Broad City is a 5 season series following the lives of two girls in their late twenties, Ilana and Abby, going about their daily lives in New York. It is fun, quirky, real and unapologetic. This is my personal review and why I loved watching it so much.
The twenties is an interesting decade and different people approach it very differently. This statement is also reflected through different TV shows as they portray 20-something-year-olds in vastly different manners. From the career-driven millennials to those who want to change the world, to those who need a little more time growing up.
I personally fell in that last category when I was in my twenties. So when I first saw Broad City, with the silly situations the characters got themselves into, their capricious manners, their low-paying-just-getting-by lifestyle and their entertaining sex lives, I instantly felt represented.
Not having a thriving career in your twenties.
I’ve seen all too many people in their twenties getting overwhelmed and burned out while competing in a career-driven world. Seeing two characters just getting by and focussing more on having fun in their twenties was refreshing.
I’ve always seen the twenties as a decade to explore, take leaps and do crazy things. It’s not like Ilana and Abby didn’t have any career goals, they just prioritised living in the moment above everything else.
I tried out many random jobs in my twenties that I had no interest in turning into a career. I did it more out of curiosity and potential fun than anything else. I figured all the random skills would come together one day to shape something useful.
Embracing your childishness.
Ilana and Abby are playful in each episode and often don’t seem to take the adult world seriously. At times they come across as being childish and in a way, I admire this.
Growing up, I heard people say that one becomes an adult when you go to university. When I was a student, I definitely didn’t feel like an adult. When I finished university, I didn’t feel like an adult either. In fact, when I started working and taking care of myself, I still didn’t feel like an adult nor did I want to be one yet.
The twenties is a young age and in the modern world, I don’t think it’s the right time to be adulting yet. There is plenty of time in the future to get more serious and take on more responsibilities. Just like in Broad City.
Strong female friendship.
Ilana and Abby will go to the end of the earth for each other. They are both the most important people in each other’s lives and they are inseparable. Their relationship is devoid of jealousy, competitiveness and judgment, as often seen in other series.
Without that kind of friendship, the twenties can be extremely hard and lonely and I enjoyed watching them have that. I think it was because of their lack of focused careers and the tendency to be more childish that they were able to form this strong friendship.
Normalising substance use and sexuality.
It’s no secret that these two ladies enjoy their weed and stronger substances from time to time. They also have no shame sharing their sexual adventures, failures and fantasies.
Coming from a conservative background, it took me until my mid-twenties before being comfortable in sharing stories on these topics. Seeing characters which I admire normalising some of my own actions on TV, completely eradicated the uneasiness I felt in the past.
We all have different philosophies on how to live life and we all choose to spend our twenties the way we think is right at that given time. I enjoyed watching Ilana and Abby because I saw a little bit of myself in them.
Having said all that, I am not in my twenties anymore. I now admire people with thriving careers and I try to be less childish most of the time. I don’t fear to take on responsibilities anymore and I don’t feel like I have to put myself in crazy situations all the time (just some times).
Reflecting back, do I regret my twenties? – Not one bit.
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