This was quite an interesting first episode 😳 Please let me know your thoughts, I am really curious to hear what people think of this show so far! If there is something missing from this episode that you'd like me to comment on let me know and I'll try and answer it in the comments or in next week's video. Thank you for being here! 👇
@Marya Rhena its just a tv show for entertainment, dont have to overanalyse everything said and done, if that was the case we should make a big issue everytime someone dies in tv shows
The funny thing about an SA fantasy is that it's an oxymoron, right? A fantasy is something you *want* while SA is sex you *don't* want. Even in fantasizing about having no control, you paradoxically do have it on the canvas of your own mind. I would add a 4th reason I think I've observed: a defense mechanism. SA is a constant threat in many people's minds, so this could be an attempt to protect the psyche. If you can fetishize a horror, you can perhaps develop a "too kinky to torture" state of mind to fall into. You're turning into the skid, rather than facing the trauma of fighting hard only to lose anyway. I feel like I've caught hints of this, and existential boredom, in people's descriptions of these fantasies online.
Imagine if physical illness got fetishized in the same way. If someone said "omg, it's so hot that that person can't walk" they would sound like an obvious predator. Predatory is exactly what people who think mental illness is sexy are, only it's so much more social acceptable, and 'normal' to do it
Umm you have been living under a rock haven't you? Mental illness has become the biggest fetish of the 21st century why do you think we have people identifying even as animals and they cannot define what a woman is and math is racist among other imbecilities.
@@hwoods-kg1jf Again the problem is that mental illnesses are being very much indeed being fetished for profit like never before in recorded human history as is Global nowadays
the fact he thought their was too much woman perspective and scrapped all of that literally destroys me. He does NOT care about woman. Any person who loves him is crazy
I feel like they wanted it to be as grounded in reality as possible: unfortunately in real life. that's the point of the show. i think he is unfortunately showing EXACTLY what happens in real life, as much as we hate, in the end the victims are girls who have suffered their whole life abuse from more powerful people, most of the time being men. and I think this is VERY clear during the eps: NOBODY talks about the main character directly to her, even though she is in the room, they talk about HER, they want to make money on her clearly being depressed, they only care about her if theyre making money using her
Sam Levision’s work has majorly been through the women’s lens. Most of his shows and movies are about women and what they go through… so idk about saying they don’t care about women or their stories isn’t accurate. But I do think they definitely do not know how to write women at times.
@@whycaninotfindagood not at times a lot of the times whenever you see his shows you know it’s written by a MAN for the male gaze. just because a story is centered around a woman doesn’t mean it’s from a women’s lens and this show is the best example for that
i think one of the other common reasons some women might end up developing a grape fantasy is wanting to be wanted. to be wanted so badly that they dont even consider if you want them too, like some women who might have spent their whole lives getting absolutely zero attention and possibly constant rejection. its so horrible and sad, just wanting to be wanted so badly you dont even mind if its denying you of your autonomy and humanity
She actually already said that. That was reason two out of three. But yeh it doesn’t mean these people are necessarily healthy and sane normal people. I had a friend like that once and besides having these types of fantasies, she would flirt with older men or her friends’ boyfriends (mine for example) just cause she enjoyed being desired so much. B*tch was crazy
I am 38 and I have counted 6 sexual partners over the course of my that expressed their rape fantasies. I never wanted to do it as it made me incredibly uncomfortable! All of them were attractive and had no issues with attention. After the first time I asked the other 5 if they had experienced any sexual trauma and they all said no. On the flip side I have my guy friends who like feet. I have one friend who likes to get peed on…actually I’ve had a couple women ask me for this as well. I had one woman ask me for a Daddy/little relationship which I had to google😂 that was a big nope for me. But that’s why it’s important to have boundaries. I never once shamed them at all I just politely declined. I think human sexuality is varied and that’s ok. As long as both partners are consenting. The only thing that worries me is when you’re talking about underage men and women. They are constantly bombarded with sexual content. Porn is horrible for young men and women and I honestly had to delete instagram when everyone started objectifying themselves. It’s cussing real problems and further exacerbating an already terrible mental health crisis.
Allegedly the scene where the intimacy coordinator gets locked in the bathroom is based on real situations from the set of Euphoria where the intimacy coordinator would have to put a stop to some of Sam Levinson’s ideas, and Sam would get so mad he’d try to lock them out of the set.
