Latest news with #StephenGraham
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hit Netflix series Adolescence raises key questions about shaping masculine identities
Stephen Graham's Netflix series Adolescence received universal acclaim from critics on its release in March this year. The British drama tells the story of a family whose seemingly ordinary existence is thrown into turmoil when their teenage son is accused of murder. What unfolds is a deep dive into the dangers of social media , toxic masculinity and misogyny. While entirely fictional, the drama had viewers and critics alike commenting on the realistic depiction of the worrying threats facing adolescents today, including the concerning rise of the 'manosphere' with content from the likes of self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, who has been charged with rape and human trafficking. Young people in Hong Kong are clearly not immune to such content. Dr Jeffy Ho, lead clinical adviser at Mind Hong Kong, explains that masculinity in Hong Kong is shaped by a mix of traditional Chinese values of filial piety, stoicism and duty, along with Western influences of independence, assertiveness and emotional openness. Dr Ho's work with Mind Hong Kong includes oversight of the Improving Access to Community Therapies programme*, which offers low-intensity psychological support sessions from trained well-being practitioners, including school-based services made available to students. These programmes are designed, among other things, to 'help teens build skills for navigating peer and adult relationships [...] and cope with the social pressures that arise from all situations, which may include gender expectations'. KELY Support Group's Get Positive programme incorporates circus skills to help Hong Kong secondary school students deal with stress and boost their confidence. Photo: Handout Ho says there are common narratives around masculinity, including 'men as providers and protectors, [and] emotional restraint, toughness and academic or professional success as markers of male worth and leadership, confidence and competitiveness – as well as avoidance of traits considered 'feminine''. Adolescent identities form as the result of a complex mix of biopsychosocial changes, he explains. 'These intersecting factors [...] make it even more challenging to navigate what it means to be a man,' he adds. Louis Hou, executive director of KELY Support Group, which provides education, outreach and support programmes to empower youth with 'knowledge, resilience and confidence to challenge traditional norms', agrees that 'local culture, heavily influenced by historical media portrayals, continues to reinforce traditional views of masculinity. This phenomenon isn't unique to Hong Kong, but is observed globally.' Dr Wilbert Law, chairman of the division of educational psychology of the Hong Kong Psychological Society and assistant professor in the department of psychology at The Education University of Hong Kong, echoes these sentiments. 'Traditionally, there are certain narratives around masculinity in Hong Kong Chinese [culture] such as being the breadwinner or master of the house, taking on leadership roles in society, carrying on the lineage, and protecting women and more vulnerable [people],' he says. As to whether these ideas are changing, Law explains this is less straightforward. 'It depends on age groups as well as religious and cultural backgrounds,' he says. With multiple types of masculinity being acknowledged and demonstrated across society, he adds, 'There is more heterogeneity in what defines a man.' Wellbeing practitioners trained under Mind Hong Kong's iACT programme. Photo: Handout According to Hou, there has been a shift in Hong Kong towards a 'soft masculinity', where men are encouraged to embrace vulnerability. 'Mental health has entered the discourse, with growing societal support for men to express a broader emotional range. The rise of male-oriented support groups and mental health resources further underscores this departure from traditional ideals of stoicism, reflecting wider acceptance of diverse emotional expression.' In addition to this, traditional expectations of male breadwinners are changing, says Hou.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hit Netflix series Adolescence raises key questions about shaping masculine identities
