Looking for an impressive and empowering show about an all-girl skate group that even Zendaya would be proud of? HBO blessed us last month with Betty, a show about an all-girl skate crew moving through the streets of NYC just looking to move the boys out of the way and throw an all-girls skate sesh.
Stemming from the 2018 Film Skate Kitchen (also has an amazing soundtrack) directed by Crystal Moselle, Betty is a six-episode series that follows a diverse all-girl group of skateboarders in NYC looking to throw a skate sesh. Not just any skate sesh, a girl skate sesh that literally infiltrates the male filled skate parks to make room and demand respect. While that fierce concept is the backbone of the series, the main characters involved bring light and color to the screen while also showing off their great taste in music (DJ scene where Janay has the aux is *chefs kiss*).
HBO has a pretty great track record for giving their shows amazing sound I mean you have Insecure, which is curated by Issa Rae, and you had Euphoria, which was produced by Drake. Betty's sound comes from an incredible mix of music from the likes of Rico Nasty, Sheck Wes, Cigarettes After Sex, Blood Orange, IDK, Doja Cat, and so many more. Below is the official playlist from the show, which also includes the score by Aksa Matsumiya.
What makes this show even better is the fact that they bring a colorful range of diversity to the screen which is a must when you are representing a city like New York. It's a refreshing alternative to GIRLS, which was painfully white. This show also wasn't afraid to touch on topics around sexual harassment/molestation, the "double standard" that men get to carry, the pride of feminism, and the freedom of sexual orientation.
It is also important to just take a moment to understand the importance of female skateboarders. Nina Moran, one of the founders of the real-life Skate Kitchen, plays a fictional version of herself in the show but also tells a nonfictional tale (IN A TED TALK) of how she came up hearing how girls shouldn't be skating. Her perseverance and allyship with other skate girls in the tri-state area made up the story which we see on screen in Betty.
Like many other sports, girls face a tremendous amount of pressure to be great at Skateboarding. Its a male-dominated sport and tends to service and support the male complex. This amazing suite of storytelling from Skate Kitchen to Betty reflects how important it is to be proud of what you skate for and to support your tribe because, in the end, they are the ones who have your back.
Design by: Bridget Bright (@bybridgetbright)