Taylor Swift controversy helps make Netflix show popular

The Netflix original series Ginny & Georgia recently created a buzz when a line from the show didn’t sit well with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.

In the final episode of the freshman series, fifteen-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) is having a disagreement with her mother (Georgia Miller) and says “What do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.” 

Swift did not take this line light-heartedly and spoke out to her 88.5 million Twitter followers, commenting “Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back.” 

While the tweet had 719k likes and 176k retweets, the showrunners have never addressed the controversy. Viewers may never know what the writers meant with their humorous yet lame line, but it attracted an audience to see what the show was really about because Ginny and Georgia was rated #1 on Netflix in the US. 

So, what is this show?

A thirtysomething mother, Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey), and her two kids, Ginny and nine-year-old Austin, move for the fifth time. Falling quickly into the town of Wellsbury, the family soon takes over the small New England village. 

Georgia deeply loves her kids but she also is a woman with a troubled past who is willing to survive at all cost.  Viewers know soon enough that  “at all cost” can lead to twists and turns that don’t go as planned. Especially when the past is right in front of you, or beneath the floor.

Despite the cringe-worthy writing – there is a scene where the viewer doesn’t know whether to yell at the character or the writer….I’ll give you four words “Oppression Olympics: Let’s go!” – and stereotypical teen characterization, the TV comedy is scandalous, emotional, and romantic, even if it’s a teenage boy climbing through a window or a secret relationship that’s bound to explode. 

Ignoring the 36-second embarrassing Oppression Olympics clip, the tap-dancing and the overuse of Snapchat filters the show is quite watchable since, at its core, it is about a family that’s trying to run away from its past while trying to fit in.

The show takes account of the struggle of teens. Characters go through the conflict of body image, insecurities, mental health struggles, high school life, and wanting to feel accepted. 

The heart of the show is the character Georgia. Howey plays the southern belle quite well. Georgia blurs the line between protective and dangerous and viewers have trouble trusting the southern charmer when she suddenly does questionable actions. Her sudden duality leaves viewers confused – is it her charm or just evilness?

Ginny & Georgia is a good watch if you’re simply bored or just out of touch with your youth. Just keep watching and it’ll all make sense.