TW/CW: This post contains discussions of sexual assault; physical, verbal, and sexual abuse; and victim blaming. Please put your own wellbeing first and only read on if you feel comfortable doing so.
Hazbin Hotel, a web series by Vivienne Medrano that was recently picked up and produced by Prime Video, explores many controversial themes. Some of the most controversial plots within Hazbin Hotel revolve around Angel Dust (Angel) and Valentino’s (Val) relationship. Angel, a self-proclaimed gay porn star, works for the biggest pornographer in Hell, Val. To most, Angel presents as an overly sexual, reckless sinner who doesn’t care about anyone other than himself, but we quickly learn that Angel faces severe abuse from Val, which shapes his view of himself and how he presents himself. Thus, Hazbin Hotel takes a risk by representing gay male abuse; though, the ways in which gay male abuse is framed within the show blames victims and invalidates their experiences, forming a poor representation of this underrepresented issue.
Let’s Talk Hell Power Dynamics
In the Hazbin Hotel universe, also known as the Hellaverse, there’s a clear system of hierarchy. While there are lots of politics regarding those born in Hell, for this essay, I will be discussing the positions of the sinners since Angel and Val fall there.
On the third rung of the hierarchy, there are the general sinners—these are souls who, because of their actions on earth, did not get into heaven. Directly above them, on the fourth rung, are the overlords—these are sinners who have gained power over other sinners. How overlords get their powers is not defined in Hazbin Hotel, but we do know that they rank significantly higher in society than general sinners and that they have the ability to buy/contract the souls of sinners, including other overlords.
With all of that being said, Angel is a sinner and Val—who owns his soul—is an overlord. Val gained ownership of Angel’s soul through a deal, which allows Val to control him when he is at work. We don’t know what Angel gets out of the deal, but it seems that he may have been coerced into signing it because he signed with his given (i.e., not stage) name, Anthony, and wrote a heart next to his name.
Due to this, it seems that at the time of signing the contract, Angel may have trusted, or even been in a romantic relationship with, Val. In fact, the power dynamic formed by this contract becomes the backbone of their relationship.
Thank Lucifer They’re Not a Couple
Angel exclusively refers to Val by his name or as his “boss.” This is notable because it shows that Angel does not see Val as a partner but rather as a superior. For this reason, I am going to refrain from describing them as a couple, but rather as a superior/inferior dynamic. That said, since many real-life abusive relationships take on a similar superior/inferior dynamic, I will be comparing Angel and Val’s dynamic to these real-life relationships.
This Shit Happens in Real Life
While the representation of gay male abuse could have been handled much more tastefully, I have to give some credit to Hazbin Hotel for representing these issues in the first place, since they have hardly any other representation.
Many men, and especially queer men, believe that they cannot be victims of abuse. Culturally, abuse is seen as something that a man inflicts on a woman—this not only stigmatizes abuse within queer relationships, but it also stigmatizes abuse towards men as a whole. Queer men fall into both of these groups, causing them to believe that the abuse they face can’t be abuse; instead, they assume that the mistreatment they face is an uncomfortable part of a healthy relationship. In the article GBQ Men’s Attitudes and Understandings of IPV and SA, an author states, “It can be difficult for LGBTIQ victims of IPV [Intimate Partner Violence] and SA [Sexual Assault] to identify patterns of abuse and violence outside of the most commonly recognised heterosexual context” (Salter et al.). Because of this, “less than one fifth of men reporting IPV or SA reported the offence to police” (Salter et al.). Here we can see that it is not only difficult for queer men to identify their experiences as abuse due to its queer context, it also leads these men to not report their abuse; therefore, they are remaining in these abusive relationships and believe that they are non-abusive. This phenomenon is extremely concerning since the article also cites the following:
3 out of 5 [GBQ] men reported having experienced physical, verbal or emotional abuse in an intimate relationship at some point in their life. Over half (55%) of respondents indicated they had experienced relational abuse in the last four years, and for one-quarter (25%) of participants, relational abuse had occurred within the previous year. (Salter et al.)
From this data, it is clear that a significant amount of queer men experience abuse within their intimate relationships. Since depictions of abuse are almost exclusively heteronormative and center female abuse victims, most of these men are unable to identify their situations as abuse while they are experiencing them. Additionally, the results of a vignette study showed that GBQ men believed, “A person cannot be raped by someone that they are in a relationship with (96%)...[and] Men can’t be victims of domestic violence because they can fight back (97%)” (Salter et al.). Because of this, it is likely that many queer men are not able to identify their experiences as abuse, even after the fact; thus, the rate of queer men who experience IPV and SA is likely higher than the already high rates displayed in this article.
