTQ relationships on teen TV is nothing new, but Euphoria presents a group of teens who truly believe sexuality is a spectrum. Rue (Zendaya) describes her maybe-girlfriend, Jules (Hunter Schafer), as "predominantly het." Later, when a friend of a friend asks about Jules' love life, she asks if she's primarily hooked up with guys, rather than asking for a label. Rue's sexual history is exclusively guys whom she doesn't seem to have any spark with until she falls in love with Jules. But again, the characters and the show aren't interested in putting a label on her sexual orientation, simply presenting the past as lackluster entries in her romance ledger, and her current relationship as fueled by love and lust.

Maybe the most jarring detail of the teens' hookups is the often-repeated question, "What's your number?" It's surprising not just because that phrase reached its peak pop-culture relevance with Anna Faris' 2011 rom-com of the same name. Asking how many sexual partners your potential hookup has had comes off on the show as high-schooler small talk, and while the idea of sexual one-upmanship at high school parties on-screen isn't new, the bluntness of the question does seem to make the characters bolder than even their early 2000s counterparts.

Not everything about the way the series handles sexuality is progressive. It's not a great look that the only real discussion around consent comes from a girl lying about being blackout drunk during a hookup, giving her abusive boyfriend ammunition to accuse that other guy of rape (though he did commit statutory rape). And while bad guy Nate's (Jacob Elordi) girlfriend, Maddy (Alexa Demie), is willing to say no one is 100% gay or 100% straight when she seems to find proof Nate has been getting dick pics from other guys, her heart isn't really behind it, and you don't get the impression she would really be comfortable with Nate coming out as bi or pan.

Euphoria is a show that's taking a lot of creative risks. The close-up, light-shifting, mood-changing shots are gorgeous, and whatever you think about the music video that closes out the season, it was different in a way that got people talking. Even if the way the show explores teen sexuality isn't groundbreaking, the fact that more teens will see themselves reflected in the high schoolers who are bumbling their way through the halls and each other's beds is groundbreaking.

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'Euphoria' and the Evolving Boundaries of TV Sexuality

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Aug 20, 2019 4 min read Before Euphoria even aired its pilot, pearl-clutchers and lovers of TV-MA programming alike were intrigued by one omnipresent headline: HBO's new show about high schoolers was set to have an incredibly high volume of full-frontal male nudity. Specifically, 30 penises were rumored to pepper one episode.

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Why the cinematography in Euphoria is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

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Music video for original song by Labrinth, “ All for us”

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euphoria | official song by labrinth & zendaya - “all for us” full song (s1 ep8) | HBO