A quirky family of four – the mollycoddled 

 and the naive, yet bold father played by 

 – make up the four protagonists of Schitt’s Creek. We see the Rose family struggling to adapt to a modest lifestyle from a lavish one in the most ludicrous of ways. “

” – as exclaimed by Moira – gives us a broad understanding of the ridiculous and hysterical ways in which the family copes with the collectively “

Ironically, the theme of the show showcases the “

” style of comedy, which has been orchestrated by the creators quite uniquely. Although the hapless conditions of the protagonists are discernible, the viewer doesn’t get the slightest chance to sympathise with the 

, in fact, they easily manage to get a good laugh at the expense of their misery; such is the creative genius of the writers. The portrayal of this “

” theme is in itself an uncommon concept but Catherine O’Hara’s character manages to single-handedly carry this gimmick to the very end of the show. Her self-important, haughty, wig-loving character exhibits nothing but the gold standard of comedy in today’s time. Besides the occasional “

” outbursts by O’Hara’s character (which goes on to become one of the trademarks of the sitcom), the show incessantly thrives on subtlety. Even in dramatically demanding scenes like marriage proposals or heart-wrenching break-ups, 

there isn’t a single “over the top” element produced by any of the actors that would make you cringe

. This drives home for the viewers, who still manage to perceive the depth of every scene and end up shedding a tear or two.

Although the show in no way puts up a dogmatic narrative, the low-key hints that the storyline imparts on the realities of life cannot be overlooked. For instance, the pitfalls of boundless wealth and affluence on children are portrayed profoundly in the show. The lack of confidence of 

 and Moira in their children when they venture into independent careers or the way in which they justify themselves as “good parents” because they sent their kids to the “best of boarding schools” prove to be some good cases in point. The show also does its part in depicting a humanitarian angle to the plot, albeit in its own charming and humorous way. The newly destitute Roses are welcomed with open arms by the town’s residents, with whom they eventually foster healthy relationships. On the other hand, the people whom the Roses considered as friends had abandoned them right after they lost their wealthy status. This is nothing but 

a commentary on the flawed concept of superficial relationships which get easily influenced by irrelevant factors like “

Of all the dynamics that were established between the Roses and the side-characters, the one that people admired the most was the union of David and his partner, 

. The show’s entire essence of razor-sharp subtlety played right into the wheelhouse of this on-screen relationship. For once, the viewers got to witness a truly normalised same-sex relationship in a mainstream TV series, considering the “smalltown” life that the show depicted. What made this component stand out is the fact that the relationship was not just unsegregated from the main narrative as a “gay relationship”, but was also treated as a central plot point throughout the show. This led to an outpour of appreciation and affection for the show from all over the world. Although the show had myriad things to love and had already gathered oodles of admiration, their non-preachy and normalised approach towards representing the 

 community added a whole bunch of cherries on the cake. A noteworthy mention here would be David’s iconic dialogue where we saw him make a reference to his pansexual identity – “

” – which became a mantra that would echo through pride parades for years to come.

. One can feel the smooth sailing while binge-watching the series and witness how the storyline perfectly ties itself together without any loose ends. A conventional, mainstream sitcom is driven by ratings, which leads it to have a ceaseless runtime. Even though the popularity of 

 increased exponentially in 2019 and 2020, it didn’t subscribe to this conventional routine and followed its own pace. The six seasons of the show beautifully captures the nuances of the unique theme and plot line and hardly gives anything for people to complain about in the end. Although word-of-mouth has helped a great deal in promoting the show, what helped increase its traction was probably the record-breaking 

. After being an “underrated runner” in the market for five of its six seasons, it’s safe to say that the journey of Schitt’s Creek effortlessly culminated on a “beautiful high”.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Jamia Review or its members.

