by Jonathan Veenhuijsen
In times of growing intolerance regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, positive forms of media put queer hearts at ease by employing queer representation. A recent example of this is TV-series Heartstopper, based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels. The TV-series shows queer joy by portraying a blossoming romance between the two main characters in a positive yet complex narrative, underpinning its value as an educational tool for audiences that do not identify as queer. This paper aims to establish Heartstopper’s pedagogical value for young audiences, teaching them that being queer comes in as many different variations as there are queer people on Earth.
After several decades of fighting for and gaining LGBTQ+ rights, some of these hard-won rights appear not as secure as once thought. Extreme-right and religious groups wield aggressive speech and physical violence. Even in The Netherlands, the first country to legalise same-sex marriage, society’s acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is not as strongly rooted as thought. (Duyvendak and Hekma 2012, 627). Information-overload via the Internet can be seen as one cause for intolerance toward queer individuals, online as well as offline, according to an article from the University of Illinois (2020). The term ‘queer’ in this context refers to either sexual or gender identities that diverge from the cisgender heterosexual majorities. Seeing that these rights are not as solidified as one might think, it remains important to offer a positive counterbalance in order to educate young generations on the queer experience. A plethora of films and series full of queer representation is available, although not all of these can be seen as pedagogically relevant.
One of these films and/or series that offer both queer representation as well as pedagogic relevance is the television series Heartstopper, which can be seen as a tool to teach non-queer audiences about queer experiences.Throughout this article, the label ‘queer’ will be used as an umbrella term for individuals that do not identify as heterosexual individuals. It indicates the sexual identities of the main characters and their growing process in relation to this. Subsequently, ‘non-queer’ signifies those audiences that identify as heterosexual. Because both main characters, although implicitly, identify as cisgender male, experiences of queer gender identities will not be included.
A concept that will also be used throughout the text is ‘queer joy’, which can be defined as a positive feeling one experiences in relation to queer expressions of progress, regardless of one’s own sexuality. In this instance, it will relate to joy portrayed by the main characters of Heartstopper, along with expressions that address feelings of queer joy in the viewing audiences. The scenes discussed later on all portray either queer joy or the narrative function of queer joy and will be related to academic concepts, such as social modelling as introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura.
Social modelling is a way of teaching audiences and thus creating social and behavioural change, according to Bandura (2004, 77). Social modelling encompasses learning from being exposed to a predecessors’ trial-and-error learning process. One benefit of social modelling in new media is that large groups can be reached simultaneously (Bandura 2004, 78). Emily Moyer-Gusé builds on Banduras work and researches the concept of entertainment-education (E-E). As defined by Moyer-Gusé, E-E occurs when forms of popular culture exhibit socially desired, or prosocial, behaviour. Moreover, she states that by embedding certain types of prosocial behaviour in a narrative structure, as is done in E-E, it provides the audience with an emotional experience (2008, 408). This experience can arguably lead to reduced resistance towards certain topics which could be considered taboo. She notes that in some cases, entertainment-education can be intentionally placed by creators, yet this is not a prerequisite.
E-E, as used by Moyer-Gusé, is supported by another model by Bandura. He introduces two ways in which the media can influence behaviour, as part of the dual path of influence. The first is by directly addressing the audience and providing them with information and incentives to act differently, which can be seen in advertisements or social campaigns (2004, 76). The second is mediated, in which the medium is linked to social systems and communities. The latter supports the model of E-E, stating that social change can be achieved through showing examples of prosocial behaviour in different forms of media (2004, 77).
Julianna Iacovelli, English student at the University of Connecticut, names two important phenomena that relate specifically to queer representation in her article titled “The Importance of Queer Joy in the Classroom”, as they have frequently been used in past media forms. The first is ‘queer-coding’, which happens when a character can be read as being queer, yet is not explicitly introduced as such (2022, 93). The second element she mentions, is ‘bury your gays’, which refers to a recurring trope of ending the storyline of said queer-coded characters in a death. She states that certain scholars have interpreted these queer-coded deaths as a punishment for their sexuality (2022, 94). One of these scholars is Haley Hulan, who connects ‘bury your gays’ to a legal bill from 1885 which condemned homosexual behaviour in men (2017, 18). I will refer back to these works to prove that Heartstopper does not only avoid these tropes, but actively renounces them.
The importance of renouncing outdated tropes is illustrated in an article by Seán Henry and colleagues, in which they raise the example of Schitt’s Creek to highlight the importance of opposing dominant, problematic representation patterns (2023, 156 – 158). An important consequence of abandoning questionable tropes in popular media is that they can lead the audience to question their stereotyping assumptions, regarding queer characters in Schitt’s Creek. In other words, by problematising certain standards in the media, these norms can more easily be questioned in real life. As will be demonstrated, Heartstopper can be seen as one of the most recent examples of this form, which this article will demonstrate after introducing the television series.
