"SKAM" AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SEASON 3

skam season 3


If you've been living under a rock, full-on Patrick Star style, you may not have any clue of what I'm talking about. But if you've been following my and Lucy's Skam ravings on Twitter, you surely know what is going on here.

For those who still have no idea what Skam is, here, let me tell you a bit about it...
Skam is a Norwegian TV series following the daily lives of some teenagers at the Hartvig Nissen School in Oslo. The teen drama follows a main character each season focusing on different and very current topics such as difficult relationships, identity crisis, religion, mental health and so on.

I know what you're thinking and I get it. At first, I too thought this was a Norwegian version of Skins (who remembers that?) but as I kept watching I realised I couldn't be farther away from the truth. Let me tell you exactly why...
First of all, it's more real and relatable. Let me explain. I used to watch Skins (honestly because everybody was watching it but secretly hating in on the inside) and I found it very sex and drugs centred. Don't get me wrong, I like those stuff when they portray a sort of reality, but not when they keep showing me fifteen years old high on extasy, teenagers getting wasted at nightclubs repeatedly. 
Remember that scene where Effy and Chuck have sex in the nursery room? And with all those damn necklaces on? Geeeeez. Do you think it's somewhat relatable? No, it's not. I get the violence, though. That is something I was aware of and something I saw with my own eyes but not the way Skins made me watch it. Whenever Skins was on I used to roll my eyes at it and couldn't understand why my friends were so attracted to it. Like, honestly, who does have that irrepressible sex life at fifteen? I didn't. My friends didn't either. So why keep watching something that is so far away from the truth? My teenage years, although full of drama, weren't that wild and that was the main problem. Skins didn't portray something real, something relatable, something you could understand and nod and scream "OMG I'm not the only one!" instead it was something you kinda looked up to and felt miserable because you didn't have the same extraordinary sex life Effy Stonem had. There wasn't a character I felt connected to, someone I could relate to and compare my life with and feeling understood. That's why Skam is different. There are sex and alcohol and all but it's more realistic. I mean, I could totally see myself being ridiculous in front of a guy who just wants to have fun but I was developing feelings for. I can also see myself drinking and getting wasted on a Saturday, at a friend's house. I felt connected to the girls and to the boys too. Each and every one of them had something of myself, I saw myself in Noora falling in love with William; I also saw myself in Vilde while trying to get the attention of the boy she liked. I saw myself in Sana while she was being a dick and was playing hard to get. I was a Sana, still am a Sana, trying to keep others away from me, being the badass when in reality I'm more a Chris.
I saw pieces of my life each time an episode was on and God, I wish I had this TV series while I was trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to become.

But that is not the point of this post.
Although season 2 is my favourite (my heart still burns for Noora and William) because it hits so close to home, season 3 is one of the best. Let me tell you why...


COMING OF AGE STORY
As I've said, I wish I had this teen drama back then when I was a teenager.
I wish my best friend had this tv series when we were teenagers and he was struggling understanding his sexuality. Skam would have made him feel less alone and more understood.
This aspect of the show reminds me a lot of "Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz for its cuteness and the simplicity and delicacy used to tell a very serious, important and relatable love story.
That pool scene is still playing in my mind.


ACCEPTANCE
It still amazes me how those people we think to know always surprise us being better than we thought they were. 
Friends who accept you and your sexuality like it's not a big deal, like it's normal (because people, it is ABSOLUTELY NORMAL! We're in 2018 for God sake!) and you can live your life in front of them and not be ashamed of showing off your boyfriend/girlfriend and kiss in public and holding each other's hands. This should be normal for everyone. This should be allowed and not laughed at. Just think about it.


MENTAL HEALTH/ILLNESS
Luckily we've all come to terms that mental health is something important, something to be aware of and not something that makes you afraid to talk about.
Even, Isak's boyfriend is bipolar and I love the fact that something like this is portrayed on tv, for teenagers to watch and feel less alone.
I have anxiety and a lot of people have it too. The way mental health is discussed is so good and simple and something we should all be aware of. 
Let's spread the word about it.
Let's help each other.


SEXUALITY
The way I see it, sexuality is not that big of a deal. You're straight, gay, bi, who cares? You are a human being first and a label shouldn't identify you as different from someone else but should add more to your being you.
Skam does it perfectly.
Isak starts wondering if he's gay or not doing tests and asking gay people questions, all that claiming not to be gay. He puts his hands forward declaring he has nothing to do with that world and Eskild (being the cinnamon roll he is) comes out with the most meaningful speech of history:

"Let me tell you one thing about those people who you don't want to be associated with, Isak.
About those who put tights and mascara and went out and fought for the right to be themselves.They're people who have chosen to endure harassment, hate, have been beaten up or killed.And that's not because they really want to be different but because they'd rather die than pretend to be someone they're not.And that requires courage on a completely different level.More than most people are able to comprehend."
This still gives me the chills. 


Whether or not you'll give Skam a go, just think about this last quote, spread it around, message it to people who you think need to read it, talk and talk and talk some more about it. Let's spread a message of love and respect and hope for the future. 
We can't be all the same, a perfectly mirrored image of each other. The World is great because different people with different lives and different thinking live in it, let's not forget about it. 




Now, go out there and start a conversation.