It’s no secret that Euphoria has quite literally, taken over the internet as we know it. As we are now one week post-mortem from the season 2 finale of everyone’s cult favorite teen drama, we find ourselves reflecting (hey, we are in the marketing biz after all) on the evolution of how Euphoria permeated social media and impacted real-life Gen Z today – from beauty and trends to fashion and lifestyle patterns – the characters of Euphoria high have us seeing stars – and here are 10 reasons why:
1. The Nostalgia Factor
Just as their millennial older siblings were obsessed with polaroid cameras and vintage filters – Gen Z has always had the hots for retro film, shot IRL actions that only a true film camera can produce – hence why the show’s director, Sam Levinson, shot the entire Season 2 on Kodak Ektachrome film. This created a super present, emotional feel throughout the show (whether you had seafoam green eyeshadow as a teenager, or not).
2. TikTok Ecstasy
No, not like the drug – more like the TikTok “frenzy of poetic inspiration” that Merriam Webster describes it as in the dictionary. Throughout Season 2, the audience felt a sense of a Catch 22 – where you would watch an episode, and lean on our favorite app for raw, real entertainment for the cultural low-down… and, you also looked to the app as a precursor to watching the show. The community-centric approach in Euphoria’s ethos matched with TikTok’s heavy generation z audience was the perfect incubator for social media success.
3. The Music Is Perfect
I mean, how often do you tune into a TV series and find yourself head bopping as if you’re in the club, or at SoulCycle? The combination of EDM hits and original tracks by Labrinth made specifically for the show, created an oasis of tunes for a generation hooked on authenticity and TikTok’s power of virality. The next go-to sound on the app could very well be the entire Euphoria soundtrack. That’s for the app to know, and us to find out.
4. The Supreme Cast
Famous, but not too famous. Hot, but relatable. The masterminds behind Euphoria’s curated cast gave us the opportunity to meet familiar faces in Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Eric Dane while introducing our eager entertainment palette to new stars like Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, and of course Fez – who was literally discovered on a street corner in Gramercy, NYC. There is truly a character for everyone: someone to love, someone to hate, someone you relate to, and someone you want to be like – and we’re here for all of it.
5. Angus Cloud’s Live Tweets
Say less: Fez hopping on Twitter to spill (AND sip, might we add) the Euphoric tea was an incidental way the show created an even deeper community on social, and tap into an always-online generation. As the actor shared real-time memes and connected with viewers throughout episode airings, fans felt in their element of TV on/phone in-hand but this time around, it was alongside an actual character in the show. Fez, it turns out you should work in PR and give the illegal activity a rest for a while, ya?
6. Beauty is Fresh AF
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Euphoria since Season 1, has been the over-the-top, fun, funky fresh make-up looks that the girls sport every day to and fro math class. Beyond the actual looks themselves, which showcase bold color palettes and avante garde facial jewelry, is the fact that these beauty moments are never discussed in the dialogue of the show. It’s not addressed that at a certain point, Gen Z Maddie has rhinestones where a millennial’s Nars concealer would be- it’s just built into the vibe.
7. The Fashion is *Chef’s Kiss*
It’s hard not to be distracted from the Cassie x Nate x Maddie plot throughout the show’s variety of stylistic looks for each character; from Maddie emulating a revived version of an early aughts Christina Aguilera, to Kat’s full blown character progression with a pair of fishnets and Hot Topic-esque accessories, fashion played a major role in Season 2 and within the story’s plot line.
8. It’s Bringing Sex(y) Back
For the millennial mindset of 90210, Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill era fans, sex on TV was something that was ** gently ** implied, but not put on display like its adult series counterparts. With Euphoria, the bar was set and raised once again, many times throughout the show – especially in Season 2, where graphic sexual scenarios, hard drug scenes and more are shared with the audience, giving them an insider-peak into this high school’s after hours, and leaving kids (and their parents) posing the question: is this stuff really happening?!
9. The Art of the Episode? Nailed it.
They say life is art and art is life –and that sentiment could not be more true than with Euphoria’s plot and film aesthetic. With a stimulating representation similar to your favorite music video [cue: Jules and Rue portraying famous works of art and iconic Hollywood starlets with an epic soundtrack] the directors were bold in their take on artistic expression and unconventional filming, both being qualities that Gen Z appreciates and are quick to re-post on social.
10. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty.
The hype around Euphoria’s Season 2 feels like an out of this world promotion for a show that although many have watched and waited two years (!!!) for, many new viewers have also become enamored with over the course of the past month and a half. It feels as if Insta’s meme culture and TikTok’s entertainment obsessed community drove the show’s presence in 2022 more than ever before. With a two year pandemic under our belts and more time spent immersed in media of all kinds, Euphoria served as the great escape for generations near and far – and we can’t wait to see what’s next (in 2024, that is.)
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