Image source: MTV
It’s been a little over a month since Sweet/Vicious was canceled, and I’m still heated. News that MTV had dropped the show after a single season was announced late April. A few things about the timing bothers me. For one, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. They canceled a show about sexual assault during the month that draws awareness to it. For two, MTV majorly dropped the ball with promotion for this show. Every single person I’ve talked to about Sweet/Vicious had never heard of it before. I’m not exaggerating. Aside from scrolling through the hashtag, I’ve had no interaction that didn’t involve a probably too long plot summary. (I don’t believe in synopses that simply state the facts. I always try to make sure that the person gets a feel for the show.) Since no one watches MTV, and since MTV doesn’t put their shows on Hulu as they air, no one watched Sweet/Vicious. With all of that being said, ever since the season finale, I have strongly believed that the moment Sweet/Vicious hits Netflix, the fanbase will explode, and I have been waiting very patiently for my friends who missed the original airing of the season to get the chance to watch it.
Of course the subject matter is heavy, and I can see why some people who saw ads still avoided it. It’s a really important show that, in a way, educates society about sexual assault, but the show can be extremely triggering to people who have experienced it firsthand, which I’m sure cuts down on viewers. Also, there’s the whole matter of society slutshaming and not caring about anything until it happens to them. I could also spin this into a feminist rant, but I’ll spare you.
The truth is that we don’t need more seasons of Teen Mom or yet another new FBI drama. We need shows like Sweet/Vicious. We need Rebel (which recently had its season one finale on BET. Hopefully that one doesn’t also get canceled). Hell, even though people mock it, we need Degrassi. I would be thrilled if another platform picked up S/V, but I’m not holding my breath. I’ll continue to recommend the ten-episode show to everyone I know, and just hope that in the future, a similar show is given more of a chance to find its footing.
