FOUR AND THREE AND TWO AND ONE, GO!
Wow, where do I even begin? This show is everything I’ve ever needed and more. Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson are my backup nominees for the 2020 President and Vice President of the United States, only second to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey because of seniority reasons. (Amy Poehler is also one of Broad City‘s executive producers so if you didn’t already believe that this show is overflowing with female talent, there’s another one to add to the list, my dudes.)
Broad City follows best friends Ilana and Abbi as they live their lives as a couple of twenty-somethings in New York City. Ilana is 22, insane in the best way, loves smokin the devil’s lettuce, and could basically be the poster child for hedonism (“the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life” – thx Merriam Webster). Abbi is 25, quirky and awkward without being overtly quirky and awkward (see: Zooey Deschanel), and attempts to be somewhat of an adult but still gets buckwild with Ilana at the same time.
If the concept sounds similar to Lena Dunham’s GIRLS, it’s because it is – but it also isn’t. Where GIRLS can come off as whitewashed and generally problematic (I still love the show, but even it’s biggest fans have to recognize the inherent issues) Broad City strives to be inclusive, and woke as hell. I’m not claiming that Broad City gets it right every time, or that it isn’t problematic itself sometimes, but what I am claiming is that Broad City is far more transparent and self-aware of what they may or may not be getting right. At one point Abbi says to Ilana, “You know sometimes you’re so anti-racist, that you’re actually racist” – so meta.
Like most satirical comedy shows, Broad City draws attention to the injustices and harsh realities of our current social climate. They make jokes about systemic racism in the criminal justice system or they comment on the fact that homeless women often have to choose between spending money on a meal or buying tampons – they find a way to make their audience realize how f*cked up a lot of stuff is for a lot of people while still maintaining a sense of ‘we know this stuff needs to be changed, but we can’t do it all right now so in order to remain sane and enjoy our lives were allowed to have a little fun and try to focus on stuff that brings us happiness and joy right now’. I think that’s just about all any of us can ask for right now.
My sister had been asking me if I’d watched it yet for weeks until I finally decided to dive in last week. The episodes are only 20 minutes long, and with 3 seasons on Hulu and the 4th currently airing on Comedy Central, I’m only a few episodes away from being fully caught up. I love Abbi and Ilana more than I could ever explain – I would do SO many things just to get to be a fly on the wall of their writer’s room. Nothing gets me more stoked for life, or makes me feel more inspired in general, than seeing badass women doing whatever the f*ck they want and creating something magical in the process.
Right now, I’d definitely label myself as an Ilana but strive to be a bit more like Abbi as I get older. (Will most likely remain an Ilana forever).
Thanks for reading, and remember the power mantra:
~Madonna, Rihanna, Ilana~
-k
thelavenderhours 