Really? That's just fucked up! Aren't intimacy coordinators supposed to prevent their clients from being sexually exploited by their agencies? Locking them up just because they want their clients to strip them of their clothing and/or probably of their personal opinions and rights is simply fucked up to the max.
Robbing the show from its female perspective format really feels like it’s robbing the audience of an honest discussion of women’s autonomy of their personal and public self. It has several good points about pressure, loss of worth due to perception of sexual activity, and trusting someone who masks their true self, possibly causing more damage mentally and emotionally. These are raw things that we need to discuss more as a society, but with the switch to the male perspective replacing the female perspective as the narrative tone, it feels like it’s really watered down for glamour and sexiness and “she’s strong because she’s damaged”. It feels like the creators of the show are like Jocelyn’s managers: trying to romanticize the struggles the show presents rather than the truth that we want, and that’s what turned off so many people from The Idol
@- Or it depicts how the entertainment industry actually works instead of hiding with an "empowered" woman incapable of doing wrong and making all males m0rons that one would think is a miracle they can go to the bathroom by themselves as 99.99 % of entertainment does nowadays
@@amandadunn7678 It shows from a third-person perspective what happens to women in Hollywood. She gets little autonomy. That's the point; she doesn't realise that she has no voice to speak up for herself. 'Disgusting tripe' - you're getting close to Karen territory.
Here is one thing I really want to address with the sexual content. She's already in a vulnerable place. He knows this and he fully takes advantage of it. That should be seen as a type of coercion. It should make people watching question if they're seeing someone actually consenting or if they're seeing a vulnerable, drunk woman being taken advantage of. I feel it's the latter. It's disturbing
Not to mention this show is about a cult. People don’t know this yet because they’re not paying attention or they’re hate watching. Cults prey on vulnerable people. Tedros is a cult leader.
My thought is that Mr. Levinson has historically written female characters to be one-dimensional and boring. The one exception to this was Rue from Euphoria; to me she had so much depth and was incredibly multi-faceted, flawed, caring at times, but above all- human. I believe her character was the exception to his pattern for writing women this way, because, Rue was Sam's story. It was deeply personal for him. It's not that The Idol is filled with crude, sexual content, it's that the content itself falls flat.
He needs a female perspective to come in and guide him with the writing of his female characters. That’s why I found it very interesting that the female perspective was taken out. I feel like had he kept that it would love been more of relatable and enjoyable experience to watch the show. I will say that I will be tuning in to see how the show goes though.
I loved every second of this show. It's not comfortable watch and I like it because of that. I think Jocelyn is deep af and I'll continue watching it to see how she overcomes her situation (or if she tragically ends up in much worse state than now)
In somewhat you made a half of a good point and the other is just vaguely put into words . I think if you consider something to be exceptional that often would be associated with personal experience is a free reign or excuse to be so misogynistic and lacking of Realism where he provides misleading and harmful ideologies that he would rather see as art than bad writing
exploitation is not in any way or form acceptable and considering he's a man and got everyone streaming euphoria is dangerously impressed not only does he dehumanise and exploit women he also sexualizes teenagers . He creates a numb emotional pulling scene he claims he does but its only a girl being sexualized naked and crying so this shows that his thinking and making of is that exploitation can go both ways and van be rather sexy and a girl is more valuable if she offers her flesh and acts innocent and emotionally corrupted
The funny part is that The Weeknd has such an ego to think he can pull of this character off with so much charisma we'll fall for it, but he's just... not charismatic enough.
Originally The Weekend's character was supposed to be HOT to the point the female lead falls for him and ignores all of the manipulation and dangerous Red Flags because of his charming character because he was created for the female gaze but then Sam Levinson butchered his character with the weekend's terrible acting performance....He is just not it. His character was supposed to be terrifying in an iconic way. I just hate the fact that everything that was good about the show originally they changed and made it worse.
sam levinson and the weeknd are both majorly behind this. sam is known to have unnecessary nudity in his work (euphoria, sydney sweeney) it doesn't feel authentic at all, it feels real creepy, especially with the influence lily rose has over young girls
@@katgreer6113 Kids are watching this because of Jennie from Blackpink. Her fandom are mostly pre-teen and teen girls who will watch anything with her on screen. Even though Jennie plays a small role many of her young fans saw it
@@sofija642 oh. I actually thought her fans were boycotting it😭 Anyway...does it really work like that? Do teens just replicate what they see on TV? Just because it has a famous star they adore?
That "It's the price of safety" scene is incredibly ironic considering the original female director and the majority of the project were scrapped for having too female a perspective. They completely started over with Sam Levinson who will typically deliver stunning visuals, bad writing, and super problematic 'commentary' about sexual situations and abuse.
And had they done she would be perfect not have a problem in the world all males would be dumb and so on while what's really going on continues to be kept hidden no thanks.
It's so weird how they framed intimacy coordinators in this show. You need EVERYONE'S consent in a sex scene, like the camera operators and the assistants and stuff. It's not just about the lead. I dont know if that generally applies to top less nudity, but intimacy coordinators are there to protect and facilitate a good scene. The way the show dismissed them as a naive joke and then proceeded to have a bunch of intense sex scenes is alarming
I think you gave Sam Levinson too much credit on the "exposing too much nudity to make as feel uncomfortable because that's the way it is in Hollywood". He did the same thing in Euphoria. And shall i say, with teenagers (i mean they were played by 25 year olds, but they PORTRAYED teenagers so honestly its still creepy) Sam Levinson does make a few great points sometimes, but most of the time he just seems to fall exactly in the things he try to mock and make a satire of.
It wasn't that much of a dialogue/storyline uncomfort as it was of a feeling of cringe. I have said it before, I still don't know how I sat through Assassination nation, it was the moat god-awful film I've ever watched, I felt my eyes were burning and that's almost how I feel about this show too
Hearing your psychoanalysis of this show and the characters was honestly more insightful and entertaining than watching the show itself. You were able to give this very superficial and shallow series depth. Great work !❤
The show is not shallow or superficial. You’re analysis of it is. She was able to see the depth and implications and so was I and many others. I think a lot of you lack media literacy and it makes it harder to view this beyond flawed or evil characters
@@Maddy-fd2uf oh no I totally get the “deeper” messages this show is trying to convey but they do so by doing the things they are trying to criticize/examine in the show. Like remember how the movie Cuties used minors in very inappropriate ways to get their message across but by doing that they were just doing the same thing. Velma is another one that also comes to mind. Having a young woman struggling with her mental health and basically being used, manipulated and exploited by everyone around her quite frankly seems like what HBO is doing with main girl. You also don’t need to insult my level of media literacy just because I didn’t like the first episode of a show. I was complimenting the creator of this video, there was actually no need for you to reply to me at all.
@@markiej211 is the problem that you have with women being sexual in general? Because the problem isn’t women wanting to present themselves as sexy. The problem is the involuntary sexualizing of women especially young pop starts. Lily Rose Depp chose to be in this show and she has spoken out about how respected she felt on set filming this show and that’s what we need. Women having the chance to present themselves how they want. Cuties is different because it casted kids who didn’t know what they were doing. Lily volunteered to be shown in this manner to tell the story of how other women don’t get the choice. And it’s going to be uncomfortable because it’s a very dark and horrible story that they’re telling. And if you comment on a public site, you will get replied from the public. I don’t need to comment but I want to so I will🤷🏽♀️
@@Maddy-fd2uf abusing women on screen to convey a message is not the new and groundbreaking thing you think it is. Sam levinson is a creep and there have been MANY instances of actresses on euphoria being uncomfortable with him, but theyre not speaking out much right now. He literally wanted a scene of Jocelyn holding an egg in her vagina. I fail to see the important deep message for that. The weeknd bragged that he could 'start a cult anytime he wanted' these men arent here to talk about how young women are preyed on by the industry, theyre here to prey on the women themselves in the name of "art"
I didn’t want to support the show based on what I’ve heard so far, but I’m looking forward to watching this! It may open me up to it or confirm my concerns. Appreciate this!
@@the.truth.doctor thank you for actually watching the show for yourself instead of immediately dismissing it because the intent told you to. Collectively people praise euphoria which is drug/sex rampant yet bash this series before it’s even out? Idk what to tell people
They mentioned Britney Spears in this more than once. I see The Weekend's character as maybe being a representation of Sam Lutfi? Mainly in the sense of a pop star being exploited and manipulated during a mentally and emotionally sensitive time.
Please do even some of succession, the abuse is so complex and the kids reactions helped me understand so much (Roman masochism, Kendall’s addiction, how much they still want their abusers approval)
Second this! While The Idol was incredibly boring and poorly written for me to be invested in and watch beyond ep.1, the opposite is true for "Succession", which became one of my favorite shows ever with some of the best, fleshed-out, layered characters I've ever watched. I'd *looove* to see a psych breakdown like this of such complex people as the Roys and their court!
