ARTS & CULTURE FEATURE
feeling out euphoria
By Clara Davis
E
ven if you haven’t seen the second season of Euphoria, you’ve probably seen the TikToks, memes, and tweets that have taken the internet by storm since its release on January 9. At Tufts, the show’s popularity has brought people together for weekly watch parties and heated debates about the show’s depiction of teenage life. Euphoria premiered in the summer of 2019 but had to pause production in 2020 due to the pandemic. The second season picks up on New Year’s Eve, the same December that Season 1 left off on. Rue, the main character played by Zendaya, struggles with addiction throughout both seasons. Rue is also the narrator; each episode begins with her telling of another character’s backstory which gives context to the characters’ actions in the present. Having garnered tremendous online attention, Euphoria has evolved into 18 TUFTS TUFTSOBSERVER OBSERVER SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY 14,28,2022 18 2020
a source of creative inspiration for young adults that are active on social media platforms. For example, young people have created a new TikTok trend commenting on Euphoria’s costume design. In these videos, TikTokers appear dressed in comfortable, casual clothing, until an audio featuring Spongebob’s Squidward comes in, asking: “And why aren’t you in uniform?” Then, the person walks off camera before returning dressed in a trendy and revealing outfit in the style that Euphoria has become famous for. The trend points out the stark contrast between ordinary clothes worn in real high school versus Euphoria’s off the wall fashion. After watching enough of these TikToks, you can see that most high school students certainly do not dress like Euphoria characters. But perhaps the goal of the costumes lies beyond realism. In an interview with Vogue, Euphoria costume designer Heidi Bivins explained how she designs each outfit to correlate with the characters’ emotional state in the episode, imagining how their feelings would influence how they get dressed in the morning. Bivins also recalled that when she was beginning to costume the pilot episode, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson told her that he doesn’t “give an eff about reality.” This gave Bivins the artistic license to dress characters in outfits that the majority of high school students wouldn’t wear to school, or have the budget for. “[The outfits are] so representative of each character… portray[ing] their arcs and explor[ing] [the characters’] identit[ies],” said freshman Hami Trinh. By taking part in the “And Why Aren’t You in Uniform?” trend, young people are imagining what they would look like if they attended what the internet has
deemed “Euphoria High.” The styles popularized by the teenage characters on the show may not reflect everyday outfits, but they influence how young people have fun with clothing and makeup, even if just to post online. “The glitter and sparkles and jewels that defined season one really exacerbated maximalist makeup trends that we saw in 2019 – 2020, especially on sites like TikTok,” Trinh said. Season 2 has a slightly different look. The clothing continues to evolve with the characters, becoming even more detached from conventional high school attire, and the makeup is bold but less glittery. The most recent trend of posting Euphoria-inspired outfits online is a thematic progression of 2019’s widespread Euphoria-themed parties. The dress code at these themed events was to dress like the characters in the show, with dramatic under-eye glitter and vibrant colors. However, today’s Tiktoks are not only concerned with celebrating Euphoria’s fashion. They also highlight the juxtaposition between “normal” clothing and Euphoria clothing in order to mock the show’s “unrealistic” depictions of teen fashion, and even behavior. Much of the internet is now saturated with jokes, jabs, and serious criticisms about Euphoria’s authenticity. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Mmm, is this realistic?’” said freshman Miguel Caba. “‘Is a high school really doing this?’ It’s a very entertaining show at the very least; the ridiculous stuff going on—like Cassie on the carousel—[kept] me engaged.” There are usually several plotlines within a single Euphoria episode, leaving viewers with a sense that everything in the world of “Euphoria High” is pure chaos. The series has been criticized for the sheer amount of nudity and sexual content, especially since the characters
