Netflix’s ‘Everything Now’ paints a landscape of sexuality without labels

Netflix drama everything now This hedonistic, nostalgic depiction of teenage life, from first love to drug addiction to house parties, is sure to be popular with young and old alike.

The show follows Mia (played). talk to me star Sophie Wilde) is a sixth-grader who returns to school after a stint at an eating disorder recovery clinic. She begins compiling a “F**k It Bucket List” of her to-do activities in an attempt to make up for the social milestones she feels she has missed out on. It could be anything: sex, parties, drugs. Prodigal, here she comes.

but everything now It’s not just a close look at the destruction an eating disorder can have on someone’s life and identity, let alone family and friends. It also contains very specific messages about sexuality. The eight-episode series explores different areas of the sexuality spectrum, but the best part is that the characters’ stories speak for themselves, and their sexuality is harmonized within that story. It is something that is done in subtle ways so that it can exist.

everything now Avoid making sexuality a plot point

In an interview with glamor uk, everything now‘ screenwriter and creator Ripley Parker spoke about the importance of “not making anyone’s sexuality a conspiracy.”

“I think a lot of the major relationships on this show, probably most, are queer relationships, but at no point does anyone have to come out and put a label on them,” she said. .

Parker added that this kind of on-screen depiction is an “idealized” version of how society views sexuality. This, he added, is due to the trauma, stigma and difficulty involved in dealing with sexuality off-screen. But she added that for both queer and straight youth, it’s important to “see portrayals of sexuality that are just part of who you are, and that’s what makes your life difficult.” There’s no need,” he emphasized.

Mia (Wilde) and Kari (TikTok star Jessie Mae Alonzo).

The main character, Mia, is seen navigating dating, sex, and relationships with both young men and women without using her bisexuality as a “plot.” One of her F**k It List items is to “lose her virginity,” and the series does not label or emphasize it as the point of the plot, as it does a lot of different genders. Exploring potential sexual relationships with people. The question of whether Mia’s first sexual experience was with a boy or a girl is never exaggerated or questioned, avoiding common issues. Definition of heteronormativity and attitudes regarding virginity.

How and whether different areas of the sexuality spectrum are represented in movies and television shows is extremely important.organizations such as GLAAD Media Institute We work towards authentic representation on screen by consulting and training industry creators on harmful tropes and how best to portray the LGBTQIA+ community. Raina Deerwater, Entertainment Research and Analytics Manager at GLAAD, echoes this sentiment and agrees. everything now‘s mission is to tell stories of sexuality that exist outside of high drama and trauma.

“Often stories depict a character’s identity as the root of the tragedy,” she told Mashable. “We need to include LGBTQ people, especially transgender people, in more stories, beyond transition and coming out stories, as people who exist in unique ways and live lives in unique ways. Deerwater emphasizes the importance of this representation in combating stereotypes and harmful discourse.

“We encourage the inclusion of LGBTQ people, especially transgender people, in more stories as people who exist beyond transition and coming out stories and live lives in unique ways. Masu.”

Alex Lynam, Founder, LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Consulting Company Beyond binaryagrees that there can sometimes be a “commonality of negative or sad outcomes for people from marginalized groups.” [on screen], almost silently discouraging people from being gay or the negative journey that being gay brings in life. ”

“When we share our true stories and everyday stories as queer people, it normalizes that queer people are just people,” Lynam told Mashable. Ta. They say that because of the lack of on-screen queer representation when they were growing up, “sexuality and gender were still considered taboo or ‘secret,’ even though there were a lot of queer performers out there.” “This made it more difficult to talk to people about sexuality and gender.” ”.

everything now explore different sexualities

BFFs: Becca (Lauryn Ajufo), Will (Noah Thomas), Cam (Harry Cadby).

Different sexualities on the spectrum are also explored throughout everything now — One of Mia’s friends, Will (played to perfection by newcomer Noah Thomas), embarks on a journey to discover his attraction to others. He doesn’t know exactly what it’s like to “fancy” someone (a quick hint of asexuality) and wonders if he feels sexually attracted to him. Will then considers whether he needs an emotional connection with his partner in order to initiate sexual activity. “I’m starting to realize that I need a connection first,” he says. ” — which is defined as a demisexual on the ace spectrum.

These conversations, once again, don’t fully define Will’s character arc, only bringing to the surface questions that lend themselves to a wide range of identities and experiences with them on the spectrum of sexuality.

