Sitcoms are known for taking everyday situations and making them just a little unrealistic. They exaggerate the faults of characters for laughs or play up certain traits to really sell a story. When New Girl first premiered, Zooey Deschanel's Jessica Day was labeled quirky, awkward, and adorkable. One thing she wasn't often labeled by the audience was relatable. That's a shame because Jess, despite her dramatic and hilarious sitcom life, is intensely relatable.
Jess is a woman who often feels slightly out of place but embraces herself for who she really is. She knows that people might not get her, and while that might matter to her self-esteem, she still likes herself and finds ways to have a good time. So many of Jess's traits and choices are relatable to the audience.
10 Jess Watches A Movie Repeatedly For A Good Cry
Everyone has their own rituals when they're feeling down. For Jess, after a breakup, it's watching Dirty Dancing and allowing herself to wallow in her misery. She first does this in the pilot episode, and it's a trend that continues throughout the series.
Everyone might not love Dirty Dancing. Everyone might not surround themselves with piles of tissues and cry during the things they do to cheer themselves up. Whether it's listening to a favorite album, playing a favorite game, or binging your favorite show after something goes wrong, everyone has had Jess' experience.
9 She Has A Need To Be Liked
Not everyone experiences the same level of desire for being liked that Jess does. Jess's actions when she discovers (or suspects) that someone doesn't like her, however, are definitely relatable.
When she meets Julia, one of Nick's girlfriends in the first season of New Girl, for example, Jess can't let the fact that Julia doesn't seem to like her go. That's largely because Julia is going to be in her living space a lot, but also because she's dating one of Jess' friends. Eventually, it works out in Jess's favor as Julia comes to get along with her, but it takes Jess confronting her (and Nick) for anything to change.
8 She Avoids Confrontation By Hanging Out In A Restroom
Some people are great at handling confrontation. Others avoid it at all costs. Jess is somewhere in the middle, but the audience completely understands when she tries to postpone it a little bit.
When dating Paul in the first season, Jess discovers that Paul is ready for a more serious relationship than she is. Rather than be upfront with him, she avoids him at a holiday party by taking her cookies into the ladies' restroom where Cece finds her. This is absolutely a tried and true method of avoiding people you don't want to talk to at large gatherings.
7 Jess Tries To Convince Nick Not To Move In With Caroline
Friends want what's best for their friends. If one finds out another is about to make a huge mistake by moving in with someone that is all wrong for them, they're going to say something.
To be fair, Jess takes this idea to the extreme by sabotaging roommate applicants and pretending to lose her keys in the desert so they have to spend the night. The idea is relatable, however, when Nick decides to move in with Caroline at the end of the first season.
6 She Knows She's Awkward
One of the most endearing qualities in Jess is that she knows exactly how other people see her. She knows that she often says the wrong thing, or makes a situation worse by over-explaining. Jess is okay with that.
Sometimes, her roommates aren't okay with just how awkward she can make a situation, and that can put them at odds. Everyone has been Jess, knowing that the decision they've made is the wrong one, like hiding in the back of Sam's truck, but having to commit to the decision because it's too late to back out.
5 Jess Realizes How Much Older She Is Than Her Neighbors
At some point in their lives, everyone comes to the realization that generational differences are real. No matter how in touch with a younger (or older) generation someone thinks they are, there are experiences they just don't share.
In Jess's case, those differences are things like her being familiar with '90s television and out of the house long enough that she doesn't have to ask her parents for help with chores. Her much younger neighbors are still in the early stages of figuring their lives out, but Jess is just a step ahead of them, already knowing what she wants to do with her life.
4 She Runs Home To Her Dad
When Jess finds living with Nick to be too stressful while she still has feelings for him, she decides to avoid him completely. It's a little like her avoiding confrontation tactic, but instead of simply hiding out from him in a bathroom when he's in the loft, she runs all the way to her dad's house in Portland.
When breakups get too complicated, it's always nice to have a support system. Considering most of her friends live with Nick, reaching out to them isn't really a viable option for Jess. Staying with her dad while she figures things out is. Completely ignoring Nick might be a little much, but it's what Jess needs at the time.
3 Jess Picks Cece Up Anytime
Not everyone has a best friend for life like Jess and Cece do. Everyone does, however, know someone they would drop everything for at a moment's notice.
Whenever Cece needs Jess, Jess is there. It might be to pick her up from a party in the middle of the night or help her pack up her apartment at the last minute. Whatever Cece needs, Jess is the person she can go to.
2 She Loves Dogs (Too Much)
There's a reason social media postings about animals tend to go viral. Whether it's dogs, cats, turtles, or elephants, everyone has some animal they think is cuter than all the rest.
For Jess, that animal is a dog. Puppies make her emotional. Fans remember her bawling during a job interview when she saw a puppy so small it fit in a coffee cup, after all. Even if an audience member is a cat person, they can't help but appreciate how much she loves to cuddle her new dog in the final season of the show.
1 Jess Can Pick On Abby, But No One Else Can
When her older sister Abby comes for a visit, Jess is less than thrilled. Abby is more of a free spirit than Jess, going wherever the wind blows. She's not very good with money or relationships. Jess tries to be accommodating, but eventually, her anger with Abby reaches a boiling point.
After Jess and Abby have words, however, Nick also has a few choice words for Abby and Jess is not okay with that. Siblings can fight like cats and dogs, but they won't tolerate anyone else being mean to them.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3spR6hp
0 Comments