Feminism, love and friendship at the 99 (with maybe a musical or two)
This next post is more about one of my great loves, which is TV, specifically sitcoms and in particular, my very favourite show ‘Brooklyn Nine Nine’(2013-), especially as there’s now the conflicting feelings of joy and excitement about the new season coming later this year combined with the sadness of knowing it’s the final one. Therefore, it’s not so much about musicals, even if Charles from ‘B99’ loves musicals. It’s my favourite show for so many reasons as there’s so much to love about it and I wanted to try and think about why it’s so great, well-written and progressive with a fantastic cast, as well as being a super smart, hilarious show that has so much heart, doesn't rely on lazy clichés or stereotypes and has some of the kindest, loveliest cast members and fans ever.
Firstly, I love seeing super strong, badass women like the show’s female protagonists*, Amy Santiago (played by Melissa Fumero) and Rosa Diaz (played by Stephanie Beatriz), as they’re awesome role models, but it’s amazing that they’re fleshed out characters who show different sides to themselves, including a more relatable side about overcoming challenges. This is probably because I don’t often feel like there is anything that I can do or am good at or that I’ll ever have confidence, which could be related to the complicated feelings about my health condition, as well as being the biggest overthinker who always reads into things. This means that I feel even more useless or helpless when Rosa and Amy are good at everything or effortlessly thrive and succeed whenever they try anything. However, if they’re allowed to show a sensitive or slightly vulnerable side or any insecurities, it helps me deal with my own extreme self-doubt and feelings of failure and makes me feel that it’s ok if I make mistakes (so much so that it would have been nice to see some more vulnerable scenes with them but I understand why they didn't go for that approach as much.) It also helps if the writers don’t just put stereotypically ‘masculine’ traits onto the women to call them ‘tough’ but instead let them be complex characters who are super strong because of their more ‘traditionally’ feminine traits as I often feel that because I’m little and like ‘pretty’ things, I’ll never be taken seriously.
Even if Amy and Rosa, or the Sleuth Sisters as they call themselves, don’t always see eye to eye, there are SO many amazing things about their friendship, as despite their seemingly contrasting personalities, they constantly support and uplift each other rather than being pitted against each other as rivals in a love triangle or at work, which puts them right up there with Cece and Jess (‘New Girl’) as one of TV’s best female friendships, especially as Rosa and Amy get more respect and agency from the writers and other characters than Cece and Jess get in their show and than female characters get in sitcoms in general. It’s also fantastic that Amy and Rosa are not pressured to change or give up who they are for a guy or for any other reason, as even if they tease Amy a bit, the squad love that she’s smart and organised, especially her husband Jake who loves that she’s such a strong, independent woman. 😊 Jake also never makes Amy feel that she has to let loose or be less intense or less Type A, as he loves everything about her and loves her for these qualities, not in spite of them. However, while Amy seeks approval and loves binders, grammar and following rules, at times she’s a badass and can definitely handle herself. Rosa, on the other hand is scary, tough and mysterious and gradually starts confiding in the squad not because she’s pushed or pressured but because she trusts them and they always offer her amazing support and remind her that she’s not alone, which is especially evident with the consistent incredible support and friendship that Jake shows her. (seriously, it’s so heart-warming.) The show then explores how huge it is when Rosa opens up and comes out as bisexual in season five, as she’s always been so private. This kind of bisexual representation is so important and welcome and it's especially brilliant that Stephanie Beatriz is bisexual in real life.
Something else that’s brilliant about Amy and Rosa is that they’re both Latina and portrayed by super talented Latina actresses but are never subjected to the ‘spicy latina’ trope or the stereotype/trope of sexualising Latina women. In fact, ‘B99’ is one of the only TV shows to ever feature two Latina protagonists who aren’t related. It’s also amazing to see that Rosa and Amy and their actresses are so loved by the fanbase, as people celebrate their beauty and success rather than resenting them for it.