Alright, Let’s Get Into Hazbin
The depictions of abuse within Angel and Val’s dynamic starts off subtle. The first prominent scene shows Angel listening to voice messages from Val. In the first message, Val acts kind and loving, asking Angel to come home and telling him that he misses him. In the next message, Val acts angrily, calling Angel names and threatening him. This pattern continues for six more messages, and as Angel listens to the final message, red gas escapes from the phone and engulfs him.
During this, Val says, “You actually think you can change? Addict trash like you doesn’t change”; then, the gas envelops Angel’s neck and Val says, “I’ll see you soon, baby” (“Radio Killed the Video Star”). It is important to note that Val’s voice is different in the voice messages than when the gas appears. In the initial messages, his voice sounds staticky, like it is coming from the phone. In contrast, when the gas appears, his voice sounds clearer, like he is physically there. Thus, it seems that the latter voice comes from Angel’s mind—a memory of what Val has physically said to him in the past.
This scene authentically showcases emotional abuse. In the messages, Val quickly bounces between being nice and loving to being harsh and hurtful. Because of this, Angel doesn’t know what he actually feels. This phenomenon is very common within real-life emotionally abusive relationships. Abusers will oftentimes switch emotion/demeanor at the drop of a hat, leaving the victim disoriented. Typically, this kind of abuse leads the victim to be unsure of what to expect from their abuser, causing them to walk on eggshells around their abuser in order to keep themself safe. We see Angel doing this later on.
Angel is more afraid of Val than imminent danger. In the pornography studio, one of Angel’s friends comes to visit him and tries to get him out of work. While she is there she trips on an electrical fixture, which causes film equipment to tumble and a fire to grow across the studio. As the fire surrounds him, Angel does not move from the bed he is sitting on. Instead, he looks directly at Val, who fumes with anger. Angel is more terrified when he looks at Val than when he looks at the flames; in other words, Angel is more scared of Val than being burned by the fire.
It is also possible that Angel wanted to be burned by the fire so that he wouldn’t be perfect anymore. In a much later scene, Angel reflects on allowing himself to be drugged at a bar:
This…is my escape! Where I can forget about it all! How much I hate…everything. A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe…if I can ruin myself enough in the process, if I end up broken, I won’t be his favorite toy anymore. And maybe he’ll let me go. (“Masquerade”)
This quote shows that Angel would rather be physically hurt, or otherwise “broken,” than continue working for Val—he feels that unless he stops being perfect, there is no other way to escape Val’s abuse. This, alongside a longing for a mental escape, leads Angel to partake in risky behavior, such as excessive drug use, allowing himself to be drugged/used by predators, and picking fights. While Angel is controlled by a contract, making his situation a bit different, these thoughts and behaviors are common among real-life abuse victims. Many abuse victims engage in reckless behaviors, both to feel like they have control over something and in hopes that the behavior, or the results of the behavior, will make them less desirable to their abuser; because, if they are less desirable, then their abuser is less likely to use them. This mindset is especially common in sexually abusive relationships, where victims may change their bodies, through risky behavior or intentional mutilation, in order to seem less appealing. This can be small things, like dyeing or cutting their hair, or large things like attaining burns or other wounds.
For many victims, simply leaving their abuser is not an option. Oftentimes, victims will be financially or physically (i.e., housing, etc.) dependent on their abuser. Alongside this, many abusers will threaten to hurt the victims and/or their loved ones if they attempt to leave. So, out of fear of their abuser’s capability, the victim usually stays with them. Given this, the contract between Angel and Val represents the control within real-life abuse.
Additionally, Angel is often seen being dragged by a Val using a collar and chain. These behaviors further showcase the control within their dynamic and takes on the literal meaning of the phrase “on a leash,” which is commonly used to describe the power an abuser has over their victim.
