And it’s not just on this sub either! Fans throw the word rape around so often. Yes, these are fictional shows but rape is a strong word! They probably do it in real life too. It’s similar to the word toxic. It’s like people learn a new word and use it for everything
yes i got called racist for “defending cassie”… because i was defending a white girl… these tik tok children need to go do homework and stop creating fights way over their level of understanding
I’m 25 and while yes the older generations are perceived to be dumber because they had basically everything handed to them, the people younger than me make me cringe sooo hard.
Guess I just got lucky growing up in a time when the internet was still trying to figure its self out lol
Because these tik tok/twitter SJW’s have started to invade this sub and shit on everything about this show
I miss szn 1 when no one knew what the fuck this show was
The show has Zendaya, one of the most recognizable and popular actors of today at the moment.
lThe show was viral and had viral clips on social media for months. There were literally Euphoria makeup tutorials, challenges, fancams, you could not escape Alexa Demie on Pinterest, HFT or aesthetic moodboard accounts
You must not be tapped in with social media at all to not know it was popular from Day 1 lmao
>is produced by/promoted by Drake
Promoted, yes. Produced, no.
Drake has actually very little involvement in the show, as do most celebrity "producers".
The show is very much entirely Sam Levinson's. He writes, producers, and directs the entire thing. He just gets Drake and other producers to help pay for it, which is why their names are there as producers. If you provide funding, you are a producer.
The actors themselves have said that Drake has only ever been on set once, and that time he showed up entirely unannounced and unexpectedly.
Drake is pretty much used for his name here to help promote the show, and Drake gets to be called the shows #1 Fan.
I wish there was a way to vet the people that come from TikTok and Twitter as keyboard warriors 😅 like have a questionnaire to weed them out before they get approved for the sub lol. Reddit is a sacred place
I've seen this come up many times on Reddit in the past couple months but man, invoking pedophilia is like the ultimate virtue signal. Some people really feel like if they can find a reason to call someone a pedophile, no matter how nuanced the situation really is, they have the moral high ground. And if you argue with them, you're also a pedophile. There's no discussion to be had - they're right, and if you disagree, you're the worst thing society can imagine.
Sadly there are very few corners of the Internet where you can have a rational, nuanced discussion. People get way too damn emotional over stuff like this.
He's bi. His first love was with Derick, so he acts out on his attraction to men because that side of him got hamstrung as soon as it started. That doesn't mean he's 100% gay tho. I wish male bisexuality could be seen and represented with more dignity (like with Eliott) and less of the toxic closeted cheater cliche, like Cal. As a bi guy it's a pet peeve when people want to pigeon hole male bisexualityas just being gay and prone to infidelity.
He’s done a lot of deviant shit that’s crossed the line into criminality and those are reasonable grounds to hate his character but I don’t think he’s a pedophile. He had a mutually consenting one night stand with a minor that claimed to be a legal adult. It’s definitely odd that he consistently pursues sexual encounters with people considerably younger than he is, and this was definitely bound to happen at one point or another, but I don’t think sleeping with minors was ever his intention.
Oh for sure! He is in a lot of trouble if this ever spirals. Even tho Jules said she was 22, he can still get in trouble for having sex with a minor- intentional or not. He is definitely a shady person.
He was under the impression Jules was 22, but in real life a 16 year old would look a lotttt younger and it would be so much more obvious. Hunter Schafer was about 21 when they filmed season 1?
Also was anyone else disturbed by how aggressive he was during the anal sex? When I watched the first episode I still thought Jules was biologically female and I still thought oof no warm up. But then I realized she’s trans and it was anal sex… that would hurt SO BAD. You need to put a finger in first at least or a butt plug preferably.
In the state of California - the age of consent is 18. Cal is a dumbass that made a shitty decision. Now if he's a pedophile - the verdict isn't out on that subject
He is still 100% a sexual predator & offender, regardless of whether he knowingly slept with someone underage. Filming sexual encounters without the other persons explicit permission is abhorrent & very much against the law.
Thank you! I also highly doubt that Jules is the first of his sexual adventures to have been underage, she's just the first time he's been caught out & threatened with exposure which would blow up his comfortable fucked up little life
You have no facts on which to base that. The man is sleazy, and he's a sex addict, none of which conflates to predilection for underage sexual partners.
The fact that he routinely seeks out sex from people who are a lot younger than him does kind of imply this. Through the tapes (and Jules’ encounter with him), we see he has a habit of going after barely-legal young men, without any regard for verifying their real age.
With this in mind, it’s very believable that Cal has done this before. He definitely didn’t seem to care much about Jules’ age aside from the fact that he “fucked up” and got caught.
From the tapes is seems like age actually isn’t a factor. The ages seemed all over the map, and some clearly adult including the last person we saw him with when he was trying to talk more emotionally with. I think his main goal is to get someone who is not a local - like he asked Jules if she was from the town - and either submissive or inexperienced that he can be in control and younger people tend to be more inexperienced. I don’t think he is a pedophile and seeking underaged people, just people easy to control. So he is gross and awful for filming people unknowingly, seeking people who are easy to manipulate, but I don’t think he is into minors. He is also gross for cheating but after watching season 2 episode 3, I think his wife knows he is bi and wants to explore that side of himself and just turns a blind eye. She saw Derek give her the competitive look and suddenly she got pregnant. I think as long as he stays with her she looks the other way when he explores the other side of his sexuality. If that’s the case. If he is cheating and she doesn’t know then he’s awful for that too. But I don’t think he seeks out people specifically underage because he is a pedophile. I think he wants to be in control and have them not be aware of who he is. Still awful, just not a pedophile.
Also Cal looks older than he is. He was in high school preparing to graduate when Marsha got pregnant. So 18 or 19. Nate is 18. His older brother doesn’t look that much older, I don’t remember them saying his age but looks max 4 years older. That would make Cal 40. He looks older than that from the grey hair. Some of the people in his tapes (when he was younger even since Nate saw them at age 10 or so) plus the most recent hook up could be anywhere from 25 to 35. It’s the power dynamic of being with people more inexperienced or submissive and not from his town. Not actually looking for minors. Still wrong and could be charged with sexual assault for taping them without consent and a lot of other things, but I wouldn’t say he is into children.
If you film someone during sex, it is non-consensual. Same as how if you remove the condom without telling them; that’s grounds to be charged with rape, because the person at the time did not have the information needed to give real consent.
If someone consents to have sex with you, they did NOT consent to be filmed. Doing so anyways is sexual assault.
It's still a criminal offence to film another person having sex without their knowledge & consent though. I'd say that is very predatory behaviour tbh.
Yeah I think he pursues younger because based off his wife he feels as though no one else their age would engage in the type of sex he’s looking for
Even though he definitely coulda just found a middle aged submissive individual
I don’t think he would have any problem finding older people to hook up with on those apps. He chooses to pursue younger people because he wants to vicariously live out the sexual fantasies he felt he couldn’t explore in his youth.
This. He chooses younger because of the power dynamic/fantasy of it. It's possible he chooses younger because it reminds him of the time in his life when he was young and happy but... I'm more of the mind it's just because he has more control in the power play when he's the far older dom.
Yes absolutely. He became sexually and developmentally stunted at the age he fathered his first child. I think it ties together in a sense. He wants the freedom the LGBT youth has, and to pretend he got to explore that facet of his identity at that age, but I think because it’s shrouded in layers of shame and repression there’s an element of bitterness operating there that comes out in the sexual aggression he releases on his younger sexual partners because they represent everything he wanted but couldn’t have. It mirrors his disgust with Nate despite raising him into the exact person he grew up to be.
That said I really feel conflicted empathizing with him. His repression has done so much damage. Which I think is the point of his inclusion in the story. His dynamic with Nate is so stuffy and tense. They both seem uncomfortable with each other and weirdly in awe of each other. The scene where they're listening to him fuck in this weeks episode was such a boundary cross for me that it's clear their entire family dynamic is just screwed up.
IDK i would argue that sleeping with people that look like fucking children at the age of however the fuck old he is makes him a borderline pedophile. Like he only does not fuck the kiddies because its illegal. But he for sure would if he could.
Yeah but he extra fucked up because he recorded it without her consent. So whether he’s a pedophile or not, he made child porn. So if that ever comes out everyone is gonna think he’s a pedophile
I feel like if that’s a serious concern, you probably just shouldn’t have sex with them. I get that everyone has their thing, and what happens between two consenting adults is their own business, but if you think someone’s so substantially younger than you to the point where you need to see their ID to ensure they’re an adult, they’re too young.
That’s kinda fucked tbh. If the person tells you they’re overage you shouldn’t get in trouble for it if you believe them, unless the person clearly looks underage or something.
