Adolescence has only been out for a month, but it’s already made a mark in TV history. The show’s powerful plot—about a teenage boy who kills a classmate after being radicalized by online misogyny—hit so hard that it sparked conversations in both politics and entertainment.
The stars of Adolescence recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the impact the show has had. During the interview, co-creator Stephen Graham took a moment to address and debunk a false rumor being circulated online by those trying to stir controversy. Among them is Elon Musk, a prominent figure in the Trump Administration, who falsely claimed the show was based on the recent tragic Southport killings, where a Black teenager killed three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
They’ve completely got it wrong, Because if they were to look at their facts, they would see that the horrific thing that happened in Southport happened after we finished our [show]. It just doesn’t make sense. So they’re using this to pursue their own agenda. I understand the whole concept of freedom of speech, I get it, and I see what they’re saying. But I think there’s a fine line between freedom of speech and hate.
Graham told the magazineAdvertisement
Adolescence doesn’t address race at all, instead keeping its focus firmly on the topic of toxic masculinity.
Some people have said it’s ‘woke ideology,’ and they’ve taken it to an extreme, It was never about race … It was just meant to be a representation of a normal family that could live on your street. It could be your sister’s kids or, God forbid, your own kid. All of the stuff I was influenced by was social realism.
Graham said
In the weeks following the release of Adolescence on Netflix, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly praised the show. During Prime Minister’s Question Time (via Sky News), he said,
At home we are watching Adolescence. I’ve got a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, and it’s a very good drama to watch. This violence carried out by young men, influenced by what they see online, is a real problem. It’s abhorrent, and we have to tackle it.
He also supported Netflix’s decision to make the series freely available in UK secondary schools, with hopes that it will help educate students about the risks of the online “manosphere” and knife crime.
Thanks to its powerful impact, Adolescence has been such a hit that talks of a second season have already begun. It’s still unclear whether season two will continue the story of Jamie and Katie’s tragedy or shift focus to a new child and a different crime.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Sky News