User:Violetlopaze6/The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series)

Female Friendships
One of the main themes in The Summer I Turned Pretty is female friendships. The key reason Belly spends each summer at Cousins beach is because of her mother's close friendship with Susannah. Female friendships are emphasized and valued in The Summer I Turned Pretty. One instance in particular highlights this. When Belly and Taylor are at odds, Laurel tells her that “we need to hold tight to our friendships because we never know what the future will hold." With this, viewers see two generations of female friendship at play: the mothers' relationship with Susannah and Laurel and the friendship between Belly and Taylor.

Laurel and Susannah
In contrast to much of the entertainment industry, The Summer I Turned Pretty does not focus only on the relationships of the younger characters or only on the relationships of the adult characters. Rather, this television series depicts each respective relationship and how they interact with each other.

In depicting female interactions, the media has a long history of pitting women against each other. Film and television rarely depict middle-aged women in healthy relationships. The Summer I Turned Pretty allows viewers to see women engaging in successful (platonic) relationships with other women. In contrast to popular shows like the Real Housewives, Keeping up with the Kardashians, or Selling Sunset, Laurel and Susannah display maturity and tenderness without any drama or hostility.

The close relationship between Susannah and Laurel reinforces the importance for women to create close relationships with other women. Their companionship represents that romantic partnership is not the only type of relationship available to women and that female friendships can be just as fulfilling, if not more so. Susannah and Laurel are platonic soulmates and their relationship provides a feminist outlook of the show by showing two strong women whose storylines don't center around men.

Laurel and Susanna's friendship also counteracts an idea that has persisted in society for many generations: that women must focus solely on being mothers and caring for others. In The Summer I Turned Pretty, both Laurel and Susannah are able to care for their children while still being distinguished individuals outside their motherly roles. Shows centered around teenagers typically show archetypes of parental figures with no distinct personality or character development. Contrary to this, The Summer I Turned Pretty highlights the mothers' lives just as much as the lives of the teenage characters. Dissimilar to many other television shows and movies, female friendships are prioritized and highlighted in The Summer I Turned Pretty, allowing these bonds to be a central plot of the show.

Laurel and Susannah always encourage Belly to focus on her female friendships, often reminding her of their importance. According to Laurel, "boys might come and go, but a best friend is once in a lifetime."

Belly and Taylor
Another important female friendship in the show is between Belly and Taylor. While the books portray Belly and Taylor's friendship negatively, the show changes this and writes Belly and Taylor's friendship as a strong, unbreakable bond. Jenny Han, the author of the series The Summer I turned Pretty, altered the friendship between Belly and Taylor when writing the TV show in order to make it more modern. Specifically, she makes the female characters in her show more complex than she did in the books.

Very often, in television series’ catered towards a teenage audience, drama and other matters often come between friends. Female rivalry and frenemies are common depictions of girls in pop culture; this is seen in Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and countless other shows. However, in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly and Taylor work together as a united team, letting nothing come between their friendship. Even though Belly and Taylor often wind up distracted by their respective love lives, their friendship is constant and unwavering. Moreover, even if the two friends encounter a challenging situation in their relationship, they always find a way back to one another; thus demonstrating the true power and endurance of female friendships.

Through all the problems Belly faces, Taylor remains by her side. Taylor remains protective of Belly and spends most of seasons 1 and 2 defending and caring for her. The two girls have each others’ backs as they undergo the highs and lows of high school. What’s more is that the show never diminishes Belly’s and Taylor’s friendship as being less than it is. Whether it is Susannah and Laurel reminding them or Taylor and Belly realizing it after they encounter a challenge, the value of female friendships is never understated. Overall, The Summer I Turned Pretty provides a much needed makeover for female friendships in the entertainment industry, effectively reinforcing its importance and reminding viewers everywhere of its value.