The Feisty Indian Aunty Watches… The Bold Type

Hello, everyone. It is I, your Feisty Indian Aunty who has watched all four seasons of The Bold Type and had a lot of fun. The series revolves around the lives and careers of three young millennial women – Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), and Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy) – who begin working for a fictional woman’s magazine called “Scarlet.” One is a writer, the other is a social media expert, and the third wants to be a fashion stylist.

The series was, as these things often are, very soapy and therefore incredibly addictive. The stories here center around a variety of topics including race, class, culture, and sexuality. The show is, I am told by my children, what people refer to as “woke.”

Now I may be old fashioned, but I am not judgmental. I grew up in a different generation and therefore completely unfamiliar (maybe even a little uncomfortable) with the different sexual identities that are out there now. I am at a loss and trying to make sense of what the various initials in LGBTQIA mean. I am, however, still learning.

As a career woman, who is traditional in some ways and outspoken in others, I am curious as to how the younger generation views these new social norms. And so I have some questions for all of you young millennials out there in the world. How comfortable are you with what you see in this dramedy series? And how comfortable will you be trying to answer these questions from me?

1. If you are a writer, will be brave enough to write about something very personal and put it out into the world for everyone to comment?
2. Would you dress “sexily” to work? You are aware that most work places have a dress code but would you dare to be different?
3. If your parents are very traditional and they expect you to conform to their version of “marrying the right person,” would you date or fall in love with someone they may not accept – be it from another class, caste, or creed?
4. Would you marry someone without your parents’ blessings?
5. If you love social media and you identify as being LGBTQIA, would you come out and declare your identity openly?
6. If you work in a place where senior management is male-dominated, and you are a capable candidate to join their ranks, what would you do if they do not consider you for the position?
7. If you work at an organization that doesn’t practice gender equality, would you be able to speak about that to your bosses? Would you post your discontent on social media?
8. If you have posted something personal which you are genuinely proud on social media and you find that you are a victim of Internet trolling, what would you do? How would you manage the fallout? 
9. If social media, or the newspapers, falsely accuse you of doing something illegal or illicit, what would you do? 

Life today in the media world has become so complicated. The  lines between truth and lies are so blurred that people are confused and bewildered. No one knows what to believe and who to believe. No one is spared, and no one can win. Living peacefully in this world has become so hard. More so for this generation. (God knows what the next are going to have to put up with.) There is so much noise, and it is so deafening that there is absolutely “NO QUIET” to “QUIT TO.” 

You can read all The Feisty Indian Aunty’s previous columns here.

The Bold Type is now streaming on Netflix.