Stephen Graham's Netflix series Adolescence received universal acclaim from critics on its release in March this year. The British drama tells the story of a family whose seemingly ordinary existence is thrown into turmoil when their teenage son is accused of murder. What unfolds is a deep dive into the dangers of social media , toxic masculinity and misogyny. While entirely fictional, the drama had viewers and critics alike commenting on the realistic depiction of the worrying threats facing adolescents today, including the concerning rise of the 'manosphere' with content from the likes of self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, who has been charged with rape and human trafficking. Young people in Hong Kong are clearly not immune to such content. Advertisement Dr Jeffy Ho, lead clinical adviser at Mind Hong Kong, explains that masculinity in Hong Kong is shaped by a mix of traditional Chinese values of filial piety, stoicism and duty, along with Western influences of independence, assertiveness and emotional openness. Dr Ho's work with Mind Hong Kong includes oversight of the Improving Access to Community Therapies programme*, which offers low-intensity psychological support sessions from trained well-being practitioners, including school-based services made available to students. These programmes are designed, among other things, to 'help teens build skills for navigating peer and adult relationships [...] and cope with the social pressures that arise from all situations, which may include gender expectations'. KELY Support Group's Get Positive programme incorporates circus skills to help Hong Kong secondary school students deal with stress and boost their confidence. Photo: Handout Ho says there are common narratives around masculinity, including 'men as providers and protectors, [and] emotional restraint, toughness and academic or professional success as markers of male worth and leadership, confidence and competitiveness – as well as avoidance of traits considered 'feminine''. Adolescent identities form as the result of a complex mix of biopsychosocial changes, he explains. 'These intersecting factors [...] make it even more challenging to navigate what it means to be a man,' he adds. Louis Hou, executive director of KELY Support Group, which provides education, outreach and support programmes to empower youth with 'knowledge, resilience and confidence to challenge traditional norms', agrees that 'local culture, heavily influenced by historical media portrayals, continues to reinforce traditional views of masculinity. This phenomenon isn't unique to Hong Kong, but is observed globally.' Dr Wilbert Law, chairman of the division of educational psychology of the Hong Kong Psychological Society and assistant professor in the department of psychology at The Education University of Hong Kong, echoes these sentiments. 'Traditionally, there are certain narratives around masculinity in Hong Kong Chinese [culture] such as being the breadwinner or master of the house, taking on leadership roles in society, carrying on the lineage, and protecting women and more vulnerable [people],' he says. As to whether these ideas are changing, Law explains this is less straightforward. 'It depends on age groups as well as religious and cultural backgrounds,' he says. With multiple types of masculinity being acknowledged and demonstrated across society, he adds, 'There is more heterogeneity in what defines a man.' Wellbeing practitioners trained under Mind Hong Kong's iACT programme. Photo: Handout According to Hou, there has been a shift in Hong Kong towards a 'soft masculinity', where men are encouraged to embrace vulnerability. 'Mental health has entered the discourse, with growing societal support for men to express a broader emotional range. The rise of male-oriented support groups and mental health resources further underscores this departure from traditional ideals of stoicism, reflecting wider acceptance of diverse emotional expression.' In addition to this, traditional expectations of male breadwinners are changing, says Hou.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Korean Media Leads Netflix Weekly Charts Again With ‘Kpop Demon Hunters' & ‘Squid Game'; ‘Sullivan's Crossing' Sparks Interest Ahead Of Season 3
Korean media is still taking Netflix by storm as KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game led the service from July 7 to 13. The most-watched title on the platform last week, KPop Demon Hunters racked up 24.2M views to put it back atop the English films list. More from Deadline Bela Bajaria Is Cheerleading Netflix's "Breadth" Of Emmy Noms & First-Time Emmy Nominees 'Adolescence' Co-Creators Stephen Graham And Jack Thorne Considering New Story "Not About The Millers"; Graham's New Friendship With Springsteen Owen Cooper Says 'Adolescence' Got So Big, Jacob Elordi Roasted Him During 'Wuthering Heights' Shoot Meanwhile, Squid Game Season 3 topped the non-English TV charts with another 15.9M views. The third installment has managed 122.2M views since its release on June 27, already making it the third most popular non-English series on Netflix, behind only Seasons 1 and 2 of the Korean drama. Speaking of, both prior installments were also back on the weekly Top 10 list as well. It was quite a quiet week on the English TV side of things, with Season 2 of The Sandman taking the top spot. The episodes, which premiered on July 3, amassed 5.9M views in its first full week. This is a decline for the series, considering Season 1 finished its second week of availability with around 11.5M views. However, by the third week, the series was sitting at a similar benchmark. The Sandman is ending with Season 2, marking a solid run for the comic adaptation, which ahead of the