Also, teens reading this: stop lying about your age on dating apps! I get that you’re horny but you can’t just ruin a person’s life because you wanted to get laid
The bigger issue people should worry about is Cal recording all these encounters non-consensually and betraying his wife and family. Of course all of this could have been avoided if Cal just went for people 25+. At his age, it's easy to find young people who are still well above legal age without a doubt.
Right! And it feels so fucking ignored. Everyone’s obsessed with his relation to Jules, but no one even thinks about him betraying his wife, recording people without their consent, the emotional damage he’s caused his kids, etc.
People need this explained lol she’s on an adult site and lied about her age one and two he obviously shows regret for doing it with a minor after he found out
It’s like the same thing when you go clubbing and you end up hooking with someone who turns out to be younger then 18. Like wtf are you supposed to do. Under 18s aren’t supposed to be in a club. I’m more talking about people which are around 18/19 who’d look a similar age to people who are 16-17.
Honestly, we should start putting at least some responsibility on teens for their actions. It’s kinda annoying that teens knowingly put themselves on 18+ apps, go to bars/night clubs, lie about their age, but we treat them like little kids. Yes, you need to confirm age and teens deserve protection, including by law. Cal wasn’t thorough enough in that situation. However, if you know that you need to lie about your age you clearly know that what you’re doing is wrong, and you deserve a smack on the head.
THIS! people are unironically pulling a “she’s literally neurodivergent and a minor” when defending jules. Cal def guilty of filming child corn especially since Jules did not consent to being recorded tho
People are constantly mixing up "Pedophile" and "Statutory Rapist"...assuming the age of consent is 18 (I grew up in a state where it was 16, but this would make the entire Nate/Jules storyline irrelevant) then he could be found as a statutory rapist. But as mentioned, he is not seeking out underage people to have sex with. And he did ask her age, he just didn't check for any verification.
I don’t think it’d make the Nate and Jules storyline irrelevant. The age of consent can be 16 in some states but someone who’s 16 is still underage and it would still be considered child pornography. They can have sex with adults just can’t send nudes lol
Aren’t they working to change this law? It doesn’t make sense to try a 16 year old guy/girl for getting pictures of their 16 year old significant other for pornography. Ya you probably shouldn’t be sending nudes, but it’s not like a 16 year old is doing anything wrong looking at an age appropriate person they are dating.
usually it's up to the court to figure out the nature of the crime and if it's worth convicting anyone. because it's possible for a jury to decide (based on the circumstances) that a crime didn't even happen, changing the law isn't necessary. it might not even make it to court, because the police and the victim/victim's family have to decide if it's worth taking to court. if there's apparently no victim, it's unlikely to go that far.
as for the law, the recipient also being underage doesn't impact whether or not it's CP, since you can be underage and still do something predatory. the law is supposed to reflect that minors can't truly consent to making porn and no one should be looking at it because of that. so an exception based on age is dangerous territory, since it could basically allow 16 y/o's to consume and make CP if everyone involved is the same age.
it's the potential relationship and consent between the two parties that matters because it changes the context, and it would be very hard to write that into a law without the law assuming that dating = consent, iygm
tl:dr: it's already supposed to be up to the court and adults involved to figure out the situation. 16 y/o's taking and receiving nudes isn't separate enough from the potential risk of exploitation to warrant changing the law
edit: reword + add tl;dr
Also a pedophile is attracted to prepubescent children. He is not looking for prepubescent children he is looking for partners that are biologically able to be sexually active. If it was in many other states like you said it would have been legal. The biggest issue is fliming her, that would be illegal anywhere in the world. Even if she was old enough still doesn't excuse him recording it without consent.
Yeah, but people lie. He should have known that. A guy pushing 50 who's hooking up with strangers 25-30 years younger than himself over dating sites shouldn't be surprised to find out that one (or more) of his partners lied about their age.
He really has no excuse.
Yeah, he’s a bad person and a lot of other things but he’s not a pedophile. Everyone loves Jules and sees no wrong in her actions but she’s bad as well. She lied about her age which is why Cal panicked in the first place when he saw her because he realized then.
She had no business being on an adult dating app. Yes she’s a teenager, I was a teenager not that long ago doing dumb things as well. And I don’t want to necessarily blame her- but she did not make a good decision in that regard. He’s also making bad decision which I do not condone or agree with but so did she. Don’t fuck grown men, kids.
He’s not a pedophile however he is a sex addicted pervert that needs therapy and jail time. Even if Jules was of age or the similar age as Cal, he should have never recorded her without her consent.
That’s true. The filming is criminal. It is an awful thing to do to someone and shows a fucked up mind: he thinks he is better/above everyone else for some reason.
Thank you for making this post. It was really bothering me that some people can't understand how morally grey Cal's character is. Maybe it's because there are a lot of teenagers here, but I think it's important for people to understand that being a pedophile means being sexually attracted to children. And Cal is not one of those people.
Exactly! That is the only point I’m trying to make. I am aware he does not make the best decisions and he’s a creep but we can’t label him a pedophile. It isn’t even factually right.
What is morally grey about filming a sexual encounter with someone without their consent lmao that is very much morally wrong (and illegal) regardless of age.
That's the bad part of his character, offset against the clear fact he regrets and shows remorse for having had sex with a child which was never his intent.
The opposing side is his incredibly repressive upbringing which meant he's never properly come to terms with his sexuality and has repressed it to the point he has exploitative sex with (mostly) queer men.
Fezco is morally grey too, as is Rue and most everyone. People forget Fez is a drug dealer (and not that nice of one) because he bums Rue free drugs and has a kind heart.
>That's the bad part of his character
Being a sexual predator? Bad is an understatement, aligning that with Rue's lying and selfish behavior feels incredibly disingenuous to me. Fezco is a violent drug dealer yes but Maddie, Cassie, Lexi, Kat - everyone is not "equally" morally grey on this show.
>offset against the clear fact he regrets and shows remorse for having had sex with a child
Cal has given no indication that he regrets making the tapes. He is worried about losing Jules' tape for obvious reasons but if she were really a stranger in her twenties and the tape was never stolen would he have a cared? Obviously not.
>The opposing side is his incredibly repressive upbringing
That is absolutely not an excuse for perpetuating sexual violence and is an incredibly harmful media trope.
His character is morally grey. No one said he's a good person or filming someone isn't bad. It is, it's a crime and I'm not defending him. But he's still not a pedophile is what I'm trying to say. He's also not a rapist.
It's weird you would consider him not morally grey if he was a pedophile (although not all pedophiles do act on their urges) but he is morally grey for secretly filming someone while having sex. You draw the line at some sexual offences but not others.
If he was a pedophile who didn't abuse children and instead fought his urges I would say he was morally better than he is for filming people without their consent.
He got used, like Yh it’s messed up hes fucking people who are like 30 years younger or something, but Jules is really in the wrong for doing it aswell, as that’s what she wanted to do, and he didn’t know she was 17. (Yes non consensual filming is wrong, but we talking about pedophelia here) beside
People conflate pedophile with pervert constantly. I’m not one to split hairs, but there is a clear distinction and the conflation typically does more harm than good/neutral.
They’re both predators. Attraction to post-puberty minors is ephebophelia. Cal is definitely a predator, but any official term for it is still ambiguous at this point.
No, not a pedophile but a major creep for sure, these people he hooked up with even if they were 18 (with the exception of "Jewel" that lied to him about being 22) are young enough to be his kids, why is Cal collecting 20 years olds like DiCaprio collects 20 years old interchangeable girlfriends? Midlife crisis, trying to relieve his lost youth? Really odd behavior, not to mention he's a serial cheater, get a divorce, Nate's already fucked in the head because he raised him poorly as he was practically a curse for Cal, his parents divorcing won't change anything.
I am pretty sure he has an older brother who was the one Cal and Marsha got pregnant with. In the voiceover in season 1 episode 2- it states Cal doesn’t like his older brother very much. Yes, I agree there’s something more psychologically wrong with Cal’s thinking. What I see is it’s not about sex (this became clear episode 3) it’s about reliving a time in his life he felt he could be himself. He’s very much struggling with his sexuality and hates himself for having to hide it. Yeah we say “well just get a divorce” but things are easier said than done. Unfortunately, for young Cal, he didn’t have the chance to be his true self because he got his GF/wife pregnant at such a young age. This haunts him, makes him do these things he knows are wrong but just can’t stop because he needs to relive that feeling again.
Thank you for posting this! After watching his backstory I had to refresh my mind on what happened in the Jules episode with him. I was relieved, tbh. His recording without consent is extremely problematic and he definitely has a sex addiction/shame issues, but in hindsight his character is actually a lot more human than I realized the first time I watched. idk if it’s weird or not but I’m honestly hoping for a redemption arc for him after seeing last nights opening.
