#SeriesInFocus: Women, you shouldn't miss watching 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
Though it's set in 1950s, 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' is very much a reflection of recent times. Like then, even now women struggle to leave a footprint in the creative world (and all other areas), sexism doesn't leave them, and neither does judgment. Only in this Amazon Prime Original series, we have an amicable protagonist who makes even the lows, highs in 'marvelous' ways.
At Emmys, the show swept many awards, surprisingly
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the show revolves around Jewish Miriam 'Midge' Maisel, played by Rachel Brosnahan, and her colorful life. She is fierce, extremely funny, passionate, loving, and oh-so-gorgeous. At the Emmys, battling biggies like 'Game of Thrones', the show won five in ten categories it was nominated in, testifying its brilliance. The second and third seasons were announced swiftly.
A cheating husband leads to Midge's accidental comic career
Hurt by her cheating husband, whom she married despite her father's concerns, Midge heads downtown to deliver an appealing stand-up set. Dressed in her nightie, she humors the customers of the shady bar with content, which while being funny, is honest. Spotting her unusual talent, Susie Myerson (played by Alex Borstein) volunteers to be her manager, and soon both of them fly.
Midge yearns for perfection and goes an extra-mile for it
Midge is fantastic. She juggles between her sorrow and responsibilities with ease. And while she puts up a perfect face in front of the world, she isn't that confident. She wakes minutes before her husband to apply make-up so for him to see a beautiful face every morning, she takes tips from a failed comedian and chooses to keep her stint as a secret from her family fearing her father's wrath. Things women do!
Her husband copies jokes yet thinks he is funny
It's also pertinent to know how Midge chooses to sacrifice her own dreams for husband Joel's. Despite his non-funny, plagiarizing jokes, the male ego in him doesn't realize comedy isn't his cup of tea. Midge knows, yet does little about it. Only after finding wings, courtesy Susie's confidence in her, Midge realizes she is born for the stage, and then aces her acts.
Midge faced sexism, just like female comics in real life
But, of course, Midge's journey to stardom wasn't free of taunts of sexism. More often than not, she was reminded women aren't funny, and spectators seemed more interested in her breasts than her jokes. Recently, female comics have spoken so much about sexism they face and their sets being unduly scrutinized that one is forced to wonder- do things really change with time? No.
Battling all odds, Mrs. Maisel proves how awesome she is
The series has colorful costumes, choreographed movements and lit up New York. Throw in a couple of songs, and you get a Broadway musical. While Brosnahan does most of the heavy lifting, the supporting actors are equally delightful. The bottom line of the series is: No amount of purloined jokes, pool of chauvinism can eclipse true talent or stop it from being 'marvelous'.
