After five fabulous years of Broad City, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson are sadly peacing out but not before they deliver us one last epic adventure.
In case you’ve never heard the sweet sound of Ilana chanting “yas queen,” Broad City is a show about two best mates living in New York City.
Ilana and Abbi (played by the aforementioned actresses) are two v. relatable gals who experience the highs and lows of your 20s from bad dates to career fuck ups and show us how having a mate by your side can get you through it.
With every single ep now on Stan, here are six life lessons you’ll pick up from the show after an epic binge of the qweens of comedy.
1. You don’t need a relationship to be happy
While most shows about 20-somethings feature characters desperately pining for love, Broad City bucks that trend with two gals living their best lives as single women.
I mean sure, the girls experience the pleasure and pitfalls of casual dating but you certainly wouldn’t say their lives revolve around finding a relationship.
Ultimately the show teaches us that the most important relationship you can have is with yourself (and also your bestie, but we’ll get to that).
2. Take your pleasure seriously
Another antiquated notion that is consistently tossed out in the series is the idea that sex is all about pleasing men.
The girls have a much more empowered attitude towards sex which is pretty damn admirable.
Nothing is off limits to these two as they freely discuss everything from masturbation to anal sex which makes for some damn good entertainment but also promotes a healthy attitude towards sex.
3. Always back your mates
Ilana and Abbi are two girls in the same stage of life which typically brings with it a certain amount of jealousy and competitiveness but not in this case.
The girls consistently back each other and are there to help the other succeed.
You’ll notice throughout the series that Abbi is the more insecure of the two, which is why Ilana, a confident qween, is always showering her with compliments to lift her up.
Ilana offers everything from dating advice to simple compliments like telling her she has the “ass of an angel,” and “chocolate brown eyes.”
It’s a reminder to always be supportive of your mates and celebrate their successes as if they were your own.
4. Not everything goes according to plan and that’s totally OK
What I’ve always loved about Broad City is that it doesn’t present a glamourised image of what your 20s should look like.
Many episodes start out with the girls making some kind of exciting plan only to have it shot to shit which is often hilarious but there’s also a powerful message there.
Take, for example, the ep where Abbi has a super fancy dinner to celebrate her birthday which is spoiled when Ilana has an allergic reaction to seafood and she has to literally carry her ill friend out of the restaurant.
Cut to the two girls cuddled up in each other’s arms in a hospital bed, laughing for hours and discussing their personal bucket lists.
It’s a reminder that sometimes things have to go wrong so something even better can come along.
5. How to handle misogyny
As well as being epic entertainment and nonstop laughs, Broad City is also an excellent guide to feminism as both girls are strong, independent women who refuse to take crap from men.
You’ll pick up many powerful feminist lessons from the show but one of my favourites is the girls’ response when some bozo on the street says to them, “You girls are so pretty, you should smile.”
I implore you to use the above response the next time someone says this to you.
They should legit play this show in schools to teach girls how to handle misogyny and teach boys to respect girls, FFS.
6. Friends are the family we choose
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the series is the fact that we’d be absolutely wrecked without our mates.
No matter what drama the girls go through, whether it’s a dating disaster, a work qualm or even, say, a really shitty house mate and her good for nothing boyfriend, they always get through it thanks to their other half.
Broad City has reminded me of the importance of having an Ilana to your Abi to help you get through whatever crap life throws at you.
In conclusion, my chosen family and I will miss these two dearly <3.
