Featured Image Credit: HBO / YouTube
It seems like each new week brings a new Euphoria-based controversy – yet the latest episode has drawn criticism from some online after behind-the-scenes photos allegedly show a lack of women on set.
Sydney Sweeney was already a controversial figure heading into the third season of hit HBO Max show Euphoria following an American Eagle advert she starred in last year, and new episodes of the streaming sensation have only intensified the backlash.
Following on from the high school setting present in the TV show's first two seasons, the new episodes see Sweeney's character Cassie take on a new life as an adult content creator, working specifically on OnlyFans.
While other characters have had to suffer through brutal drug mule activities, Cassie has dressed up as both a dog and a baby to take saucy photos and upload them online, yet things somehow turned up a notch further in the fifth episode.
Advert
Not only did Cassie use an ASMR microphone to give her OnlyFans audience audio access to some of her body's more private areas, but a 'Cassie-zilla' dream sequence has been accused of engaging in macrophilia under less-than-ideal filming conditions.
Sweeney herself called the scene 'probably the coolest thing' she's ever done, as it saw Cassie's body grow exponentially in size, ripping through her clothes to the point where she towered above the city's skyline.
Behind-the-scenes footage of the episode has shown how the crew achieved the impressive perspective switch with Sweeney standing among miniature sets of the show's California setting, yet fans claim it has also exposed an alleged flaw with the production of scenes like this.
"Not a single woman in sight on this crew, btw," was the title of one of the most popular posts following episode five on the r/euphoria subreddit, where the user criticized the supposed lack of women visible during this BTS featurette.
"I think Sam Levinson's work would genuinely benefit from having women in the writers' room or in major creative positions (besides hair & makeup and wardrobe)," the post continues to argue, "especially when the story now is 98% centered around female experiences."
While the photo provided by the post does appear to not contain any visible women, it's unclear whether this was actually the case and something that's consistent with Euphoria's production throughout.
The post also continues to criticise the content depicted within Carrie's season three storyline, arguing that "the line between commentary and indulgence is becoming so blurry at this point, it genuinely makes me uncomfortable."
Another added that "it's sort of starting to feel like shock value for the sake of it," and while Sweeney's character's antics throughout the season are definitely pushed to the extremities for effect, some viewers aren't finding it as rewarding or entertaining as Levinson might have hoped.