Val’s abuse of Angel is also depicted in flagrant and aggressive ways. There are two scenes, one in public and one in private, where Val blatantly physically abuses Angel. The scene in public is a reaction to Angel standing up to Val and protecting one of his friends from his abuse. Consequently, Val puts him on a chain, slaps him, and calls him names. He is willing to do all of that in public and nobody dares to step in. Furthering this, during the private scene, Val hits him, throws him, pins down/restrains him, and puts him on a leash. Since these scenes are so blatant I do not feel the need to discuss them further—they speak for themselves. Yet, one thing I would like to note is that during the private scene, Angel is still focused on protecting his friend who started the fire. He pleads with Val, “I’ll tell her to leave, just don’t hurt her!” (“Masquerade”). Then, when they return to the main room, his friend attempts to stand up for him and Angel urges her to leave. This reflects the common phenomenon of abuse victims pushing away their concerned loved ones. While there are lots of reasons abuse victims may do this, one of the most prevalent is fear that their abuser will hurt their loved ones. In the case of Angel and Val, Angel knows that Val will, and has, hurt anyone who wrongs him. So, Angel protects his friend from Val’s abuse by pushing her away.
Please, Y’all, Poison Isn’t a Fun Song
The main moment from Hazbin Hotel that Angel and Val are known for is the “Poison” song sequence. Here, Angel sings a song about Val and the situation he has gotten into. During the song, we see the tasks of Angel’s regular workday, which include: filming many violent pornographic videos, taking drugs, and having sex with Val (presumably privately).
The “poison” that Angel sings about is the GBH (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) in Val’s breath. One of Val’s powers is that his breath acts similarly to GBH (a.k.a. date-rape drug). In this sequence, there is one scene where Val takes a drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke into Angel’s face. Following this, Angel’s vision begins to blur before a blindfold is placed over his eyes; meaning, the GBH has kicked in and he is not conscious for the making of that video. The chorus of the song is “'Cause I know you're poison, you're feedin' me poison” and, the first time, continues as “Addicted to this feelin', I can't help but swallow up your poison” (“Masquerade”). Here, we see Angel refer to Val’s breath as poison, acknowledge his knowledge of its power, and express his addiction to it. Throughout the song, Angel also repeatedly blames himself for his situation. Before the initial chorus he states, “I can only blame myself.” In addition, in each chorus Angel says, “I made my choice” (“Masquerade”). Does he really have a choice, though?
It is very common for abuse victims to blame themselves for their abuse. Usually, this mindset is developed and/or reinforced by their abuser, as we see from Val within the harsh voice messages he sends Angel. Typically, the victim believes that they have the autonomy to leave but are choosing to stay, because they love their abuser or because they feel like they deserve the abuse. In actuality, abuse victims do not have such autonomy; instead, they are being controlled by their abuser, and if they were to leave, they would face major consequences. In Angel’s case, he believes that he independently made the decision to sign his contract to Val, even though he was coerced into it. Also, he believes that it is his fault/he wants it because he gives into the GBH every time, even though it is a mode of survival. This attitude is reflected in the lyric, “I'm chokin' from the taste and I can't help but swallow up your poison” (“Masquerade”).
In cases of sexual assault and sexual abuse, it is ordinary for victims to dissociate (i.e., mentally remove themselves from the situation). While the GBH from Val’s breath forces Angel to dissociate, it acts as a metaphor for the mental dissociation that occurs during traumatic events. In fact, while Angel’s vision fades from the GBH, he sings, “I dissociate, disappear” (“Masquerade”). Angel longs for the “poison”; in other words, he longs for the mental escape from the abuse. Since he is not autonomous, as he tries to believe, the “poison” is the only way that he can escape.
In the last montage-style scenes of this sequence, Angel dances with two large screens behind him. In these screens, we see flashes of what is really happening in the video he is filming. So, the dancing reflects what Angel imagines he is doing while dissociated. Furthermore, some of the movements in his dancing line up with the movements of his real body, with the context switched to a new situation—one that he enjoys and can control. Then, when Val enters and grabs Angel, the dancer-version of him moves to the screen, showing that he regains consciousness and loses the ability to check-out of the situation.
