English 1102: Television and Feminism

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Over all of my past blog posts, I’ve mentioned the way in which a given element of New Girl, whether it be cinematography, writing, or thematic explorations, change the way in which the main characters of the show are developed. For this last post, I’d like to dive deeper into how Jess, the focus of the show, is portrayed and how her relationship with the other characters is vital in bridging the gap between the absurd hi-jinks in which they find themselves and the grounded, relatable reality of their friendships.

In the episode “Control” (S1E16), Jess compromises the very structure of the friends’ dynamics when she attempts to, and successfully convinces, Schmidt to stop his borderline germaphobe habits just so he stops nagging her over the cleanliness of the loft. However, by bringing Schmidt’s personality into question, Jess throw both the apartment itself and her friend group into disarray, and she has to spend the rest of the episode undoing her mistake.

Schmidt trades in his business casuals for a drug rug. What has Jess done…

Beyond just creating an entertaining plot, this episode demonstrates the significance each characters’ personality has on the functionality of the show. By directly questioning a core trait of Schmidt’s personality, “Control” acts as a nod to the way in which writers craft a character to fill a particular niche in the show: though pretentious and arrogant, Schmidt’s cleanliness and housekeeping rules balance out the much looser habits and general dispositions of Winston and Nick while also grounding the optimism and spontaneity of Jess. The show works because each character fills a particular archetype, and the interaction between these archetypes contributes to the appeal of the show. Thus, when Jess tries to change the personality of her friend, she is also affecting the very fabric of her friend group and the fundamental appeal each character has to the show’s viewers.

While there are many facets to New Girl that can be analyzed to explain how the show functions, it is ultimately the relationships between the unique and carefully planned characters which lends a special charm to the series.

Netflix. “New Girl S1:E16 ‘Control’.” Online Video Clip. Netflix. Netflix, 2018. Web.

13 Nov. 2018.

Grey’s Anatomy: More than just a show

By Tanishq Sandhu

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

One thing that has really stuck out about Grey’s Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes’s plot line for this show is that there is no fear in touching upon social issues or common stereotypes. These stereotypes include mass shootings, lgbqt, death penalty, working with people of different backgrounds, the morality of turning life support off, undocumented immigrants healthcare, interracial families, morality of having babies who you know will have mental or physical disabilities, alcoholism, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals/DREAM , honoring DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) requests if there is hope of recovery, etc. I even watched an interview of Ellen Pompeo (who plays the main character Meredith Grey) on the Ellen show where she starts tearing up in terms of how powerful this show is not only in terms of the free medical education they give but how it brings society together. There is one scene where an intern who wears a religious head scarf, takes of her scarf to patch up a bleeding patient and then she goes on to explain to her curious supervisor how her religion is all in favor of helping people. At that time all the viewers probably empathized and felt connected to her breaking the cultural stereotypes held and showing that all people are similar on the insides. In another scene, Derek has an African American child and gets stares from other parents. The viewers who have seen Derek from the beginning and how they adopted this child who needed someone and, in that moment, looked down upon those staring parents. However, perhaps those viewers were those very same parents who stared on. Greys Anatomy has a way of showing us how the stereotypes we hold seem so funny, unnecessary, and immature. I can say without a doubt that this show has helped me grow as an individual not only in terms of character but also in terms of medically. I make smarter choices for my own health and am more educated talking to others. For example, my friend is getting a pacemaker, and I was able to follow his doctor’s language and diagnosis and able to participate in a two way conversation. And as my last post, I want to say how grateful I was that this project helped me discover Grey’s.

Image result for dr dahlia qadri grey's anatomy

Dr. Dahlia Qadri removing her Hijab(Headwear) to help her patient.

Final thoughts

By Caio Pumputis

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

As a free choice of theme for my final blog post, I decided to talk about what makes a TV Show good and popular.

Different subjects are discussed in different TV shows, but how can this differences achieve the same goal and the same popularity? Besides popularity and views, I believe that TV shows are trying to ‘criticize’ society and show us a different way of thinking. I would say that gender equality is one of the main subject that has been used often to make people reflect about the society we live in.

Stereotypes related to gender equality represent a conflicted but at the same time interesting subject to watch, episodes are trying to get in our heads and make us think more about equality and how it affects our society.