THANK YOU, for doing this video. I felt like having a shower after watching the first episode. I heard about the controversy before it came out, but I still wanted to give it a chance, but it turned out to be worse than it was rumored it would be. Personally, I think Jocelyn's character is a form of invalidation to so many women's experiences in this misogynistic world, judging by the way she "wants" to be exploited (according to Sam). Fcking disgusting.
@@vjekoslavranogajec1900 I have worked in a sae house and I can say that it's not the case. The cycle of abuse does not mean the women want to be abused, that not why some women go back to their abusers.
Reminds me of that scene in Maddy’s backstory where she got statutory SA’d by an older man at 14 but said that it was fine “because she felt in control”??? Someone needs to check Sam Levinson’s phone and computer ASAP
i think she is a vulnerable girl already being under the thumb of her management team aka her handlers, and we see them speak for her, control her, influence her. and she is seeking control because she feels she doesnt have any. which it kind of seem like she doesnt. so she keeps control over her life in anyway, and one way is that numbing with drugs and more to avoid and surpess her feelings to ignore herself. and then i think she has an attraction to a rougher or violent sex, hence her choking and ykno- i think this just makes her a target, and Tedros, the weekends character, is targeting her. they even go back and reshow us shots of him sending shots to her table at his club. through this whole drama of creators taking over the show and changing shit, it seemed like the show was originally about an idol in an abusive relationship and how she is able to break out of it, but then sam levinson and the weekend decided they essentially didnt want her to break out of the abusive relationship. so now it seems shes clearly a vulnerable young girl, tedros is preying on her and theyre going to enter an abusive relationship. but i think Jocelyn is more of an accurate representation of a very specific type of victim- she was probably conditioned from the corn industry and other sources to find attraction to rough and violent sex, as well as to the whole "bad boy" but rlly bad person characiture that it so common in romantic tropes, but now that people, especially in her age group, are being more aware of how movie and corn media portrays certain toxicity or violence as normal and desirable she is probably going through this turmoil of knowing its wrong to like this but still being unable to stop herself from liking it, which is contributing to her feeling of this lack of control over her life. she cant even control what she is attracted to, and whether she is self aware of all this or not she is probably still choosing these bad things despite knowing how bad it is to feel a sense of control. tedros is fucking gross and creepy and does give off a grapey vibe, she probably knows this but still feels attracted to him, like she said when he assistant friend said that about tedros she said she kind of likes it, she knows he is creepy and gross and weird but she is still attracted to him, he is obviously love bombing her when they first meet, yet despite his weirdness she chooses to give in to those conditioned attractions and believe she likes it to continue to feel like she is the one in control. and I feel this is the situation for her because its my situation, im just watching this and thinking about how she is probably thinking and when we hear how she feels about these certain topics and expresses a want for them it feels so faux, cuz shes lying to herself, all in my opinion. but at some point i know this show will go beyond this because that type of girl is the ideal victim for sam levinson and the weekend so they wanted to make their fantasies into a movie they can rewatch, so i expect like the articles said about what changes were made in the show, i expect things will get so worse and she will continue to want it and get more manipulated by him and- this show is just a horror movie of the worst situation some women could find themselves in and the situation that fucking horrible abusers absolutely fantasize about getting to have, just like sam and weekend, lol I also think, unique for josses situation, which i feel i have also seen portrayed in other stories- she seems to have more fame and power and money than tedros, like how truth doc was saying about her managers, they have to keep their jobs keep the power they have which is just her power- so thats another thing that makes her a perfect target for tedros, if he can control her then he technically has all of her fame and power and money- thats what i think ive seen before in stories, someone extremely vulnerable with a lucky amount of power and then an abuser taking advantage of them to gain access to that power, my moneky brain jsut immediantly thinks of Bruce Wayne, orphaned at like what 10? with like the money and influence of one of the most powerful families in the world?? easy victim. like when i realized tedros was a club owner im just, theres so many things about this man that is so lame in compirson to jocelyn, she is better than him, richer than him, more famous than him, all of that, she could be doing so much better but she prolly has an attachment issue and cant deny her bodies attraction sos she just likes him despite that and is aware that he isnt much compared to her, "i want to be taller than him" another way to feel in control, to remember she is better than him, to feel like she is the one choosing him and not that he is the one choosing her, which he is, as his target,
@@LynkTheGreat it’s only the first season with 6 episodes. So I’m not terribly long to get the story going, so I do hope that they add in new characters in the next season that are the polar opposite of Jocelyn.
