Molly Mahoney ’18
To be 20-something and living in downtown San Francisco circa 2006 is every indie-rocker girl’s dream, and the protagonist of Netflix Original “Girlboss” is living it. The show is a “real loose” account of the real life of Sophia Amoroso, the founder of popular retailer store Nasty Gal. It follows the young woman on her journey from scatterbrained and lost to a walking success story.
Amoroso plays her edgy music too loud and struts through her life in pumps. She shoplifts. She refuses to silence herself in the presence of authority. She curses unapologetically. She dances wildly at concerts and thrift shops in second hand shops. Overflowing with angst and spunk, Sophia Amoroso is a textbook example of the term “perfectly imperfect”. What’s not to love?
Sure, it’s an easy watch. And yeah, it’s nice to unwind from a stressful day by watching the next episode of season one, the first and only season available so far on Netflix.
But “Girlboss” isn’t just some mindless television show without any real substance. Because the plot is based on the life of a bold and brilliant entrepreneur, the show weaves themes of empowerment, fearlessness and hope for viewers, particularly female viewers everywhere.
Simultaneously, Amoroso’s story evidences that it’s okay, and sometimes necessary, to accept the help of others.
In the first episode of “Girlboss,” Amoroso gets fired from her job as a shoe saleswoman without any plan for her future. In her aimless time unemployed, Amoroso stumbles upon a passion for designing and selling vintage clothes on Ebay. But when she finds herself in territory she doesn’t recognize, Amoroso gets kicked off the site permanently. To tie off season one– SPOILER ALERT– Amoroso fights on, launching her own website just for Nasty Gal.
Interspersed with storylines which follow Amoroso’s various relationships with her best friend, distant parents and her significant other, “Girlboss” manages to encompass what seems to be every facet of Amoroso’s life ten years ago. I, and my fellow anxious viewers, can’t wait to see what season two brings.
Photo Credit:
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