Saturday, July 3, 2021

Play Like a Girl: Peacock Rocks

Clip: Buffalump, Etsy; Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Peacock rocks, but I'm not talking about "Peacock" by Katy Perry (although I do like that tune).  I'm talking about NBC's streaming platform and its not one but two new comedies about all-girl rock groups, Girls5eva and We Are Lady Parts.  

Girls5eva follows four forty-something New Yorkers trying to resuscitate their defunct '90s pop group.  The players include Dawn (Sara Bareilles), the sensible one; Summer (Busy Phillips), the dumb one; Wickie (Renee Elise Goldsberry), the crazy one; and Gloria (Paula Pell), the workaholic one.  It's wacky and witty and reminds me of 30 Rock, which tracks because Tina Fey is one of the producers and also cameos as a faux Dolly Parton.  Indeed, Dawn is like the Liz Lemon of the gang, which is to say that she's no-nonsense yet put-upon and the glue that holds them all together.  The songs are hilarious, and the fashion is fierce.  As a bonus, Stephen Colbert, Bowen Yang, and Vanessa Williams guest star.  Girls5eva is a snarky-yet-feel-good treat for anyone who grew up in the '90s or appreciates Fey's brand of humor. 

We Are Lady Parts is the coming-of-age tale of Amina (Anjana Vasan), a twenty-six-year-old Muslim Londoner academic torn between tradition and joining a Muslim punk rock band.  Amina is my favorite kind of heroine, which is to say earnest, awkward, and always getting in her own way.  She has such a severe case of stage fright that she always vomits -- and also sometimes has diarrhea.  Yet We Are Lady Parts frontwoman Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey) is looking for a guitarist and is convinced that Amina is it, barf bucket notwithstanding.  Passionate and serious about her music, Saira spends the greater part of the series resisting her bandmates' pleas to take to social media, insisting that We Are Lady Parts "is not about being famous; it's about being heard."  Being true to yourself and your art, even when it's hard, especially when it's hard, is a major theme in We Are Lady Parts and one that will resonate with artists and misunderstoods everywhere.  

So, two girl power anthems and two ways to rock add up to heart and limitless laughs.  

Peacock, you've got something new to strut about.

8 comments:

ellie said...

So cool to see how Peacock is taking off in the streaming service! Thanks so much for the reviews. Girls who Rock is always a great theme! Hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. I haven't had any luck making a pudding with Almond milk.

when you mentioned Peacock it made me think of my friend who wouldn't take her husband's last name.

Happy 4th!

Caitlin'nMegan said...

Oh, I have been wanting to watch these. So glad they deliver such a hearty comedy. Looks some wonderful summer binge-worthy shows!

Ivy's Closet said...

Happy Summer Holiday! That is a cool clip! Lovely necklace too!

So glad to see these shows airing. Thanks so much for the reviews. Loved the post!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Enjoyed reading your reviews of these shows. Thanks

Samantha said...

These shows sound super fun!! Love the concept of the first show with a 90's pop theme, and I especially love the concept of the second show with a Muslim punk rock band - that's epic! I like the tie-in you did with the peacock theme and NBC; that's brilliant!

bread&salt said...

Necklace is beautiful and looks great! Clip (all girl rock group) looks cool. Would love to watch it. Have a wonderful summer holiday.

Kathy Leonia said...

so great shows:D i would like to watch them:)

Jewel Divas Style said...

Awesome peacock clip!