While the show is wonderfully feminist, the male leads are also well-developed, fleshed out characters and respectful feminists, especially Jake. One of the leading men is Terry Jeffords (played by Terry Crews), who is an extremely strong, athletic guy who’s never subjected to the incredibly harmful ‘angry black man’ trope and is a kind, smart, sensitive boss and husband. He also often shows his vulnerable side but is never judged for this and is a loving, dedicated father to his daughters and never complains about not having a son or says he wishes he’d had boys. Their captain is Ray Holt (played by Andre Braugher), who’s an incredible character, as he’d faced challenges and adversity before coming to the 99 for being a black, openly gay officer and despite being extremely serious, loyal and wise, he’s always up for a laugh and can be hilariously petty at times and is open to learning and growing despite being the one in charge. It’s also important to note that the fact that he’s gay doesn’t mean he’s the butt of the joke as he’s not turned into an offensive, lazy cliché or stereotype of an effeminate gay man. Even if you cry less than the famously unemotional Rosa, it’s hard not to tear up when Holt hugs her and tells her that things will get better, even if her parents haven’t fully accepted her sexuality yet. What’s wonderful about Rosa and Holt is that while they’re open and proud about being LGBTQ +, their sexuality doesn’t define them and not all the plots and humour relating to them are about their sexuality. In fact, on many occasions, ‘B99’ deals with serious issues, such as sexism and racism in a meaningful, respectful way that still entertains and feels like the show but doesn’t trivialise or take away from the important messages and progressive ideas about LGBTQ + issues, race and equality.
Brooklyn’s resident musicals fan, Charles Boyle (played by Joe Lo Truglio), is up next and he’s straight but there aren’t any outdated jokes that try to imply that he’s gay or ‘not traditionally masculine’ enough because he expresses emotions and loves musicals and cooking. This is interesting to compare to ‘The Big Bang Theory’, which unlike the more progressive, feminist ‘BB9’, had so little regard for the feelings, arcs, hopes and dreams of the female characters and what they wanted and had way too much for what the sexist male characters wanted and relied on stereotypes and sexist, homophobic, racist and fatphobic 'jokes'. For instance, ‘TBBT’ had countless jokes that have dated poorly where the other asshole male leads tried to suggest they thought there was something ‘wrong’ with Raj or said he ‘wasn’t manly enough’ because he liked romcoms and was very affectionate with his dog**. Another good thing about Charles is how he subverts the ‘nice guy’ trope, which is the idea that's commonly been portrayed in films and TV that if a guy continually asks out his crush with no respect for their boundaries or wishes and claims he won’t take no for an answer, then that means that they’re 'meant to be together'. ‘B99’ subverts this with Charles and Rosa, as in season one, Charles has a crush on Rosa and repeatedly asks her out, even when she says she doesn’t feel the same way. Then, where a lesser show might have gone for the uncomfortable, tried and tested route of ‘wearing her down’ or making them a couple, ‘B99’ did something amazing as Charles apologises to Rosa because he’s a genuinely good guy and 'B99' prioritises the perspective of the female characters and what they want and puts them first, which is so awesome and unfortunately pretty rare for sitcoms. Rosa and Charles then have a mutually respectful, super supportive friendship, despite being polar opposites and I literally can’t overstate how brilliant and wonderful that is. It’s also significant that despite being a humorous character, Charles is a valuable member of the squad rather than being solely the butt of the joke.
We then come to one of the greatest male characters ever, Jake Peralta, who also happens to be the one of the best sitcom protagonists there’s ever been. Even if he is perhaps considered the lead, things almost never work out for Jake and all the characters are important, as there are so many things that make all the leads, including Cheddar the dog, so amazing. For instance, Jake’s kind, sweet, thoughtful, goofy but dedicated and demonstrates the perfect way to be a supportive ally to everyone, as he stands up for LGBTQ + rights and cares about his friends so you really root for him. There are so many great things about him and the fact that he’s played by the one of the sweetest men alive, Andy Samberg, doesn’t hurt either. A lesser actor or show might have presented him as an annoying man-child or an arrogant slacker, but Jake is the furthest thing from a douche and never once demonstrates any jerk tendencies as he’s sweet and adorable, while being good at his job, a caring, loyal friend and the world’s greatest husband and dad, just like Andy.😊 He’s also super forgiving, as some members of the normally kind-hearted squad do some pretty cruel things to him in their annual heists and sometimes hurt him. In later seasons, he also reconnects with his Dad, Roger, who abandoned him as a kid, all because he inspired Roger to be a better Dad with his kind, caring heart. The fact that he grew up without the big happy family that he deserved and without any good male role models makes his thoughtfulness and decency even more amazing. Sitcom men with absent fathers typically use it an as excuse to be womanizers or avoid taking responsibility when they're a jerk and manipulate people to get what they want, but Jake is genuinely progressive and respectful and isn’t someone who’s only nice to look good or get something in return and now that he’s a Dad, it’s super heart-warming to see him break the cycle of bad fathers in his family. 😊 He’s also probably the most feminist and decent male character of all time and consistently supports Amy, his best friend, Charles and Holt, who’s a better father to him than Roger ever was. He also uplifts and encourages ALL his friends and loved ones to achieve their dreams and despite being seen as careless or immature, he consistently does the right thing to make someone else happy rather than doing what he might want to do. His friendships with Rosa and Gina, the civilian administrator, are also super cool, as he has mutually respectful friendships with both of them and it’s great to see platonic friendships between men and women on TV without any flirting or romantic tension.
