Bingeing on content and all kinds of content is newfound hobby and I spent the long weekend just lying in bed watching Netflix's (almost) latest The Bold Type. And man, I don't think I have seen a more ludicrous representation of publishing business/journalism/magazine work environment.
I have been working as a journalist for the past six years and, might I say that anything the show shows about "working" in the business isn't even remotely true.
The Bold Type follows the life of three millennial women who live in New York City and work in a fashion magazine called 'Scarlet'.
Here are a few questions I had about the bewildering plot lines in the show:
1. They are rarely at work. Most of the time I see them chilling, going out for drinks, lazing and having coffee in the foyer. Don't get me wrong, I love chai too, but it didn't mean that I was ALWAYS spotted at the khau gali behind my office (when things were normal of, course).
2. How does Jane (one of the lead characters on the show who wants to do "serious" journalism) have all the time in the world to finish a story? Also, how is she at a drinking sesh when her deadline for her story is...the NEXT day?!?
3. Which editor-in-chief of a magazine that's as popular as 'Scarlet', has the time for focused attention on individuals? And why is she interested ONLY in these three women? Aren't there other employees that work for the magazine?
4. From the looks of it, 'Scarlet' is making money because of the things that these women do at their job (where they don't work).
5. Call me someone who loves tragedy, but I hate how everything just falls into place for them. Anything goes wrong at the workplace, the editor-in-chief who basically mothers them gives them a pep talk and voila...
6. I am jealous of how many parties 'Scarlet' hosts, while I have gotten NONE in my six years. And I don't know if it's because the show is set in a first world country, but I wonder if an Indian fashion magazine can afford these many parties?
7. These women keep complaining about being broke and how they can't afford stuff because of the financial crunch...but have you seen their apartments AND their closets?
I wish the makers kept 'something' real.
8. Please leave a comment if you work for a fashion magazine and have an expense account. I don't think my bosses have an expense account till date. What's this make-believe world? What are these expectations you're setting up for the young ones?
9. Jane, girl...you need to figure out if you want to be a journalist or someone who does lifestyle pieces. I find your bat rocking between the two a 'little' disappointing. Go, do what you REALLY like!
10. Kat...sweetie, I have worked as a social media manager and I don't know how you can handle everything just by yourself and then with just one person in your team. That's literally...NOT possible.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)