After meeting in a New York City improv group, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer took their unique humor to Comedy Central with the groundbreaking show Broad City. The show not only surpasses comedic boundaries, but also rewrites and freshens the stale narrative of twenty-something girls living in Manhattan.
These broads take comedy to a whole new level, while subtly sending powerful messages to their viewers. As The Wall Street Journal puts it, Broad City illustrates ‘sneak-attack feminism.’ Each episode is a new adventure full of ups and downs for the women, but they always come out the other side a little bit stronger because of their can-do attitudes.
The antics of Abbi and Ilana are both absurd and completely relatable. Whether they are chasing a lost phone across the entire city or going out for a night on the town to celebrate a special birthday, they never disappoint.
The humor of the show, however, is not only found through clumsy mishaps. Many laughs arise from the inappropriate yet liberating views of the two girls. Vulgar language, drug use and promiscuous clothing enhances the comic effect. These ladies know how to keep the laughs coming.
Although the topics can get a bit racy, that’s part of the glory of the show—embracing what you want to do and not worrying about what others will think.
Broad City realistically portrays young girls living in a big city and how they deal with money, clothes and of course, guys. Ilana especially shows her individuality and courage through her extreme personality. She is openly bisexual and proud to embrace her desires. What makes this show so different is that the Ilana character doesn’t see the world as a prohibiting place, just as a place where she can be herself.
Yes, Broad City is an utterly hilarious show with inappropriate conduct and obscene language, but it is more than that. It shows viewers that being weird and quirky is something to embrace, especially for women. The inherent theme of universal acceptance is subtle yet powerful.