Euphorias Creator Criticized for Misogynistic Content

Teen drama is back and more extreme than ever - with fans saying some of series three's 'disturbing' and 'misogynistic' scenes have 'gone too far this time', leaving them uncomfortable.

The first two seasons already pushed the boundaries with shocking scenes of drug taking, fights and explicit sex as viewers followed the lives of high school students Rue (), Cassie () and Nate (). 

But now there is mounting criticism of creator Sam Levinson as almost all of the leading women in the show now engage in some kind of sex work or are 'exploited and humiliated' by the male characters in the show.

In series three Rue becomes a drug mule and is involved in the managing of a strip club, Cassie makes money as an model and Jules (played by ) is working as a high-end sugar baby.

Former adult film star Chloe Cherry - who plays Faye - also takes on a bigger role this series and is seen in the first episode swallowing bags of fentanyl alongside Rue. 

Most shocking of all are Cassie's scenes where she dresses up as a baby and a dog to film content for X-rated online sites.  

Many have taken issue with the 'misogynistic' storylines as one viewer summed up their feelings on X, writing: 'Does Sam Levinson know there are other career paths for women other than sex work or...?'

Brutal reviews have said the new series has an over-reliance on 'shock value' elements such as nudity and sexuality rather than developing decent storylines. 

The Guardian branded it 'grubby and desperate' while The Telegraph's scathing headline for its review reads: 'Euphoria has descended into one man's creepy, sex-obsessed fantasy - the long-awaited third season has arrived, but even Zendaya can't save it from Sam Levinson's debauchery.' 

The latter newspaper points out that Levinson famously writes alone, without a writer's room and sometimes method dresses as his characters, with reviewer Eleanor Halls musing: 'Once you know that it's difficult to watch his X-rated show in the same way again...'.

She adds that Levinson has 'gone full pervert' and 'has trapped all of his female leads in the performance, or exploitation, of sex work', before saying the show 'increasingly feels like the misogynistic fantasies of a creepy old man.'

Other viewers reacted to the first episode online, penning on X: 'I don't understand how euphoria went from the beautiful masterpiece that was s1 to cassie being dressed as a baby doing OF and the show being set in a desert… sam levinson you will pay for ur sins.',

'Unfortunately I saw it coming the amount of disgusting unnecessary scenes in this show is insane.',

'the concept of making all your female characters involved with sex work as if there's no other jobs just to also shame them for it… is sam levinson just obsessed with humiliating women or.',

'the way my jaw dropped, what is wrong with sam levinson'., 'genuinely can sam levinson retire.'

'Bro this show. Sam Levinson. All of it. Ew.', 'I'm starting to question whether or not sam levinson is okay..... this is CRAZY.',

'sam levinson doesn't know how to write female characters without over-sexualizing them.',

'could no one simply have said no to sam levinson i feel like he really needed to hear that.', 

'sam levinson keeps putting these girls in genuinely the most violating scenarios wayyyyyy too much.'

'sam levinson making the male characters nicer and the female characters struggle more... #noticing.'

One of Cassie's OnlyFans scenes has garnered criticism in particular - when she dresses up as a baby to shoot content.  

Former adult film star Chloe Cherry - who plays Faye - also takes on a bigger role this series and is seen in the first episode swallowing bags of fentanyl alongside Rue