A Wholesome Comedy That’s Anything But “Schitt-y”

. It stands to be one of the most integral parts of the human psyche. “Esteem” is a crucial component of 

 a concept of motivation highly recognised by psychologists. Based on this theory, and several others, it can be said that without Esteem, an individual will never be able to bridge the gap between their perceived reality and the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential. Although this theory is debatable in the general sense, when contextualizing it towards the state of female sex workers in 

, the existing literature validates a major part of it. It is almost unsurprising if seen from a 

 the fact that self-esteem and self-worth in sex workers have always been susceptible to serious damage. One factor responsible for causing this damage is the derogatory branding and labeling of sex-workers done by other sections of society. Moreover, the prevailing usage of common colloquial terms for ‘sex workers’ by people as a means of insult is equally hurtful to the collective self-worth of the community. The relief provided to the community by not-for-profit reform groups and similar organizations is either temporary in nature or isn’t substantial to tackle the vast target group. Moreover, a majority of these organizations lack the resources and the power to intervene and alleviate the sex workers’ distraught working conditions at a large scale. The dearth of capable administrative bodies that could solely focus on empowering this marginalized community is also a reason for concern. As we can still witness widespread defamation of sex workers and stigmatization of sex work in general; it signifies nothing but a sign of inadequate social security being provided to the community. Women in the sex work community are labeled with terms that make them seem anything but normal in front of society. The repercussions of which include sex workers being 

e” community. This denies them the basic necessities which in turn would be at one’s disposal if it were for any other civilian.

ANTECEDENT FACTORS & IMPLICATIONS OF HIGH AND LOW SELF-ESTEEM IN SEX WORKERS:

 attitude of the world decreases the worth of 

 in society. So much so that they are targeted by persecutory authorities under false claims of being accomplices in trafficking. When in fact, they are the 

 in the first place. Further feeding the flame is a vague legal framework that neither denies nor does it fully accept sex work as a legitimate mode of income and occupation. Keeping these instances in mind, low self-esteem in sex workers might just be considered a foreseeable occurrence. However, it is worth mentioning here that several studies have reported that sex workers may not necessarily find their work detrimental to their self-worth. It carries a sense of accomplishment for them; they develop a sense of power over their clientele. Which in turn makes them value themselves more than the value they’ve been “assigned”?

Results of focus groups have identified that hostile living conditions and the stigma associated with their profession get ingrained within the psyche of sex workers, thus taking a toll on their self-esteem. The lack of safe spaces, for both physical and emotional well being adds to this. It has been found that when sex workers fail to get their emotions gratified, it adds to their plight. The women with children are made to feel like “

” mothers. They are made to believe that their children will grow up to have damaged personas; hence their self-worth as mothers also falls drastically. There has been a lack of autonomy in most sex worker’s lives right from their early years. With a restricted sense of free will, their self worth has been subjected to the direct influence of employers. It is disheartening realities that sex workers who have been bludgeoned into this profession depend on their clients to validate their self-esteem. The objectification they experience knows no bounds, so much so that some of them may internalize this behavior as the only way to know their worth. Having a lowered level of self-esteem in the first place may lead them to seek gratification from clients. This depends on the “status” of clients, the amount of money they’re willing to pay and the frequency of their visits. Low self-esteem has paved the way for 

 in sex workers. Referring to the excerpts of a focus group discussion, 

several women claimed to have suicidal thoughts

 whenever the going tends to get tough for them. Sex workers are generally bound by the stronghold of a brothel environment. This becomes an additional factor of restriction, prohibiting them from a life beyond their perceived reality.

 is one of the main stressors that lead to the lowering of self-worth within sex workers. This creates a conflicting situation as the adversity of a brothel atmosphere generally gives a perception of sex workers as being enslaved and coerced, which is even true in several cases. But a major factor of their low self worth relies on their 

 as legitimate professionals, which in retrospect might be deemed paradoxical.

 which is tougher to break free from. Women who are conditioned to be recruited in sex work right from their adolescent days are accustomed to vulnerability and the deprived quality of life. Limiting themselves to this way of life and being treated like objects that are “

” may act as major jabs on their self-esteem. The crux of the matter stands to be sex workers being romanticized or victimized in front of the world. The masses, although well-meaning, often fail to understand their plight. Certain elements and individual entities of society make their attempts to empathize with sex workers. But in a state of entrapment, where dreams are obliterated, 

 Their reality remains distorted for the world. Of the several battles the community struggles to triumph, the one that they fight with themselves has the potential to overshadow the rest.

Articles by Diptarka Chatterjee

A Wholesome Comedy That’s Anything But “Schitt-y”

Exploring the intricacies of Self Esteem and Psychological Well Being in the Sex Workers’ Community

A Wholesome Comedy That’s Anything But “Schitt-y”

Exploring the intricacies of Self Esteem and Psychological Well Being in the Sex Workers’ Community