Kimmy, Jessica, and the women from Grey’s Anatomy
Television has consistently changed throughout the years and on the daily basis, especially today in 2016. This trimester in my Television Studies course, we discussed and explored in how television changed throughout the years has progressed. For homework, were assigned to watch a few modern television series that were only available on Netflix. Those shows were The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Jessica Jones. Both shows demonstrated different forms of trauma in two women’s lives who’s lifestyles were totally opposite.Â
I’m not going to lie, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was such a hard show for me to actually get into. At first I thought, “What the hell is my professor making me watch?”. After getting through a few episodes I started to get really interested and I was stuck on this show. It may seem really stupid at first but it is worth the watch. Throughout the first few episodes, it is obvious that Kimmy is having a hard time trying to fit in and get the grasp of living and acting like an adult in New York City. “For such a deliberately cartoonish show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has a remarkable grasp on its central character’s buried traumas and the ever-widening gulf between New York City’s moneyed class and the victims of their wave of gentrification.” (Sims, 2016). Though Kimmy has been through a lot because of her past of being trapped in the bunker, she is a very independent woman and is determined to get back the life she lost and to continue to grow as a woman. “The show doesn’t address sexual violence head on; it’s possible to watch without dwelling on the details. But Kimmy’s ugly history comes through, in inference and in sly, unsettling jokes about trauma, jagged bits that puncture what is a colorful fish-out-of-water comedy.” (Nussbaum 2015) Again, Kimmy has been through a lot and some of the things that she goes through on her own in New York City remind her of what her life was like before she was rescued from the bunker. Some of the things that she goes through make her remember what it was like being in the bunker and it scares her. Many of those moments that make her remember, you can say they are her PTSD moments.Â
Jessica Jones, another great show that is on Netflix and one of the shows I had to watch for my Television Studies class. When I first saw this show, I saw that is was made by Marvel, so I immediately thought about superheroes. Superheroes with capes and tights. But with this show, that is not the case, it is the complete opposite. To me, Jessica Jones is a very dark show that is not afraid to actually show what happened. It was hard for me to continue watching this whole series, I even had nightmares because the show is so dark. But don’t get me wrong, Jessica Jones is a really great show and it shows another way in how women can be independent and that they do not need a man to take care of them or do anything else for them. One of the things that I noticed about this show and that somewhat bothered me and I guess my classmates too was that Jessica Jones always wore the same damn outfit in every single episode. Even though she wore the same thing, she sure did kick some ass and showed that women are also strong as men. Just by watching the credits of the show for the intro, you can automatically notice that this show also shows some sort of trauma that Jessica went through before she got to where she is today.Â
Just like Kimmy, Jessica also seems to suffer from several PTSD moments while she’s going on with her day. After being captive by Killgrave and being able to escape, she tends to hear his voice in her head as she is either walking through New York City or helping on one of her cases. “something a little bit different, something more edgy and not just a rehash of the gritty opener, and Jessica Jones fit the bill in the way perhaps no other comic book hero could.” (Goss, 2015). Jessica Jones is such a unique hero. But just like all the others, she also has a life to live and a job that helps pay for the bills. Even though Jessica Jones has been through a lot, it does not stop her from wanting to help others and but the bad people where they belong. This show shows another way in how women can be strong and independent on their own.Â
So how does this all tie down or compare to Grey’s Anatomy? “ABC's Grey's Anatomy has always put its spotlight on strong and driven women...” (Goldberg, 2015) Just like Kimmy and Jessica, the women from Grey’s Anatomy also have their own story and somewhat suffer from their memories of what they’ve been through. “The women of Grey's never shy away from challenging situations - in fact it's what fuels their passion. They aren't just good at what they do, but they are fiercely ambitious and never let anything or anyone jeopardize their climb to the top.” (Goldberg, 2015) These shows help show that women can also go through a lot yet they still have their life together and also be able to help others. It amazes me that shows today are slowly showing how strong a woman can be and be able to take the lead and lead others. As days go by, women are proving the statistics of being fragile and weak, are wrong and that they too can be as strong as a man.Â