Ever since the 1980s and 1990s when women took a huge spot on television, this activity has been growing since then and more often we see women representing top positions in TV shows. All this different approaches make TV shows more interesting and people actually get into it.

When I watch a TV show and for no reason I start talking with someone about what happened or why this person was doing that, I realized that I am already criticizing the point of the author and at the same time I am reflecting and comparing the character based on our society.

Besides that, when TV shows invert roles based on our society, people get more ‘addicted’ and they have more thoughts to talk to each other. That is the way that authors criticize society, they switch a predefined role and intentionally make us reflect about it.

The audience on the other hand, gets to think and reflect about this unfamiliar situation involuntarily and keeps watching just to see how the story is going to end up like.

Part Of The Resistance: How Broad City Tackles The Current Political Climate

By Faisal Chaudry

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

Broad City is a show known for its absurd sense of humor that plays well with its demographic of millennial viewers. But with this off-brand sense of humor, the show tends to not cover critical current events that happen around us. That changed when the fifth episode of Season 3, titled “2016,” aired in early 2016.

While Broad City is not usually known as a deep show that tackles current issues on a large scale, the creators Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer decided to chime in by creating an episode based on the 2016 election. This episode is pivotal for the show, not only for its cameo appearance of Hillary Clinton herself, but also because it signifies a tremendous shift of the tone and mood from what the show initially conveyed.

Hillary Clinton’s cameo appearance on Broad City

In “2016,” Ilana stumbles upon the HRC headquarters in New York when she picks up a job being a bike messenger. Ilana adores powerful feminist icons, and she holds Hillary Clinton to an almost deity-like stature, so she decides to quit and volunteer for the campaign. At the end of the episode, Hillary Clinton walks into the room to meet the girls, and Abbi and Ilana, for the lack of better words, lose their shit.

After this episode aired, there were speculations as to why Hillary chose this show to cameo on, but it does bring up a point that relates to Broad City’s unique demographic of young, female viewers. Maybe her cameo was to boost her exposure and likability among young voters, but maybe this appearance was a way for the creators to show their support for her campaign in the upcoming election. Besides the speculation, “2016” was a pivotal episode for the show, but it was not entirely intentional.

Many did not see Hillary losing the election, especially Abbi and Ilana, so when the show came back for a fourth season, Abbi’s and Ilana’s characters surprisingly matured from their pasts of being absurd yet optimistic about the future. This maturity and part-of-the-resistance tone is evident throughout the fourth season, especially in the second and eighth episodes. The second episode of Season 4 opens with Abbi and Ilana wearing the pink Women’s March hats as they guide women through protests to the Planned Parenthood clinic. The eighth episode has Ilana seeing a sex therapist because she cannot have sex ever since Trump became president.

Abbi and Ilana escorting women to Planned Parenthood

Ilana going to sex therapy

These examples highlight the hysteria around the 2016 election, and the results have created a polarized atmosphere where the young people are increasingly resisting and opposing the current administration. Therefore, it is key to note that Broad City has taken a step back from their comedic absurdity in order to shed light on the atmosphere of the country after the election, especially for their demographic of millennial viewers. The show as a result has become a beacon for the millennial psyche of resistance, which makes Abbi’s and Ilana’s characters much more relatable, real, and funnier than before.

Talk the talk

By Alex Mealey

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

Let me start by saying I can’t believe this is my last blog post. This semester has flown by quicker than I could have ever imagined.

In today’s blog I’m going to discuss something that always interests me in television (and all types of writing): the manipulation of dialogue/dialect. I’m going to look at the different ways the characters on the show talk and how that impacts what the writers are trying to say about each character. Let’s start with Schmidt.

One thing I have noticed about Schmidt’s dialogue is that when he talks to talks continuously. In the most recent episode, when he is running from the shower to his room he stammers “Nobody look. Nobody look, yo. Nobody look. Seriously, no body is looking?” This line makes it very obvious that Schmidt is super needy and always looking for attention. I believe that’s why the authors always have him talking and yelling, ALOT, they’re making his (attention hungry) personality evident.

