Why Ryan Murphy’s ‘Pose’ Is An Important Moment For TV

Pose

After watching the entire series of Pose, I’ve no doubt placed my bets that it’ll absolutely rule the Emmy’s next year. I honest to god wouldn’t be surprised if it started winning in categories where it just doesn’t belong. Best Animated Series? May as well chuck it at Pose.

Image result for pose fx gif

Make no mistake though, Pose more than deserves its inevitable award show dominance. Showrunner and overall TV god Ryan Murphy has gone to excruciating lengths to ensure the authenticity of Pose, as well as its record-breaking diverse cast, are front and centre.

The eight-episode series arc throws viewers head-first into the late-’80s New York ballroom scene, a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community during a time when the AIDS epidemic had reached critical and the rich, the mainstream and those in power chose to sweep it under the rug rather than address it head-on.

Pose‘s main storyline surrounds two houses – the House of Abundance and the House of Evangelista – with each house comprised of mainly black, transgender people who compete against one another through ballroom dance. Throughout the series, Pose hits you with a stacked arsenal of storylines, each delving deeper into the often-unheard or misrepresented lives of trans and queer people in the ’80s.

The eye-wateringly beautiful costumes and the ridic production value doesn’t detract from Pose‘s fundamental purpose – to introduce the unfamiliar to the beautiful, heartwrenching and complex world of the trans and queer community.

Image result for pose ryan murphy gif

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a Murphy extravaganza so Pose was bound to feature one of his go-to actors (fake sarcastic shock, it’s American Horror Story staple Evan Peters). However, Peters plays a relatively small role and while he may be one of the most notable names attached to the show, he and Dawson’s Creek‘s James Van Der Beek take to the sidelines and not once outshine the awesomely talented, predominately trans and queer cast.

(Sidebar: Peters annoyingly features as the top-billed cast member on IMDb which, I mean, is a ‘uge disservice to MJ Rodriguez who plays the titular role of Blanca and I will march on down to the IMDb office and politely berate whoever’s in charge.)

What makes Pose essential viewing is a combination of timing and the plethora of themes explored throughout each episode. That’s not to say that there would ever be a wrong time for Pose to come about, but considering the past two years, when the trans community have once again had their rights attacked, questioned or straight-up revoked (particularly in the US), Pose serves as a reminder of how hard the LGBTQ+ had to, and continue to, fight tooth and nail for their rights, with many having to look after themselves or each other when everyone else fails them.

What Pose does best is the way it explores common issues that trans people experience on the daily, that’s rarely – if ever – discussed on mainstream shows. We never witness the discrimination that trans people face within their own damn community, from other members of the LGBTQ+ who consider them lower-tier. Pose shows us just that.

Image result for pose ryan murphy gif

In one scene (minor spoilers), Blanca, a transgender black woman, attempts to enter a gay bar and is promptly refused – the gay bar is for gay, white men after all. (Seriously, some people need a crash course in human decency every two weeks. It should be mandatory.)

We’re also rarely shown the insecurities that so many trans women carry around with them, as the pressure to feel ‘beautiful’, and therefore ‘authenticly female’ is constant (as if the pressure of society to bend to its bland, cookie-cutter template of a human isn’t enough of a burden).

Perhaps most importantly, Pose showcases the resilience, the strength and the courage that the LGBTQ+ community possess time and time again. Pose gives trans, queer or any marginalised group a TV show that finally speaks directly to them in an authentic, respectful way.

Simply put, Pose is the first television show where trans people are finally, rightfully, painted as their own heroes.

you cant shade something thats shining so bright GIF by Pose FX

Don’t miss out, sign up to Foxtel to watch Pose exclusively from September 11th on Foxtel’s Showcase or stream On Demand. To get access to the hectic amount of new shows and complete seasons, both Aussie and international, check out Foxtel’s offers here, all on the iQ4 – stream, record and watch new shows without leaving your lounge room.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV