blog 9 : heartstopper

Heartstopper (2016-)

Created by : Alice Oseman

Director : Euros Lyn

Okay so, I know that Heartstopper isn't a film, but in light of the first official teaser trailer for the show being released yesterday I thought it was only appropriate to write about it. If you aren't aware of what Heartstopper is, it is a series of graphic novels created and written by Alice Oseman, with the television adaptation of it being released this Spring. The story follows two central characters, Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, as they experience love, friendship, mental health, and coming of age. Along the way they are accompanied by their best friends and family, demonstrating the importance of community. Heartstopper is filled with authentic and genuine representation for queer identities, as well as individual stories of experiencing mental health. 

LGBTQ+ representation in Heartstopper

A common theme in many pieces of media which involve LGBTQ+ identities, whether it be just a character or a storyline, is it being relatively negative and usually involving some sort of traumatic experience with no resolving or positive element to it. This is something I will expand on further on, but one thing that sets Heartstopper aside from these poor representations of being queer is the extremely optimistic outlook on LGBTQ+ inclusive relationships, of which the 3 main couples are. There are a range of identities included in the novels; Nick is bisexual, Charlie is gay, Tara and Darcy are both lesbians, Elle is transgender, Aled is demisexual, and Tori is asexual, however all are given positive storylines. 

Charlie Spring, one of our main characters, goes through many harmful experiences, but his relationship with Nick Nelson is consistently shown to be hopeful and healthy from when they first meet throughout the books. Whilst many queer couples in media are often given negative tropes, such as miscommunication, we regularly see Nick and Charlie communicating with one another and talking about situtations. An early example is when Nick sees Charlie's run-in with Ben Hope, in which Nick consequently offers to be someone Charlie can talk to about it all in a non-judgemental way. This healthy communication is showed later on between the two in scenarios such as their relationship, Nick's father and Charlie's mental health. It shows that, whilst their journey isn't easy (especially being a queer couple), having a healthy relationship with communication in times of happiness, stress, sadness can be a significantly beneficial thing. 

Similarly, the communication between the two in regards to Nick's journey with his identity is another especially important aspect of the story. Whilst Charlie is out, Nick struggles with figuring out his sexuality and how he identifies. Often, a storyline like this can be used in a harmful way, such as the out character forcing the other to come out or sometimes outing them, leading to the suggestion that struggling with your sexuality isn't normal or that people should immediately know how identify (neither of which are true). In Heartstopper, Nick communicates his confusion with Charlie about how he identifies and how he is not ready to come out, of which Charlie never forces him to. Instead, we see Nick taking his time to figure out that he identifies as bisexual and coming out to people on his own terms, to his mum, his friends, and his classmates. Furthermore, it is hinted that Tara also had a similar experience of taking time to figure out she identifies as a lesbian, suggested through a moment between her, Darcy, and Nick. This is an incredibly important storyline to show, and one I hope to see in the show, as I have now doubt it will help people who are going through a similar experience realise that they are not alone, and that it is okay to be unsure of yourself or how you identify. 

Moving on to the relationship between Tao Xu and Elle Argent, their relationship and story are  also positive, as well as being relatable. Tao and Elle start as friends, both liking each other more but being too nervous to act on it, until eventually doing so. Elle is transgender, and moves schools after coming out as so, but remains friends with Charlie, Aled, and Tao. Trans representation in media can often fall into very negative and harmful stereotypes, such as trans people being used for other people to 'experiment' with their sexuality, being shown as villains, or just not being represented at all. (The documentary Disclosure is extremely educational and beneficial in learning about this). As well as this, non-cisgender characters are often the characters portrayed as unloveable through having no romantic interests, and so being used as a joke. In Heartstopper, Elle's relationship with Tao is not impacted by her identity as a trans girl, but instead she is shown love and care for by a boy head over heels for her. This may seem like the bare minimum, but it is a story which has so little representation in media, which is why Elle as a character is so incredibly important, particularly to trans people. Elle's story is optimistic, hopeful, and loving whilst still acknowledging the impact of being transgender as well as a person of colour in certain countries, providing an educational aspect for those who may not be aware of differing LGBTQ+ legislation. Finally, the importance of Yasmin Finney's casting as Elle for the show should not go unspoken. Having a trans woman of colour, playing a trans woman of colour, to portray such a unique experience is the type of representation needed in queer media.