Nick is actually very different from Schmidt in this regard. When Nick talks he somewhat rambles and trails off in his sentences. What he says is usually pretty witty but it happens just fast enough for the audience to recognize it as funny but not long enough to gain attention. For example, when Julia wants to go to his room he quickly says “Julia is about to be very disappointed.” This line is witty and funny but the other characters brush it off and so does the audience. I think this is done by the authors to shape Nick’s persona, funny but unnoticed.

Finally, let’s talk about Jess. Anyone who has watched the show for more than 5 minutes will know that Jess speaks in a very high pitched voice and often does her own weird sing songy voices. For example, when sitting in court Jess starts saying random lawyer jargon in her sophisticated voice. I think the reason the author sets Jess up with this high pitched soft voice is because Jess really is a nice person but also because her voice can sound child like and a lot of the time in the show she comes across and innocent and naive, like a child. The reason she uses so many impersonations is because most of the time she has a hard time expressing her emotions, like the awkward courtroom scene, so she resorts to her own humor.

I love how these different dialogues all fit together so seamlessly to create a well flowing show but they also have specific purposes to guide the audience to a specific idea.

Clever writing and great characters, ingredients for an amazing show.

A Crazy-Emotional Character Rollercoaster

By Carson Hulsey

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

As the semester winds down, so does my analysis of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It has been very interesting seeing the strategies that the creators and writers of the show use to convey themes and develop the characters’ personalities. Character development is a significant part of the show Crazy-Ex Girlfriend and is something that I have kept a close eye-on while watching the first season. In this last post I’d like to analyze the character development of various characters in the show throughout the first season. Rebecca Bunch and Greg Serrano are some of the most amusing characters in the show and their character development is notable.

Rebecca Bunch starts the season making irrational decisions. She quits her job at a high-profile law firm in New York City to be with her former summer camp boyfriend, Josh Chan, in West Covina, California. Bunch tries to rationalize this as normal behavior and denies the reason for her moving to California being because of Chan for most of the season. However, later in the season she begins to admit her love for him and he also admits that he has feelings for her. This shows that she becomes less in-denial throughout the season and becomes more in-tune with her feelings.

Greg Serrano starts the season being extremely sarcastic and keeps his feelings inside. He is reserved and does not like to seem like he feels emotions. He is insecure because he got into Emory University and is quite intelligent, but his friends outshine him socially. Throughout the season he struggles with his insecurities and has problems with keeping his feelings inside. Towards the end of the season he admits he has feeling for Rebecca, which shows development because at the beginning of the season he would not have admitted something that significant. Despite this development he goes to Emory University at the end of the season and does not pursue a relationship with Rebecca.

Jessica Purple Jones

By Kaleb Gauntt

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 3, Uncategorized

Well as far as the show goes, there is a lot of purple. Purple seems to be Jessica Jones’ color whether it be in her impromptu super suits or the color the screen turns when she is having a breakdown. This most likely comes from the comic book

This illustrating the very aura of Jones being shown to be purple.

coloring as well as Kilgrave’s other name being the Purple Man. So as far as the color scheme of the show, purple is the way to go.

When the screen isn’t purple, a lot of times its rather dark. Jones does a lot of stuff at night, in dark rooms, or poorly lit areas. Even during the day, her life is often times filled with shadows. This tying directly to the overall dark theme of the show and Jones’ figurative walk in the shadows. Specifically the last episode or two of the season conclude the conflict with Kilgrave at night in a place with very few people, away from the rest of the city. I think it stands out because it goes fully into darkness as it concludes with Jones killing Kilgrave.

The way that the show is shot is typical of an action based show. There is a lot of movement and quick shots going from one place to another while also having the occasional fight scene in one area with a long shot from the camera focused on the fighting. When there isn’t anyone being punched, the show works on character and plot development through long takes between characters as they discuss their issues. It allows one to notice changes between scenes of serious discussion, occasional comedy, and quick action based scenes. Some of the ways that it is shot is based on the New York City setting, where when there are a bunch of people walking about, the way the scene has to be shot reflects that setting to show the hustle and bustle. Jessica Jones is a dark and violent show and the cinematography and direction reflect that.

The Sense8 Plot Thickens (Spoilers Ahead)

By Schuler Kleinfelter

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

Throughout the series so far Sense8 has been building up tension in various different plots. In episode seven, W. W. N. Double D? (What Would Nancy Drew Do?), many of these buildups reach an apparent climax by becoming entwined with one another, while also leaving room for further development. Here are two examples of this.

