Image via shondaland.com
Director Ryan Murphy has done it again! His series POSE is entertaining and intriguing, with characters that feel like friends. The show is set in the 1980s and explores black and LGBTQ+ rights via New York’s underground ballroom scene. Here are a few of the many, many reasons you should dive right into this heart-wrenching, attention-commanding series.
Explore History and Understand Progress
The best way to prevent oppression and mistreatment is to understand what it actually looks like. This show gives you a glimpse into the history of the black LGBTQ+ community and showcases the everyday battles they faced as recently as the late 20th century. Topics of racism, homophobia, and the AIDS epidemic are introduced to the audience very early on – and remain steady throughout.
The relationships we form with these characters allow us to understand their pain and woes. We feel their unity as they start new families after being thrown out of their own. And we see their joy as they celebrate their true identities in the one place they are happily embraced: the balls.
Representation
This series revolutionized the representation of trans individuals in the media. Far too often, their identity has been used as the punchline of a joke. POSE represents trans individuals in a positive light using actors who are trans in real life.
Glitter and Glam
The dancing, the props, the performers – every single aspect of POSE is fierce. And the wardrobe in this series? Flawless. The 1980s clothing, makeup, and hair are on point. And the outfits for the ballroom themes? They’re beyond what words can describe. If we were to try, we’d have to use the words “sequins” and “feathers.”
Music
While we’re on the topic of ’80s representation, we have to mention the music. So be ready for an iconic soundtrack and plenty of performances.
The Love
Don’t get us wrong, there’s plenty of drama between POSE’s cast of characters, but you will quickly see that it’s all born out of love. The houses of POSE compete, but they are all still family and stand up for one another as they tackle tough issues. House mothers take in children off the streets and nurture them into strong, empowered adults. It’s a glorious message of love, acceptance, sisterhood, and community against all odds.
If you love glitz and glam, strong women, and learning about the history and destruction of oppression, then POSE is for you. You can binge-watch seasons one and two on Netflix now. Season three is available on FXNow. Happy viewing!