Young and Broke...Or Not?

This summer, I found my new TV obsession, Freeform’s “The Bold Type.” The three main characters on the show were everything I wanted to be: stylish and successful yet flawed and broke. But upon further inspection of their fabulous New York City lifestyle, something didn’t add up to me. How were these “young and broke” girls living in such a large apartment in the middle of Manhattan and dressing in expensive designer clothing? Is this glamourous New York City lifestyle even attainable for the modern day millennial?

I decided to do some research on the three main character’s wardrobes. I began with Jane, the typical 20-something girl living out her dream with a new job writing for Scarlet Magazine (which is a fictional version of Cosmo). According to Indeed, a job search website, the typical salary for a fashion columnist in 2013 was $53,000. After paying taxes and rent on her fairly luxurious apartment, it seems unrealistic that Jane would be able to afford to wear a $232.50 black top or a $3,490 Net-A-Porter purse.

Our next leading lady is Kat, the spunky, independent and rebellious social media director for Scarlet. Because Kat has a pretty high-up job on the magazine, I expected her paycheck to be a little higher, and according to payscale.com, it is. A social media director makes an average of $71,142 per year. Kat does not live in the same apartment as the other two main characters, yet she spends the same amount on clothing, owning a pair of camo pants from Barney’s worth $1,165.

Our last member of the trio, and the most financially unstable, is Sutton. Having grown up with little money, Sutton is still drowning in student loans from studying at Penn State. Instead of choosing a well-paying advertising job at Scarlet, she follows her dream and lands a job as an assistant in the fashion department. While it was hard for her to make the decision to follow her dream rather than going for a financially stable lifestyle, Kat and Jane offer to help her with her money issues (even though they should not even be able to afford their own lifestyles). While I admired Sutton’s decision to go after her dream job, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her designer outfits and huge apartment room. Of all the girls, Sutton should be the most relatable, yet her lifestyle is impossible for any millennial.

Before I go any further, I’d like to make it clear that I am a huge fan of “The Bold Type.” The show has tackled issues ranging from feminism to immigration policy to rape culture, and is always inspiring and enjoyable to watch. However, bingeing “The Bold Type” reminded me of how many television shows wrongly portray what life is really like for a millennial living in a big city. I have always dreamed of living in New York City with an exciting job like the ladies of “The Bold Type,” but their lifestyle is just not realistic, and leaves viewers with a sense of false hope. Is it possible to go after your low-paying dream job while still living a dreamy NYC life? Can I move to New York City and not have to live in a shoebox apartment? I’m aware that the show is mere fiction, but it would be nice for at least one “relatable” television show to display a millennial living in a dingy New York City apartment, struggling financially, and being relatable to viewers.

“The Bold Type” is certainly not the first TV show to display an unrealistic lifestyle in New York City. The debate over how Rachel and Monica afforded their huge two-bedroom apartment on “Friends” is still going on years after the show’s finale. And then there is  “Sex and The City,” which is perhaps one of the most famous shows to glamorize the New York City lifestyle. Who didn’t want to live Carrie Bradshaw’s flawless life and steal every item in her wardrobe? But then again, who in New York City can actually afford to live like her?

Some shows, however, have made an attempt to be more relatable to its viewers. “Girls” showed a somewhat realistic lifestyle with main character Hannah living in a run-down New York City apartment, but it was constantly critiqued for its lack of diversity. It only showed a group of privileged white women, making it hard for many millennials to relate to a show that is supposed to accurately portray the struggles of all 20-somethings living in the city. “2 Broke Girls” and “Broad City” show what it is like to be financially unstable, yet the girls find themselves in unrealistic situations when scouring for cash. Even so, it is nice to get a glimpse into what it is like to “rough it” in New York (even if it is a bit exaggerated).

I know it may not seem as appealing to watch a group of diverse females wearing discount clothing and living in a shoebox sized apartment, but I think it would be nice for at least one TV show to attempt to relate to current day millennials. I know many probably enjoy the thought of other women their age making it in the Big Apple, but I think it would be even more encouraging to show a woman truly start from the bottom and earn the glamorous New York lifestyle that is often displayed on television. The women on “The Bold Type” are certainly fearless and inspiring, but it would be even bolder for the show to also realistically show what a millennial living in New York City really looks like.