Heartstopper is so sweet, wholesome, handled with such care and you can tell that this project was made with nothing but the most loving and thoughtful intentions. I'm not used to queer media being like this, frankly most media for teens/involving teens is always so sexualized, spreads misinformation, and ages teens to behave and look like adults. Teen media creates unrealistic and damaging expectations for what a teen's life looks like.
Heartstopper is the exact opposite of this
Yes I'm sure there are other great TV shows, movies, etc, that are positive for teens, but Heartstopper reminded me of what it's like to not be bombarded by Hollywood's glamorized image of these formative years. The only word that keeps coming to mind is "care". People cared about this show. People cared about the source material. People cared about the process of making the show. People cared about who their target audience is. People cared about the topics they were handling. People cared about having message and how to pass it on to their audience. People cared about every tiny detail and it shows.
This should be the standard. There are so many ways to give proper representation, have something to say with what you create, display artistic choices and creativity, and just make something that can connect with others. I don't care if it sounds like I'm biased or putting the show on a pedestal, I am shocked at how shocked I was to watch a positive example of queer youth that felt so honest, warm, and relatable even to those that are outside the intended demographic.
I hope I don't forget how it felt to watch this for the first time. If this is the impact that it had on me, I can only imagine what it must feel like to be a queer 15 year old seeing themselves on screen through these characters. No malice or underlying intentions, just reassurance that you're seen, your story matters, and there's a place for you here regardless of how dark things may seem.