Euphoria and the Romanticization of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
By: Alice Mendelev
The artistry and aesthetics of films has begun to increasingly popularize throughout the recent years. Particularly, the use of aesthetically pleasing shots that are seen in shows and films has increasingly become common in an effort to provide shots in film that represent the issues that the characters have felt. ‘Euphoria’ is one of the modern shows that focus on the aesthetics and imagery of scenes to illustrate symbolism in specific scenes. This show is a representation of the many issues that are faced by the youth in this generation, the show uses symbolism and artistic filming to represent the protagonists problems. Sam Levinson is the creator and director of the show, he wanted to create a storyline which depicts teenagers with troubled pasts and issues that can relate to the older viewers. Although the main characters are all underaged teenagers, the use of explicit scenery and scenarios create an intensity to the show. The show connects to the studies that were learned in class, particularly, relating to the visual representation to the viewers eyes. Levinson’s ‘Euphoria’ combines romanticization of trauma and teenagers through the use of substance abuse and mental illness that is glorified through angelic music and beautifully taken shots in film. This essay will focus on how everyday issues that the younger generation face are being represented through an artistic style approach. The journals that were observed, will support evidence as to the symbolism and artistry in film that can provide an idealistic approach to issues that are seen in the younger audience.
Representation of Infamous Films
The show ‘Euphoria’ has become extremely popular due to the raw performances of trauma and issues that are represented by all the characters. The show has created a phenomenon that shows what the characters go through without the use of sugar coating the problems that they face. Although the show is raw and emotional, the use of symbolism and aesthetic is highly seen in the entirety of the show. There are plenty of scenes that are artistic and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, these shots were made to create an immersive feeling for the viewers as well. After or during intense scenes, they would use symbolic references or figures that would be recreated throughout the show. The show uses the film techniques of providing aesthetically pleasing shots, no matter the intensity of the scenario. For instance, in the show they represent characters from past films that are a recreation of iconic films or scenes, ‘In presenting a transgender teen using Shakespeare’s Juliet to assert her gender identity, Levinson offers an unusual opportu- nity to consider how the contemporary trans experience might challenge traditional understandings of the male-female binary in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”’ (Votava 593). In this statement, Votava expresses the use of symbolism in the costumes that were seen in the show, and how they use costumes as a representation for other films. In the photo, Jule’s is dressed as Juliet in the Claire Danes version, this costume is a representation of the character herself, the symbolism of her costume and character comparison is an underlying symbolic reference. The use of symbolism to the viewers is to create a cause and effect to the show; this is because they heavily rely on the use of aesthetic film and underlying symbols to question the audience. ‘In Euphoria, the halloween costumes various media referents are less about the peculiar cultural literacy of the teen characters who wear them than the series’s self-conscious intertextuality’ (Votava, 596). The show uses these references for the viewers to recognize the costumes from infamous films that are worn by the main characters. These techniques that are seen in film or shows is a sign of underlying symbolism for viewers to think deeper when watching, to look into the history of the costume and the characters personality and situation. Aside from the use of costumes and famous films that are brought up, the show heavily focuses on the unfiltered lifestyles of the protagonists and the antagonists. The show creates uncomfortability with their use of storytelling and imagery that is used in their film, inspiring a reaction from the viewers.
Use of Symbolism
The show is known to shock viewers for their explicit content with their deep and dark narration that makes the viewers feel as if they are a part of the storyline as well. This show represents the rawness of young adolescents that are experiencing life with past trauma and current issues that they are facing. However, as the show does a representation of drama, it does a good presentation of underlying symbolism that is prevalent in the show, for instance; Cassie is seen crying with her hair perfectly done and flowers blooming perfectly behind her. This imagery is a representation of innocence being tarnished in her ‘sinful’ acts towards her loved ones. The image can be looked at through the perspective of a seeing eye, whether the colors are symbolic to the scenario or the placement of objects can represent the underlying message of the photo itself. ‘What we know as the face is a thin mask of frail, interconnected muscle fibers attached to a layer of fat and skin. What we recognize as the emotions and beauty of the face depend entirely on this mat of tissues.. But the majority of facial muscles have nothing to do but pull the skin in different expressions’ (Elkins, 146). What is stated is the study of a face through expressions, Cassie’s face is seen to be sad and in despair; notice as her eyes are red and filled with tears. Her expression reads an image strongly, just by the flowers placed behind her to represent the innocence and beauty that she represents in the image. Colour is also a representation of an image, it can determine the mood or setting of an image, ‘The human eye can distinguish over two million different colors.. The number of basic colors depends largely on who you ask’ (Elkins, 202). The use of colors can be determined through different perspectives, and can be symbolized through the underlying meaning of the image. Another way of analyzing an image through symbolization, ‘this practice must be imaginary, rather than perceptual, because what is being visualized is too substantial for any one person to see and is created from information, images and ideas. This ability to assemble a visualization manifests the authority of the visualizer’ (Mirzoeff, 2). This statement focuses on the practice of visualization from the importance of looking into the underlying meaning of visualizing. This can represent the importance of symbolism in the show, because of the use of symbolic images and representation in the characters.
