Why We All Need to Watch “The Sex Lives of College Girls”
Even though you’re already living it.
by AVA LABORDE ★ JANUARY 25, 2022
In case you missed it, HBO recently released the first season of their original series, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and everyone is falling in love. The show follows four wildly different randomly assigned roommates as they navigate their first semester at college. Although the content definitely lives up to the title, The Sex Lives of College Girls is also a poignant and hilarious look at the realities of friendships, self-discovery, conflict, and relationships. Naturally, the lives of college girls are our specialty. So, if you haven’t seen it yet or if you’re just dying to recap, here is UGirls official review of The Sex Lives of College Girls.
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Upon meeting our four characters in episode one, it feels a bit like the show is going to be yet another out-of-touch take on our generation. The four main characters Whitney, Bela, Leighton, and Kimberly each present as stereotypes that we have all seen way too many times. Bela is awkward and overcompensating; Kimberly is painfully naive; Whitney is the typical nepotism child; Leighton is basically a worse version of Blair Waldorf. However, by the end of the first episode, these cliche characters slowly melt into complex and relatable women that we can all see ourselves within. By developing them from these ultra-basic cliches to loveable and multidimensional characters, the show reflects what it really looks like to ~find yourself~ through independence and shed off the labels we have spent our lives being defined by.
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Unlike some newer shows (*cough cough* SATC Reboot), The Sex Lives of College Girls approaches touchy topics in a way that is believable before it’s “woke.” Issues like sexual assault, sex for opportunities, virginity, race, and women in male-dominated spaces are discussed with the real-world nuance that most modern shows are seriously lacking. The characters' backgrounds match their values, leading them all to learn from each other and hold the type of conversations that actually make a difference. For example, Kimberly’s oblivious small-town ideals and Leighton’s glaring classism are essential to showing the reality of the college experience. When coming to college from different walks of life, showing varying perspectives is a huge part of what makes this show so relatable.
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Strangely enough, the least realistic part of The Sex Lives of College Girls is the sex lives of these college girls. While we applaud the creators for the relatability of most of this series, the plotlines involving sex are some of the least watchable. Bela’s outspoken sex-positivity feels a liiiitle bit like it was written by a room of middle-aged people who have never heard a college-aged girl talk about sex in their lives. Oddly enough though, the show does a great job of addressing topics such as sexual orientation, relationship dynamics, and assault. However, the actual sex scenes in this show are cringeworthy enough to make you press pause and take a couple of deep breaths. Honestly, though, the humor and heart are worth the few minutes of second-hand embarrassment.
Chances are most of us college girls aren’t living the same crazy sex lives as these four. With that being said, it is pretty rare to find an entertaining series with relatable characters facing realistic, difficult situations. Despite the moments of cringe, The Sex Lives of College Girls will keep you hooked, and have you missing those four roommates the moment you finish.
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