Women’s sexuality has always been simultaneously taboo and over exploited. The TV show, Broad City, starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, not only breaks all the barriers that television has put in place for women (regarding comedy, writing, sexuality and more) but also makes women’s sexuality something that is comfortable to talk and, more importantly, laugh about.
Throughout the two (and now beginning of the third) seasons, there have been many jokes and conversations about sex and sexual experiences between Abbi and Ilana and other leading characters that are often not discussed on television. For example, Abbi pees out a condom and tries pegging while Ilana has sexual experiences with both men and women, showing that sexuality and sexual preference is fluid.
During one episode from season 2, Ilana has a sexual encounter with a woman who looks just like her and has very similar personality traits to her. In the middle of the scene, she suddenly stops, realizing that the main reason she is attracted to and intrigued by this woman is because she looks just like her. She then proceeds to tell her that she does not want to continue this because she wants to have partners who are different shapes, colors and sizes than her. This instantaneous comedic and thought provoking take on sexuality and the sexual experiences that women have during their 20’s in the 21st century has never been shown in such raw and realistic fashion on broadcast television.
In a way,the stars of Broad City make you feel both uncomfortable with the over-explicitness of their content but also that you are not alone in any experiences you may have had because they have experienced them too. They are able to represent many different points of views that make the show very relatable for a wide variety of audiences. Watching Broad City is not only a hilariously fun experience, but one that takes away the stigma that comes with women’s sexuality and their freedom to do what they want with their own body.
