(S3, E5) Heartstopper, Queer Pain and the Desire for Joy

We’re back after a little break, and this week on Pop Culture Boner we’re taking a look at Netflix’s hot new queer romance, Heartstopper. The show has been almost universally praised for its joyful wholesomeness, while apparently simultaneously hurting the feelings of every gay over the age of 25. So we’re digging into that.

You can find a list of references here:

• Manuel Betancourt (2022, Vulture) - The Phantom Nostalgia of Heartstopper

• Liam Casey (2022, The Conversation) - Heartstopper depicts queer joy - here’s why that can bring about complicated feelings for those in the LGBTIQ community

• Sam Cleal (2022, Buzzfeed) - I Can Barely Contain My Excitement For "Heartstopper", So I Sat Down With Alice Oseman To Talk About The Series

• Briana Lawrence (2022, The Mary Sue) - Thank You ‘Heartstopper’ for Having Multiple Queer Characters With Their Own Stories

• Patrick Lenton (2022, Sydney Morning Herald) - Netflix’s Heartstopper is the warm hug we all need right now

You can download a full transcript here.