New Girl
“I Am Not A Successful Adult. I Don’t Eat Vegetables And/Or Take Care Of Myself.” If that sounds relatable to you, trust me you’d like this show called New Girl. The TV comedy series, available on Netflix, began airing in 2011–2018. Starring Zooey Deschanel, the show centers around a heartbroken teacher named Jessica Day who begins rooming with three young guys. Although the guys find Jess’s eccentric personality, they grow to love and support her as a family. The show grabs your attention with the lovable main character, Jess. She’s sweet, funky and a little bit weird. We’re also immediately drawn to the other main characters who are likable and quirky in their own ways. Why are we so attracted to these characters and their stories? This concept from Media Literacy is one that I’ll be discussing today in my analysis of New Girl.
Nick, one of the three roommates, is grounded and smart, with a stoic exterior and an emotional interior. An aspiring writer who previously attended law school, somewhere along the way Nick loses motivation and becomes a bartender. Nick often uses his sense of humor to deflect his true emotions. Schmidt is a young business and ladies man. He is both femine and masculine, obsessing over the finer things in life but also having a strong god complex. Although he can sometimes choose the path to make him feel most accepted, his heart is often in the right place. The third roommate was at first a guy they call Coach, but after the first episode they exchange this character for the better suited Winston who is a confident and grounded, sensitive guy. He’s more than comfortable being on his own, but is loyal to his friends. Finally, there’s an additional character, Cece who is Jess’s best friend. Cece is like Jess’s protector. She has the street smarts that Jess lacks, and often looks like life with a sense of pessimism. Although she can be cynical at times, Cece is fiercely loyal.
When I first saw New Girl, I was immediately drawn to it because of how much I related to Jess. I don’t think my personality is like her very much, but she’s so herself that it makes you feel comfortable relating to her. It’s refreshing to see a female character with so much depth and humility rather than a sexualized version of a female seen through the male gaze. Zooey is obviously a beautiful woman, but her looks are not the center of attention in this show. I also think that the male characters in the show are portrayed in a way that is very non threatening. They’re men seen through the female gaze. They’re not overly masculine and being in touch with their feminene side is what makes them relatable to women, the primary audience of New Girl. Although I don’t know many men who just picked up New Girl, every man who has been introduced to it seems to find it unintentionally hilarious. I think that because the men in the show are written with depth, rather than just being hunky alpha guys, they are able to relate to and feel comfortable with the characters.
I don’t think cultural context is incredibly important in this show, because there isn’t a ton of depth within the meaning of the show. The characters do have a lot of depth which is why this comedy is so successful. The storylines are quite engaging as well. We watched a video from BBC Ideas called How Stories Shape Our Minds. This video taught us that stories fully immerse us in what we’re reading and can make us feel like the things that happen to the characters are happening to us; and, when we connect with characters we form parasocial relationships.
This is a great explanation as to why I (and other audiences) are so drawn to New Girl. With the characters that feel relatable, the New Girl fandom constantly grows. A fandom is a social community of people who enjoy a particular type of media. The element of emotional truth is another reason that New Girl is so appealing. Emotional truth is why fictional stories feel more real than non fiction.
The main ideas to keep in mind about New Girl is that unlike a typical comedy show, New Girl is elevated with dimensional characters that tell an emotionally investing and relatable story. I definitely recommend watching this show if you enjoy lighthearted comedies. I would say it’s similar to Parks and Rec if you’re into that, although it’s not set up like a documentary. This is a valuable media work because of its ability to cause parasocial relationships with the audience and engage viewers through storytelling.
Sources:
“New Girl Synopsis.” New Girl Synopsis, TV Summary and Spoiler, https://www.aceshowbiz.com/tv/new_girl/summary.html.