I lost both of my parents to cancer by the time I was in my early 20s and I will always remember the existentialist crisis as I realized that people who I thought were family friends were now avoiding me. It became clear to me how artificial so many relationships in life are, luckily I am an INFJ so my isolation didn't bother me too much.
@eii7284 yeah, but you know what, I'd make a big deal about trying to leave, and if I actually couldn't (which i HIGHLY doubt) leave because of the contract, at least the world would know I tried and was proactively against the show and the rewriting. Did that happen? They all are very happily promoting this shit. Don't come at me with the "bUt ThE cOnTrAcTs..." 🐃💩
@@alexlefay this doesn't make any sense though. Like in a professional setting you can't just "make a big deal" and expect to get work again. You cant attempt to break contacts and expect to get work again. Like people need to survive too even in jobs that are abusive in some way
@@beccak8166 WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO WORK WITH THESE CREEPS AGAIN???? At the minimum dont fucking advertise the show? Florence Pugh made a big deal about Don't Worry Darling and literally everyone is clapping for her and has cancelled the creep that tried to make HER the "difficult" one. Just say these people are benefiting and don't care about what they're putting out and call it a day.
Oh man well thank god ur watching this so I don’t have to. Also thank u for covering this b/c if the show is everything that was said after the premiere, then it deserves to be covered by someone with ur qualifications. Not because it’s good, but because it is irresponsible and u have the clout to call that out and explain why. So thank u again for enduring this show, I know I’m not in the mental space to do so.
I’m so glad you’re covering this, I’ve been eyeing this show for awhile and been curious about it. So I’m happy a professional like you is talking about this❤️
This isn't the type of show I would normally watch so I have no plans to watch the show. BUT I have heard all of the discourse surrounding the show so I am very interested in people's opinions about it
You know, if the creators had spun this series as a story that is based off a real Hollywood experience (which, at this point, I’ll not be shocked if this doesn’t happen in Hollywood) and worked towards a horror angle, it might (and that’s a big MIGHT) have had a more mixed reaction. Sort of how some controversial movies have been accepted and even praised. But you know Levinson gonna Levinson.
If looking at this show with an open mind. The producers may be intentionally made some scenes or even the series disturbing for viewers. So we can not only see but also feel what it feels like to be like an idol. How much do these idols have to give up and go through to keep their image and how does the industry profiting from them. This has been going since way back, even in Monroe's peak of stardome and it is still going. If this is what they aim for, then they succeeded.
They should have kept the original director who was a woman, I think people would’ve liked it way more. This gives off male gaze creep vibes and the excessive nudity + atrocious script makes it more unbearable than memorable
I love your point of view and your insights into what is being said and shown. Also, your little PSA, chefs kiss. More young men need to hear that while there may be a fantasy, that is just it, a fantasy. Do not turn there private desires into a horrific reality.
I love how you gave so much context that I'm convinced that it would've been a good show tbh. I always felt like the show lacked something that it made it seem very shallow but everything made more sense when you explained it. Thank you! ❤️
I was hesitant looking at this but you really give the show and character's grace and this was a fantastic analysis I look forward to more on the series
After every episode I’m RUNNING to this channel! You did such a good job explaining this! You made that much more interesting and as a mental health advocate I love the points you made. Love love love this 💕
Please keep reacting the show! I just found your channel and I think it’s important that your video is out there. I was looking up the show and your video actually breaks down really important things like the r*pe fantasy research and that combo of what the weeknd’s character said to her to manipulate her. Other videos are like “this is problematic” but not actually saying anything helpful or learning anything. Maybe someone will watch this show who feels like Joselyn and learns about their situation. Super important and amazing video
Another reason someone said someone would want this kind of ...relationship. Or have these kind of fantasies is because they're in control all the time. So, the lack of control feels good when, albeit, is in a somewhat controlled environment or they have the illusion that they're in control before and after. And in this case, the main character, although everyone thinks she's not really in 'control' and she kinda isn't, in her head, she is. Or better said, she is exerting as much control as anyone in her position with her past, people, etc, could exert over her life/content/ relationships, etc. So, she's always tense. She's always afraid of losing control. That being said, someone taking control in the bedroom is ok because that's the one place she doesn't want to be in control of/and/ or possibly, finally, she can relax and have someone else be in control for a change. Which might sound messed up but considering how you must...mask everything and be careful with every word that comes out of your mouth, being someone in her position, in the bedroom, there's less risk because she's not forced to talk about anything or do. She's reacting like a normal human would react. For once, some of that tension can ...melt away. Albeit, one can do that with a partner who knows that, who they trust, etc. But..............those people, way harder to find apparently than the person she found in episode one.