Angel’s Hyper-Sexuality is Literally a Trauma Response
Hazbin Hotel showcases hypersexuality as a response to sexual trauma. An article by The Balance notes, “Individuals who have endured sexual violence or other types of trauma may exhibit compulsive and excessive sexual behaviors as a means of coping with emotional distress and reclaiming a sense of control over their bodies” (Balance). A majority of Angel’s actions are driven by a longing for control. In this way, his hypersexuality—displayed in his sex jokes, objectification of others, and objectification of himself—is an attempt to gain control over his situation and his body. Angel is constantly used, both by Val and the other actors that Val hires for the pornographic videos. Consequently, Angel throws himself onto others, expecting them to find him sexually appealing or be as uncomfortable with the objectification as he is—both of these outcomes give Angel validation in his experience. The first allows Angel to cling onto a reason for why he continues to do it. Everyone loves him and he is good at it; so, he chooses to continue. The second makes someone else feel as uncomfortable as he does so that he doesn’t feel alone. With this, Angel’s hypersexual behaviors are likely compulsive—he feels like he has to partake in them—because they bring him a sense of validation and control, yes, but also because he feels like he has to constantly be in the role that his abuser has put him in. Angel expresses this in the line, “It’s not an act! It’s who I need to be” (“Masquerade”). Here, we can see that Angel feels like he has to perform this role all the time. He likely feels that it is the only way he can remain safe and/or sane while enduring Val’s abuse.
Loser, Baby Loses at Representation
The song Loser, Baby is meant to be a positive pivotal moment in Angel’s character arc; instead, it invalidates his trauma and blames sexual abuse victims for their abuse. After the “poison” sequence, Angel returns to the hotel where his love interest, Husk, and he get into an argument. Then, Angel storms out and Husk is sent after him to make sure that he is safe. Husk finds Angel in a bar with a group of men, one of which tries to drug him with a “love potion”—a product of Val’s that has the same effect as his breath, and in turn, GBH. Husk steps in and removes Angel from the situation. Following this, Husk calls Angel “fake” and urges Angel to open up. Eventually Angel does, sharing that he can’t drop his “act” and that he aims to break himself in order to escape Val’s abuse. In response to this, Husk shares his own experience with both being, and being owned by, an overlord. He explains that he gambled his soul with another overlord and lost, causing him to now be owned by that overlord. He then says, “So, I know what it’s like to regret the choices made and know when you can’t take it back” (“Masquerade”). In this quote, Husk not only compares a gambling loss to Angel’s coercion into an abusive dynamic, he also encourages Angel to feel regret for his decision to sign a contract for Val; in turn, he encourages Angel to believe that Val’s abuse is his fault. In much simpler words, Husk compares his own situation with Angel’s, which is barely related. In Husk’s situation, he had full autonomy and made the decision to gamble his soul on his own. Now, he is required to serve his overlord regularly, but he is not sexually exploited by him nor is he emotionally abused or manipulated by him. In fact, Husk has said mean things to/about his overlord without facing repercussions. There is one scene where Husk is physically controlled, on a leash, by his overlord for threatening to expose his secret. So, while Husk does experience some abuse and control at the hands of his overlord, it is not remotely the same as Angel and Val’s dynamic, which not only entails a lot more repeated abuse and exploitation, but is also handled as a romantic relationship; resulting in, sexual favors and total obedience being expected from Angel towards his overlord. In this way, Angel and Val’s dynamic is more closely related to a romantic/sexual relationship than that of a standard overlord/sinner dynamic, such as the one that Husk experiences. With all of this, it is clear that Angel and Husk are not in the same situation, yet, Husk treats it as if they are and therefore victim blames Angel and invalidates his trauma.
It is important to note that Husk’s reaction to the abuse that Angel experiences is not a flaw of his character; instead, it is a flaw of the writing. It is essential for creators, when tackling taboo topics, to write authentic and thoughtful representations rather than inaccurate and harmful ones. This is not only important to audience members who share these experiences, but also to audience members who are learning about the topic through the show. While it is not a good idea to learn about taboo topics through a fictional show, for many, it is their only exposure to these topics. Therefore, if a show is victim-blaming and undermining the trauma of their characters, audience members will believe that those are the appropriate ways to treat those who have experienced that type of abuse.
That being said, it is not creators’ responsibility to teach the audience the appropriate ways to react to someone who is experiencing abuse; instead, creators should tackle the situation thoughtfully and steer away from representing problematic behavior without the character experiencing repercussions. In the case of Hazbin Hotel, if the flaw was meant to be on Husk as a character, he wouldn’t be put in a positive light during this scene, nor would Angel and Husk continue to grow closer after this encounter. The portrayal of Husk’s behavior and its effects show the audience that, not only is his behavior okay, but that his statements regarding abuse victims are true.
