After months and months of being in quarantine, by the end of July I was completely bored out of my mind, having seemingly perused through all of Hulu and Netflix. And with two and a half months until school began at UCR on October 1st (October 2nd for me), I was miserable! As if reading my mind, the official Netflix ‘Strong Black Lead Twitter’ account announced that beginning the first of August, Netflix would be bringing not one, not two, but seven black classics to the massive streaming platform, starting with Moesha (can you imagine how loud I screamed???) before rounding off with One on One on October 15th (seriously…can you hear me??!!). Don’t get me wrong, all of these shows have a special place in my heart just for the simple fact that they’re cultural gems in the black community—but I was particularly excited to re-watch Girlfriends, the UPN sitcom that sent shock-waves through Hollywood after its pilot back in 2000.
Girlfriends, created by Mara Brock Akil (who is also the creator of Girlfriends’ subsequent popular spin-off The Game), followed the friendship and lives of four best friends living in new-millennium Los Angeles. While it’s a show that’s deeply cherished now, that wasn’t always the case; although I don’t agree with earlier criticisms of the show, to a very white Hollywood, I can see why a show like this one was so controversial. Just imagine the surprise of top white Hollywood executives in the early 2000s having to suddenly compete with the rapid success of a sitcom written by a black woman about black women—showcasing black women in a different light. Black women who weren’t merely ascribing to tired racist, sexist stereotypes and were actually living fulfilling lives (*gasp*) .
With that being said, when September 11 finally rolled around, I couldn’t wait to watch Girlfriends again and delve into a world I was too young to understand back then. But now at times, it’s one I want to be a part of. So let’s get into what makes Girlfriends such a great watch, both for first-time and returning viewers alike!
Besides the fact that Girlfriends is hilarious, the other two reasons have largely to do with the characters themselves as well as how the show touched upon important social issues from its pilot all the way up until its eighth and final season in 2008.
The series follows the careers, relationships and sisterhood of four best friends—Joan, Lynn, Toni and Maya (played respectively by Tracee Ellis Ross, Persia White, Jill Marie Jones and Golden Brooks) living in Los Angeles. What makes the show so special is that everyone could see a little bit of themselves in each of the characters. Maybe you’re like Joan, the attorney-turned-restaurant owner who is the glue of the group, is outgoing but just a little bit awkward, has amazing hair and sometimes struggles with finding ‘The One’. Or maybe you’re more like artistic procrastinator, Lynn, who although brilliant, can be unmotivated professionally. Nonetheless, like Lynn, your friends know they can come to you for liberating sex & relationship advice—or at least hear a wild story about some your own adventures.
The diversity didn’t stop there, however, because Toni and Maya are arguably the most outspoken and most quotable characters! Toni is a high-end real estate agent who looks good and makes sure everyone knows it. While she may not be the most compassionate gal of the bunch, Toni always finds a way to be there for you when it counts—or comes barring expensive gifts to make up for it. And finally we have Maya, assistant-turned-author (or “authoress”as she comedically loved to mention) who was a teenage mother and now is known as the friend who’ll always tell you how it is (whether you asked or not). And although a bit sassy, Maya had a heart of gold and was the true definition of ‘ride or die’.
The show was also super special because it talked about a lot of important and taboo social issues. For example in a season three episode titled “The Pact”, the girls reunited with an old friend only to find out that she was HIV positive and would die very soon, leaving behind two children. The episode aired in support of the KNOW Campaign that aimed to spread HIV/AIDS awareness. Earlier in season two, Lynn’s white sister comes into town for a visit and stirs up controversy among the group for heavy cultural appropriation (i.e. wearing kente head wraps and dashikis, inappropriately using AAVE, and using the infamous N-word in a scene you can watch here) in the episode “Sistah Sistah”. Besides these topics, the show also featured commentary on domestic abuse, miscarriages, interracial relationships, divorce, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on low-income black communities, and military deployment amongst other things.
So whether you’re a first time viewer or returning Girlfriends lover, any and everyone can enjoy the show! Happy viewing!