Fantastic breakdown! I think the main point of the series is to start these exact types of conversations. I also think the show is trying to visualize Numbness as an aesthetic. And of course it’s glorifying and condemning the industry at the same time. For me the satire is clear and edges this further away from Crossing the Line. I can’t wait for the rest of this show and for your breakdown videos!
I just wanted to say that I think you're amazing. I've watched other commentaries and things that you've done and I've enjoyed them greatly. I have not watch the show myself, and have been skeptical since hearing about it, and after seeing your reaction to it, and one other from a reactor that I trust to handle the situation appropriately, I don't think that my concerns were unfounded. But I do want to say that I really appreciate that people like you, and the other creator that I mentioned are taking the time to examine this piece because, let's be honest, people are going to watch it. It's out there. And there's nothing we can do about it at the moment. So it's important to have a good, strong, and empathetic voices examining the honesty and authenticity of the motives of the creators of the show, and whether or not, if they are honest, they are achieving their goals or simply doing more harm than good. Thank you.
Your commentary has given me a fresh prospective on this series. The portrayal of Joseph as vulnerable yet in control makes it worth watching, while there are some creepy scenes, I suppose that’s exactly what Sam intended to portray, I hope they don’t disappoint me. Please keep the commentary coming for the next episodes!
I personally refuse to watch the show but I know they're going to show it anyway. I think your professional commentary is needed and necessary for impressionable minds that may not be able to process the content. Thk you for showcasing this in a responsible manner.
I caved and finally watched the show yesterday. Yes, it is explicit. This is NOT a show for young audiences or ppl who have experienced serious trauma. It is triggering. Your assessment does help w processing the content. It's a tough watch, however, there have been many movies and shows that are tough, as well. This is not for everyone.
The amount of psychological torture and dilemma that women ( or females in general ) are being put through in these type of industries is just sad and inhumane. Celebrities think they know what they are signing up for when entering these cut-throat industries, but the women have it so much worse. Having to sacrifice your mental and physical well-being just for the sake of keeping your career afloat is exhausting. Countless female celebs have been exploited by producers, directors, managers and even co-workers while working in these industries. Getting a nepo baby like Lily, whom both parents have had a long running history within the industry, play someone like Jocelyne is perfect. I hope there comes a day where women can feel half as safe or secured as a man would, working in the entertainment industry.
@@khadyadjisall5708 of course but that wouls be a ratio of 9 : 1 if I'm being real. For every 9 women that is exploited, 1 man gets exploited. Plus this show is centered around how women in the industry are treated. The statistics are incomparable between the genders.
I was waiting to find a therapist/psychologist perspective on this show because the entire time I’ve been watching it I’ve been like “holy shit he’s literally weaponizing her trauma” and shit like that and was hoping I wasn’t the only one. I only have a BA in psychology but focused on mental health and crime in my masters’ program, and can’t help but to see things like that, haha 😅
i think your commentary on this show has the potential to save whatever message amy semitz (the og director and writer) was trying to convey. after watching this it made me hate the first episode a little less. PLEASE CONTINUE! ❤
Yikes! 1) My ex cheated with someone who claimed numerous illness, but definitely had something going on, and I told him she was awful to me and he was disgusting for taking advantage of someone vulnerable and sick, even if I didn’t like her, thats what he was doing. And how he responded, told me he knew, but wasn’t conscious of it or at least how easy it was to see his damage and using someone else's damage to his benefit. 2) How long the fantasy of force has been discussed, I'm shocked I haven’t heard it brought up how it can develop other than an extension of some sort of BDSM or something. Not that its the extreme opposition to treatment in reality of rejection. Or some think its real entertaining and again their benefit, that consistent rough treatment or abuse in sexual situations conditions them to merge sex and violence. Funny how no one checks why a perpetrator gets gratification in that manner off inflicting harm... because most saying anything can easily normalize inflicting than receiving... but both can be done badly or carefully, yet neither come from the best conditions.