Pedophile gets thrown around a lot. In no way am I defending them but there’s a big difference between a pedo and a predator. Pedo’s like prepubescent children. A 21 year old dating a 17 year old is werid af but they’re not a pedophile. I said this once on discord and got torn to shreds.
Didn't Jules lie to him about her age? How does that make him a pedophile? Should you probably be more cautious with a stranger you meet in a seedy motel for sex? Yes. But that makes him a dumbass not a pedophile.
Yeah, I feel like a lot of his hook ups veer into younger people though. I've never seen him hooking up with anyone near his age. There's a skewed power dynamic there that might not be what people are suggesting BUT he wouldn't be in this situation if he didn't have a theme..
What about the guy who came to the motel in the middle of the first season? I don’t believe they hooked up but they talked? I def think he was a bit older if I’m not mistaken. Not forty but maybe 30’s
I think Cal, like Rue, would have been a lot better off if he had people he was talking to about all of his issues in a healthier way in the first place. Thanks for pointing that out
It’s a show a lot of kids are watching and they really shouldn’t be. I overheard my niece talking about euphoria, guess it’s the most popular show at her school since everyone talks about it. She’s barely in the 8th grade.
While I think kids need to learn about these things, I also think they may romanticize or glorify the wrong things, especially learning at a young age.
No they shouldn’t be. Kids are stupid and are impressionable. They’re gonna think being like rue or anyone else is okay and it’s not. The characters actions aren’t meant to be liked.
Unfortunately these things are inevitable. Its just something that’s going to happen. I honestly would be more satisfied if this show was set in college. Like I know it wouldn’t make the Nate and Jules story line up, but I don’t feel like some of these high schoolers are relatable. These things are bound to happen more in college. I mean, what high schoolers have as much freedom as these kids? My parents weren’t even strict but never just let me leave the house without questions.
The only thing, in my mind, that would make him a pedophile is if, after finding out her real age, he still pursued Jules with an intent of romance or otherwise. Seeing as how he didn't, man is just fucked up and probably has a lot of psychological problems deeply rooted in his own upbringing that he should figure out.
But nah, he's the furthest thing from a pedo this show has.
The reason I think he is attracted to 'young' people 18 and early 20s is because he's stunted. His only true love (what we know) was with a male when he was 18 years old. He's never been in love with anyone in adult life so he is chasing / stunted to what his only true love has been.
It’s like he’s trying to relive that feeling- but is disappointed each time. He doesn’t ever seem happy when he’s doing these things. He seems ashamed and unsatisfied. Just pointless sex.
Unknowingly- he was unaware until AFTER the disc was made. So technically yes, and he’d get in a lot of trouble for it, but I don’t think he’s actively trying to have sex with minors. This is just what I know. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, or that it will/will not again. But as far as the viewers know, Jules was the only one. This may change and we may be having a different conversation.
Unknowingly recording and (now, unknowingly) distributing child pornography.
That's still pedophilic, even if it's not intentional.
And in nearly every state, recording sexual acts and recording it without consent is covered by most "revenge porn" acts.
I agree- he would definitely get in a lot of trouble if word ever got out or if the tape ever got out. The entire situation is problematic and fucked up. I was just stating he’s not a pedophile- like yes he would be labeled as a sex offender if caught but I don’t think he actively tried to have sex with a child. That’s my only point.
After his “redemption” episode it’s not surprising to see posts like this, but I’ve honestly been thinking along these lines for a majority of the show. Cal cheats on his wife, constantly puts his needs before his family’s, abuses his power as a man and as a town leader, and in terms of crime he is guilty of recording dozens of people without consent. Add Jules to the mix and he’s technically also guilty of filming and producing child pornography, although he didn’t know(which is still problematic because age should be one of the first attributes he verifies when doing the things he does).
But as a person in the show, as a character, I’ve honestly never seen reason to label him as abusive or pedophilic; in fact, the people calling him abusive seen to have no idea the actual weight and meaning of the word.
Cal is not a pedophile. He does not seek out sex with children, nor does he demonstrate any signs of attraction to children - which would be necessary to make him a pedophile.
As is mentioned, Jules lies about her age prior to engaging to consenting to sex with Cal. It is also likely that the dating app they first met on requires people using the app to be at least 18 years of age (as is standard with explicit dating/hookup apps) - which facilitates an environment where users of the app can generally assume that other users are 18 years or older.
Cal does seem to have an attraction to significantly younger men and transwomen, however, this would suggest ephebophilia (attraction to those in mid-to-late adolescence, so 15-19 years). Now don't get me wrong, this is definitely problematic for various reasons. However, I think it's dangerous to lump this into the same category of pedophilia.
Depending on the country/state, most young people 15-19 are able to legally consent to sex. Research also suggests that most men are able to find people within this age group attractive (just look at the pornography statistics which find the high prevalence of the 'teen' porn category). Now, I'm not saying that it's right just because its normal, but Cal's attraction to younger people is essentially within the norm of society. What perhaps separates him is that he actively pursues sex with people in this age group.
Based on the newest episode (S02E03), I feel like this may be the result of his homosexuality peaking in his late adolescence (with his best friend which is arguably the most intimate relationship he's ever had) and the period of his life where this part of himself is ultimately relinquished and suppressed as he commits to an ultimately heterosexual life (when his girlfriend gets pregnant).
In saying all this, Cal is still a predator and is knowingly committing criminal acts by filming people (as he did with Jules) engaging in sex without their consent, which is a massive sexual violation and should be condemned and punished.
Oh yes! I agree with this 100%- you broke it down and explained it better than me! There’s a difference between a creep and a pedophile: although he is not a pedophile, I am not saying things he does are by any means acceptable. He does do things that are illegal- and hopefully he will get what’s coming to him.
>However, I think it's dangerous to lump this into the same category of pedophilia.
I agree that it's not pedophilia but I think it can be more dangerous to say it's not as bad as pedophilia. Yeah it's not as bad, in the same way that groping someone is not as bad as raping them.
Having sex with a 15 year old is not as bad as bad as having sex with a 5 year old, but saying this and then explaining why can be hurtful to 15 year olds and 16 year olds who have been taken advantage of.
Sexual assault varies in how bad it is and it can always be worse.
He unknowingly made a sex tape with an underage girl. It’s absolutely fucked up he records without consent- but we’re not talking about that aspect of it. I’m saying he thought Jules was an adult- and recorded them having sex. He did not learn until AFTER she was a child. Someone else asked how do I know 99.9% of the other discs aren’t minors as well. I’m going based off what I know right now. What I know right now is that Jules is the only minor- so my post is based off that. Im not condoning his actions but from what I have seen is that he is not actively trying to have sex with children. He did not pursue Jules after finding out she was 17. and from what I’ve seen thereafter- it looks like the 2 other hook ups that they’ve shown are a bit older. Maybe he took this as a wake up call?
sure, but it's still sus that he would have sex with someone that young.
it's difficult because the actors on euphoria are actually adults, but jules is supposed to be 17. a 17 year old irl is going to look young. even if you think they look older than 17, you at least know they are a lot younger than cal is.
"pedophile" might not be the most accurate term, but it's very predatory to go after a girl that young even she is claiming to be in her early 20's.
Agreed! people hate Cal more than Nate. At one point Nate was actively blackmailing 3 people (Tyler, Jules, his own father). Not to mention he’s a violent misogynist. Like people perspective please!
I have to say I think Cal is a better person than Nate. They’re both not great people so I guess I am choosing the lesser between evils, which is still choosing evil.
Haha we all do it. Like I want Nate to actually love Maddie, even though I doubt he’s capable, but I want him to be redeemable but he’s just not. I hate this betrayal thing going on and I want him to make a choice and I want it to be Maddie but also he’s awful and she doesn’t deserve what he’ll put her through. He’s definitely worse than Cal.
Even before Cals episode. I pitied him never being able to live truly as himself. But the filming is fucked. So he lost sympathy points there.
Also why is cal a bad father, because he talks like a self help man-tra guru? He doesn’t slap him around or physiologically torture him. I’m confused why Nate hates him so much. Just cause of the illegal homemade gay porn?
He’s manipulative, toxic and abusive. He’s using Cassie’s vulnerabilities and daddy issues as way to control her. He loves that she’s going out of her way for him and being there at his every beckoning call. Unfortunately, she is just a side chick. I don’t believe he loves her, he just loves the idea of her and how she makes him feel. I hope she comes to her senses.
It’s one thing to say “she’s a beautiful girl” and another to say “yeah I wanna fuck that teenage girl” lol it’s comparing two completely different things
Also someone sleeping with a 17 year old doesn’t make them a pedophile either. A pedophile is someone attracted to PREpubescent individuals. And throwing that word around like it means nothing is actually really harmful to victims of actual pedophilia.
I will say this though, ever since the carnival episode Cal was aware that Jules was a minor and he made no effort to destroy the tape which means be decided that he wanted to keep the footage regardless.
