Girlboss is nasty…and I love it
As any fashion girl would know, Nasty Gal was the startup fashion retailer that was ~beloved~ by everyone (well…almost everyone). I will admit, when Netflix announced that a new show would feature the story of Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso, I wasn’t that excited for it since Nasty Gal isn’t my go-to favorite fashion platform. But I had spent the past weekend bingeing Star Wars movies instead of working on the multiple papers and presentations I have due this week so I thought, what the heck, let’s keep this procrastination train going. Naturally, I watched all 13 episodes within two days (not impressive by any means, especially since the episodes are only 30 minutes each, but a Netflix binge is a Netflix binge). Besides, Dead Week is for giving up on all of your important school work anyway…or, you know, watching an entire show on Netflix and still getting everything done #GIRLBOSS.
Overall, I found Girlboss to be an exciting and fun show, truly for Millennials. But it wasn’t all sunshine and peaches. I will say that Girlboss is not for the light of heart when it comes to curse words or explicit analogies, although it did make me more creative when dealing with life’s small inconveniences. As someone who tends to imitate artifacts of pop culture (if I’ve been watching Chrisley Knows Best, I might go in and out of a heavy southern accent), I found myself filled with Sophia’s energy, marching from place to place and slamming my car door like the important #GIRLBOSS I am (*is a college student*).
Sophia’s outgoing and unapologetic demeanor in the show made me feel more aggressive in real life…or just angry. Her character was very exaggerated in many aspects. In fact, every character was pretty exaggerated. But it is set in the San Francisco of the early 2000s so it wouldn’t surprise me if there are actually people like that in real life. It’s kind of hard to believe though because a lot of Sophia’s actions would get her punched in the face in any other setting than a TV show. Plus she also had a really annoying laugh. All the shoplifting was really sketch, too, but hey, I guess a girlboss has got to do what a girlboss has got to do.
The show did seem to stick to Nasty Gal’s true story…the basics anyway. It’s not a documentary so there were definitely some artistic liberties taken with the story. Since Sophia Amoruso was a co-producer (and the author of the book it was based on that I...didn't...read...), she probably was able to talk to the scriptwriters and tell them more personal anecdotes and details, but even in the beginning of each episode, the show proclaims that it is a “real loose” telling of the story. Real loose. I believe it.
There were some cool surprises, though, like RuPaul (well, RuPaul playing Lionel) being Sophia’s sassy neighbor in her apartment building. The show was also largely produced by Charlize Theron which is like…HELLO! Definition of girlboss, automatic plus 10. I was also totally surprised by what happened in episode 12. I won’t mention specifically what happened but woah, dude. It was kind of disappointing that the final two episodes (more so episode 13) focused a lot on her relationship problems instead of her HUGE BUSINESS LAUNCHING, which really overshadowed her self-made Cinderella story. Who knows, maybe that’s what actually happened, but come on, people. The FINAL episode? Really?
Ultimately, Girlboss was a pretty bomb.com show with a totally cool soundtrack (Teenage Dirtbag, Whistle While You Work, etc. etc. etc.) and characters that are energetic and, frankly, refreshing. They might be exaggerated but they did bring out a certain *spark* in me so they’re not too bad. I’m not sure if there will be a second season or if there should be a second season. It would be totally cool, but I can see Sophia’s brashness and the exaggerated nature of the show getting real old real fast. Plus there’s the whole Nasty Gal filing for bankruptcy just months (six to be exact) before the show premiered…publicity stunt much?? JK. In my absolute expert opinion, I do think there is potential for future seasons of Girlboss, but it will be interesting to see how they keep the story going. For now, though, do what Sophia would do (if she had Netflix back in 2006) and hijack your friend’s account to watch Girlboss. It might bring out a certain *spark* in you, too.
If you need some more reasons to watch, check out the trailer below:
