The Bold Type – Perfect Escapism Show that you need to watch right now!
Hitting on a wide variety of issues in today’s social and political climate, The Bold Type was a breath of fresh air. The pilot shows us the setting off a office in a fashion magazine which gives us major Sex and the city vibes and the fashion closet promises us the Gossip Girl style rom-com and drama but also does more than that. You know that feeling when you get so immersed in a book that the characters become like friends? Well, Jane Sloan, Kat Edison and Sutton Brady has done the trick for me.
So, what is The Bold Type about?
The Bold Type revolves around the lives of three closest BFFs who are in their mid-twenties, with impeccable skin and incredible sense of style attempting to dominate in their field and simultaneously settling on strong decisions in their own personal lives. They are consistently there for one another. We see these ladies who are chiseling out their identity with their strong decisions and raising their voices inside a foundation overwhelmed by a leading body of individuals, who are, you gotten it: all men.
If you consider The New York City as a character in Sex and the City, the Scarlet does have a character of it’s own. Typical Scarlet features include: how to talk to your gynaecologist, how to stalk your ex-boyfriend without social media, rising female political stars and assorted sex confessionals. According to Kat, the magazine practises “stealth feminism … It’s no longer how to please your man or woman in bed. It’s how to please yourself.”
Everyone’s Ideal Boss: JC
The diversity in backgrounds and representation of strong independent female characters is led by an equally phenomenal editor – Jacqueline Carlyle. It is a touching departure from the stereotypical tough and bitchy editor portrayed in most of these fashion storylines. Jacqueline Carlyle is the matriarchal Editor-in-Chief at Scarlett Magazine. She not only helps Jane, Sutton, and Kat improve their professional skills and attain maximum potential, but is always there to offer them life advice and a shoulder to cry on. She’s the career mentor we all dream of. Heck yeah, she is the ideal boss.
Maybe Cheesy but not Cringe!
As a rom-com, it’s the perfect comfort watch but it’s not cringeworthy. The series makes incredible efforts to remove the stigma from things that are considered taboo even in the 21st century. But the contents of The Bold Type has pushed boundaries and started conversations around taboo subjects. Some are: BRCA cancer gene, exploring sexual inclinations, pornography, yeast infections, yoni eggs, gun ownership, loopholes in women’s health insurances, racial/class/gender privileges, #metoo, cheating, digitisation and how it is affecting the printing press, custody battles, body positivity, assault and its victims, love and loss, pegging. The list is quite diverse, just like the cast and the representations.
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Suprisingly, its shows Kat’s struggle with her sexuality in realistic ways, helping viewers understand bisexuality and coming out. We see Kat Edison shifting back and forth over her sexuality before taking a leap. Kat explores her sexuality in different ways, taking us through the journey from episode 1 to her identity as Bisexual. This opens up a whole new spectrum that wasn’t given much spotlight before.
#Positivity
The women of The Bold Type feel good about their bodies in a way that makes you, the viewer, also feel good about your body, which is a hard balance to strike in the age of the influencer. Slut-shaming is also never used for comedic effect, nor is it normalized, as is often the case in rom-coms. In fact, our girl Sutton dismantles and rejects this kind of behavior in front of all her colleagues at one point in the series.
Privilege – the word that’s been thrown around a lot lately has been handled effectively in the show. Once in a while, the characters are given a reality check and tackles privilege in complex ways. The Bold Type emphasizes almost every episode how much of an effect privilege — whether that’s financial or identity-based can have on people’s lives. Makes us have a privilege check of our own and stay humbled.
The Real Romance of The Bold Type:
And finally, romantic relationships come and go on the show, but the real romance is the friendship between Kat, Sutton, and Jane. It is certainly rooted in one of SATC’s most famous quotes:
“Maybe we can be each other’s soul mates. And then we can let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with.”
Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
Watching the women of The Bold Type live their lives truly together will make you want to squeeze your friends that little bit tighter and care a little less about that boy who didn’t text you back.
Is The Bold Type Based on a True Story?
It is partially based on a true story. It is inspired by the life of Joanna Coles and her decades-long experiences working in the magazine industry. The character of Jacqueline Carlyle is a direct counterpart of Coles and serves as a mentor figure to the young women working at Scarlet. Many elements of Coles’ personality have been incorporated into the character, including her hairstyle and love for power suits. Certain anecdotes from Coles’ life also make it into the show. The series largely spins out its own narrative and fuses elements from Coles’ life with some dramatization.
Now, let me spill the tea. As much as I adore this show, it’s not without it’s share of flaws. It might not be huge or maybe it is.
Kat, Sutton, and Jane do nothing at their jobs.
They spend more time talking in the fashion closet about what type of porn Pinstripe watches than doing real work. Apparently, there are no deadlines at Scarlet—no important dates, no nothing. If Sutton (the only one who works, really) has an off-site project, Jane and Kat will tag along for absolutely no reason (ahem-moral support-ahem). They’re straight-up bad employees, and HR needs to get involved.
On that note, Jane writes only, like, two articles a month.
Jane and I have roughly the same job. If I wrote only two articles in a month, I wouldn’t have a job. Not even kidding. Not every article one writes needs to take up so much research or personal experience to write. Sure, it is an added perk but definitely not necessary.
These girls are always hungover at work but never look it. What kinda witchcraft is this?
I’m not opposed to drinking on weeknights, but if I did, everyone at my office would know it. Not only would my Instagram Stories from the night before feature me incorrectly lip-synching at the restroom with the girls. I’d arrive at work the next day chugging a strong cup of coffee, aspirin and sunglasses to mask my shame. Meanwhile, Kat, Jane, and Sutton frequently down tequila shots on Tuesdays and show up to their Wednesday A.M. meetings with perfect hair, ironed out clothes and sky high heels. Sis, how?
However, the show needs us to do the suspension of disbelief here and there. Lke how does Sutton afford those designer clothes in a assistant salary when she can’t afford a bedroom and sleeps in hall? Let’s sweep the flaws under the carpet for a second as the show has so much to offer that shouldn’t be sidelined. Head over to Netflix right now!
My personal favourite is Kat Edison. Comment down yours below.
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