Romanticization of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
The use of illegal substances and overdoses that appear on the show is used to not provide glorification to the characters’ issues. They use her flashbacks, and angelic scenes that make it seem as if her overdoses are her visions in heaven, these scenes are symbolic to the viewers because of her struggles with substances. Rue is one of the main protagonists that suffers with the use of substance abuse and bipolar disorder where in most of her scenes she is on drugs and sees things that the viewers tend to see as well. Her use of drugs and imagination is seen in most of her scenes, drug visions represent the effects that can be caused when one is abusing substances. ‘While the show does not directly discuss public health, it aims to realistically portray elements of a public health crisis – the opioid epidemic- through the show’s characters and themes. HBO also uses their platform to provide support to viewers, including a crisis text line and links to addiction, mental health, and suicide prevention information support groups on Euphoria’s website at the end of each episode’ (Kaufman, 2). In this statement, the studies proved that the show has used realistic scenarios to provide support to those that relate to the characters that suffer with mental health and substance abuse issues. The show represents Rue’s experience through the visuals and effects she feels when she is taking substances; the producers and directors focus on getting her perspective throughout the entirety of the show. Not only do certain scenes represent her point of view, they represent multiple characters that are a part of her life that try to help her. The use of the euphoric point of view that Rue feels when she is taking drugs, then shows the realities of how she appears to those that are surrounding her. ‘The resulting imbrication of mentality and organization produces a visualized deployment of bodies and training of minds, organized so as to sustain both physical segregation between rulers and rules, and mental compliance with those arrangements’ (Mirzoeff, 5). Looking between the representation of the mind and the body that is seen between the protagonist Rue and the other characters, shows the difference in symbolism between the body and mind. Overall, the visual representation of the characters that face different issues is to present the symbolic visual effects that provide underlying problems that are depicted throughout the film.
The use of symbolism that is seen through the entirety of the show ‘Euphoria’ is represented through the way the show uses underlying symbolic references that are seen in the series. The use of different visual representations that were learnt in class, such as the complexity of visuality; these are represented in the use of looking through visuals through the complexity of thinking deeply. Euphoria represents the importance of issues that young people face, within the realm of issues that are portrayed in the show, the use of visuals and symbolization provide a deeper sense of knowledge and hidden meaning to the viewers. The show has many layers to it that are visually complex, in that sense it means that the use of symbolism and visual representation is important to recognize when analyzing a cultural text or film. Texts from Elkins and Mirzoeff prove that the use of visual representations is important and key when analyzing an item or artifact, their use of theories in the works of visualization and products that are detailed to the eye. Their use of theories, provided a detailed and visual analyzation of the entire series which eventually presented a deeper analogy to the detailed descriptions of the series and its underlying topics. The use of filmography and representing the troubled teen lives that is seen in Euphoria and its underlying symbolism is consistently seen throughout the entire series.
Work Cited:
Elkins, James. How to Use Your Eyes. New York, N.Y: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Kaufman, Michelle R., et al. “‘This Show Hits Really Close to Home on so Many Levels’: An Analysis of Reddit Comments about HBO’s Euphoria to Understand Viewers’ Experiences of and Reactions to Substance Use and Mental Illness.” ScienceDirect,
Mirzoeff, Nicholas. “The Right to Look at a Counterhistory of Visuality” Durham, US: Duke University Press Books, 2011.
Votava, Jennie M. “The Ethiop’s Jewel Meets Euphoria‘s Jules: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in an HBO Appropriation of Shakespeare.” Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 38 no. 4, 2020, p. 593-614.
Ward, Monique L. “Using TV as a Guide: Associations Between Television Viewing and Adolescents’ Sexual Attitudes and Behavior.” Wiley Online Library,
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