second season became embroiled sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Neil Gaiman, who created the comic on which the series is based and developed and executive produces the Netflix series. Gaiman has denied the allegations. Kevin Williamson's The Waterfront stuck around in second place this week, and the CW drama Sullivan's Crossing took third. The Canadian series has, like many other series, found new life on Netflix after the first two seasons were made available on July 8. The series managed about 3M views last week, which is pretty strong given that the series is not available globally, only in the U.S. and Canada. Season 3 is currently airing on the CW, so it will be interesting to see whether this impacts its linear performance at all. The new season is set to land on Netflix in August. In the world of live events, Netflix aired yet another match up between professional boxers Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano on Friday. Data from VideoAmp, released by the streamer, said that about 6M viewers tuned in globally during the main event, though Netflix has the fight ranked at No. 5 with 2.8M views. The best explanation for this discrepancy is that the streamer uses total streaming time divided by runtime to report viewership, which does not effectively account for co-viewing. Co-viewing is incredibly common, especially for live events as audiences typically gather to watch together, so the VideoAmp data probably gives a better idea of just how many people were tuned in for this one. Notably missing from last week's Top 10 is Lena Dunham's latest comedy series Too Much. The 10-episode series starring Megan Stalter premiered on July 10, so it is still in its early days. Its absence from the rankings suggest it pulled in around or under 2M views in its first few days on Netflix, given that was the tally for No. 10's Ms. Rachel. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far 'Street Fighter' Cast: Who's Who In The Live-Action Arcade Film Adaption 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Emmys, Oscars, Grammys & More Solve the daily Crossword
Rhyl Journal
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Danny Dyer and Stephen Graham join for Adolescence-like show
EastEnders star Danny Dyer and Stephen Graham are reportedly putting their heads together for a show based on issues affecting society in the modern day. The new drama promises to be "gritty" and "unflinching" in its approach, according to an insider. A post shared by Netflix UK & Ireland (@netflixuk) Talking with The Mirror, the source said: "They are currently thrashing out what they want to do. It'll be in the vein of Adolescence. Something unflinching and moving.' Adolescence, which was co-created and co-written by This Is England favourite Stephen Graham, recently broke records when it premiered on Netflix, seeing it become the most-watched show of the year. The Four-part series starts with the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie (played by Owen Cooper) when armed police storm the family home. Over the course of the show, it explores misogyny among teenage boys. The Last time Graham and EastEnders star Danny Dyer worked together was all the way back in 2009, when they both starred in the British slapstick horror film Doghouse. Previously, Danny called on Stephen to get him involved in one of his projects and praised Adolesence. Danny said: 'It's such an important subject, but the fact they're doing it in one take. As an actor and being part of that world I find it f****** incredible. "So, Steve, you've got to roll me into something. I want a bit of this!'
The Herald Scotland
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Danny Dyer and Stephen Graham join for Adolescence-like show
The new drama promises to be "gritty" and "unflinching" in its approach, according to an insider. EastEnders star Danny Dyer and Stephen Graham working together on an Adolescence-like show Talking with The Mirror, the source said: "They are currently thrashing out what they want to do. It'll be in the vein of Adolescence. Something unflinching and moving.' Adolescence, which was co-created and co-written by This Is England favourite Stephen Graham, recently broke records when it premiered on Netflix, seeing it become the most-watched show of the year. The Four-part series starts with the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie (played by Owen Cooper) when armed police storm the family home. Over the course of the show, it explores misogyny among teenage boys. The Last time Graham and EastEnders star Danny Dyer worked together was all the way back in 2009, when they both starred in the British slapstick horror film Doghouse. Recommended Reading: Previously, Danny called on Stephen to get him involved in one of his projects and praised Adolesence. Danny said: 'It's such an important subject, but the fact they're doing it in one take. As an actor and being part of that world I find it f****** incredible. "So, Steve, you've got to roll me into something. I want a bit of this!'
