La Ron S. Readus
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Tuca and Bertie: An Abuse Survivor Story VIDEO SCRIPT)
🕑 Added 2020-05-29 20:00:04 +0000 UTC
Readers, after finding out that Adult Swim picked it up for a second season after Netflix unfairly cancelled it, I decided to watch the 10 episodes that consisted of season one of Tuca and Bertie
And when I watched it, I’m not gonna lie; two specific things ran across my head
1 - Ah, man. There are a lot of free-range boobs in this show
And 2 - Ah, man. I wonder if season 2’s gonna have to rein it in with all the free-range boobs in this show
...What? It’s true! There’s a WHOLE lot of titty in this show!
/But there’s also a very well-done story in it that shows how two friends come to terms with how different they are from each other, and how those differences can help be the crutch each other needs in order to get over some very heavy stuff/
As season 1 has illustrated, the heavy stuff the two face throughout it comes in the form of abuse. Specifically verbal, sexual and mental
No, I’m not gonna debate which character had the better arc
No, I’m not gonna debate which character should have more focus over the other
Because both characters’ experiences and personal growth are necessary in order to understand the bigger picture of the season, and I kinda love it for that.
How? Well, allow me to explain. And I’ll start with Bertie
Bertie’s abuse and trauma may have become noticeable to me in Episode 2 when she fought to get her promotion at her job, but it didn’t become noticeable to me how she dealt with it until after she became the apprentice of Pastry Pete.
/Yes, “The Sex Bugs” episode gave me a good look at how she deals with anxiety, but seeing how she initially reacted to Pastry Pete’s actions in the following episode and how she reacted when she found out that this is common behavior for him with every woman he works with helped bring a lot of things to light in regards to how she mentally deals with sexual abuse -- especially when it comes from someone she admires. It wasn’t until the Jelly Lakes episode that we were introduced to the situation that started it all that we see the chains that bind her abuse, trauma and anxiety all together/
Some might argue that the evidence of Tuca’s abuse was less prominent, but trust me; it was there. You just need to know where to look.
I picked up on the mental abuse Tuca suffered from in episode 3 when she went on the date with The Deli Guy.
/Despite it being a joke for the episode, the mean mirror in her studio apartment that does nothing but talk shit about her is actually a thing she compartmentalizes about herself. We see that in how she acts when she’s actually ON the date with the Deli Guy and when she decides to KEEP it while pulling a Marie Kondo in the last episode of the season. But we get to the root of both the mental AND verbal abuse she deals with when we meet her aunt, who constantly talks negatively about her every time they meet -- ESPECIALLY when she’s drunk -- and in turn, she internally reaffirms these things her aunt says about her in the behavior we see her present in the majority of the season/
Now I want to clarify that my decision to start with Bertie first is in no way whatsoever me enforcing that her character has the stronger abuse narrative between the two, or that hers takes higher priority or meaning than Tuca’s, because it doesn’t.
Abuse is abuse is abuse, and it should all be taken seriously no matter what form it takes.
It’s one of the things that I like about Tuca and Bertie because it doesn’t even need to explain that in the show; it treats it as something you should already know by how the two help each other hurtle through the obstacles that advance past it for them.
/The actions Bertie took to help Tuca back when she was an alcoholic not only saved her life, but started her down a much needed path of sobriety that significantly helped her battle the mental abuse her aunt constantly berrades her with. Tuca’s free spirit and “take life by the horns” mentality constantly helps Bertie find the courage to find and use her own voice in matters that her anxiety birthed by her sexual abuse would regularly take hold. Despite their flawed friendship over the course of the season, these two are a much needed support network for each other and a great example that can easily be placed in a more realistic setting about what it means to recover from abuse.
After watching Tuca and Bertie for myself, I will never say despite everything she went through that Bertie’s struggles are more important than Tuca’s. And, as a matter of fact, I don’t even believe it’s my place to.
But what I will say is that it's because of their ability to grow -- both singular and together -- as well as support one another in their own unique ways that allows them to persevere.
Yes, you may be able to relate to one character’s struggles more than the other, but that doesn’t immediately mean that one is more important than the other or that one is less valid than the other. Especially if both can come together to help build each other up despite the differences in their situations
/Tuca and Bertie season 1 is a story about how two people with two different personalities can not only come together to form a flawed yet bountiful friendship, but can also come together to use their own experiences with abuse and the trauma that it birthed and lift each other up in order to overcome it, no matter the type or the amount of abuse they faced. They still have a long way to go, but the fact that they have each other is proof that the path that they’re on is the right one./
But, I digress, Readers. Your homework assignment for the day: Write in the comment section below what you thought about season 1 of Tuca and Bertie
Or -- and I can’t stress this enough -- ONLY if you feel like sharing with the rest of the class, a time where you feel you benefitted from a relationship like Tuca and Bertie have to get you through something like stress, anxiety, abuse, anything of the sort.
Whichever you decide to answer, I’d love to know your thoughts.