So, I’m gonna be honest, I’ve been super excited for the show. But seeing this and knowing the backgrounds of Sam and the ways he likes to portrait certain things … well idk. I don’t understand why a woman could not be part of the directors team… bc, I’m a Bit concerned about how some ppl (specifically men but also women) will interpret this show. I feel like some people won’t really catch up on the emotional cues, they won’t understand that Jocelyn is in a vulnerable place, that she’s being manipulated or taken advantage of. I mean, yeah I guess they made her look super mentally unstable in the first ep but at the end of the day I’m sure some will see this and think “hey, so women apparently always want “it even if they feel so down”. Yknow… that the girl is actually being fine with how the guy treats her and actually likes it (bc she said she liked the grapey vibe of tedros). I feel like this is such a deep topic and hard to grasp for so many and honestly, they could’ve actually gone the route and shown it in a very insightful way or a way that weights … but they didn’t. They turned it into a mens fantasy, showing a submissive girl, full on drugs and alcohol, unable to give clear consent or even tell if she likes it … as if there is noooo other way to show the significance of what’s going on with her. It always has to be in such a sexual manner. What makes me wonder about the explicit scenes tho is, did they try to show what Hollywoods reality looks like? Is this the way of showing “yo, this is what’s wrong with the industry”? Or is it really just a way of living out the directors fantasies? I just hope this show will be a bit more insightful … I’m not sure if this can really be called a “satire” anymore bc it’s seems a bit too realistic and not at all over the top. At least in my opinion. But anyway. I’m a bit scared about what’s to come… I just don’t want to watch a grapey show tbh. I want some sort of value or a lesson behind it, maybe even some sort of happy resolution and a win for a woman in the industry…. Time will tell
I'm a guy, and have just finished the first episode. I walked away with the opinion that Jocelyn is a very psychologically damaged and vulnerable person, and the only person who truly cares about her is her assistant (though she is not an angel, due to her willingness to bow to the demands of her bosses). Josaline to me was presented as having no agency, despite being extremely successful and rich, which I think is a good portrayal of Brittany's situation. However, being completely honest, the sexualization of Jocelyn/Lily throughout the show was incredibly distracting for me; frequently I just found myself admiring Lily's body. I did think the beginning part about bodily autonomy at the start was really clever (i.e. the man telling her that she can't show her breasts even though she wanted to, for her own safety), but there was nothing cleverly done afterwards around her sexualization for the rest of the episode. I understand showing the hypersexualization in the nightclub setting, because that portrays the atmosphere of those kinds of places well, but outside of the context of a photoshoot or nightclub, she just seemed to be portrayed in a way that for me as a man seemed intended to just be arousing. Regarding the satirical nature; I literally LOLed when the Weekend came through the gates like Dracula (I wasn't sure what the nature of the show was at that point, but it made sense when I read afterwards that it was satire). Also the dialogue at the start between the execs I found funny. But I found the tone confusing because Josaline's character is played with great emotional weight by Lily, in comparison to the silliness of literally all the other characters. TLDR: I think they portrayed Jocelyn's extreme vulnerability and lack of autonomy despite being extremely successful really well. Jocelyn's/Lily's sexualization throughout the episode - outside of the photoshoot and the nightclub - seemed to have no purpose other than to titillate.
Anyone else feel better having watched this before watching the actual episode alone? I don't feel like I'll be triggered because I still feel heard thanks to channels like yours, even though it feels like we as a community are working against this bigger stronger construct called society that seems to hurt itself, hurt us, more than help. It doesn't help the fact that it's deaf in one ear either.
i love your analysis of what is being portrayed here. i wasn’t gonna watch this show, but checked it out to be able to follow your analysis. if you ever get around to it, would love your take on severance.
Sam Levinson reaaaaally missed the mark of his messaging; you don’t teach people about the dangers of abuse my romanticizing it on screen without a character there to voice the problem with it… this is gonna do way more harm than good. Also it’s a bad show💅🏼
Your commentary makes this show so much deeper and more interesting, thank you for that. Not knowing the information you just shared the show makes no sense and looks shallow and messy at best
I love your reaction to this show. I think this show will be interesting too keep seeing with you to understand why characters think,feel,caring about themselves & meaning of what this show is trying tell us man,women,young adults & older adults.