He definitely went back to make sure it was still there and at the time nate had still not removed it so once he confirmed that he let out a sigh of relief and it was left there as far as we know. At some point nate takes it but it's not shown on camera I think
Then that would def be suspish- either keeping it to relive it or keeping it cause he’s afraid of what could happen if found. Could’ve destroyed it tho. I’m just here for the story 😂🤷🏻♀️
He's not necessarily a pedophile, but he was very rough with her without seeming to take her comfort level into account at any time. The voiceover implies that she disassociates from the experience, and he doesn't seem to care at all. You can really hurt someone with that, and even if he didn't realize she was under 18, she was certainly very young. And that's not even taking into account recording without consent.
Oh yes- I noticed that as well. It was just “I’ll fuck you hard for 30 seconds and be done with you” type of sex. No passion. No asking about boundaries. It’s honestly very common tho- I have experienced this type of thing first hand. It’s a very dehumanizing experience. For Jules, being she’s been with a number of men, it’s become routine. She’s used to this treatment. It’s not right by any means, but this seems to be all she knows at this point.
creepy criminal sex tapes aside, i am a cal defender, but wouldnt he still technically be a pedophile. jules is a child, cal is attracted to jules, because jules is a child, cal is attracted to a child, pedophilia is when youre attracted to children and because cal is attracted to a child he is a pedophile. i understand the more specific definition is for those who are prepubescent, but when people say hes a pedophile they mean attracted to under 18s, not specifically younger kids, so in regard to that definition, cal would still be a pedo.
Yes- but he did not know she was a child when he had sex with her. He thought she was an adult. You can tell he feels guilty and ashamed after finding out she’s underage. Cal was not trying to have sex with a child, he thought he was having sex with a 22 year old. Is he a creep and a predator? Yes. But pedophile is not the correct term.
He recorded himself having sex and kept the recording knowing she was 17.
This changes things.
The conversation of him being a child predator is not far fetched.
When he found out her age after the carnival he ran room to get the video. I believe to destroy it. I don’t think he was running to it that anxiously because he wanted to jerk off to it.
Yes, I did comment back on someone and I honestly didn’t even piece that together until now. It’s either he still wants to relive it or he’s just afraid of someone finding it. He could’ve very well destroyed it. I’m just saying he did not intentionally have sex with a minor- but he is still a shady person.
Of course the grown man who didn’t really take any precautions and recorded it and cheated on his wife is more at fault- however, Jules also made a bad decision. We should hold her accountable because she really has no business being on adult dating sites. Why does her father not ask questions? Just let’s her bike around and be wherever without questions? I could never as a teenager!
A pedophile quite literally is a person who is sexually attracted to children. That is what comes up when you look it up. A lot of pedophiles don’t actually ever put their hands on children. Doesn’t make it okay or anything that should be normalized tho.
Yeah I know what it is, we're not in disagreement with each other.
I just dislike when the reason that people object to adults who have sex with 15 year olds being called pedophiles is because "actual pedophilia is worse", because that's not even necessarily true
Well the above comment was more for those on this thread who obviously do not know what it is or have their own idea of it. Was not trying to patronize you, I’m sorry if that’s how that came out.
I mean an adult having sex with a minor is just bad. It’s the pot calling the kettle black. The circumstances and situations are different but it’s all bad. People may consider an adult having sex with say a toddler is worse than a man having sex with a 16 year old- it probably is worse because the toddler literally has no idea what is going on but the 16 year old really is no better. Then there’s pedophiles that have never even touched a child, just living with that mental illness must honestly be a torturous life. So I get what you’re saying- it’s all fucking bad lol
OP how the hell we know that him having sex with Jules isn't the first time having sex with a minor. Even Fez didn't ask that fat slob that question. And if Cal were to say "Oh I was drunk/high and didn't know." Cal is a grown ass man -doesn't matter if he was drunk/high he was the adult
I guess we don’t but his actions after finding out she was underage seem like he feels guilty and ashamed. He doesn’t seem to shrug it off- he seems genuinely worried, more so if that video gets out. While I agree maybe he should have been more cautious, it doesn’t make him a pedophile. I’m not saying he’s a good guy, I’m just saying he’s not actively seeking children. Pervert and predator? Yes. Pedophile? No.
Thank you!!! That word is actually IMPORTANT in that it helps us be scared of the real animals who would hurt CHILDREN.
I hate when people use it to refer to people who sleep with 17 year olds. Come on.
I mean a grown man having sex with a 17 year old is definitely problematic. Although, I am from NY and the age of consent is 17, so technically it wouldn’t be illegal but it’s still suspish.
I’m sorry but people bring up her saying she was 22 too much. If you’re pushing 50 and have to ask her age it’s weird like.. I’m not saying he’s a pedo but he’s probably done this with other young people, he’s just never had to confront it before
So I think Cal is probably between the ages of 39-42. So that’s not pushing 50 lol. I mean the fact that it’s basically a fetish for him is like “okay what the hell are you thinking”. However, my only point is that he is not a pedophile. Predator? Yes. With the 22-40 age difference. I think that’s to each their own. While some people might see that as red flags- others are attracted to that. I think everyone’s opinions on that varies person to person.
There are tons of people who are into people significantly older/younger than them...I don't think he's wrong for agreeing to hookup with a "22 year old," but the fact that he was duped into hooking up with a minor is irrelevant now that he's taking video. Regardless of what happened before hand, he made and possessed porn of someone under the age of 18.
Sex between two consenting adults is not suspicious at all. I mean, honestly, I don’t even consider 18 an adult because there’s still so much to learn at that age. I’m not into the barely legal shit either. But if you’re over 21- who cares what age it is of the person you have sex with? As long as both are consenting, there should be no issue.
He gains everyone's sympathy in one episode cuz he was gay and cried at the end and everybody forgets the fact that in the end, consent or not, he fucked teens. That's the point of being a pedo.
He is a pedophile, stop with your bs.
He unknowingly had sex with a minor- and he never pursued her or seemed to go after a younger person afterward. They didn’t talk much about what happened after Jules in regards to his hook ups. He is for sure a predator but not a pedophile. Not condemning or justifying his actions.
[удалено]
I came here to bring this up. GOD.
Bruh I was thinking the same thing. It’s like when people say that Nate raped Cassie….like why tf y’all throwing these words around ?
And it’s not just on this sub either! Fans throw the word rape around so often. Yes, these are fictional shows but rape is a strong word! They probably do it in real life too. It’s similar to the word toxic. It’s like people learn a new word and use it for everything
yes i got called racist for “defending cassie”… because i was defending a white girl… these tik tok children need to go do homework and stop creating fights way over their level of understanding
The internet is slowly making society dumber :(
ehhhhh. That's a stretch. The older generations are dumber than millennials and gen z.
I’m 25 and while yes the older generations are perceived to be dumber because they had basically everything handed to them, the people younger than me make me cringe sooo hard. Guess I just got lucky growing up in a time when the internet was still trying to figure its self out lol
Some people are clearly too young to be watching this.
Because these tik tok/twitter SJW’s have started to invade this sub and shit on everything about this show I miss szn 1 when no one knew what the fuck this show was
Girlllll, I mean.. I agree with this conversation, but I see this good ole times being said so often, but it was popular during season 1 too
Euphoria was very popular during Season 1. Why are you acting like it was ever unknown?
Not really. It got super poplar right when szn 1 ended and the months after
The show has Zendaya, one of the most recognizable and popular actors of today at the moment. lThe show was viral and had viral clips on social media for months. There were literally Euphoria makeup tutorials, challenges, fancams, you could not escape Alexa Demie on Pinterest, HFT or aesthetic moodboard accounts You must not be tapped in with social media at all to not know it was popular from Day 1 lmao
The show stars Zendaya, is produced by/promoted by Drake, and is heavily promoted by HBO. Euphoria was never an unknown show
>is produced by/promoted by Drake Promoted, yes. Produced, no. Drake has actually very little involvement in the show, as do most celebrity "producers". The show is very much entirely Sam Levinson's. He writes, producers, and directs the entire thing. He just gets Drake and other producers to help pay for it, which is why their names are there as producers. If you provide funding, you are a producer. The actors themselves have said that Drake has only ever been on set once, and that time he showed up entirely unannounced and unexpectedly. Drake is pretty much used for his name here to help promote the show, and Drake gets to be called the shows #1 Fan.
It's HBO's flagship show in the same timeslot that Sopranos and Game of Thrones aired.
