Feminist Comedies to Watch!

Feminist Comedy Shows to Watch !!!

As teenagers, most of us come home after a long day at school and the last thing we can think of wanting to do is the pile of homework we’ve been assigned. I know the feeling well. Many of us automatically procrastinate by going on social media or switching on the TV. If you’re going to take the latter route, I’m here to tell you about some shows you can watch that will enhance your world view and make you a more educated feminist. Here’s just a few of the growing collection of comedy shows that have feminist values woven into every episode:

Master Of None- if you’ve been on social media at all since November when the series premiered, you’ve probably heard about Aziz Ansari’s brand new Netflix original. I watched it after having surgery on my leg when I was completely bedridden, and I can honestly say that it is the best show I’ve ever watched. The creators, Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari were both involved in the creation of Parks and Rec (see below). They are also both people of color, and in an industry that often only truly allows white people to succeed, this is a big deal. The show is extremely intersectional, having lead characters that are black, part of the LGBT+ community, and the first generation Americans. It tells the story of Dev, a 30-year-old actor trying to make in New York and how he crashes into the lives of his family and friends. The show implants intersectional ideas into the viewer’s head without the person watching realizing what’s happening (and if you do, then you’ll probably just be overjoyed and cry like I did). Episode 7 is about casual injustice towards women, “Indians On TV” addresses the whitewashing and inaccurate portrayal of people of color in Hollywood, and there is never for a second a moment where you believe you’re watching a show that isn’t trying to make you feel as included as possible. It’s amazing how well the creators, despite both being cis men, capture these experiences that they can’t always relate to. Needless to say, I really recommend this show!!!

30 Rock & Parks and Recreation- these NBC shows (which have both now ended and are available on Netflix) tell the story of successful and turbulent women. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) is the executive producer of a late night comedy show and is searching for the right audience while dealing with a wild cast and crew on 30 Rock. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) works with her team on Parks and Rec to help keep the town of Pawnee running smoothly while also working up the political food chain. These shows have great diverse casts, and highlight important feminist issues like the critique most high profile women receive and how this impacts their work. Both shows were created by women that have transformed the TV comedy industry to be more inclusive of women and will have you laughing out loud.

Orange Is The New Black- Chances are you’ve probably heard about this show through the twitter/instagram/tumblr/entire universe grapevine, but you might not be familiar with all the reasons why this show is so important for our movement. Like the other shows listed, this show has an extremely diverse cast, and brings more attention to issues than any other show I had watched before it. It is set in Litchfield Prison and tells the story of the female inmates there. So it obviously confronts the issue of incarceration, but surprisingly it also goes into detail to talk about the prison-industrial complex. This is the idea that rapid expansion of the US inmate population is due to the interference of private companies selling goods and services to government facilities, thus granting them a large amount of power in what is supposed to be a government run place. The show also tells the backstory for all the women in the prison and so we get a close glimpse at the different ways racism, classism, sexual orientation and misogyny play a role in why these women end up behind the slammer. This show is so educational and worthwhile, I definitely suggest watching it in your spare time!