By Sara Nigro
Staff Writer
With its first season premiering just over a year ago, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” has become a staple show for young adults. The show has been able to fill a gap in young adult television as it reaches a demographic that is rarely covered — college students.
The comedy-drama was originally released on HBO Max on Nov. 18, 2021 and released its second and most recent season in late 2022. It is co-directed by Mindy Kaling, known for her role as Kelly Kapoor in the hit TV show “The Office” and for creating and starring in “The Mindy Project,” and Justin Noble, known for his writing on “Brooklyn 99” and “Never Have I Ever.”
Starring Renee Rapp, Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur and Alyah Scott, the show follows four freshmen girls in college who are placed together as roommates at their small university in Vermont. Every episode of the show follows the girls as they navigate their new lives at college, often dealing with the stress of school, work and relationships.
As a college student myself, I have felt that the late teen to early twenties demographic is often ignored in many forms of media. For example, Young Adult books are often based on teenagers but Adult books focus on characters in their late 20’s and early 30’s.
The show does reflect its title, often focusing on the drama and insecurities of relationships of each of the characters, all with different experiences. From cheating scandals to coming out to friends and family, the drama of their sex lives is on full display.
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” is able to capture an entertaining and realistic representation of the American college experience. Using modern trends through technology, language and fashion, Kaling presents a show that is just as relatable as it is amusing.
Just like any general concept shown in media, the experiences of the audience will differ from person to person, but as a collective, this show demonstrates the common struggles of balancing school, work, friendships and love as a young adult.
Personally, my favorite character is Leighton, played by Rapp, because of the incredible character development she displays over the course of the two seasons.
Rapp does a fantastic job in portraying the rich, snobby girl who learns to befriend all types of people throughout her freshman year of college. Her acting is a stand out element of the show, especially as she portrays the inner conflict she feels as a closeted LQBTQ+ person.
In addition to the demographic being successfully targeted, another contributing factor to the success of the show has been its weekly release format.
Seen in many shows on the platform such as “Euphoria,” it proves to be a successful model for the target audience. These two shows follow a similar format and target a similar demographic, especially in regards to age.
The collective online discourse, as the episodes are released once a week, seems to create a stronger sense of community and interest in the show as a whole. While binge-watching a series can be easier and give the viewers the instant gratification they may be looking for, the waiting and anticipation created by the weekly seems to appeal to the young adult audience.
While shows such as “Euphoria” and “Never Have I Ever,” another teen drama found on Netflix, focus on young adults in high school, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” gives insight to the college lives that have rarely been explored on television.
This show is able to bring awareness and reality to young adults who are looking for the relatable media they have been missing, and it is presented in a lighthearted but entertaining way.
As of December 2022, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” has been renewed for a third season.
