"how girls see themselves"
On the demise of The Baby-Sitters Club, and a note of tenderness for all the tweens
In summer 2020—What A Time—I started watching Netflix’s new adaptation of The Baby-Sitters Club, about a group of preteen girls and their babysitting endeavors in suburban Connecticut. Trailers for the show looked utterly delightful, and the ensuing episodes exceeded expectations. I laughed, I cried, and those tweeny-bopper babysitters just about restored my waning faith in humanity. I gobbled up Season 2 (just as good) when it came out a few months ago.
Last week, Netflix pulled the plug on the show. I’m disappointed, though not exactly surprised—Netflix seems to axe a show a week. I even feel a bit silly for being disappointed, considering that I am about 13 years older than the show’s target audience, and I didn’t even read the book series as a child (I was—ok, am—irrationally judgy toward 1980s book covers). But the show was good. Really, really good. And I can’t stop thinking about this line from Vulture’s recent interview with showrunner Rachel Shukert: “The Baby-Sitters Club was the rare TV series not about how the world sees girlhood but rather how girls see themselves.”
Welp. Mic drop.
I don’t think I realized, until reading that article (well worth a read, if only for a glimpse into Netflix’s maddening ways), just how much of a niche that market is. How many shows and movies are there, really, that tackle that specific time in a girl’s life—the messy, awkward, awful, silly, fun, wonderful, heartbreaking, unforgettable (try as we might) preteen years—and do it with such grace? The Baby-Sitters Club understood so well that at that age, the “little” things are every bit as big as the big things. It handled first boyfriends and friend-group spats with as much care as it did the death of one character’s beloved family member (an episode that just about broke my heart wide open). It was perfectly cast, celebrated diverse cultures and types of families, and introduced timely, sometimes tough topics in ways that never felt forced or patronized its young audience. Best of all, it remembered that not only was its audience primarily young, its characters were—and they got to just be that. To be in-between.
It reminds me strongly of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a series (and movie) I praise, either in my head or out loud, probably at least once a week. It’s aimed at teen girls, not preteens, so slightly different, but I did first read it in middle school, and it’s been stuck on my heart ever since. It was the first—and frankly, only—series I ever read that presented high-school girls in such a nuanced, multifaceted, “age-appropriate” way. The four protagonists made mistakes, felt out of place, fretted over things they’d said and done to their parents, had grand epiphanies about life inspired by seemingly mundane moments (but in a way that seemed natural, not completely inane, because who among us didn’t do that as a teenager?), got bored in the suburbs, bravely stepped into their first summer jobs, experienced loss, experienced life. Boys were a factor, yes—at times a big one—but not the only one. There was so much going on in these girls’ lives, and at the center of it all was their wonderfully loyal friendship.
Compare both of these with a show like Euphoria: a show about teens, but one I don’t get the sense is for them at all. Or even a show like Sex Education, which I ADOREEEE, but it intentionally leans into the absurd. Never Have I Ever (also a fan) does the same. Maybe I’m wrong; maybe I’m already too old to get what The Youths are into these days. Maybe I’m just a prude. But I don’t think that’s it, and neither does Rachel Shukert, and neither, it seems, do other fans of The Baby-Sitters Club. I can’t even think of another show that's actually aimed at “tweens”, let alone tween girls—hence the line quoted above.
The other day, Pegah, aka my Substack Accountability Partner, sent me a few photos of us that I’m 90% sure were taken at an eighth-grade birthday party. We’re in someone’s basement, trying to make a human pyramid, mostly flailing around and laughing. I recognize most of the faces, though Pegah’s is the only one I’ve stayed in touch with. Our outfits and hairdos are PEAK middle-school—lots of headbands and scrunchies and frizz and Bermuda shorts (the grip that plaid Bermuda shorts had on me is unholy). But the first time in… well, maybe ever, the sight of myself and long-lost friends as preteens didn’t make me cringe. It made me laugh. And I just felt such tenderness for all of us. We were kind of losers, but maybe in the best way.
It is so easy to forget what a fragile time that is—fragile in that everything feels fraught and embarrassing, yes, but also in that those moments of childlike joy are about to be so quickly torn away by whatever warped sense of obligatory maturity the world shoves down our throats. So many kids don’t want to lose that joy and silliness so soon, even if they think they do (*goes back in time, points to self*). I guess The Baby-Sitters Club just reminded me of that—reminded me of my past self, of the kinds of things that still meant so much to me at that age. It saddens me to see it go and to know what an enormous gap it leaves behind.
The tweens deserve better.
Flotsam and jetsam:
(I’m really running out of things to call this section… not that it matters???)
SPEAKING OF good YA content, and also here is some proof that I still read on occasion, I’m very much enjoying the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson (thank you Jessica for the loan!). Diverse, quirky characters, twisty-turny mystery, Hogwarts-like setting, generally thoughtful and fun.
And actually, speaking of good content for tweens, Kiana and I really, really liked Pixar’s Turning Red. And Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade is just a masterpiece.
Amazingly, I haven’t been watching that much TV since I moved? Like, no full-on binges. But I’ve got the house to myself for a few days, and here are some of the the things I might watch…
Upload Season 2, Amazon Prime. My dad and I really enjoyed Season 1.
Starstruck Season 2, HBO Max, AHHHHH. See previous newsletter for my endorsement.
Minx, HBO Max. I'm kinda getting Good Girls Revolt (RIP!) vibes from this one, except goofier.
Life & Beth, Hulu. Amy Schumer’s stand-up is not my cup of tea, but I’ve really liked her in other projects (Trainwreck was great!), and this looks promising.
Degrassi, HBO Max… because um, duh, why not
*looks at floor, mumbles* Real Housewives of Salt Lake City I’m not even gonna tell you what streaming platform this one is on OK you can look it up for yourself if you want to ruin your own life
I am also in charge of my office Oscars pool so I maybe should watch some of the nominees??? If you’ve seen any, give me your recs!
I PROMISE I do more than just watch TV; I also cook and take little walks and hang with friends and buy myself far too many little treats. And I’m going to make these tacos from Pinch of Yum this week!
ok maybe the tweens deserve better but the teens do not
That’s all I got for now. Thanks for reading! And if you have thoughts or recs, please send them to me—I cherish every reply!
Love,
Jayne