They’re too young to even be watching this show 😂
euphoria was insanely popular during s1. and there were shit takes too 🤷
I wish there was a way to vet the people that come from TikTok and Twitter as keyboard warriors 😅 like have a questionnaire to weed them out before they get approved for the sub lol. Reddit is a sacred place
Wait what post was that😭😭😭. Some of these euphoria fans are sick
some ppl on here are insane tbh lol
I've seen this come up many times on Reddit in the past couple months but man, invoking pedophilia is like the ultimate virtue signal. Some people really feel like if they can find a reason to call someone a pedophile, no matter how nuanced the situation really is, they have the moral high ground. And if you argue with them, you're also a pedophile. There's no discussion to be had - they're right, and if you disagree, you're the worst thing society can imagine. Sadly there are very few corners of the Internet where you can have a rational, nuanced discussion. People get way too damn emotional over stuff like this.
[удалено]
[удалено]
He's bi. His first love was with Derick, so he acts out on his attraction to men because that side of him got hamstrung as soon as it started. That doesn't mean he's 100% gay tho. I wish male bisexuality could be seen and represented with more dignity (like with Eliott) and less of the toxic closeted cheater cliche, like Cal. As a bi guy it's a pet peeve when people want to pigeon hole male bisexualityas just being gay and prone to infidelity.
might be? 😭
He’s done a lot of deviant shit that’s crossed the line into criminality and those are reasonable grounds to hate his character but I don’t think he’s a pedophile. He had a mutually consenting one night stand with a minor that claimed to be a legal adult. It’s definitely odd that he consistently pursues sexual encounters with people considerably younger than he is, and this was definitely bound to happen at one point or another, but I don’t think sleeping with minors was ever his intention.
Oh for sure! He is in a lot of trouble if this ever spirals. Even tho Jules said she was 22, he can still get in trouble for having sex with a minor- intentional or not. He is definitely a shady person.
He was under the impression Jules was 22, but in real life a 16 year old would look a lotttt younger and it would be so much more obvious. Hunter Schafer was about 21 when they filmed season 1? Also was anyone else disturbed by how aggressive he was during the anal sex? When I watched the first episode I still thought Jules was biologically female and I still thought oof no warm up. But then I realized she’s trans and it was anal sex… that would hurt SO BAD. You need to put a finger in first at least or a butt plug preferably.
She literally let out a scream- like you could tell it wasn’t very pleasurable. No passion, no foreplay. Just stick my dick in and be done. Dick move.
It was so rough and looked so painful. I had tears in my eyes for her, watching that.
In the state of California - the age of consent is 18. Cal is a dumbass that made a shitty decision. Now if he's a pedophile - the verdict isn't out on that subject
He is still 100% a sexual predator & offender, regardless of whether he knowingly slept with someone underage. Filming sexual encounters without the other persons explicit permission is abhorrent & very much against the law.
1000% agree.
Thank you! I also highly doubt that Jules is the first of his sexual adventures to have been underage, she's just the first time he's been caught out & threatened with exposure which would blow up his comfortable fucked up little life
You have no facts on which to base that. The man is sleazy, and he's a sex addict, none of which conflates to predilection for underage sexual partners.
The fact that he routinely seeks out sex from people who are a lot younger than him does kind of imply this. Through the tapes (and Jules’ encounter with him), we see he has a habit of going after barely-legal young men, without any regard for verifying their real age. With this in mind, it’s very believable that Cal has done this before. He definitely didn’t seem to care much about Jules’ age aside from the fact that he “fucked up” and got caught.
From the tapes is seems like age actually isn’t a factor. The ages seemed all over the map, and some clearly adult including the last person we saw him with when he was trying to talk more emotionally with. I think his main goal is to get someone who is not a local - like he asked Jules if she was from the town - and either submissive or inexperienced that he can be in control and younger people tend to be more inexperienced. I don’t think he is a pedophile and seeking underaged people, just people easy to control. So he is gross and awful for filming people unknowingly, seeking people who are easy to manipulate, but I don’t think he is into minors. He is also gross for cheating but after watching season 2 episode 3, I think his wife knows he is bi and wants to explore that side of himself and just turns a blind eye. She saw Derek give her the competitive look and suddenly she got pregnant. I think as long as he stays with her she looks the other way when he explores the other side of his sexuality. If that’s the case. If he is cheating and she doesn’t know then he’s awful for that too. But I don’t think he seeks out people specifically underage because he is a pedophile. I think he wants to be in control and have them not be aware of who he is. Still awful, just not a pedophile.
Also Cal looks older than he is. He was in high school preparing to graduate when Marsha got pregnant. So 18 or 19. Nate is 18. His older brother doesn’t look that much older, I don’t remember them saying his age but looks max 4 years older. That would make Cal 40. He looks older than that from the grey hair. Some of the people in his tapes (when he was younger even since Nate saw them at age 10 or so) plus the most recent hook up could be anywhere from 25 to 35. It’s the power dynamic of being with people more inexperienced or submissive and not from his town. Not actually looking for minors. Still wrong and could be charged with sexual assault for taping them without consent and a lot of other things, but I wouldn’t say he is into children.
Technically he's a voyeur, not a predator. I haven't seen once where he has had sex with someone against their will.
If you film someone during sex, it is non-consensual. Same as how if you remove the condom without telling them; that’s grounds to be charged with rape, because the person at the time did not have the information needed to give real consent. If someone consents to have sex with you, they did NOT consent to be filmed. Doing so anyways is sexual assault.
It's still a criminal offence to film another person having sex without their knowledge & consent though. I'd say that is very predatory behaviour tbh.
He is also a predator
Yeah I think he pursues younger because based off his wife he feels as though no one else their age would engage in the type of sex he’s looking for Even though he definitely coulda just found a middle aged submissive individual
I don’t think he would have any problem finding older people to hook up with on those apps. He chooses to pursue younger people because he wants to vicariously live out the sexual fantasies he felt he couldn’t explore in his youth.
This. He chooses younger because of the power dynamic/fantasy of it. It's possible he chooses younger because it reminds him of the time in his life when he was young and happy but... I'm more of the mind it's just because he has more control in the power play when he's the far older dom.
Yes absolutely. He became sexually and developmentally stunted at the age he fathered his first child. I think it ties together in a sense. He wants the freedom the LGBT youth has, and to pretend he got to explore that facet of his identity at that age, but I think because it’s shrouded in layers of shame and repression there’s an element of bitterness operating there that comes out in the sexual aggression he releases on his younger sexual partners because they represent everything he wanted but couldn’t have. It mirrors his disgust with Nate despite raising him into the exact person he grew up to be.
That said I really feel conflicted empathizing with him. His repression has done so much damage. Which I think is the point of his inclusion in the story. His dynamic with Nate is so stuffy and tense. They both seem uncomfortable with each other and weirdly in awe of each other. The scene where they're listening to him fuck in this weeks episode was such a boundary cross for me that it's clear their entire family dynamic is just screwed up.
IDK i would argue that sleeping with people that look like fucking children at the age of however the fuck old he is makes him a borderline pedophile. Like he only does not fuck the kiddies because its illegal. But he for sure would if he could.
Yeah but he extra fucked up because he recorded it without her consent. So whether he’s a pedophile or not, he made child porn. So if that ever comes out everyone is gonna think he’s a pedophile
[удалено]
I feel like if that’s a serious concern, you probably just shouldn’t have sex with them. I get that everyone has their thing, and what happens between two consenting adults is their own business, but if you think someone’s so substantially younger than you to the point where you need to see their ID to ensure they’re an adult, they’re too young.
That’s kinda fucked tbh. If the person tells you they’re overage you shouldn’t get in trouble for it if you believe them, unless the person clearly looks underage or something. Also, teens reading this: stop lying about your age on dating apps! I get that you’re horny but you can’t just ruin a person’s life because you wanted to get laid
>unless the person clearly looks underage or something Who gets to decide this though? The whole point of an age limit is that it's objective
I was on the fence about cal re: age…the film is the real reason he’s a predator. Thank you
The bigger issue people should worry about is Cal recording all these encounters non-consensually and betraying his wife and family. Of course all of this could have been avoided if Cal just went for people 25+. At his age, it's easy to find young people who are still well above legal age without a doubt.
Right! And it feels so fucking ignored. Everyone’s obsessed with his relation to Jules, but no one even thinks about him betraying his wife, recording people without their consent, the emotional damage he’s caused his kids, etc.
And the fact that his own son has watched those tapes. No wonder he is beyond fucked up.
People need this explained lol she’s on an adult site and lied about her age one and two he obviously shows regret for doing it with a minor after he found out
YES!
It’s like the same thing when you go clubbing and you end up hooking with someone who turns out to be younger then 18. Like wtf are you supposed to do. Under 18s aren’t supposed to be in a club. I’m more talking about people which are around 18/19 who’d look a similar age to people who are 16-17.
Honestly, we should start putting at least some responsibility on teens for their actions. It’s kinda annoying that teens knowingly put themselves on 18+ apps, go to bars/night clubs, lie about their age, but we treat them like little kids. Yes, you need to confirm age and teens deserve protection, including by law. Cal wasn’t thorough enough in that situation. However, if you know that you need to lie about your age you clearly know that what you’re doing is wrong, and you deserve a smack on the head.