Heartstopper’s storyline revolves around two boys who experience high school very differently before they become friends and ultimately fall in love. Charlie Spring (played by Joe Locke) experiences bullying and abusive behaviour following his coming-out, whereas Nick Nelson (played by Kit Connor) is seen as one of the popular boys while struggling to balance his developing friendship with Charlie. The following scenes have been derived from episodes one to eight of the first season, written by Alice Oseman, directed by Euros Lyn (2022). Following the analysis, a study by Mares and Woodard will be discussed to review the effects of prosocial media content in terms of several different factors (2005, 315).
Complex queer representations
The first argument in favour of Heartstopper’s educational relevance for non-queer audiences relates to the way the characters are portrayed. In the third episode, preceding the episode’s titular kiss Nick shares with Charlie, Nick is seen to struggle with expectations of his peers (Oseman 2022). While one of his friends expects him to flirt with a girl called Tara, egging him on to make a move on her, he would much rather spend his time talking to Charlie. When Nick is eventually talking to Tara, she mentions having a girlfriend and they discuss being queer. When Nick later realises Charlie has left, he starts searching for him, which is when he finds the girlfriends on the dancefloor as their fellow students are dancing around them. As they dance and kiss, the camera alternates between them, without a care in the world, and Nick, who is smiling broadly as he sees their joyful movements before continuing his search for Charlie.
In this scene on the dancefloor, Nick, as well as the two queer girls, are seen expressing joy simultaneously, connecting the joy with being able to be openly queer. What establishes the series’ educational value for non-queer audiences, is that Nick seems to struggle balancing his friends’ expectations and his own wishes. In doing so, the creators do not show a bisexual character, but a teenage character with a range of struggles, one of which relates to his sexuality.
This complexity in Nick’s character, according to Jack Halberstam, English and Literature professor at Columbia University, is a more desirable form of representation than what he calls “impossibly” good characters (Rouleau 2021, 1). This form of representation portrays queer characters with the complexity of humanity, thus having the capability of teaching non-queer audiences that even though they might differ in terms of their sexuality, they share similar struggles with queer individuals. This is one of three important conditions derived from GLAAD’s Vito-Russo test, defining when queer representation in cinema is not discriminatory (Müller 2023, 75).
Challenging standards of the past
Heartstopper can secondly be seen as educationally relevant for non-queer audiences, as it introduces a contemporary approach to being a queer teenager. The narrative of the show does not include instances of queer-coding. Charlie is explicitly involved with another boy at the beginning of the show and mentions that he is one of the only out gay students, but it is not made a central part of his identity (Oseman 2022). Henry, Bryan and Neary, academics in the educational and sociological field, state that recent queer films have not successfully shown queer characters who are portrayed with the intricacies of being human yet this is exactly what happens in Heartstopper (2023, 152). Nick’s character is introduced as a student and a rugby player, who finds a kind friend in Charlie and, according to his mother, is much more himself around Charlie than with his other friends (Oseman 2022, “Crush”). As their friendship evolves, Nick starts to question his sexuality, which is shown with a striking realism; he performs a Google Search for “am I gay?”, which appeals to the young generation represented in the story.
Moreover, there is little to no mention of ‘the closet’ in the show. This concept has been widely disputed by scholars as well as outside of academic discourse (Godfrey 2014). According to Henry and colleagues, it has become accepted in a world where heterosexuality is seen as the norm; only by explicitly coming out of ‘the closet’, a queer person could distance themselves from this standard. By using this trope in the media, queerness is repeatedly shown as a part of an individual’s identity that has to be expressed and approved by one’s heterosexual environment (2023, 158). As Heartstopper does not include this trope in the traditional sense and instead discusses ‘coming out’ in a more general sense, it pioneers a different manner of thinking about this part of one’s identity.
In the final episode, Nick explicitly mentions he prefers to “tell the people who matter” instead of a grand gesture in front of everyone they know (Oseman 2022, “Boyfriend”). In this portrayal the show sets an example, by displaying ‘coming out’ as a precarious and personal process, being different for everyone going through it and by highlighting following one’s own instincts and feelings. The absence and active invalidation of out-dated and harmful tropes in Heartstopper such as ‘bury your gays’, ‘queer-coding’ and ‘coming out of the closet’ with a public announcement, as Melissa Allen, Doctoral Graduate Assistant at William & Mary, Williamsburg, states in her conclusion, create a series telling the story of two boys who meet and fall in love, leading to one of them realising that he is bisexual. It provides non-queer viewers with a strong epitome of the process of falling in love and discovering sexuality as a queer individual.
