For many of us girls, we clearly remember the idiocy of our PE self-defense classes. While the boys got to wrestle, we learned how to fend off potential attackers through heel strikes and eye gouges. Yet, for characters PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) in the 2023 comedy film “Bottoms,” self-defense is social currency rather than a sadly practical skill.
The fight club is a way for the two to get closer to potential romantic partners under the guise of combatting the “serious lack of female solidarity at this school” by teaching others what they had learned in juvie (a lie that would cause problems later on).
The movie features a highly satirical version of an All-American high school. Education is practically non-existent whereas sports rules all. Violence replaces any semblance of rationality or critical thinking. Hostility is woven into almost all of the power dynamics: men/women, straight/gay, teacher/student, popular/outcast, and most cataclysmic, between the home and rival high school.
While the display is clearly over-the-top, it is reflective of the very real and tangible violence that students, especially girls, face in high school. It is a strange dichotomy, where the most disturbing acts of stalking and gendered violence are the most normalized and realistic parts of this fantasy world (and perhaps our own as well). Often, the fears of those who are not “on top” are disregarded and ignored, leading them to discover their own subversions of this system. When the girls argue with their principal about the need for self-defense, PJ declares, “Maybe I should buy a gun!”
“Bottoms” is a clear comedic critique of our generation’s botched use of social movements and moral superiority. No topic is off limits for its comedic potential. PJ does not care about feminism but just wants to get laid. Director Emma Seligman’s use of distinctly Gen Z humor is a direct message to 2000s babies: we are not nearly as progressive as we think we are. Cheerleader Brittany (Kaya Gerber) says it most candidly: “Well, I’ve been assaulted like a million times. But I’m more annoyed that everyone knows me for being beautiful and popular, and no one knows that I am actually smart and super driven.”
Ultimately, true girl power lies in community, one that PJ and Josie built unintentionally. Sex becomes obsolete if people can’t actually communicate with each other. And Gen Z’s obsession with aesthetics, visual image and media spaces means we are losing the ability to connect. We are aware of our social problems, but how do we actually solve them? “Bottoms” answers simply: through sisterhood.
While the humor can be a little too on the nose, “Bottoms” is a funny and awkward teen movie that highlights the anger-fueled angst of the age through comedy. While there is humor at every corner, its message is far deeper and more impactful.
