I am really picky about what shows I choose to watch on Netflix because lets face it a good show
will completely take over your life. Are you still watching?
Yes! What else is there I should be doing right now? (Ummm… getting a life maybe)
Literally nothing. I love a good coming of age story
and with the controversy that came along from a certain line in the show digging at Taylor Swift.
Which we’ll get into a little later. I said hmmm…
Let’s see what the fuss is about here? Before I get into my thoughts…
let me set the scene. Virginia or Ginny as she
prefers everyone to call her, is a 15 year old girl who has lived an rather unorthodox life.
Moving from city to city, state to state with her Mother Georgia and her brother Austin.
Whew chile these names. Her momma really tried it. I mean its kinda cute but
annoying at the same time. Growing up a relative of mine
had a girlfriend named Dawn, she had a daughter named Summer and Summer’s Cousin name was Autumn.
I always wondered what Autumn’s mother’s name was but I was too afraid to ask.
Dusk maybe? I don’t know. Anyways, Georgia is running
from a dark past that we get to see play out bit by bit throughout the season.
They move to a town in Massachusetts where life is supposed to have a bit of normality for a change.
No random men in their lives that Georgia meets, suddenly falls in love and becomes consumed with.
Oh wait. Ok…where there are no problems
in school fitting in. Ummm…
ok let me. Hmmm… ok, finally having a group of
friends to call her own Ginny can- Oh…Gosh darn it.
How did they slip back into these old habits. Well for starters Ginny the self-proclaimed
outsider, as soon as they move into the new house there’s this boy her next
door neighbor, who catches her eye. Which he’s a cutie so I don’t blame her.
I mean if someone’s attractive who cares if sparks fly in 5 seconds or 5 months.
Life is too short not to go after what you want. Get it how you live.
However comma (Deep breath) This
is where my first problem starts and we’re not even 10 minutes into the first episode.
You see, Ginny has already told us that her mom had her as a teen and because of that
she’s been getting the hardcore truth about the birds and the bee’s since she was 7 years old.
One of the few things she admittedly admires about her mother is that she has control when
it comes to affairs of the opposite sex. But somehow someway she completely loses
sight of this and loses control with the first boy she meets.
I get it. Young people have raging
hormones and they don’t think before they act. Heck older people have raging hormones
and THEY don’t think before they act. That would’ve been a good excuse had she
not made it a point to tell us her history with the knowledge of what happens when
you…open the cookie jar. Then I thought well maybe
she wants to be the opposite of her mother. Relinquish that control and just let things be.
But ultimately wouldn’t that just be a 360 leading her to the path of teen motherhood.
Like her mother. I don’t know. But Ginny and her
choices got on my nerves off rip. However comma
My biggest problem with this show that had me like girl gone.
Is that they were trying to make fetch happen…but with racism.
What do I mean by that? That is an excellent question
In the first episode driving to their new city, they make a stop at the gas station.
Ginny is pumping the gas. Georgia walks out of the
gas station. As a cop simultaneously passes by. She tenses up because she’s on the run for some
reason or another which we don’t know why yet. Meanwhile Ginny is side-eyeing the cop.
Because he is racist. At least she thinks so.
Or… she knows for sure but she’s unsure?
That was racist right? He’s racist. Sigh
Ok. Let me start off by saying I love the fact that we are living in a time of heighten
senses to what black people and people of color deal with on a day to day bases.
We’re slowly addressing issues instead of acting as though they are none existent.
But this show is forcing it. And it is so cringey. Being a black woman myself. I know what it feels
like to be uncomfortable around law enforcement. However comma being uncomfortable simply equals
being alert not mean mugging a cop like you gone do something.
Uh we don’t do that. And secondly. She’s biracial.
To be clear all people of color collectively know what it means to be racially profiled.
However comma we’re not gone sit here and pretend racially ambiguous people get treated
the same as someone who is obviously black. If they wanted to make this a more relatable
moment they should’ve had the cop question her. You know “Nice car you got
there…you live around these parts?” Have Georgia come out, a moment of displeasure.
Boom we’ve established racial tension. Yea I know it’s cliché but you get the point.
But no instead they try to have sub context and it completely falls flat.
They try again to establish racial tension when Ginny’s teacher singles her out
NOT for being the new student but for being less than because she’s black.
You know “if you don’t understand what’s going on in class because of your lack of education it’s
fine. We can put you in the dumb class.” Or the “I’m gonna make it seem like I’m
not being racist by choosing another minority to win the writing contest
although you had the better essay.” Now these were not bad attempts as
things like this happen all the time. But I was still stuck at them trying to
make fetch happen and personally I just didn’t connect with it.
The argument with her boyfriend minority to minority kind of worked because there was
already tension from the writing competition and there is definitely division between
minority groups in the real world. I mean you would think we would all
be in this together but it just doesn’t always pan out that way.
So I give them an A for effort on that one. Then there’s the woke black girl who’s like
lets be friends because we go to a majority white school.
At first Ginny is a little confused. From earlier we see that at her old school there were a couple
of black kids but again mostly white. And the only indication we’re given about
her time at other schools is that she doesn’t have many friends and she’s always the new kid.
Usually as black people we see somebody else that looks like us we feel a little more at ease.
Like ok I can adapt to this environment. Ginny being biracial she’s constantly navigating
both worlds of being both white and black, so it’s understandable it wasn’t that inherent
“finally someone who looks like me” reaction. The problem for me doesn’t come from Ginny
as this develops. It’s the friend.
And no it’s not her trying to include her and make her feel welcomed. It was this moment here.
When she see’s her at the Halloween party. Looks her up and down.
Ask her who she’s supposed to be. And when Ginny tells her Britney Spears.
She goes hmm. Noted. Umm…excuse me?
Besides the fact that black people love Britney Spears, this was the perfect moment for subtext.
She could’ve given that head nod that says “ I see” and Im not impressed.
Instead we get. Noted. Girl Gone.
Perhaps the biggest gripe I have with this shows attempt at
commenting on race is the relationship between Ginny and Georgia but not in the way you think.
You see one of the issues in the black community as it pertains to interracial relationships is the
lack of knowledge of our culture and subsequently this then trickles down and affects the offspring
of said relationship. A mouthful I know.
Georgia, to my delightful surprise, is actually knowledgeable.
She knows that her daughter doesn’t have the same walk in life as she does.
And she makes it a point to make sure her daughter knows that.
Other than her being ready to go up to the school to handle her butthole
of a teacher for discrimantion. There was one line in particular
that told me she gets it. A line that I’ve heard
some rendition of all of my life. Oh yeah let me give context.
So Ginny and Mang the name they chose for her friend group chile- are at this school lock
in shindig and they have on the same outfits so they’re like oh lets all get the same hairstyle
so we can look cool in our pictures. Well the hairstyle is a high ponytail.
No problem. Except Ginny has curly hair.
Now does this mean she can’t wear a ponytail? Of course not.
But it does mean she has to go through a few steps before she gets to that because whether you have
kinks, coils, or curls black hair is a process. But instead of her saying you know what
how about we all just wear our hair down or I’ll throw my own hair in a ponytail…
SHE sits down and lets this Caucasian lady attempt to put her hair. Into a ponytail.
Knowing that that wasn’t gonna end well. Now you embarrassed.
And who’s fault is that? Yours. Cuz guess what. Your momma told
you not to let anybody touch your hair. Could’ve been avoided.
Now it’d be different had her mom not kept it real with her orrrr…
if she’d never put a comb through her hair in her life and knew it takes a little work.
So yea I’m not saying that race shouldn’t be talked about, I just think
they could’ve showed it a little differently. And speaking of showing things differently.
Taylor “Keep a Man” Swift We all know that Taylor has had her share of men.
We know this because she tells us every time she releases an album.
And we’re reminded of this by the media. Over, and over, and over.
Good PR and it works in her favor. Seeing as though she’s made
millions off of said relationships. By changing heartbreak into profit.
Cool. Here lies the problem.
Taylor has been professionally releasing music since she was 16 years old.
So we’ve seen her grow up. Part of growing up is dating.
And a part of dating is seeing what you like and don’t like.
With this guess what… * Whispers* Its doesn’t always work out.
So to still be the butt of dating jokes after 15 years being in the game.
And the “joke” is laughing at you and not with you.
Vilifying your character and meant to demean you. As if every other person on the planet hasn’t had
their fair share dating and failed relationships. Yea Id say its pretty justifiable
to call these people out. It has nothing to do with the actor
because we all know she’s just doing her job. But it’s like come on, give the girl a break.
With all that being said its important to note… I actually really like the show.lol
My favorite character by far is Georgia. I think they do a really good job of
showing her layers and the different complexities, and how they came to be.
Ginny’s friend group MANG- though the name is treach,
I think it’s a good depiction of what happens when you choose the wrong group of friends.
And Though they are god awful. You still feel for them in their personal struggles.
The guys that Ginny is going back and forth with are polar opposites.
And it was interesting to watch her navigate through that.
The season ends with a bang. And it definitely has me like …It’s about to go down.
It was just announced that there will be a second season. Is Ginny & Georgia a show that
I would recommend? Yea I’d say it’s blush bunny approved. Have you watched this show? What are
your thoughts? Im curious to know. Do you agree or disagree with the things I addressed? Let me know.
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As always. Im all ears. Until next time. Bye.