In a year already dominated by female-centric shows—”Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Jessica Jones” and “Supergirl,” just to name a few—2015 also managed to gift us with “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” the girl-power sitcom to end all girl-power sitcoms. Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), who is straightforwardly sweet without veering too much into dreaded “adorkable” territory, offers a whole host of feminist lessons throughout the show’s first season. Here are five of the most empowering takeaways from “Kimmy’s” strong as hell leading female.
Never apologize for being who you are
Too cheesy? Maybe, but no less deserving of a shoutout. Kimmy proves time and time again that she is an unabashedly weird person, whether through her sense of style, her constant loudness or her bunker-induced anachronisms. Other than her desire to keep her “mole woman” identity private, though, she’s rarely embarrassed about these qualities; she doesn’t feel like they need explanation. “I made everything weird ’cause I’m weird,” she says plainly to Charles after overzealously confessing her love for him. It’s not a problem for her, it’s just a fact.
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There’s no right way to deal with trauma
The show’s gotten some backlash for the lighthearted way it deals with Kimmy’s recovery from her kidnapping and 15 years of imprisonment. While such a heavy topic does deserve a certain amount of scrutiny, it’s helpful to remember that her reaction is hardly a static one. Kimmy may not be in a state of catatonia following her release from the bunker, but her optimism belies signs of PTSD, the nightmares and the inexplicable fear of things like Velcro being just a couple. Her behavior isn’t meant to be a template for how to handle years of abuse, but rather a way of examining its effects from one of many, many different perspectives.
Try to see the best in other women
Obviously, no person is a saint simply by virtue of having a uterus. That being said, it’s also important and cool to see Kimmy going out of her way to understand the motives of seemingly terrible characters like the teenaged Xanthippe. Despite Xan’s constant stream of nasty one-liners, Kimmy still tries her hardest to look beyond the mean-girl exterior and see the Xan who prefers birdwatching to underage day-drinking. In doing so, she helps Xan begin to accept the person she actually wants to be. It’s a valuable lesson and also an interesting character choice: After all, Kimmy understands better than anyone how a person’s bad experiences can shape who they are.
Be your own source of inspiration
Kimmy’s SoulCycle—er, SpiritCycle—revelation hits her after she realizes that her instructor Tristafé is just a stand-in for other sources of domineering male power. “Is he different than any guy who tells you he’ll make you richer or prettier or safer?” she asks the rest of her class. Instead, Kimmy tells them to look within themselves as a path to reinvention.
Being badass is not a one-size-fits-all occupation
Too often in pop culture “badass female” is synonymous solely with “cool warrior chick.” It’s great to see a lady on TV wielding a sword or beating up bad guys and everything, but it’s also really refreshing to see a character like Kimmy, who is badass even as she stumbles through trying to figure out adult living. Kimmy’s unbreakable by force of will; she’s a survivor. “That’s what women do,” she tells Jacqueline. “We eat a bag of dirt, pass it in the kiddie pool and move on.” So we do, Kimmy.
Emma Krupp is an intern for The Mash, RedEye’s sister publication.