July 18, 2023
Troye Sivan's Sizzling New Video Sparks Diversity Debate
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Troye Sivan's new music video offers plenty of eye candy – but some on social media say that it is, disappointingly, all of the same "white" and "thin" flavor. Others, including Charli XCX, defend the video, Uproxx reports.
As previously reported, the video – directed by Gordon von Steiner – follows Sivan to a party, where the openly gay singer hooks up with a hottie in the men's room, guzzles beer straight from a keg with the help of a group of ripped fellow partiers, and becomes embroiled in some shirtless group choreography.
The action takes place against a backdrop of exuberant young people dancing, flirting, enjoying various substances, and getting physical with each other.
But some took exception to what they said was a lack of diverse body types presented in the video.
Uproxx cited a Tweet that twitted the video as "a case study on how white gays choose to view queer people as a whole."
"There's not a single fat person in the entire video," the tweet added. "Just white twinks and chiseled bodies."
"Additionally, the video has also inspired a few memes, implying that Sivan opted to be very selective when choosing dancers and background actors for the videos," Uproxx noted.
The report noted that Charli XCX, among the video's defenders, pointed out that if Sivan had included a broader mix of body types he would still be getting raked on social media for having done so. Calling the debate "SO BORING," Charli XCX decried how "audiences feel like expression or art isn't worth their time unless it appeases every single unspoken requirement," and wrote, "if something breaks common aesthetics it's 'weird' or 'try hard.' if something conforms it's 'offensive' and 'not diverse enough.' "
Charli XCX cited the reaction to Sam Smith's videos.
EDGE previously noted that the video for "Rush" was taking social media by storm, and many seemed to be enjoying the video.
Watch (or rewatch) the video, below, and decide for yourself: Song of the summer, or same old stuff?
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
