You Have to Watch ‘Pen15’
If you know what it’s like te feel like you don’t fit in, Pen15 is for you.
Pen15 is a new comedy from The Lonely Island. You may remember them from hit songs like “I Just Had Sex” and “I’m On a Boat.” The Lonely Island was the peak of comedic music in the early 2000s, and you probably jammed to “Like a Boss” at least twice. This being said, there couldn’t be a better team to take on a comedy all about the year 2000 and growing up.
Pen15 follows the story of Anna and Maya, two thirteen-year-olds getting ready to start the mother of all challenges, seventh grade. It comes with all the pain and awkwardness that you probably felt when you started middle school, but that impact only feels harsher because the two main stars, Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, are both playing tweenagers when they, themselves, are in their early thirties and mid-twenties respectively. The kicker? All of their co-stars are actual middle school students, meaning the girls stick out like a sore thumb.
This show captures the true feelings of middle school in a way few shows have. It is funny and cringe-worthy while staying true to the gravity of certain situations. It is open and honest about sex and learning to deal with your own personal prejudice, but keeps it light with explorations of a first kiss and a thirteen-year-old romance.
Pen15 is streaming exclusively on Hulu and all eight episodes are out now. Go check it out. You’re sure to feel nostalgic.
I am an undergraduate student at the University of Washington studying Musical Theatre and Psychology. I live and work in Seattle, a city I am totally in love with, and am a born and raised Pacific Northwest baby. I love music, dancing, video games, comic books, coloring, and gluten free pasta.
