For anyone who has been on Netflix recently, the new television show Ginny and Georgia has been all the rage. It was brought to Netflix on February 24, 2021, and ever since, fans have been dying for a second season.
The show centers around the relationship between a mother named Georgia, and her daughter Ginny. According to Marie Claire Magazine, it goes beyond showing the relationship between Ginny and Georgia, and goes deeper into issues surrounding, “the title characters cycle between love interests, varying degrees of deception, new friendships, a mayoral election, and criminal activity.” Marie Claire also described the show as “half thriller, half coming of age story, with little sprinkles of comedy in between serious moments. It’s a grab bag, and there’s truly something for everyone in this addicting new show.” This is why the show has become so popular, as it truly does have something for everyone.
The show has also received much criticism. This criticism stems from the fact that in the final episode of the first season, the character, Ginny, makes a sexist comment to her mother, Georgia. The joke revolves around pop icon, Taylor Swift. Ginny and Georgia are arguing about Ginny’s romantic relationships. Ginny snaps at her mother, “what do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.” Taylor Swift clapped back on Instagram saying, “hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back.”
From the early 2000s to now, Taylor Swift has been constantly ridiculed and put down for the fact that she has had various boyfriends throughout her formative years, of whom she has written songs about after their relationship ended. This unfair scrutiny over the years comes from the deeply rooted sexism that has existed for centuries and continues to prevail today. She has been made to feel wrong for her dating history while men, such as John Mayer, who have also had a very active dating record and have written music in regards to it, have been praised. This shows how sexism has continued to prevail within society, despite all of the progress that has been made in achieving equality for women. This also shows how important it is for all individuals, especially women, to point out the micro-aggressive instances, such as this comment, in which sexism occurs.
Many have come back at Taylor Swift, saying that she has taken the joke to an extreme. However, this “joke,” is an example of how sexism is still deeply rooted within society. PopSugar commented on the situation saying, “the ‘take a joke’ mentality simply minimizes the irrevocable damage the sexist attitude is causing.” From the joke itself and those who deny the severity of it, it is clear that we as a society have much more to do in fighting against the underlying sexism that exists. It is disappointing to say that neither Netflix nor any of the cast members of Ginny and Georgia have said anything regarding the situation. It is hopeful that season two will be more conscious of any jokes that are made.