#janay

betty - the key party

I honestly have not been talking enough about Betty on HBO considering how much I enjoy the show. So, let’s talk about it!

After watching this past episode (s2ep4), I’ve come to realize that each of the five girls is representing a specific theme that is explored through their character arc. Spoilers ahead!

Trigger Warning: Sexual assault, rape

Last season, when Janay found out that her bestfriend/ex-bf, Donald, had been accused of sexual assualt, we saw her go on a mission to track down the accuser, Celia, and prove Donald’s innocence. Though after talking with Celia, Janay realizes that she is telling the truth because Donald had done the same thing to Janay when they dated. Through Janay’s story arc we see themes of consent, confronting suppressed trauma, and healing explored.

What struck me in s2ep4, is that Janay has now been seeing a new guy, Sylvester, a.k.a “King of Consent.” Any time they’ve engaged in physical intimacy so far, he’s asked for Janay’s permission before making his next move. Literally. Every. next. move. And we saw Janay get a little turned off by it this episode. Understandably, since some questions can kill the mood a bit. (“Can I touch your (right) boob?” “Yeah.” “Can I touch that (left) boob?” 😂😂😂)

But at the same time, I thought that, considering what happened last season, Sylvester’s approach would be a refreshing change. I think it goes to show the complexities and nuances that exist when engaging in physical intimacy and consent. Everyone has had different experiences with sex and hook ups, and what’s considered normal for one person may be too far for someone else. I love that when Janay said, “just take me,” Sylvester’s response “wait, what do you mean by take?” It’s a great question because that phrase can mean three different things to three different people so clarity is important. I’m so interested to see how this will develop in the final two episodes and I think Betty’s writers are doing a wonderful job with issue.

They’re doing a great job with each girl tbh. Indigo’s search for financial independence/ freedom while keeping her dignity. Honeybear’s struggles with her shyness and how it affected her pursuit of a romantic relationship in season one, and now her ability to set boundaries in her relationship in season two. Camille’s desire to be respected and taken seriously as a girl in the skateboarding community. Kirt’s mission to “help the matriarchy.” It’s nuanced, it’s subtle, and its fun and entertaining to watch because you want to root for all these girls.

1. first things first, the lgbt and poc representation is outstanding but i’m not gonna be going into that because a) we’d be here all day and b) i know other people have talked about it way better than i ever could and although i am lgbt, i am not poc therefore i cannot voice how important representation is as well as someone who is poc and has felt first-hand what having and not having representation can do for a person since i have always had people that look like me in film.

2. the acting

before we even get into anything relating to the story let’s discuss the acting and how fucking real it is. i’m not entirely sure on what age the characters are supposed to be but i think it’s around my own age and you can see it in their mannerisms, their vocabulary, and the way they speak to each other. they’re not throwing around “on fleek” and “yass queen” like how a lot of young characters are portrayed CAUSE THATS NOT HOW WE TALK. they talk about the randomest shit and laugh at stupid things but also aren’t afraid to have deep conversations and will stick up for someone they just met. most if not all of these actresses are fairly new yet their acting isn’t forced at all it looks real and not overdone but they can still make you feel things.

3. real issues/storylines

i didn’t really know how to word but basically the relationships and problems they face. i related so much to janay when she didn’t even realize she had been sexually assaulted cause the same thing happened to me. showing her growing and learning to listen to victims first no matter what is something that needed to be shown. then there’s honey bear’s relationship with her dad. she told ash he’s not homophobic this is just the way their relationship is which may have seemed odd to ash but it’s a great example of how a lot of lgbt kids feel. her father never told her anything homophobic but he probably also never said anything to make her feel like she would be welcomed if she showed an interest in girls. it’s not enough for parents to not be anti-gay, they need to make it clear that their children will be accepted no mater their sexual orientation or gender. also the whole modelling thing with indigo was so goodddddd. even though she really needed the money she didn’t compromise her ideals cause she knew what they were doing was wrong. it also brought up the very real issue of brands culturally appropriating thing that black and latina women are shamed for and saying they’re high fashion on white women.

4. wardrobe

what’s that? teen/young adult clothing on a show that doesn’t look like it’s from justice or a bad 2013 disney movie? i think it is. so many of the outfits worn in betty were things i would or have worn. i also love how each girl had their own distinct style that showed off their personalities. and honey bear’s nipple stickers? the absolute best thing ever. also i don’t know if this is considered wardrobe but the body hair positivity. indigo was fine with her happy trail and didn’t see the issue with having it in the photoshoot. honey bear doesn’t shave her armpits and it’s not some big deal in fact they don’t even mention it i just happened to notice it.

5. the complex characters

each and every character has flaws there’s not one person on the entire show that hasn’t done something wrong or doesn’t have things they could work on. janay believed donald over yvette, kirt has impulse control issues, honey bear doesn’t communicate well, camille chose the more popular group over the people who cared about her, and indigo can have poor judgment. but these flaws don’t make me not like any of these characters in fact, they make me like them even more because they’re human and i can relate to them. no one is perfect and i hate when there’s one character that has no imperfections and one that has no redeeming qualities cause that’s not how the real world is.

basically, betty is an artistic masterpiece and everyone needs to go watch it right now

Tall boy that’s been hanging around her i don’t know his name: “*cutting into her talking* YO! Yo! YO! EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP! Janay is in CHARGE! You guys better start FUCKING listening to her!”