Joaquin, an enemy of Lito’s, has been stalking him for multiple episodes. Meanwhile Lito and his boyfriend Hernando are constantly worried that their romance will become public knowledge, potentially threatening Lito’s acting career as a straight sex-icon. In this episode Joaquin directly confronts Lito, steals his beard’s phone, and texts him a picture of him and Fernando engaging in intercourse. In this way two independent sources of tension collide and cause a climax.

Joaquin reveals a new extent of his evil while confronting Lito

This climax is not the end-all-be-all climax of these plotlines however, as Joaquin has not yet published the image. Lito voices one possible avenue for continued buildup of tension when he moans with dread: “He will blackmail me!”

Another pair of tension lines developed in this episode are Nomi’s quack almost-surgeon Dr. Metzger and the mysterious Dr. Matheson. In a prior episode Nomi is nearly lobotomized by Dr. Metzger, and in this episode she and her girlfriend Neets set out to figure out why. They break into his house and begin doing some snooping, and then end up confronting him directly when he returns home early.

Along the way, Nomi clones Metzger’s phone and makes a call to one “Dr. Matheson.” On the phone he knows who she is before she speaks and says they will meet soon. While Nomi is interrogating Dr. Metzger, it becomes clear that Metzger is terrified of Matheson, and then Jason (not one of the 8, instead an independent sensate) appears to Nomi to warn her to run before “Whispers” shows up.

His warning comes too late however, as one of Metzger’s past lobotomy patients, suddenly capable of motion again, shows up before Nomi can escape. He draws a gun and shoots first Metzger, and then himself. But not without the camera first panning to show his reflection is the man who drove the woman in the opening shot of episode one to kill herself.

The lobotomized-and-yet-walking sensate’s reflection is replaced by Matheson

The implications here (as far as I can tell) are:
A) Metzger was creating mindless sensates for this man to control

B) This man is Matheson (and Whispers)

C) Since he did not shoot Nomi (despite having the opportunity to at one point) he will be returning as an antagonist in a future episode

As such, the plotlines of Metzger and Matheson became entwined, leading to a climax in each. Additionally, despite the dramatic and violent climax, there is now a new avenue for the plot to continue to develop and tension to continue to grow as Nomi and Neets investigate Matheson’s identity.

Flight Attendant to Astronaut

By Bruce Qin

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

A parent’s biggest worry is perhaps the future of his/her children. In Season 2, Episode 14 of Fresh Off the Boat, Michael Chang Fever, Emery and Evan came home with their results for prospective careers based on their personalities. Much to Jessica’s surprise, while Evan scored surgeon general, Emery was suggested to become a flight attendant. Jessica explains to Emery that flight attendants are essentially the “homeless of the sky” and encouraged him to learn tennis after hearing that professional tennis players can earn up to 15 million dollars. Emery demonstrated natural talents and quickly rose through the rankings of a tennis tournament; however, he ended up firing his parents as his coach and began training with Billie Jean King. Jessica and Louis understood that their son only made this choice to become a better tennis player, and supported Emery’s decision. After winning the tournament, Emery explained to Jessica and Louis he didn’t want to devote his life to tennis at the moment and wishes to stop playing the sport. The only thing the parents said was: “whatever you want to do, we support you.”

This episode revolves around the main question of who should decide the child’s future. Should parents encourage their kids to follow their heart or guide them in directions that the parents believe are good? Jessica refused to let Emery follow the path of becoming a flight attendant, but she realized that Emery’s opinion is very important in making this decision as it is Emery’s life and Emery’s future. In the end, the Huangs decided to embrace their child’s choice, but guide Emery in a slightly different direction: becoming an astronaut. Making a compromise is perhaps the best outcome of the situation, Jessica wants the best for Emery while allowing him to do what he wants with his life.

Emery with his new tennis coach

This episode focuses on a very simple and prevalent issue with parenting and shows how the Huang family guided Emery in career choices. The comedic elements played very well alongside the main story, consistent with the show’s way of portraying the family and the obstacles they overcome.