Social modelling and its effects
The third argument to make in favour of the series’ relevance as a pedagogical tool lies in its portrayal of young characters who are discovering their sexuality. Nick’s experience in the show follows, rather accurately, a model introduced by Dillon et al. This model was introduced in an article that discusses normativity in terms of sexuality. Heartstopper’s first season shows his transition from ‘compulsory heterosexuality’ to ‘active exploration’ when he starts to grow more intimate with Charlie, ending the season by committing to be Charlie’s boyfriend, thus moving towards ‘deepening & commitment’ (Dillon et al. 2011, 658; Allen 2022, 205). In an explanation of the ‘compulsory heterosexuality’ status, it describes the process of non-heterosexual individuals adapting to heterosexuality. This behaviour constitutes heterosexuality’s dominance and creates us-and-them thinking, facilitating ignorance and intolerance (Dillon et al. 2011, 659-660).
In Heartstopper, an epitome of this us-and-them thinking is Charlie being bullied by Nick’s friend Harry. Over the course of several episodes, Nick progressively opposes the bullying as his feelings for Charlie deepen. In the seventh episode, titled “Bully”, this growing unrest between the friends results in a physical fight (Oseman 2022). This scene could be seen as a turning point in Nick’s process, where he leaves behind the state of ‘compulsory heterosexuality’ around his friends. Regardless of how one views these stages in Nick’s journey to coming to terms with his sexuality, the series does show the complexity of this process. Nick starting a fight to protect Charlie, who is being bullied for his sexuality, can be interpreted as him fighting for his own freedom of sexuality as well. His friends show intolerant behaviour, which he increasingly withstands during his discovery that he himself might not identify as straight.
Moreover, as a main character, Nick’s contrasting behaviour sets an example for young, impressionable viewers. His behaviour, as well as his mother’s reaction, are strong examples of social modelling. The impulse to fight is criticised, but Nick speaking out for what he thinks is right gains his mother’s empathy, making this scene a strong argument asserting the presence of E-E in Heartstopper, affirming its quality as a pedagogical tool.
Another example along the same line can be found in the final episode of season one, “Boyfriend”. Nick and Charlie go to the beach, where Nick discusses coming out with Charlie, who is smiling continuously. Their conversation ends with Nick bursting out that he “[likes] Charlie Spring, in a romantic way, not just a friend way” (Oseman 2022). This scene is not only filled with queer joy in Charlie and Nick, it also appeals to the audiences’ feelings of joy. For queer audiences, this culmination can provide feelings of catharsis, of being represented in media and recognising oneself, as explained by Deema Alawa in YES Magazine (Luoung and Alawa 2023). Illustrator Tevy Khou takes this a step further, stating that joy is contagious, meaning it can be experienced just as strongly by non-queer individuals, warming their hearts and showing them the importance of queer joy (Luoung and Khou 2023). Khou’s statement is confirmed by an article from the Harvard Medical School magazine in which professor of psychiatry George Vaillant is quoted saying that joy is more intricate than happiness, relating it to humanity’s ability to connect with others (Cerretani 2011).
These findings can be of considerable relevance in terms of creating educational material regarding themes such as identity and being queer. As shown, social modelling can be helpful in terms of creating a positive example for non-queer audiences. A counter-argument is that this research does not offer solid numbers on the effects Heartstopper has had on the behaviour of non-queer audiences. A study by Mares and Woodard offers insight in this matter. These researchers studied the effects of prosocial and aggressive behaviour in media on children’s social interactions. The results of their meta-analysis concluded in the effects of being exposed to prosocial behaviour being somewhat smaller than when having viewed aggressive forms of behaviour (2005, 311). What is more, their findings also showed that there are scarcely differences in behavioural influence based on gender or ethnicity. Socio-economic differences did show significant results, with prosocial behaviour affecting participants from middle and upper class more than those from lower class environments, in addition to the influence of the age factor; at the age of 7, children are the most likely to be affected by examples of prosocial behaviour, with a strong downgrade until they reach the age of 12 (2005, 315). Despite these findings, Mares and Woodard conclude in advocating the effects of television in terms of E-E: “[t]he conclusion is that television has the potential to foster positive social interactions, reduce aggression, and encourage viewers to be more tolerant and helpful” (2005, 316), which further supports the results of this research.
