Netflix’s Controversial Dramedy: “Ginny & Georgia”

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 “Ginny & Georgia”, a new Netflix series, has received mixed reviews for “ripping-off” the hit show “Gilmore Girls” and “slut-shaming” Taylor Swift. 

The series is about a 15-year-old Ginny Miller (newcomer Antonia Gentry) who often feels more mature than her 30-year-old mom, Georgia (Brianne Howey, The Passage)… they settle in a picturesque New England town, where Georgia is desperate to give her kids something they haven’t had before — a normal life,” The Hollywood Reporter, described. “That is, unless Georgia’s past catches up to her.”

The show premiered on the streaming service on February 24 with viewers noticing similarities between “Ginny and Georgia” and “Gilmore Girls.” Like the beloved 2000s CW show, “Ginny and Georgia” takes place in a New England town and centers around the relationship between a quick-witted, single mom and her well-read, teenage daughter. The most obvious similarities are the various characters that appear to be directly lifted from “Gilmore Girls.” Specifically Joe, a flannel-wearing cafe owner that serves Georgia her regular glass of wine, oddly resembles Stars Hollow’s Luke Danes. Both shows feature multiple comedy tropes including the optimistic BFF, Queen Bee, Sweet Boyfriend and Bad Boy. 

Across social media platforms, the show has been called out for its insensitive dialogue. On February 25, the term “Oppression Olympics” was trending on Twitter for being stereotypical and “embarrassing.” More recently the show managed to offend one powerful viewer – Taylor Swift – by poking fun at her well-documented dating history. 

You go through men faster than Taylor Swift,” Ginny said to Georgia. 

The line caught the attention of Swift’s fanbase, who viewed it as misogynistic and a form of slut-shaming. After the phrase “Respect Taylor Swift” was trending on Twitter, the artist commented on the situation herself. 

“Hey ‘Ginny & Georgia,’ 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard-working women by defining this horse sh!t as FuNnY,” Swift wrote. “After ‘Miss Americana,’ this outfit doesn’t look cute on you”.

After Swift’s comment, the show exploded across television show review platforms: Rotten Tomatoes, Google Reviews, IMDb and Metacritic. Alan Sepinwall, a Rolling Stones Television Reviewer, rated the show a ⅗.

“If ‘Ginny & Georgia’ can’t quite pull off its totally ambitious first season, it’s at least entertaining to watch it try,” a Rotten Tomatoes reviewer said.

The much-disputed show has currently not been renewed for a second season, but season one is streaming now on Netflix