The Importance of “Kadena” in The Bold Type

By Aaqila Faizer

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 5

The Bold Type heavily focuses on the lives of three women, Kat, Sutton, and Jane. Therefore it’s no surprise that the majority of the show’s screen time is dedicated to women. However, the time and agency given to two of its minority actresses, Aisha Dee “Kat” and Nikohl Boosheri “Adena”, make a significant contribution to the overall minority representation on screen today.

Some might question the importance of seeing people similar to them on television, however, representation is crucial for both younger generations and older generations. The Bold Type has contributed to a vastly empty representation sphere, young Muslim women specifically lesbian hijabis. While my life/personality is quite different from Adena my heart leaped when I saw her on screen, tears may or may not have been shed. I found it surprisingly satisfying to relate to Adena and realize how much I had been craving young Muslim representation on tv. It is important to note that The Bold Type was certainly unique with their characterization of Adena and did not make a cookie cutter stereotypically character, rather the show added multiple layers of individuality and complexity to Adena even though at first she was only a guest actor. The actor Nikohl Boosheri during an interview with Glamour stated that

“ If we were going to use pansexually and Islam and merge them together, it needed to feel real…with a character like this you are going to offend some people…I can only do my best to tell this one story.” – Nikohl Boosheri

Representation has a much greater impact when one person’s story is focused on rather than attempt to squeeze multiple stereotypes into one character’s story arc.

Kat’s story arc is also especially notable. The show spends a significant time developing Kat’s relationship with Adena and showing Kat’s path to understanding her sexuality. The show, in my opinion, did a great job representing coming out as an encouraging experience as opposed to a dark and upsetting process that is often emphasized in media. However, as one of the lead roles and a person of color, it was upsetting that The Bold Type, a show known to address relevant topics such immigration, seemly dismissed Kat’s race by never addressing it in season one. However, the show attempted to redeem itself in season two. The episode Rose Colored Glasses, allowed Kat to come to terms with her background while also creating a discussion about being biracial. The Bold Type is just one show in millions however they are helping to contribute to the hopefully expanding representation of women and minorities on screen.

adena and kat

Work Cited

https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/nikohl-boosheri-the-bold-type-interview

What is Titus’s Relevance in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt?

By Nikhil Reddy

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

When I first embarked on my journey to complete the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, one character stood out to me from the pilot episode. Kimmy’s roommate Titus has been a prominent character since the beginning of the show, but I quickly found myself questioning his worth. He frustrated me by proving that he would act as nothing but an obstacle for Kimmy to overcome. Time and time again I was wondering whether Titus was about to have a revelation and change from his greedy ways, but he continued to exploit Kimmy just because she was too nieve to realize. Examples of this include when he robbed Kimmy blind of her money, citing random home reparations or when he lied to her about the true cost of the rent. It became obvious to me that he was just stealing her money and taking advantage of her situation. This became even more apparent after he fails to feel sympathy for Kimmy after she is robbed, rather he is more concerned about his own money situation.

It was not until the midpoint of the first season that I began to understand Titus’s true relevance to the show. He acts as the difficult roommate to showcase Kimmy’s generous heart and ability to love anyone regardless of past actions. Whether this is a vulnerability or a powerful trait that Kimmy possesses is up to the viewer to decide. Not only is Titus a minority because of his male gender, but he is also a minority because of his color and sexuality. Kimmy has no problem seeing past Titus’s image as a struggling, but aspiring Broadway performer and even reaches out to Titus in acts of kindness that are unwarranted. She convinces him to sell his robot costume so that he can buy clothes to audition for more Broadway musicals and convinces him to pursue his dreams. Kimmy’s devoted interest in Titus’s happiness and success even though Titus did nothing but exploit her, shows Kimmy’s true nature to the audience and helps develop her character. Titus’s contribution to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is simply portraying Kimmy Schmidt’s character to the audience in the best light possible.