Conclusion
The presence of queer joy in Heartstopper and the complex portrayals of characters provide an explicitly positive representation of queer people. This forms a central part of the narrative in the series, making it a valuable pedagogical tool for audiences not identifying as queer, as it shows the complexity of the self-identifying process. In eliminating and countering out-dated tropes, the show pioneers new perspectives that are meaningful to both queer and non-queer audiences. In the portrayal of the process of accepting one’s sexuality, mostly reflected in Nick’s character, the educational relevance is underpinned by the academic accuracy in its depiction.
Even though being queer and discovering this part of one’s identity encompasses many phases, the experience is unique for every individual. Heartstopper does not only attempt to show its complexity to the fullest, the creators have produced a show that does so with respect and precision. Upon reflection, however, more can be said about the subject of analysis. As mentioned in the introduction, the term ‘queer’ is one with varied uses and definitions. Regarding the analysis of Heartstopper, the term focuses on sexuality, as it does not touch upon the realm of queer gender identities. Research into these representations might possibly result in different conclusions.
Whether the series reaches audiences in environments that do not protect queer identities is another matter entirely. To this day, not being heterosexual is frowned upon by many communities globally and in some countries, being queer remains illegal, if not punishable by death. One can only hope that the warmth and acceptance portrayed by the main characters, their peers and environment in Heartstopper will one day be the norm for queer people all around the globe.
References:
Allen, Melissa. „”In a Romantic Way, Not Just a Friend Way!”: Exploring the Developmental Implications of Positive Depictions of Bisexuality in Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper.” Journal of Bisexuality, 12 December 2022: 197-228.
Bandura, Albert. „Social Cognitive Media for Personal and Social Change by Enabling Media.” In Entertainment-Education and Social Change: History, Research and Practice, by Arvind Singhal, Michael J. Cody, Everett M. Rogers and Miguel Sabido, 75-96. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2004.
Cerretani, Jessica. „The Contagion of Happiness.” Harvard Medicine, 2011. Cited on January 25, 2024.
Dillon, Frank R., Roger L. Worthington, and Bonnie Moradi. „Sexual Identity as a Universal Process.” In Handbook of Identity Theory and Research, by Seth J. Schwartz, Koen Luyckx and Vivian L. Vignoles, 649-670. New York, NY: Springer, 2011.
Duyvendak, Jan Willem, and Gert Hekma. „Queer Netherlands: A puzzling example.” Sexualities, 5 March 2012: 625-631.
Godfrey, Chris. Let’s stop LGBT people ‘coming out of the closet’. 25 July 2014. Cited on January 25, 2024.
Henry, Seán, Audrey Bryan, and Aoife Neary. „‘Laughing ourselves out of the closet’: comedy as a queer pedagogical form.” Ethics and Education, 9 March 2023: 151-166.
Hulan, Haley. „Bury Your Gays: History, Usage and Context.” McNair Scholars Journal, 2017: 17-27.
Iacovelli, Julianna. „The Importance of Queer Joy in the Classroom.” English Journal, May 2022: 93-96.
Luoung, Michael, C.J. Malament, Deema Alawa, and Tevy Khou. The Art of Queer Joy. 29 June 2023. https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2023/06/29/queer-joy. Cited on January 24, 2024.
Mares, Marie-Louise, and Emory Woodard. „Positive Effects of Television on Children’s Social Interactions: A Meta-Analysis.” Media Psychology, 2005: 301-322.
Moyer-Gusé, Emily. „Toward a Theory of Entertainment Persuasion: Explaining the Persuasive Effects of Entertainment-Education Messages.” Communication Theory, August 2008: 407-425.
Müller, Anna Carolin. Queer Enough? Homonormativity and Hegemonic Gay Masculinity in Contemporary Biopics. Vol. Formal Aesthetic Features of Queer Cinema. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2023.
Oseman, Alice. Heartstopper. Director: Euros Lyn. Featuring actors: Joe Locke and Kit Connor. 2022.
Rouleau, Joëlle, interviewed by Jack Halberstam. The futures of queer television (1 March 2021): 1-2.University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. „An Illinois-led study suggests opinion polarization caused by data overload.” Coordinated Science Laboratory. 30 July 2020. https://csl.illinois.edu/news/illinois-led-study-suggests-opinion-polarization-caused-data-overload. Cited on January 25, 2024.
Jonathan Veenhuijsen is a 23 years old pre-master student at the University of Amsterdam, currently in the programme of Theatre Studies to prepare for the Master International Dramaturgy. He finished his HBO ‘Theatre in Education’ at Fontys Academy of the Arts in July 2023 and the educational field has been a long-standing interest of his, hence the crossover between the analysing of Hearstopper and its educational relevance.
Raffia 