Sex Lives of College Girls
Production companies: 3 Arts Entertainment, Kaling International, Warner Bros. Television.
Where to watch: HBOMax. Subscription required.
First aired: 2021.
Seasons: 2 seasons out onHBOMax now, renewed for a 3rd season.
Genre: Comedy.
Rating: TV-MA. Sex, swearing, more sex, some drug and alcohol use, even more sex.
Trailer: The only thing worse than taking a risk and failing is never taking the risk at all. These four 18-year-old dormmates are ready to risk it all to find out who they are, what they want and then get it.
Check out this song that plays in the first episode of the show. It's like a mix between old-school and new age trap.
Who knew that the powers-that-be in college dorms don't actually care if you like your roommates? These girls certainly didn't. Kimberly Finkle (Pauline Chalamet, yes Timothy Chalamet's sister!) is about as white as a piece of paper, but, hey, that's not her fault! She is coming straight out of Gilbert, Arizona, a predominantly white and also totally lame town. She really wants to be woke and informed, that's just not where she is yet. She's more in her mispronouncing-quinoa-staring-at-People-of-Color phase but she is trying to get out of it. Whitney Chase (Alyah Chanelle Scott) is almost like the stark opposite of Kimberly. Whitney is a powerful Black woman and accomplished soccer player who just so happens to be the daughter of a congressman. When she's not tearing up the field she is tearing up the sheets with her older boyfriend (who might be her coach......and also might not be completely single but whatever, right?). The third member of the house is Bela Malhotra (Amrit Kaur), an Indian-American comedy writer who cannot wait to be as experienced as Whitney. The only thing she wants more than a spot on the comedy newspaper team, is a spot in bed next to a hottie! Finally, there is Leighton Murray (Reneé Rapp) , who is practically a living, breathing Barbie as far as everyone can tell. She has a lot of bouncy blonde hair, a lot of privilege, a lot of attitude, and a lot of secrets. Leighton isn't exactly what meets the eye. For example, she might not be as straight as she has fought to make it seem. Despite their differences these young ladies all have common goals: 1) get through college and 2) get laid.
When we meet this dynamic team they are being forced into proximity by an unexpected dorm room mix-up. Though they didn't plan on all living together, they quickly find that each of them has something to teach and learn from the group. The story follows each woman as she navigates difficult college courses, planning for the future, their own trauma and neurosis, and the added drama of dating....or at least hooking up. Though each woman is in her own little world on campus they are bonded by their shared space and budding friendships.
Created by: The Sex Lives of College Girls was conceptualized by comedy writers Mindy Kaling and Justin Nobel (Sex lives of college girls, 2021). Kaling is a spectacular Indian-American comedian known for her work as an actor on The Office, and as a writer of The Mindy Project and Never Have I Ever (Mindy Kaling, IMDb, n.d). Justin Noble is known for his work on Never Have I Ever and another comedy show called Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Justin Noble, n.d).
Analysis: Mindy Kaling wins at everything all the time and this show is a great example of that. With the
perfect balance of funny and poignant, this YA dramedy articulates an authentic portrayal of womanhood in the 2020s. The production value for this show seems to be very high. The settings all seem legitimate, and there is an overall East-Coast-Ivy-League sort of vibe despite some of the show being shot in Los Angeles (The sex lives of college girls, 2021, IMDb). Costuming is vibrant but realistic with many of the pieces coming from accessible retailers like Zara and Forever 21 (Worn on TV, n.d) I continue to appreciate the casting of this show. The teenagers are played by age-appropriate actors which adds a sense of realism to the program.
The representation provided by this show is phenomenal. So many different types of people coming from different backgrounds with different goals for the future are portrayed. The best part about the representation is how natural it feels. Some shows make the mistake of placing too much focus on the unique identities of the characters. For example, a gay character in this story has plot points outside of their sexuality. They are fully realized, well-rounded characters instead of tokens for their unique identities. I found this program to be captivating and moving, especially the way that it empowers young women. For far too long women's sexualities have been policed and judged by patriarchal bodies. Shows like this are significant steps towards unpacking sexist ideals that have oppressed women and their sexualities.
In the Library: There are so many fun things that you could do with this program because of the many different storylines and characters presented. Based on Bela, I might prompt teens to create a Zine or pamphlet that humorously explores their own experience. The zines could be printed and made available in the YA section for a limited time. I could also see this show being used in a sexual health program. A sexual health professional could come in to talk about how to have safe sex, consent, bodily functions, and other sexuality related topics.
Reason for Inclusion: I wanted to include something a little daring in this collection and this show masterfully toes the line between relevant and raunchy. I think parents/guardians might cringe a little bit, but that cringing might make it appeal to teens even more (ever the rebellious crowd, aren't they?). Furthermore, I feel like this show is empowering for young people of all genders and sexualities.
Sources:
Justin Noble. (n.d). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5314287/
Mindy Kaling. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411676/
The sex lives of college girls. (2021, November 18). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11212276/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The sex lives of college girls. (n.d). Worn On Tv. https://wornontv.net/the-sex-lives-of-college-girls/
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