Broad City
is executive produced by
Saturday Night Live
legend Amy Poehler. Photo courtesy of Vox.
Female friendship has always been an essential pillar of my life, but the power of these friendships is often neglected and understated in popular media. Whether we acknowledge it or not, the TV shows and movies we watch teach us how to act, what to value and what to aspire to. I’ve seen endless depictions of heterosexual relationships, medium-sized friend groups and families in media, but there are few examples that I can identify in media that portray the beauty of a friendship between two women. The TV show
Broad City
breaks this barrier. Through its five seasons on air, the show showcases the intimate, empathetic and devoted best-friendship shared by Ilana and Abbi.
The sitcom follows two female characters who are based off of, and portrayed by, its creators, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. Their show teaches viewers that female friendships can and should provide a deep source of fulfillment. Viewers are grabbed in by the eccentric humor of the two women and a few side characters, but I believe many fans stayed devoted to the show because they are moved by the power of friendship that the show works to depict. When I first came across
Broad City
, I felt connected to Ilana and Abbi because they shared my dedication to deepening and maintaining female friendships.
The creators approach the depiction of female friendship in a way that contrasts their TV-writing predecessors. The two women in the show do not constantly compete with each other for the attention of others, specifically men, like women do in other shows such as
Sex and the City
. Instead, Ilana and Abbi support each other unconditionally. The unequivocal acceptance they share for one another is part of the reasoning behind their relationship’s strength, as well as why they derive such joy and support from one another. Because they provide one another with love, companionship and meaning, the two rarely search for other sources of meaning in their romantic relationships or from their careers. Although people in the real world should aim to have multiple sources of happiness, I believe that the creative choice to have Ilana and Abbi primarily focus on their relationship throughout the series is what makes the show so novel and powerful.
Broad City
first aired in 2014. At this time, there were almost no other shows that centered on female friendship. Popular shows such as
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Friends
and
How I Met Your Mother
focus on a group of friends, most of them men. These shows, while funny and heartwarming, often fail to explore the depth of platonic relationships because they feature multiple people, so there is little time to zoom in on interpersonal friendships. Additionally, the characters have goals that are not exclusive to nurturing their friendships with one another. Since Ilana’s and Abbi’s sole focus is on their relationship, each episode acts as a 20 minute portrayal of female connection.
Similarly to any other sitcom, each episode finds the starring characters in comedic situations. In “Lost and Found,” Ilana and Abbi chase a Holocaust survivor around New York City after they aid in his escape from his senior living facility. In “B&B-NYC,” they attempt to spend the night sleeping in a tent on the rooftop of Ilana’s building after both women rent out their apartments to Airbnb customers. These episodes, along with all others, include hilarious banter between the women with the people they encounter through their adventures. Within this dialogue, the audience learns life lessons.
The women laugh through their misfortunes and do not let the other get down on herself. Through wacky one-liners, Ilana constantly uplifts Abbi. A running gag in the show is Ilana’s continual compliments about Abbi’s butt. She tells how beautiful her butt is, telling Abbi she has the “ass of an ageless angel.” Ilana says, “I know your ass better than I know your face.” These lines are written for their comedic value, but also for the sake of showing the viewer that the women will support anything that the other one does, even if the act in question is as asinine as having a good butt. Ilana’s quips do not come off as exaggerated or even as simple jokes. She truly believes that Abbi is the most wonderful person on earth and that she has a fantastic butt worth admiring. The womens’ interactions with each other feel completely natural and their incredibly close friendship feels genuine.
The authentic feel of the show is somewhat due to the fact that Ilana and Abbi were real-life best friends before they began writing the show. They had years of practice laughing and unconditionally supporting each other. It is heartwarming to watch a real relationship play out on the screen; I can feel the platonic love that they share. Their friendship inspires me to cherish, nurture, and prioritize my relationships with other women. For this lesson, I am grateful to the women of
Broad City
.