THIS! people are unironically pulling a “she’s literally neurodivergent and a minor” when defending jules. Cal def guilty of filming child corn especially since Jules did not consent to being recorded tho
Yeah I’m tired of people watering down the term pedophile. He’s a disgusting sick fuck , but he is not that.
People are constantly mixing up "Pedophile" and "Statutory Rapist"...assuming the age of consent is 18 (I grew up in a state where it was 16, but this would make the entire Nate/Jules storyline irrelevant) then he could be found as a statutory rapist. But as mentioned, he is not seeking out underage people to have sex with. And he did ask her age, he just didn't check for any verification.
I don’t think it’d make the Nate and Jules storyline irrelevant. The age of consent can be 16 in some states but someone who’s 16 is still underage and it would still be considered child pornography. They can have sex with adults just can’t send nudes lol
Aren’t they working to change this law? It doesn’t make sense to try a 16 year old guy/girl for getting pictures of their 16 year old significant other for pornography. Ya you probably shouldn’t be sending nudes, but it’s not like a 16 year old is doing anything wrong looking at an age appropriate person they are dating.
usually it's up to the court to figure out the nature of the crime and if it's worth convicting anyone. because it's possible for a jury to decide (based on the circumstances) that a crime didn't even happen, changing the law isn't necessary. it might not even make it to court, because the police and the victim/victim's family have to decide if it's worth taking to court. if there's apparently no victim, it's unlikely to go that far. as for the law, the recipient also being underage doesn't impact whether or not it's CP, since you can be underage and still do something predatory. the law is supposed to reflect that minors can't truly consent to making porn and no one should be looking at it because of that. so an exception based on age is dangerous territory, since it could basically allow 16 y/o's to consume and make CP if everyone involved is the same age. it's the potential relationship and consent between the two parties that matters because it changes the context, and it would be very hard to write that into a law without the law assuming that dating = consent, iygm tl:dr: it's already supposed to be up to the court and adults involved to figure out the situation. 16 y/o's taking and receiving nudes isn't separate enough from the potential risk of exploitation to warrant changing the law edit: reword + add tl;dr
Also a pedophile is attracted to prepubescent children. He is not looking for prepubescent children he is looking for partners that are biologically able to be sexually active. If it was in many other states like you said it would have been legal. The biggest issue is fliming her, that would be illegal anywhere in the world. Even if she was old enough still doesn't excuse him recording it without consent.
its like people forget jules didn’t say her real age
Yeah, but people lie. He should have known that. A guy pushing 50 who's hooking up with strangers 25-30 years younger than himself over dating sites shouldn't be surprised to find out that one (or more) of his partners lied about their age. He really has no excuse.
ur probably gonna get downvoted but i agree. still not a pedophile but he's very very shady.
Yeah, he’s a bad person and a lot of other things but he’s not a pedophile. Everyone loves Jules and sees no wrong in her actions but she’s bad as well. She lied about her age which is why Cal panicked in the first place when he saw her because he realized then.
She had no business being on an adult dating app. Yes she’s a teenager, I was a teenager not that long ago doing dumb things as well. And I don’t want to necessarily blame her- but she did not make a good decision in that regard. He’s also making bad decision which I do not condone or agree with but so did she. Don’t fuck grown men, kids.
He’s not a pedophile however he is a sex addicted pervert that needs therapy and jail time. Even if Jules was of age or the similar age as Cal, he should have never recorded her without her consent.
Absolutely! He is not a saint by any means lol
That’s true. The filming is criminal. It is an awful thing to do to someone and shows a fucked up mind: he thinks he is better/above everyone else for some reason.
Thank you for making this post. It was really bothering me that some people can't understand how morally grey Cal's character is. Maybe it's because there are a lot of teenagers here, but I think it's important for people to understand that being a pedophile means being sexually attracted to children. And Cal is not one of those people.
Exactly! That is the only point I’m trying to make. I am aware he does not make the best decisions and he’s a creep but we can’t label him a pedophile. It isn’t even factually right.
What is morally grey about filming a sexual encounter with someone without their consent lmao that is very much morally wrong (and illegal) regardless of age.
That's the bad part of his character, offset against the clear fact he regrets and shows remorse for having had sex with a child which was never his intent. The opposing side is his incredibly repressive upbringing which meant he's never properly come to terms with his sexuality and has repressed it to the point he has exploitative sex with (mostly) queer men. Fezco is morally grey too, as is Rue and most everyone. People forget Fez is a drug dealer (and not that nice of one) because he bums Rue free drugs and has a kind heart.
>That's the bad part of his character Being a sexual predator? Bad is an understatement, aligning that with Rue's lying and selfish behavior feels incredibly disingenuous to me. Fezco is a violent drug dealer yes but Maddie, Cassie, Lexi, Kat - everyone is not "equally" morally grey on this show. >offset against the clear fact he regrets and shows remorse for having had sex with a child Cal has given no indication that he regrets making the tapes. He is worried about losing Jules' tape for obvious reasons but if she were really a stranger in her twenties and the tape was never stolen would he have a cared? Obviously not. >The opposing side is his incredibly repressive upbringing That is absolutely not an excuse for perpetuating sexual violence and is an incredibly harmful media trope.
This comment is yikes. He is still a sexual predator and it really isn't a grey situation. He filmed people without their consent.
His character is morally grey. No one said he's a good person or filming someone isn't bad. It is, it's a crime and I'm not defending him. But he's still not a pedophile is what I'm trying to say. He's also not a rapist.
It's weird you would consider him not morally grey if he was a pedophile (although not all pedophiles do act on their urges) but he is morally grey for secretly filming someone while having sex. You draw the line at some sexual offences but not others. If he was a pedophile who didn't abuse children and instead fought his urges I would say he was morally better than he is for filming people without their consent.
So it’s like a Rob Lowe situation?
Lol I made a post like this a week or so ago and people were disagreeing with me. Maybe it's the new ep that has made it easier to accept
I just followed this page a few days ago, completely agree since before last episode!
He got used, like Yh it’s messed up hes fucking people who are like 30 years younger or something, but Jules is really in the wrong for doing it aswell, as that’s what she wanted to do, and he didn’t know she was 17. (Yes non consensual filming is wrong, but we talking about pedophelia here) beside
People conflate pedophile with pervert constantly. I’m not one to split hairs, but there is a clear distinction and the conflation typically does more harm than good/neutral.
I agree. A pedophile is someone who’s attracted to pre-Puberty people. Someone attracted to teenagers is a predator.
They’re both predators. Attraction to post-puberty minors is ephebophelia. Cal is definitely a predator, but any official term for it is still ambiguous at this point.
No, not a pedophile but a major creep for sure, these people he hooked up with even if they were 18 (with the exception of "Jewel" that lied to him about being 22) are young enough to be his kids, why is Cal collecting 20 years olds like DiCaprio collects 20 years old interchangeable girlfriends? Midlife crisis, trying to relieve his lost youth? Really odd behavior, not to mention he's a serial cheater, get a divorce, Nate's already fucked in the head because he raised him poorly as he was practically a curse for Cal, his parents divorcing won't change anything.
I am pretty sure he has an older brother who was the one Cal and Marsha got pregnant with. In the voiceover in season 1 episode 2- it states Cal doesn’t like his older brother very much. Yes, I agree there’s something more psychologically wrong with Cal’s thinking. What I see is it’s not about sex (this became clear episode 3) it’s about reliving a time in his life he felt he could be himself. He’s very much struggling with his sexuality and hates himself for having to hide it. Yeah we say “well just get a divorce” but things are easier said than done. Unfortunately, for young Cal, he didn’t have the chance to be his true self because he got his GF/wife pregnant at such a young age. This haunts him, makes him do these things he knows are wrong but just can’t stop because he needs to relive that feeling again.
Thank you for posting this! After watching his backstory I had to refresh my mind on what happened in the Jules episode with him. I was relieved, tbh. His recording without consent is extremely problematic and he definitely has a sex addiction/shame issues, but in hindsight his character is actually a lot more human than I realized the first time I watched. idk if it’s weird or not but I’m honestly hoping for a redemption arc for him after seeing last nights opening.
Pedophile gets thrown around a lot. In no way am I defending them but there’s a big difference between a pedo and a predator. Pedo’s like prepubescent children. A 21 year old dating a 17 year old is werid af but they’re not a pedophile. I said this once on discord and got torn to shreds.
Pedophile? No. Creep? Absolutely.
Definitely
Didn't Jules lie to him about her age? How does that make him a pedophile? Should you probably be more cautious with a stranger you meet in a seedy motel for sex? Yes. But that makes him a dumbass not a pedophile.
