The Amazon Prime Original takes place in the late 1950’s where you are introduced to and immediately fall in love with Mrs. Maisel. The wife of a Jewish businessman, Miriam, (or “Midge,” as her friends call her) was raised like most girls in the 50’s and perhaps a lot of women with traditional upbringings today. She’s fiercely herself, and well read as she was a Russian literature major in college. However, now she is a devoted mother and wife. Always smiling, always dressed well, and basically the Mary Poppins of housewives.
But everything changes when her husband, Joel, confesses his affair with his secretary Penny Pan. Who was introduced as a young yet plain ditz who can’t sharpen pencils correctly. This tips Midge over the edge and she frees herself to a much needed night on the town where she drunkenly inserts herself to a stand up comedy stage. And well, she’s iconic.
Miss Masiel is important because she very aggressively questions society. She’s an activist, a mother, a wife, a feminist. In the 1950’s a time when all women were supposed to be is pretty, Miss Masiel is forceful, driven and at times crude. Midge taught me a very important lesson. Men who are trash are going to stay trash regardless of how marvelous you are.
To juxtapose in today’s society, Midge isn’t much different. She, like many women is having trouble finding their voice in a world that has always preferred her as silent. However, she is authentically and unapologetically herself asking questions that need to be asked and demanding answers. I think we should all challenge ourselves to be like Midge and do the things that scare us in order to change us.