Titus Burgess helps portray Kimmy in her best light to the audience

Gender Portrayal in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

By Nikhil Reddy

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 5

The gender spread in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is fairly uneven. Although there are significant male characters in the show, only a few of them are recurring. Out of these few male characters, many of them are clearly depicted as antagonists and are pit directly against the show’s protagonist, Kimmy Schmidt. They are portrayed as obstacles for her to overcome as she adapts to New York City life. Agency in the show is almost always granted to Kimmy or sometimes to Mrs. Voorhees. Kimmy and Mrs. Voorhees are usually making significant choices that change the course of the plot and male characters are simply seen as reacting to these choices. A few exceptions are made. One example is when Mrs. Voorhees’s husband canceled his visit home for the party she was setting up and Kimmy’s work went to waste as a result.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt focuses on Kimmy’s adaptation to city life in the modern world after being separated from it her whole adult life. However, it is not merely adaptation to modern living that the show focuses on. Kimmy being a female in the show is essential to the commentary that the writers wish to provide. As a female, Kimmy is portrayed as more vulnerable and easy to take advantage of, which often happens throughout the first season. The show tries to make a statement that a strong, independent woman has a lot to offer and can make the most of her situation given the right mindset. This is the mindset that the show instills in Kimmy and is a large part of the reason that the show is female-centered. The most prominent male character in the show is Kimmy’s roommate who happens to be gay. Class-wise, the show puts two of the most prominent characters on opposite ends of the wealth spectrum and lets one mentor the other on how she made it. However, Kimmy doesn’t feel the same urge as Mrs. Voorhees did to marry a rich, older man to attain success, rather she carves her own path to success throughout the courses of the show.

Given the show’s feminist lens, the gender spread among the show’s recurring characters is unsurprising

GA Tackling Gender Biased Representation In Medicine

By Daniela Larranaga Fajardo

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

After doing more than just “watching” Grey’s Anatomy, and actually understanding what composes and makes this show such a success, I decided to do a blog post based on how has has gender representation made this long-time running show an accomplishment.

In first instance some may say Grey’s Anatomy female power caught a lot of people’s attention, and some other may say it is the drama related to the female to male relationships that actually make it interesting. However, for me, is the fact that Grey’s Anatomy has managed to tackle down medicine’s gender biased day to day image what has inspired the audience to continue watching and to make a difference when fighting for women rights and equality.

To support the statement presented in the previous paragraph, there are several elements of the show that we could analyze in order to understand how Grey’s Anatomy tumbles down gender biased representation in the area of the medicine. First of all, female characters are the principal “hard-core” workers of the show. Going from the chief of surgery to the head of each speciality, and even to the interns that just arrived, there’s always a majority of female characters that stand out to be better doctors than many of the men who end up giving up or feeling nervous next to their co-workers (just as it happened with Alex at the very beginning of the show where he felt intimidated by Meredith and her innate ability). Additionally, the show also treats sexism in medicine as a principal theme that tends to be ignored in most real-life cases. In one of the last episodes that have been released, Miranda Bailey (the chief of surgery) gets a heart attack. Through this event, she is taken to the hospital where she has to address the fact that “cleaning the house”, “taking care of the children”, or “wasting too much time doing chores”, weren’t stress factors (that could’ve caused her sickness) present in her life, as she actually worked the hardest she could. This is very important as this image has come to be the reflection of many women’s life in the contemporary world.

No caption needed. Dr. Bailey breaking gender stereotypes to its fullest

In conclusion, if there is a way to make a show successful nowadays, breaking gender representation biased image in professional roles is definitely the way to go. Grey’s Anatomy (and Shonda Rhyme’s shows in general) have managed to show this for over 10 years of emotional and wonderful seasons that have created a special bond between women who aspire to thrive in life and do more than what everyone simply tends to believe they “should do”.

Jane Sloan in The Bold Type: What?

By Jessica Barber

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

From questions about sexuality, in-office hookups, missing $5,000 pieces jewelry in cabs, fashion shows, and very forward conversations about female anatomy, The Bold Type seems to have everything that a young millennial audience could wish for in a Freeform show. The show has gained much popularity due to its classic storytelling of three young female best friends who live and work together at the Cosmopolitan spinoff magazine Scarlet.

It is true that The Bold Type escapes television’s “norm” of conversation topics; however, it seems to have failed at representing certain aspects in the women’s jobs. Don’t get me wrong, in a Freeform show, you would expect everything to work out for the protagonists and their careers… but with it being such a forward show, you would also probably expect some more relatable struggles for the characters.

And then there’s Jane.

Image result for jane sloan in the bold type gif

Can you say yikes?

She’s a writer at Scarlet whose job was to produce articles that ranged from female doctors to rape victims to the BRCA gene for cancer development. Respectable. However, during the writing of these articles, her character experienced no problems with the actual process of writing such delicate stories (Syme).