Matthew James-Belfield, head of communications and marketing at the LGBT Foundation, said exploring these sexualities helps normalize “different sexual orientations rather than dramatize them.” “This emphasizes the uniqueness of each person’s journey and counters past media practices that promote stereotypes and misconceptions, especially regarding the identity and sexuality of aces and bisexuals.”

It’s also important that virginity, a tough and sensitive subject for young people and often unexplored or misunderstood for queer people, is treated responsibly in shows such as: be. everything now. For example, when Will is struggling with his sexuality, Cam (played by Harry Cadby), another member of Mia’s friend group, says that Will’s friends don’t care about whether or not he has sex. It reassures him that there isn’t, and comforts him about his troubled problems. There’s a lot of pressure and expectation, especially if you’re questioning your sexuality.

Lauryn Ajufo as Becca, Niamh McCormack as Alison, Noah Thomas as Will, and Harry Cadby as Cam.
Credit: Netflix / Left Bank

Belfield believes that seeing teenage sexual milestones that transcend heteronormativity on screen can help LGBTQIA+ teens feel “seen and accepted.” They say they can avoid harmful stereotypes and unhelpful objectification of certain groups, particularly queer women.

“When we expand the scope, we see that these ‘firsts’ stories are not limited to cisgender or heterosexual people, but can belong to anyone,” Deerwater explains. “Gen Z is the queerest generation ever And the media needs to catch up in terms of portraying different stories beyond the straight perspective. She added that portraying her queer virgin experience could “expand rigid expectations” for people of all ages and genders exploring their own sexuality.

The representation of sexuality on television today is still not without criticism.

Thadia Graham as O in “Sex Education”
Credit: Samuel Taylor/Netflix

Of course, all attempts at representation on screen are not without criticism.Latest (and final) season sex education The film received backlash for demonizing Sadia Grahame’s ace character Sarah “O” Owen and restricting her scenes.

asexual activist Yasmin Benoit immediately spoke up. After the new season of the same British Netflix series aired, he said he was “disappointed” with the portrayal of the character, after working as a consultant while writing the character. While it’s positive that Ace’s character has a storyline in his major Netflix show, it’s important to be sensitive to labels and demonization regarding such characters and their sexuality.

heart stopper season 2For example, while the portrayal of asexual teenager Isaac (Toby Donovan) and his journey to decide and accept his own asexuality has been praised, Lynam believes that one reason for this is that Isaac’s He explains that the storyline and sexuality were “fluid and not forced”. It created a positive and healthy perspective on what young people can question about their sexuality. ”

Toby Donovan and Joe Locke play Isaac and Charlie in “The Heartstopper.”
Credit: Netflix / Samuel Dore

“This community is very under-represented and we are still in the early stages of raising awareness,” Benoit told Mashable. “When people are introduced to asexuality through characters who come across as cruel and manipulative, it can have a negative impact on how people view asexual people, especially when there are very few examples of asexual people elsewhere.” There is a sex.”

This incident proves the importance of continuing to discuss the representation of sexuality in television and film, and to continue to look for ways to improve the process across the industry.

“We still need queer storytellers on television, and they need to be elevated and supported by studios and networks,” Deerwater said. “Stories from underrepresented groups such as disabled gay people, Indigenous gay people, gay people living with HIV, the trans community, and gay people of color, to name a few, are still missing. Masu.”

She added that writers and creators need to ensure that these stories and characters are not locked into heteronormative narratives. “Despite the fact that so many queer people have communities and chosen families, the show still places her LGBTQ character in the middle of a straight crowd. Often one person shows up,” Deerwater said. “We encourage stories to explore diverse queer stories and feature more LGBTQ characters to show the diversity of our lived experiences.”

For Benoit, it’s important to make sure queer people are involved and have their voices heard in the creation of these TV characters and stories. “We need an intersection of voices in the room to ensure these stories are told truthfully and important issues are actually addressed,” she says.

Television shows like “Everything Now” have the power to create meaningful progress for many facets of the queer community.
Credit: Netflix / Left Bank

“Culture can be a powerful tool for change,” adds Deerwater. “Television and film must reflect the entire LGBTQ community, including underrepresented communities, and must show them as fully recognized people, not as stereotypes or caricatures. ”

TV shows like everything now By creating a fluid, label-free space where people can explore their sexuality, we have the power to create meaningful progress for many facets of the queer community. May dialogue and expression continue for a long time.