I'm watching the show and even from a purely aesthetic perspective, I cannot avoid being reminded of movies like Wild Orchid, 9 1/2 Weeks, and Basic Instinct. This is interesting because those movies were quite "out there" even when they came out and today they would be possibly all canceled for romanticizing/fetishizing many wrong things. I do have the feeling the show will never stop being on the fine line between social commentary and bleak sexualization because that really gets attention.
I haven't watched the show nor do I plan to but watching you analyzing it makes me think of the show Bojack Horseman. There is a female celebrity character called Sarah Lynn in the show and Joycelyn from this show reminds me of her so much. Sarah Lynn was famous since she was very young and she also does a lot of sexual things in order to "serve" people as in having a purpose in life.
This is a great reaction, i look forward to more. And another show that'd be right up your alley is succession on hbo, i've seen a lot of video essay's but a therapist analyzing the characters is something i dont recall seeing and know that fanbase would love!!
Hard to see this show from the female perspective. I have only watched your commentary as I am a SA survivor and don’t need to put myself through possible triggers.
That’s the only review on this show that did not feel like a superficial puritan attack. I have been interested about this show but I’m way more interested about your content right now 🥰
This show is controversial as hell... but i feel like people are watching this from the wrong perspective... its supposed to show the dirty side and how the industry exploit artists and only cares about making money and not their well being.... however most people are watching with the view that they are promoting it
Watching the episode I couldnt tell if it was satire or not, goin to give it another episode or 2 but it did seem a bit excessive at times. Off topic: would love to hear your perspective on a show like Ted Lasso that tackles some deep subjects in a lighter way
I'm curious to see the direction of this show. They make the male DJ look really dangerous and creepy because of the background music on scenes and assistants comment. Crazy reviews are just gonna give more hype for this show and that was the reason i did check it out. -💀
The thing about rape fantasies or cnc is that it is done in a consensual environment. Jocelyn’s character is being manipulated, therefore it’s not really consensual
i so dont even plan on supporting this show at all. this is what happens when you give a man with twisted fantasies about women complete creative freedom. sam levinson is creepy and genuinely scary. so thank you for watching this so i dont have to lmao
@18:05 It seems like in this scene with Jocelyne and her assistant/friend that she is experiencing imposter syndrome. We can get a sense of that too in the earlier club scene when she was putting down her own style of music as being less then. It is a way of her expressing that she doesn't feel like she is good enough. Again, when she said to her stand in, "I wish I could dance like you," she doesn't feel like she is really good enough to have the position she has, she can't dance good enough, her music isn't good enough.
Love this entire analysis. And learnt a lot from it. However, 12:18 to 12:20 section struck me a bit. Especially when the "dancer" said we are all here because of you, two things came to my mind. And no, I am just watching it here for the first time. I have agreed with the Truth Doctor's Show opinion, we are not sure which way to register it. Also, I thought it was similar to her actor who plays the dancer's real experience. It would be poetic too as it was said from her. Because the dancer outside her character is Jennie, a member from a very popular K-POP band named BLACKPINK. It made me question if she felt the same way as Joceyln at one point. Or currently it is? As she too along with her band members have the same pressure and scrutinised a lot over the years of performances. Well, according to a lot of articles written about them. So not sure if the writers did a brilliant thing of making her say it. As a way for a real popstar to express her opinion through a fake popstar in the television show. Hope I explained it? I am terribly at explaining things correctly.
Would love to see your views on the Doctor Who episode 'Vincent and the Doctor' as it explores Vincent Van Gogh's mental health during the last year of his life.
The fact that they had a different- female- director at the start of production, but HBO cut her off after 80% of the work was done bc they didnt like the "women led" perspective she took on the story and instead hired Sam Levinson for this 'abuse porn for the male gaze' is ridiculous.
I could think of a lot of quotes to refer to here but will limit myself to one quote and one reference: 1) "the fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt," and; 2) those who were previously our entertainers have become rich and powerful and now almost rule over us. The first is Bertrand Russel, the second Paramhansa Yogananda.
I am struck by how misunderstood the show is, it is very clear to me that everything the show portrays IS A CRITICISM, not an apology or whatever the people claim it is.
Just a thought: this show is clearly very timely and what if maybe we're watching the first, brutally real, seedy & raw depiction of what actually goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood and it IS meant to make us feel all these things? I hope I'm not giving it too much credit lol.