She is always met with the supportive guidance of her editor, Jacqueline, and always is successful in her deliverance of a popular article. Even during her short unemployment stint in Season 2, her most notable struggle was simply making a barista mad by only ordering a mini biscotti at a coffee shop.

Jane makes constant comments that seem to propagate from a lack of political awareness, markedly. At one point, she matter-of-factly explains to Kat and Sutton that “Judaism is more of a lifestyle choice in New York.” Question mark?

Anyways, it’s not quite clear as to what moral comes from the character of Jane throughout the two seasons. While Kat and Sutton respectively struggle with a homosexual relationship and nonstop errands in the fashion department, Jane is met with a lack of character development and career struggles.

As the other women are met with rewards from their hard work and success in the workplace, Jane leaves her job, finds another one, gets fired from that, goes unemployed, receives an award for her writing, and then is rehired at Scarlet. Her “struggles” effectively disappear into thin air, and she is happily back with her two best friends in the end. Big whoop.

Works Cited

Syme, Rachel. “The Tough Issue The Bold Type Won’t Tackle.” The New Republic, 31 July 2018. https://newrepublic.com/article/150293/tough-issue-bold-type-wont-tackle-season-2-review, Accessed 13 November 2018.

What’s That I Spy? Character Growth

By Wendy Yao

On November 13, 2018

In Review Topic 6

In this final blog post, I’d like to cover how New Girl flips the script on tropes regarding masculinity and femininity. While Jess at first appears to be the epitome of the manic pixie dream girl trope, she is much more than a tool to get broody males to have more fun in their lives. While the guys seem macho and aggressive at the beginning of the season, they have their own fears and insecurities that are not often portrayed on television. Schmidt’s characterization in particular undergoes changes as viewers learn more about him and his flaws, from his douchebag jar to his body image issues.

Jess at her core: prepared to help

Admittedly Jess is quirky and childish, which somewhat fulfills the manic pixie dream girl trope, yet she is much more than that as a main character. She is often the cause for more excitement and drama in the shared apartment, but she doesn’t solely exist for that purpose. Jess has her own professional hopes and dreams as a schoolteacher and romantic goals in her search for a stable relationship so that her life doesn’t only revolve around her roommates. In addition, Jess has her flaws with her eagerness to be helpful and is often seen as a pushover but grows as a person through becoming more tactful and willing to stand up for herself as the season goes on. She goes from reluctant to confront Spencer, her ex-boyfriend, to standing up to Julia, Nick’s girlfriend, who puts Jess down for her bubbly demeanor and bright outfits.

When we first met Schmidt, he was arrogant and aggressively flirty to the point where he had his own douchebag jar for his inappropriate comments. However, he soon reveals a softer side when he gives up his costume party to help a stood-up Jess. Schmidt also ends up being the one who cooks and cleans, as revealed in episode 16, which are traditionally feminine roles that contradict his façade of traditional masculinity. While Schmidt is often seen pursuing women, his actual relationships consists of him being in a more submissive role, as seen with his turbulent relationship with Gretchen and his later relationship with Cece. In his relationship with Cece, Cece is the one with control, especially over the secrecy of their relationship. While Schmidt acts affronted for having to be available whenever Cece calls, he bends to her demands and continues to stay in the relationship. Their relationship dynamic differs from those often portrayed on television that have a power imbalance in which the woman lacks or has less control and influence in the relationship because of a difference in status or role.

Watching New Girl has been a highlight in my week with Jess’s quirks and the shenanigans that the characters get up to. The show really succeeded in having characters that are genuine and unique in their relationships and flaws while inverting common tropes related to gender representation.

Dr. Casey Alane Wilson • Georgia Institute of Technology

Page 3 of 35

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A Crazy-Emotional Character Rollercoaster

Jessica Purple Jones

The Sense8 Plot Thickens (Spoilers Ahead)

Flight Attendant to Astronaut

The Importance of “Kadena” in The Bold Type

What is Titus’s Relevance in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt?

Gender Portrayal in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

GA Tackling Gender Biased Representation In Medicine

Jane Sloan in The Bold Type: What?

What’s That I Spy? Character Growth

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