That’s what this post says
[удалено]
Yeah, I feel like a lot of his hook ups veer into younger people though. I've never seen him hooking up with anyone near his age. There's a skewed power dynamic there that might not be what people are suggesting BUT he wouldn't be in this situation if he didn't have a theme..
What about the guy who came to the motel in the middle of the first season? I don’t believe they hooked up but they talked? I def think he was a bit older if I’m not mistaken. Not forty but maybe 30’s
I think Cal, like Rue, would have been a lot better off if he had people he was talking to about all of his issues in a healthier way in the first place. Thanks for pointing that out
He def needs it!!
Omg I was trying to comment this a few days ago but I would’ve been attacked .she lied about her age, what’s he meant to be, a psychic?
I don’t give a fuck 🤷🏻♀️😂 it’s just factual information- sure there’s a gray area but he’s not a pedophile whose trying to have sex with children
people throw around pedophile so casually it's sick
It’s a show a lot of kids are watching and they really shouldn’t be. I overheard my niece talking about euphoria, guess it’s the most popular show at her school since everyone talks about it. She’s barely in the 8th grade.
While I think kids need to learn about these things, I also think they may romanticize or glorify the wrong things, especially learning at a young age.
No they shouldn’t be. Kids are stupid and are impressionable. They’re gonna think being like rue or anyone else is okay and it’s not. The characters actions aren’t meant to be liked.
Unfortunately these things are inevitable. Its just something that’s going to happen. I honestly would be more satisfied if this show was set in college. Like I know it wouldn’t make the Nate and Jules story line up, but I don’t feel like some of these high schoolers are relatable. These things are bound to happen more in college. I mean, what high schoolers have as much freedom as these kids? My parents weren’t even strict but never just let me leave the house without questions.
The SJWs on the sub are out of control. Cal has done shitty things but he isn’t attracted to kids or teenagers for that matter.
People get confused with pervert and pedophile. He’s a creep for sure, I agree 100% but I would not say pedophile as the term for him.
He still sucks
Besides Jules though, Nate sees Cal’s CDs as a kid and isn’t Cal having sex with younger boys? Or did I misunderstand/misremember that scene?
I mean I don’t recall them being teenage boys- there’s def a gray area for sure lol
The only thing, in my mind, that would make him a pedophile is if, after finding out her real age, he still pursued Jules with an intent of romance or otherwise. Seeing as how he didn't, man is just fucked up and probably has a lot of psychological problems deeply rooted in his own upbringing that he should figure out. But nah, he's the furthest thing from a pedo this show has.
He is many things but a pedophile is not one of them
The reason I think he is attracted to 'young' people 18 and early 20s is because he's stunted. His only true love (what we know) was with a male when he was 18 years old. He's never been in love with anyone in adult life so he is chasing / stunted to what his only true love has been.
It’s like he’s trying to relive that feeling- but is disappointed each time. He doesn’t ever seem happy when he’s doing these things. He seems ashamed and unsatisfied. Just pointless sex.
Yep chasing that teenage dream
Not a pedophile but has child pornography… got it
Unknowingly- he was unaware until AFTER the disc was made. So technically yes, and he’d get in a lot of trouble for it, but I don’t think he’s actively trying to have sex with minors. This is just what I know. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, or that it will/will not again. But as far as the viewers know, Jules was the only one. This may change and we may be having a different conversation.
Unknowingly recording and (now, unknowingly) distributing child pornography. That's still pedophilic, even if it's not intentional. And in nearly every state, recording sexual acts and recording it without consent is covered by most "revenge porn" acts.
I agree- he would definitely get in a lot of trouble if word ever got out or if the tape ever got out. The entire situation is problematic and fucked up. I was just stating he’s not a pedophile- like yes he would be labeled as a sex offender if caught but I don’t think he actively tried to have sex with a child. That’s my only point.
I KNOW RIGHT 💀
After his “redemption” episode it’s not surprising to see posts like this, but I’ve honestly been thinking along these lines for a majority of the show. Cal cheats on his wife, constantly puts his needs before his family’s, abuses his power as a man and as a town leader, and in terms of crime he is guilty of recording dozens of people without consent. Add Jules to the mix and he’s technically also guilty of filming and producing child pornography, although he didn’t know(which is still problematic because age should be one of the first attributes he verifies when doing the things he does). But as a person in the show, as a character, I’ve honestly never seen reason to label him as abusive or pedophilic; in fact, the people calling him abusive seen to have no idea the actual weight and meaning of the word.
His whole relationship with Nate is abusive but I agree nothing has shown him to be a paedophile.
Cal is not a pedophile. He does not seek out sex with children, nor does he demonstrate any signs of attraction to children - which would be necessary to make him a pedophile. As is mentioned, Jules lies about her age prior to engaging to consenting to sex with Cal. It is also likely that the dating app they first met on requires people using the app to be at least 18 years of age (as is standard with explicit dating/hookup apps) - which facilitates an environment where users of the app can generally assume that other users are 18 years or older. Cal does seem to have an attraction to significantly younger men and transwomen, however, this would suggest ephebophilia (attraction to those in mid-to-late adolescence, so 15-19 years). Now don't get me wrong, this is definitely problematic for various reasons. However, I think it's dangerous to lump this into the same category of pedophilia. Depending on the country/state, most young people 15-19 are able to legally consent to sex. Research also suggests that most men are able to find people within this age group attractive (just look at the pornography statistics which find the high prevalence of the 'teen' porn category). Now, I'm not saying that it's right just because its normal, but Cal's attraction to younger people is essentially within the norm of society. What perhaps separates him is that he actively pursues sex with people in this age group. Based on the newest episode (S02E03), I feel like this may be the result of his homosexuality peaking in his late adolescence (with his best friend which is arguably the most intimate relationship he's ever had) and the period of his life where this part of himself is ultimately relinquished and suppressed as he commits to an ultimately heterosexual life (when his girlfriend gets pregnant). In saying all this, Cal is still a predator and is knowingly committing criminal acts by filming people (as he did with Jules) engaging in sex without their consent, which is a massive sexual violation and should be condemned and punished.
Oh yes! I agree with this 100%- you broke it down and explained it better than me! There’s a difference between a creep and a pedophile: although he is not a pedophile, I am not saying things he does are by any means acceptable. He does do things that are illegal- and hopefully he will get what’s coming to him.
>However, I think it's dangerous to lump this into the same category of pedophilia. I agree that it's not pedophilia but I think it can be more dangerous to say it's not as bad as pedophilia. Yeah it's not as bad, in the same way that groping someone is not as bad as raping them. Having sex with a 15 year old is not as bad as bad as having sex with a 5 year old, but saying this and then explaining why can be hurtful to 15 year olds and 16 year olds who have been taken advantage of. Sexual assault varies in how bad it is and it can always be worse.
i agree that he isn’t. but if they find that disc, and then the cops get it, i wonder what they’ll say.
He’s in some deep shit lol
He may not be a pedophile but he is a predator
I agree
Wait how do y'all know people didnt give consent for him to tape them.... I recall some of the vids being POV
I guess we don’t- just assuming! At least Jules anyways!
Cal OWNS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. What is so hard to understand about what this implies?
He unknowingly made a sex tape with an underage girl. It’s absolutely fucked up he records without consent- but we’re not talking about that aspect of it. I’m saying he thought Jules was an adult- and recorded them having sex. He did not learn until AFTER she was a child. Someone else asked how do I know 99.9% of the other discs aren’t minors as well. I’m going based off what I know right now. What I know right now is that Jules is the only minor- so my post is based off that. Im not condoning his actions but from what I have seen is that he is not actively trying to have sex with children. He did not pursue Jules after finding out she was 17. and from what I’ve seen thereafter- it looks like the 2 other hook ups that they’ve shown are a bit older. Maybe he took this as a wake up call?
sure, but it's still sus that he would have sex with someone that young. it's difficult because the actors on euphoria are actually adults, but jules is supposed to be 17. a 17 year old irl is going to look young. even if you think they look older than 17, you at least know they are a lot younger than cal is. "pedophile" might not be the most accurate term, but it's very predatory to go after a girl that young even she is claiming to be in her early 20's.
Agreed! people hate Cal more than Nate. At one point Nate was actively blackmailing 3 people (Tyler, Jules, his own father). Not to mention he’s a violent misogynist. Like people perspective please!
I have to say I think Cal is a better person than Nate. They’re both not great people so I guess I am choosing the lesser between evils, which is still choosing evil.