In the song Loser, Baby, Husk insists that Angel is a loser for being a victim of abuse. The entirety of Loser, Baby revolves around comparing Husk and Angel’s situations and calling them both “losers” for getting themselves into them. This message is highly concerning because these situations are not comparable and calling Angel a “loser” for being a victim of abuse invalidates his trauma and blames him for it. In addition, Husk doesn’t just call Angel a loser; at one point, he calls him a “fucked up little whiny bitch” (“Masquerade”). Remember, this is Husk’s reaction to Angel confiding in him about the abuse he faces for the first time. Calling Angel whiny invalidates the experiences and his feelings that he has just shared with Husk and, at least in the real world, would make him less likely to speak up again. Also, generally, name calling and berating is not how you should respond to someone opening up about the abuse that they are facing.
In addition to the lyrics, there is one frame during Loser, Baby that defines Angel, an abuse victim, in nothing more than offensive terms, many being sexually oriented. There is another shot directly following this that defines Husk with only negative traits as well, so I understand the artistic vision here. Nevertheless, showing the abuse of Angel, and in the same episode, referring to him as “a whore, a slut, used goods/sloppy seconds, and problematic” is beyond troublesome (“Masquerade”).
We should empathize with this character and his friends/loved ones should be supporting him; instead, the show makes his trauma responses into a joke and push onto him the labels that both his abuser and general society have used to beat him down. While this may be an attempt to get him to reclaim these terms, given the problematic nature of the song and the underrepresentation of gay male abuse, it is beyond harmful to display Angel’s trauma in this way.
Okay, Fine, I’ll Wrap This Up
In conclusion, Hazbin Hotel took an important risk in choosing to represent gay male abuse. Still, the way in which they frame this representation is harmful to gay male abuse victims, not only by confirming their harmful ideas about gay male abuse, but also by providing society with more reasons to alienate, blame, and invalidate these victims. It is crucial that media tackles taboo topics such as gay male abuse, because otherwise, victims will not see themselves represented within media and, therefore, will remain in their harmful mindsets about the abuse that they have faced. Yet, it is equally important that this representation is authentic and does not perpetuate harmful ideations, further harming its victims.
It can be difficult to create authentic representation of taboo topics that is not didactic. Creators of fictional media don’t want to coach their audience through taboo topics and their appropriate reactions—that’s not what they are writing for and that’s not what the audience is watching for. Though, creators of fictional media can still inform their audience through the actions of their characters and their outcomes.
If Husk reacted to Angel with more care, or if his response resulted in a negative outcome, Hazbin Hotel’s representation of gay male abuse would have been significantly stronger. This show displayed common experiences with gay male abusive relationships, including the victim’s responses to the abuse. Victims of gay male abuse relate to Angel and find comfort in their shared experiences and mindsets. Contrary to many’s beliefs, Angel and the abuse that he faces is not what creates poor representation of gay male abuse; instead, it is Husk’s reaction to his abuse and the positive outcomes that come from it. Should abuse victims grow closer with those who invalidate their trauma and blame them for their abuse? I don’t think so.
Going forward, we need more media that discusses gay male abuse in an authentic and thoughtful manner. It has been proven time and time again that the ideologies perpetuated in media have a major impact on the way in which society views specific groups, including victims of abuse. With this, an obvious way to improve the terrifying statistics displayed in GBQ Men’s Attitudes and Understandings of IPV and SA is to change how society views gay male abuse victims, and in turn, change how these victims view themselves. In this way, if more fictional media is created with authentic and thoughtful representations of gay male abuse, society will become more informed on this currently taboo topic and shift their view. From this, gay male abuse victims will not only see themselves authentically represented, but also know that society at large has an understanding of what they are going through. This—depending on the decency of people, of course—will create an accepting environment for gay male abuse victims to speak out about their abuse, understand that their abuse is not their fault, and finally heal.
Works Cited
Balance, The. “Why Does Trauma Cause Hypersexuality?” THE BALANCE Luxury Rehab Clinic, 8 Jan. 2024, balanceluxuryrehab.com/hypersexuality-and-trauma/.
“Hazbin Hotel: Masquerade .” Created by Vivienne Medrano, season 1, episode 4, Prime Video, 19 Jan. 2024.
“Hazbin Hotel: Masquerade .” Created by Vivienne Medrano, season 1, episode 2, Prime Video, 19 Jan. 2024.
Salter, Michael, et al. “Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Men’s Attitudes and Understandings of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 36, no. 23/24, Dec. 2021, pp. 11630–57. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519898433.