Netflix has recently rolled out another new show called "Girlboss," starring the talented Britt Robertson as Sophia, based on the real Sophia Amoruso. This series was inspired by Amoruso's bestselling book that detailed her rise to being a real "girl boss": an owner of a multi-million dollar clothing empire called Nasty Gal. The show follows Sophia as she tries to build up a vintage clothing store business via eBay and Takes place in 2006, giving it a very nostalgic feel.
The issue with 'Girlboss'
This comedy is undoubtedly funny, and I really do want to like it.
Yet, somewhere in the mix, it seems to fall flat. As a young black woman I made a goal for myself a few months ago: any new movies or shows that I find to watch should have at least one relatable, empowering black character in it. From the start, I knew "Girlboss" wouldn't be that show, but I decided to stick with it because strong, relatable female characters on tv are still somewhat of a rarity, so we should all take what we can get, right? However, Amoruso's character just isn't that relatable. In the opening scene, she can be seen having car trouble and trying to push her car up a busy street in San Francisco. In that moment, she's a relatable character. Yet, that's where her likability ends.
From then on she repeatedly shows herself to be the typical caricature of a millennial: self-centered, lazy, rude and entitled. It's almost painful to watch. The character does have some redeeming moments throughout the series, and of course not every main character is meant to be likable. We as people aren't likable all of the time.
But Sophia's quirks and self-centered attitude are truly too much at times.
To add insult to injury
To circle back to the issue of relatability, the supporting characters tend to serve merely as sounding boards for Sophia. It's hard to get a clear picture of who they are as individuals. Although when they do get screen time they shine comically, (for example, Ellie Reed, who plays Annie, Sophia's best friend, does a superb job) they lack substance.
Of course, this is a comedy show. One can't expect the same character development like in shows such as "This Is Us" where each character is fleshed out. Still, it'd be nice if the show didn't fall back on well-timed jokes as opposed to giving each supporting character a bit of time to show their true selves.
In short, despite the title, this show does not seem like a hallmark of girl power. To be fair, it's satisfying to see Sophia (who Robertson does a fine job of playing) grow her own business from the ground up. And as aforementioned, she doesn't need to be perfect. But in this day and age, we need a bit more than a success story. We need someone we can really root for.
