In 2019, nearly 500,000 viewers tuned in to watch a unique new show with some of their favorite stars. Fast forward to the show’s second season release, 2.4 million people streamed the premiere episode marking it a series high at the time. Sam Levinson created Euphoria as an adaption of the 2012 Israeli series with the same name. The show follows Rue Bennet, played by actress Zendaya, who is a troubled drug addict in high school surrounded by other teenagers with various struggles. Despite the raunchy and dark nature of the hit series, teens across the country attached themselves to characters and certain themes of the show making it a hit with a younger audience than intended. “The way the teens in Euphoria dress for class has long been fodder for internet jokes — and now it’s the blueprint for a TikTok trend,” Reporter Elena Cavender wrote in her Mashable review. In the summer of 2019, a new trend hit TikTok highlighting Euphoria makeup looks inspired by the creative makeup in the show. This continued with the release of the next season with more trends focused on its fashion. However, Labyrinth’s music was always a pillar of the show’s popularity. According to Variety, Sam Levinson told Rolling Stone, “He’s an incredible collaborator and someone who really built the foundation of the sound of ‘Euphoria.’ The soundtrack served to romanticize a lot of the darker aspects of the show and feed into the appeal for younger generations with songs like “Still Don’t Know My Name” and “All For Us.” Unfortunately, Labrinth announced his abrupt leave from season 3 of the show on his Instagram story with a blunt and hostile statement according to Variety. As this may come as a shock to some people, others not so much. The director and creator Sam Levinson has been in hot water numerous times with other collaborators, including actresses. Actress Barbie Ferreira stated on a podcast: “since we can’t find anything and we can’t land on anything, I’m like, ‘Let me just go. Let me just go do my thing,’” when talking about her character, Kat’s, storyline with Levinson. This is not the first time Levinson has clashed with actors on set especially with disagreements over explicit scenes. Actress Sydney Sweeney voiced her opinions to The Independent stating, “I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here,’” in which he would respond, ‘Okay, we don’t need it.’ The controversy surrounding the show amidst its release was primarily due to its raunchier scenes despite the cast being depicted as teenagers. There was also backlash from viewers saying certain aspects of the show felt objectifying and misogynistic for the female characters. Sam Levinson took his stance in 2023 saying,“We live in a very sexualised world. Especially in the States,” and the impact of adult content “is strong in the psyche of young people.” The director and creator has clearly doubled down on his choices despite backlash. All in all, the story of Rue Bennet highlights issues with drug addiction and mental health as a young teenager, a story millions resonate with. As seen from the trends that took over social media, the art that coincided with this story also inspired viewers. The show’s ability to attract controversy is not surprising, as there are valid questions raised having to do with the morality of the show, however, some viewers just want to sit down and turn on a popular show, watch their favorite actors, or feel like they are in on an inside joke. No matter what it may be, the show continues its popularity with 8.5 million viewers tuning in for the season 3 premiere now streaming on HBO Max.
