To See or Not to See: Chewing Gum

Netflix’s prediction algorithm is one day going to take over the world, I just know it. A show called “Chewing Gum” kept popping up on my Netflix homepage, starting a few months ago. I would read the description, mull over it, then dismiss it. I wasn’t ready to commit to a new show and have to get comfortable with a whole new cast of characters.

Then the day came when the algorithm wore me down, and I dove into the candy-colored, laugh-out-loud funny world of Tracey Gordon. All I can say is, thank you Netflix.

There aren’t many shows out there that depict low-income housing in all of its multi-cultural glory without a heavy dose of tragedy. And that is precisely where Chewing Gum shines. The comedy normalizes the people in London’s public housing (or as they’re known in England, council estates). The people in Tracey’s world want the same things we do: love, others to believe in us (or our causes), careers, the best for our families, and yes, even sex.

The show is raunchy, but in a surprising way. Tracey is a virgin who longs for more from her uptight Christian boyfriend but doesn’t even know what exactly to ask for due to her sheltered religious upbringing. There’s a funny scene in the first episode (clip here, warning: NSFW) where Tracey is praying with her boyfriend but dreaming about “having sex” with him–only it involves her licking his eyebrows and hair because she doesn’t know any better. Actress Michaela Coel, who plays Tracey, deploys her elastic face to hilarious effect throughout the show (never better than when she’s trying to look sexy).

The best/worst part? There are only six episodes so it’s not the same level of TV commitment as, say, Game of Thrones.

I would recommend “Chewing Gum” for those who enjoy a good laugh and aren’t afraid of a bit of awkwardness (but awkwardness that is transmuted into comedy gold).