If you’re a badass feminist who feels empowered by watching women succeed in both their careers and personal lives, you NEED to be watching The Bold Type. It should be your favorite show, especially if you’re an aspiring journalist as well – like me!
Inspired by the former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief, Joanna Coles, the show centers around three best friends working at the global women’s magazine, Scarlet. Like a new version of Sex and the City, the characters grow and find themselves through drama surrounding love, sex, friendship, fashion, and work.
Because the three main characters are working women in their twenties and the setting is a women’s magazine, practically every minute of every episode has a feminist undertone. The characters are also constantly dealing with and writing about current women’s issues, such as the Me Too movement, women’s health, and gun violence.
The Bold Type hails sex-positivity too. Like Cosmopolitan, Scarlet magazine is regularly berated by not only the general public, but also their old, white-male dominated publishing company for all of their articles focused on sex. In the pilot episode, Kat, portrayed by Aisha Dee, the social media director at Scarlet defends the magazine and says, “Stealth feminism – it’s no longer about how to please your man or woman in bed, it’s how to please yourself.”
You’ll feel like a total girlboss when watching The Bold Type women work their asses off and fight for their careers. Also, Jacqueline, played by Melora Hardin (a.k.a. Jan from The Office), the editor-in-chief, is fierce in her role as the boss, but doesn’t conform to the stereotypical bitchy female boss trope. The character of Jacqueline actually motivates and gives advice to her employees rather than being mean and rude.
Throughout the current two seasons of the show (don’t worry – the cast is filming season 3 right now!), some characters battle with balancing their jobs and personal lives. Small spoiler: usually, when faced with a choice, they usually choose putting their careers before anything else. Watching women fight for their place in the working world is empowering.
The three main characters – Jane, Kat, and Sutton – barely ever get into fights. They’re constantly lifting each other up. I will always be there for women supporting other women. The world needs more wholesome, feminist content and The Bold Type gives us just that.
I personally love the show for all these reasons, but especially because it has inspired me as a writer. The first season started airing the summer before I began college when I had no idea what I wanted to do for a major, let alone a job. Although I’m still finding my path in life, The Bold Type fueled my interest in magazine writing. I watch the show and wish I was a writer for Scarlet. Hopefully someday, I will work for a similar real-life magazine.
The show also inspired me to join Her Campus! It seemed like the closest I could get for now – a collegiate online magazine promoting female empowerment.
Go start watching The Bold Type and let it inspire you to live confidently. Strive to be the bold type in every scenario.
The Bold Type is available on the Freeform website, Hulu, and Xfinity Stream. Season 3 will likely air Summer 2019.
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