However, this should not be taken as “glamorizing drugs” when the rest of the content surrounding Rue and drugs portrays how much it affects one’s life. Rue even directly states “I’m so happy.” A lot of the scenes that show Rue on drugs from her perspective can make it seem almost “fun” to be doing these drugs through the bright colors and appealing visuals. This can be seen in both the first episode of Season 1 at the party when she is climbing the walls and seeing things in glitter and color with Jules at Jules’ house. When the main character, Rue, does strong drugs, the show illustrates what it would be like if we were on the same drugs as Rue.

In Season 1, some scenes can give off this impression. One of the main critiques of Euphoria was that it depicted drug use and addiction as glamorous and “not a big deal.” Additionally, some argue that substances are referred to as a coping mechanism for mental illness that masks some of its symptoms, while also giving the message that the substance abuse is better than suicide or self-harm. With Season 2 coming to an end and keeping us on the edge of our seats, the debate continues: How glamorously is Euphoria really illustrating these issues? As the plot of Euphoria has progressed, so has the accuracy in depicting addiction, making it an excellent show in shining light onto the ugly side of addiction. After the release of Season 1 of Euphoria, amidst the praise and general appreciation of the show, many began to criticize the way the show portrayed addiction.

With its unique fashion, cinematography, and soundtrack, it had a good portion of young adults and teens in a chokehold. Some may argue that Euphoria was a cultural reset for Gen Z.

Rue from euphoria drug addiction