Furthermore, lesbian or sapphic couples in media are also often subject to harmful tropes based on stereotypes, commonly surrounding men. For example, the portrayal of a lesbian couples relationship is often shown to revolve around a man, or use the intrusion of a man in order to break up the couple, rather than simply letting them live. In Heartstopper, the relationship between Tara and Darcy is never succumbed to these negative tropes or stereotypes, but instead they are shown to constantly love and care for each other in an incredibly healthy way, such as Tara supporting Darcy with her family and Darcy supporting Tara when she is ill. Their relationship is never used as a joke to invalidate sapphic couples, nor is it used as a plot device for drama, as some shows do. This positive portrayal of a lesbian relationship is especially important in a time rife with both overt and covert lesbophobia and invalidation of sapphic couples, as well as showing the importance of support and care in relationships. Finally, Tara also being a woman of colour is important, as black lesbian, or queer in general, representation can be incredible hard to come by. 

Finally, giving light to identities such as asexuality and demisexual can not only help people and encourage learning about LGBTQ+ identities that are often underrepresented, but may help others learn more about themselves. The demisexual identity of Aled Last is further explored in Alice Oseman's novel Radio Silence, which explores his life leading up to and after leaving school. Alice Oseman has also previously stated that they have 'BIG ASEXUAL PLANS' for if they get a season 2 of Heartstopper, which will give further light to an often underrepresented identity. 

The exploration of mental health in Heartstopper

The following paragraphs will contain content mentioning sexual assault and eating disorders, which can be a triggering topic to read about. Please take care when reading. 

As stated earlier on, much queer representation involves a bad or traumatic experience that is shown, but never really resolved, examined, or dealt with. Whilst our central character Charlie goes through many experiences that have a long-lasting effect on him, this is largely dealt with throughout the course of the novels. Sometimes this is through a conversation with one of his friends, or someone more professional such as his therapist but nonetheless showing the importance of talking about these experiences that are often unique to people identifying within the LGBTQ+ community. Charlie's experiences early in his teens with being outed as gay to his school and being sexually assaulted by Ben Hope is never neglected nor forgotten, but is rather talked about healthily and frequently with other people, such as Tao and Nick/his therapist respectively. The importance of this is showing that these experiences do not simply go away or disappear, but that they can stay with you whether you realise it or not. In a conversation with his therapist, Charlie learns that these experiences were traumatic for him, which he had never thought about it being until then. Consequently, this allows him to understand his past experiences in a greater way than prior to this, which shows how sometimes talking to someone about an experience can provide further understanding to the impact it can have. 

Furthermore, Charlie's experiences with mental health are detailed particularly in volume 4 of Heartstopper through both Nick and Charlie's perspective. Through studying psychology, one thing I have learnt is that mental health conditions do not just appear randomly, but often gradually build up over time, whether it be due to environmental or genetic influences. However, much representation of mental health does not show this, instead labelling a character with a condition but rarely investigating what it actually is. In Heartstopper : Volume 4, we learn that Charlie has been diagnosed with anorexia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Charlie's struggles with eating and control are shown from as early as volume 2, through instances of hesitation before eating, or sometimes avoiding it. The importance of this is showing how, in most cases, mental illness does not simply appear one day, but can be gradually built up and affected by other situations. Additionally, the brief but positive portrayal of psychiatric hospitals is also a vital element of this particular story, as they are often shown to be dangerous, violent, or harmful. Instead, Heartstopper shows how Charlie's stay in one benefitted him and was able to provide him with the support and care he needed, which could not be provided by Nick or his other friends, which is also addressed by Nick's mum Sarah Nelson. It shows the benefits of seeking professional help, whilst also acknowledging how scary and nerve-wracking it can be to ask for it in the first place, and that it is not an easy journey. 

LGBTQ+ people are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from a mental health problem than heterosexual people in England. Charlie's story shows the journey of being young and queer, without ignoring the impact of certain experiences unique to queer people, whilst still providing a hopeful and uplifting story for recovery for people suffering with a mental health problem. It shows that recovery is not always a linear process, that there will be good days and bad days, but still shows a hopeful and realistic story of experiencing a mental health condition. Charlie's story, in so many ways, is such an important story to tell that I believe will reach and resonate with so many people, and have no doubt in it helping and inspiring those who relate to the character of Charlie Spring. 

Heartstopper is available to read for free online via Webtoon and Tapas, and the physical books are available from most bookshops such as Waterstones. The official TV show will be released worldwide on Netflix on April 22nd, 2022, starring established actors such as Kit Connor, Sebastian Croft, and Fisayo Akinade, as well as newcomers Joe Locke and Kizzy Edgell. The cast and crew involved in the making of the show involved many people of various identities, from transgender people to aromantics and asexuals, giving them the platform to tell the stories of their own identities. 

My recent favourite LGBTQ+ films + shows: 

Flee (2021)

Director : Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Director : Céline Sciamma

Rafiki (2018)

Director : Wanuri Kahui

Young Royals (2021)

Created by : Lisa Ambjörn, Lars Beckung and Camilla Holter

Killing Eve (2018-2022)

Created by : Phoebe Waller-Bridge