Jake and Amy’s relationship is definitely one of my favourite things about the show, as they’re one of the healthiest and most wholesome and loving TV couples out there. This isn’t a big surprise, though, as the show was created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, who’ve given us the healthiest and cutest couples on TV, including Holt & Kevin from ‘B99’ and April & Andy and Leslie & Ben from ‘Parks and Rec’. They’ve also created so many wonderfully healthy friendships including Ann and Leslie (P & R) and some of the kindest characters on TV, as Ben from ‘Parks and Rec’ is up there with Jake as being one of the best TV boyfriends ever. The fact that Jake and Amy are an interracial couple is fantastic too and even the way they got together was respectful and heart-warming, as although Jake had a big crush on Amy while she was with boring, selfish Teddy, he didn’t try and break them up or sabotage their relationship, like so many other male sitcom leads might have done. In fact, Teddy annoyingly tried to break Jake and Amy up once they were together. Adversely, Jake respected that she was with someone and never pressured her or made her feel that she owed him anything and he was supportive of her dating life before they got together. Equally, even though Jake liked Amy when he dated Sophia in series two, he didn’t just forget about Sophia or cast her aside and treat her as just a ‘transitional’ person on the way to dating Amy. Jake and Amy’s chemistry has always been incredible too, as friends and as a couple and once they’re together, they have so many moments that prove how much they love each other, from Jake being the world’s most supportive boyfriend when Amy’s promoted to a higher rank and making sure that their last case together is her dream, ideal case, Amy promising to wait for him when he’s wrongfully sent to prison and them saying ‘I love you so much’ to each other. There are so many other adorable moments they share, such as Jake reading Amy’s favourite books, saying he’d happily marry her anywhere and moving in with her to make her happy. What’s so heart-warming about them is that although they’re competitive, it doesn’t get in the way of their love and commitment to each other and they even let the other win competitions, as although they both like winning, the main thing they care about is being together and making the love of their life happy. Similarly, they’re both very invested in their jobs but this doesn’t cause problems in their relationship, as they always make time to show the other how much they love them, as Jake is Amy’s biggest cheerleader and always believes in her and has her back. He’s also fine with Amy being smarter than him and said he didn’t mind getting demoted as long as he's with her and Amy defends him when Holt disrespects him on their honeymoon and reassures him that he is smart and that she didn’t want him to give up his dream job when the Vulture tried to break them up. They often laugh and joke around together but their romantic, emotional moments are always super moving. For instance, I don’t know how anyone could hold back tears when watching their proposal, their wedding, the PERFECT scene when Amy joyfully tells him she’s pregnant or the adorable scene when they welcomed their precious baby and the beautiful speech where Jake reassures her that they’re a family even if they can’t conceive, which as well as being a lovely message about how there’s more than one kind of family, it’s also incredibly sweet as all he’d ever wanted was a big family but he loves Amy so much that she’s enough for him, even though at that point, all they want is a baby. It’s also even more romantic when you know the reason why Jake always looks so in love with Amy. It’s actually because Andy thinks about his wife, the musician, Joanna Newsom, and how much he adores her, meaning his lovely heart eyes for Amy are because of his very real, pure love for Joanna. It’s so sweet to know that Andy loves Joanna as much as Jake loves Amy and that’s really saying something as there’s nothing Jake wouldn’t do for Amy and he keeps loving her SO much with all of his huge heart even when she hurts him (heists, baby debate, being shot and physically hurt etc).
*Holt’s hilarious and perceptive assistant, Gina (portrayed by the great Chelsea Peretti) was part of the main cast until she left the show in season 6.
** If you’re interested in learning more about the sexism in ‘TBBT’, I recommend Cheyenne Lin's 'The Women of Big Bang Theory' and 'Penny deserved better' videos and the Pop Culture Detective’s ‘Adorkable Misogyny’ and ‘Complicity of Geek Masculinity’ videos on YouTube.
Comments
Post a Comment