HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Normalizes Child Abuse, Illicit Drug Use, and Other Dangerous, Harmful Behaviors

LOS ANGELES (March 2, 2022) – The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) has released a list of behaviors and activities HBO’s Euphoria is normalizing. Euphoria, a show about high school aged characters, is touted by HBO as its “youngest-skewing drama series,” and receives 80% of its viewing on HBO Max’s platform, both of which suggest teens are watching.

These behaviors and activities are as follows:

• Child rape

• Graphic sex scenes between teen characters

• Full-frontal male nudity

• Frontal female nudity

• Nudity of teen characters

• Multiple actresses who must ask the show’s creator for fewer nude scenes

• A male teen character’s nightmare of being sodomized by his dad

• Illicit drug use by teen characters

• How to conceal illicit drug use as a teen

• Underage drinking

• Pornography use by teen and adult characters

• Frequent expletives (714 uses of the ‘f-word’)

• Use of an adult film actress in teen-targeted show

“Much has been said in recent months of attempted disinformation to sow discord and division, to mislead the public, and to steer beliefs and actions in an unsavory direction. HBO/AT&T’s Euphoria is guilty of perpetrating its own disinformation to countless children and teens with its grossly irresponsible program content. HBO has publicly touted Euphoria’s youthful audience, and along the way has asked that audience to be entertained by dangerous, abhorrent, aberrant behavior, including adults raping children,” said Parents Television and Media Council President Tim Winter.

“While critics will say Euphoria is merely entertainment, they conveniently ignore that audiences are influenced by what they watch – none more so than children. Hollywood frequently proclaims their impact on the viewer when it’s an impact they endorse. That’s why it is inexcusable to feature high school aged characters – and yes, they’re still children – engaged in some of the worst situations humanity holds.

“But this so-called ‘entertainment’ will come at a devastating cost to young viewers, apparently most of whom are watching outside of a traditional television where parents have greater control. They are being desensitized to child rape and sexual exploitation, illicit drug abuse, graphic teen sex, full frontal teen nudity, and pornography use – and it is portrayed as a normal part of the teenage experience. And for what, a penny or two of earnings per share? Or perhaps as an investment sound bite touting its progress against Netflix?

“I don’t know what life experiences ‘Euphoria’ creator Sam Levinson must have endured in order to want to produce such destructive material, but AT&T and HBO must be forced to defend their investment of corporate resources into the sexualization and sexual exploitation of children.

“We call on HBO to halt plans to create season three of this nihilistic, dark, depraved and extraordinarily dangerous program,” said Winter.

The PTC is urging members of the public to sign its petition calling on AT&T/HBO to stop airing child-themed pornography.

Content examples from Euphoria can be found here. While Euphoria season 2 just concluded, the entire series is available to watch on HBO’s streaming platform where children have access.