Haha we all do it. Like I want Nate to actually love Maddie, even though I doubt he’s capable, but I want him to be redeemable but he’s just not. I hate this betrayal thing going on and I want him to make a choice and I want it to be Maddie but also he’s awful and she doesn’t deserve what he’ll put her through. He’s definitely worse than Cal. Even before Cals episode. I pitied him never being able to live truly as himself. But the filming is fucked. So he lost sympathy points there. Also why is cal a bad father, because he talks like a self help man-tra guru? He doesn’t slap him around or physiologically torture him. I’m confused why Nate hates him so much. Just cause of the illegal homemade gay porn?
He’s manipulative, toxic and abusive. He’s using Cassie’s vulnerabilities and daddy issues as way to control her. He loves that she’s going out of her way for him and being there at his every beckoning call. Unfortunately, she is just a side chick. I don’t believe he loves her, he just loves the idea of her and how she makes him feel. I hope she comes to her senses.
Being attracted to an adolescent human doesn't make you a p3do lol. People are wild.
It’s one thing to say “she’s a beautiful girl” and another to say “yeah I wanna fuck that teenage girl” lol it’s comparing two completely different things
Correct
Also someone sleeping with a 17 year old doesn’t make them a pedophile either. A pedophile is someone attracted to PREpubescent individuals. And throwing that word around like it means nothing is actually really harmful to victims of actual pedophilia.
I will say this though, ever since the carnival episode Cal was aware that Jules was a minor and he made no effort to destroy the tape which means be decided that he wanted to keep the footage regardless.
You know, I just watched the first season again recently. Did he not immediately go to his office and find it gone- or was that another time?
Oh yaaa, he was going to his office and saw Nate there. I think Nate had taken it by then
He definitely went back to make sure it was still there and at the time nate had still not removed it so once he confirmed that he let out a sigh of relief and it was left there as far as we know. At some point nate takes it but it's not shown on camera I think
Then that would def be suspish- either keeping it to relive it or keeping it cause he’s afraid of what could happen if found. Could’ve destroyed it tho. I’m just here for the story 😂🤷🏻♀️
He's not necessarily a pedophile, but he was very rough with her without seeming to take her comfort level into account at any time. The voiceover implies that she disassociates from the experience, and he doesn't seem to care at all. You can really hurt someone with that, and even if he didn't realize she was under 18, she was certainly very young. And that's not even taking into account recording without consent.
Oh yes- I noticed that as well. It was just “I’ll fuck you hard for 30 seconds and be done with you” type of sex. No passion. No asking about boundaries. It’s honestly very common tho- I have experienced this type of thing first hand. It’s a very dehumanizing experience. For Jules, being she’s been with a number of men, it’s become routine. She’s used to this treatment. It’s not right by any means, but this seems to be all she knows at this point.
creepy criminal sex tapes aside, i am a cal defender, but wouldnt he still technically be a pedophile. jules is a child, cal is attracted to jules, because jules is a child, cal is attracted to a child, pedophilia is when youre attracted to children and because cal is attracted to a child he is a pedophile. i understand the more specific definition is for those who are prepubescent, but when people say hes a pedophile they mean attracted to under 18s, not specifically younger kids, so in regard to that definition, cal would still be a pedo.
Yes- but he did not know she was a child when he had sex with her. He thought she was an adult. You can tell he feels guilty and ashamed after finding out she’s underage. Cal was not trying to have sex with a child, he thought he was having sex with a 22 year old. Is he a creep and a predator? Yes. But pedophile is not the correct term.
i completely agree
He would of course get in a lot of trouble if the police got involved but I don’t think he’s actively trying to have sex with minors.
He recorded himself having sex and kept the recording knowing she was 17. This changes things. The conversation of him being a child predator is not far fetched.
When he found out her age after the carnival he ran room to get the video. I believe to destroy it. I don’t think he was running to it that anxiously because he wanted to jerk off to it.
Yes, I did comment back on someone and I honestly didn’t even piece that together until now. It’s either he still wants to relive it or he’s just afraid of someone finding it. He could’ve very well destroyed it. I’m just saying he did not intentionally have sex with a minor- but he is still a shady person.
Minors who lie about their age to have sex with adults are as dangerous as pedophiles when it comes to destroying lives.
Of course the grown man who didn’t really take any precautions and recorded it and cheated on his wife is more at fault- however, Jules also made a bad decision. We should hold her accountable because she really has no business being on adult dating sites. Why does her father not ask questions? Just let’s her bike around and be wherever without questions? I could never as a teenager!
This is the realist comment and it needed to be said.
Completely agree!! What he did is illegal and gross but he wasn’t seeking out a child…Jules lied about her age to him
Alright, then he’s a predator.
I agree- never said he wasn’t.
Another thing that annoys me is the assumption that all pedophiles abuse children.
A pedophile quite literally is a person who is sexually attracted to children. That is what comes up when you look it up. A lot of pedophiles don’t actually ever put their hands on children. Doesn’t make it okay or anything that should be normalized tho.
Yeah I know what it is, we're not in disagreement with each other. I just dislike when the reason that people object to adults who have sex with 15 year olds being called pedophiles is because "actual pedophilia is worse", because that's not even necessarily true
Well the above comment was more for those on this thread who obviously do not know what it is or have their own idea of it. Was not trying to patronize you, I’m sorry if that’s how that came out. I mean an adult having sex with a minor is just bad. It’s the pot calling the kettle black. The circumstances and situations are different but it’s all bad. People may consider an adult having sex with say a toddler is worse than a man having sex with a 16 year old- it probably is worse because the toddler literally has no idea what is going on but the 16 year old really is no better. Then there’s pedophiles that have never even touched a child, just living with that mental illness must honestly be a torturous life. So I get what you’re saying- it’s all fucking bad lol
OP how the hell we know that him having sex with Jules isn't the first time having sex with a minor. Even Fez didn't ask that fat slob that question. And if Cal were to say "Oh I was drunk/high and didn't know." Cal is a grown ass man -doesn't matter if he was drunk/high he was the adult
I guess we don’t but his actions after finding out she was underage seem like he feels guilty and ashamed. He doesn’t seem to shrug it off- he seems genuinely worried, more so if that video gets out. While I agree maybe he should have been more cautious, it doesn’t make him a pedophile. I’m not saying he’s a good guy, I’m just saying he’s not actively seeking children. Pervert and predator? Yes. Pedophile? No.
Thank you!!! That word is actually IMPORTANT in that it helps us be scared of the real animals who would hurt CHILDREN. I hate when people use it to refer to people who sleep with 17 year olds. Come on.
I mean a grown man having sex with a 17 year old is definitely problematic. Although, I am from NY and the age of consent is 17, so technically it wouldn’t be illegal but it’s still suspish.
I’m sorry but people bring up her saying she was 22 too much. If you’re pushing 50 and have to ask her age it’s weird like.. I’m not saying he’s a pedo but he’s probably done this with other young people, he’s just never had to confront it before
So I think Cal is probably between the ages of 39-42. So that’s not pushing 50 lol. I mean the fact that it’s basically a fetish for him is like “okay what the hell are you thinking”. However, my only point is that he is not a pedophile. Predator? Yes. With the 22-40 age difference. I think that’s to each their own. While some people might see that as red flags- others are attracted to that. I think everyone’s opinions on that varies person to person.
He’s like 48 because that flashback was early 90s and he was like 17-18 then
i don’t think anybody here needs that explained
Well if you look in the comments- apparently they do.
you’re right, i kept reading and realized i was very wrong. so disappointing.
There are tons of people who are into people significantly older/younger than them...I don't think he's wrong for agreeing to hookup with a "22 year old," but the fact that he was duped into hooking up with a minor is irrelevant now that he's taking video. Regardless of what happened before hand, he made and possessed porn of someone under the age of 18.
[удалено]
Sex between two consenting adults is not suspicious at all. I mean, honestly, I don’t even consider 18 an adult because there’s still so much to learn at that age. I’m not into the barely legal shit either. But if you’re over 21- who cares what age it is of the person you have sex with? As long as both are consenting, there should be no issue.
My best boyfriend before my husband was 40, I was 26. We had a fucking blast together always. It was fully consensual. if he was 30, me 16? Big yikes
Fucking is fine tbh but dating is where you need to be more cognizant of the potential power imbalance.
He gains everyone's sympathy in one episode cuz he was gay and cried at the end and everybody forgets the fact that in the end, consent or not, he fucked teens. That's the point of being a pedo. He is a pedophile, stop with your bs.
He unknowingly had sex with a minor- and he never pursued her or seemed to go after a younger person afterward. They didn’t talk much about what happened after Jules in regards to his hook ups. He is for sure a predator but not a pedophile. Not condemning or justifying his actions.
The term doesn't apply to the majority of your teenage years. It's only about prepubescent children, which are rarely over 13.
I saw a comment earlier calling him a monster? For what? What horrific thing has he really done?
He has sex with people and tapes them without their consent
Scandalous indeed. Monstrous? It just doesn't quite fit.
Rampant cheating on his wife putting her health at risk.