by Justin Teoh
Some neighborhoods say that it was reflective of their teen lives, while some say it was not, but both sides would agree that the television show Euphoria signaled the coming of something big. Depending on who you listen to, you would get a mixed bag of answers.
One partial sitting of the pilot episode would be enough to stir an evangelist into hysteria, a protective adult into offense mode; however, those who stop and stare would become so psychologically involved with how heavy-handed things get, they would find it hard to not know more. There are so many candy colors in this widely-broadcasted show that it would not be surprising that some audiences are concerned about it perpetuating drug use. Interviews with cast members, however, show that the script incorporated elements that held true to their own experiences, that it is not an entire facade. Thus, regardless of one’s preferences in media consumption, it is evident here that we are all inherently responsive to stories, stories by which are shaped from various contexts but are all molded in the likeness of who we are as humans, to which we turn our heads and tune in in the first place.
And therein lies the answer: context. We hold on to our past experiences because it has shaped who we are up to this point in time; and under the umbrella of Humanity, no one person is alike, but every one of us has a unique way of life. And we deserve a chance in telling them honestly. For the better, it can be encouraging to gain positive feedback and support; for the worse, a targeted insult could bring about a wound that won’t fade away. Everyone’s trajectory can change towards a positive direction, and it is only through the progress of our contexts and stories that others can understand us and be inspired to do the same themselves.
Context is and was never mutually exclusive from the struggles of women’s rights. It is essential now that we survey its landscape, for history tells us that a movement without an understanding of its own geography will be one that staggers. As we see revolutions lighting up the whole world, we definitely cannot stagger this time around.
In our fifth issue of Getting It Strait, we are very excited to present rich, macro observations of women in politics, the arts and sciences, and the layers of society; micro-level examinations on the sorry reflex and the recent Malaysian V2K Telegram scandal; a striking poem on overcoming an anthropomorphic visualization of grief, and more.
On behalf of the authors for this issue, we hope that our candid stories will open you up to not just a candy-colored kaleidoscope of inspiration, but an entire spectrum.
“It is time to effect a revolution in female manners—time to restore to them their lost dignity—and make them, as a part of the human species, labour by reforming themselves to reform the world. It is time to separate unchangeable morals from local manners.”
—Mary Wollstonecraft