Women on TV I’d Like to Befriend

The TV we watch can be like a friend – it can validate us, make us feel seen, cultivate our existence, and allow us to roll around on a blanket of human emotion. Or in the case of my old roommate it can be a non-stop 24-hour cycle of documentaries about serial killers. Either way, we find comfort in what we find comfort in, and mine happen to be the woman on my screen. They’re always the most dynamic part of a show for me, and I especially love when women are shown to be genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Live or scripted I love them all, but some women in particular have convinced me on a spiritual level that we should be friends.

Merritt Wever (Zoe from Nurse Jackie)

http://https://youtu.be/3Jd9DKPrWQU?t=11s

This acceptance speech from when she won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Nurse Jackie, which she definitely is and was, is not only exactly what her character would do in the show, it is amazing. How in less than 10 seconds she convinced me I’m missing a crucial piece to a complete life by not being her friend is not unrelated to how effective she is as an actor.

The DriveTime Duo

https://youtu.be/rq5hU1ggRwc

I love these nerds so much. And the fact that I’m an adult woman who wishes she could be friends with actors in a car rental commercial means we’d get along perfectly.

Ilana & Abbi

http://https://youtu.be/fAKgcgISc8c

This is a big “duh” for everybody but I just love seeing a friendship between women that at its foundation is based on this inclination for the other to thrive.

This woman

http://https://youtu.be/CQeURxdmNKs

Be the friend that inspires your friends to be the change you want to see in the world.

Jessica Williams from The Daily Show

http://https://youtu.be/HbSBZycnyac?list=PLFEXlLbMJ0vBK5rURETj_uPA4tJWz2oGg

Jessica Williams would be the type of friend who would tell me to my face that my shirt is open and everyone can see my bra as plainly and swiftly as telling someone her drink order.

Katie Lee & Hoda from The Today Show

http://www.hulu.com/watch/765909

Look at these two nutjobs. Just absolutely no shame. Everyone needs that friend who – like mine, while running across the street into oncoming cars – screams, “NO RULES!” That’s Kathie Lee and Hoda.

Sue Perkins from The Great British Bake-off

When I first saw Sue Perkins on The Supersizers Go I proceeded to pull the totally normal move of consuming every piece of media she was ever a part of in a matter of like two days. Once I was finished I of course felt a deep sense of loss and then tucked her away into my brain, assuming a thing that TV personalities do is never be back on TV apparently. And then the Great British Bake-Off started. The pause, the look, and the juke right before she runs in this clip is poetry and reaffirms what I’ve always known to be true: Sue Perkins should be my friend.

Samantha Bee from Full Frontal

http://https://youtu.be/usgOsNhkKVE

If there is anyone as consistently funny and thoughtful and thorough as Samantha Bee, TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE SO I CAN BEFRIEND THEM TOO.

Janelle Monae

https://vine.co/v/eJd5W2e0tuw/embed

This is Janelle Monae at the 2015 BET Awards during Big Sean’s performance of “IDFWU” and while technically this is cheating and she isn’t “on TV” so much as she is “a song artist who occasionally is on your TV”, this is too good to pass up. In a friend.

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Erin

Los Angeles based writer. Let's keep it clean out there!

Erin has written 208 articles for us.

30 Comments

  1. Well you’ve done it now. How many times has the Great British Bakeoff been mentioned on this site? But I guess I had to see a clip to be fully convinced–because oh gosh she is adorable! I know what I’m doing tonight (and by tonight I mean right now while I wait for a 911 run).

    • I mean if this show suddenly converted into “all things GBBO” for a week I would be totally fine to be honest.

      But to be fair that’s about what happens to the UK / british media every August, so…

    • Sue is adorable. Her comedy partner Mel is adorable. The judge Mary Berry is the MOST adorable. Sometimes there is a Bake Off Squirrel and he/she/they are adorable. You want to watch Bake Off. You need to watch Bake Off.

  2. Originally read this as “Women I’d like to Boyfriend” and the content of the list seemed to fit, so

  3. While I was reading the opening paragraph, in my head I was picking Zoe from Nurse Jackie as my first choice, and there she was! Total validation.

    Also, throwing it out there that I’d pick Mel over Sue.

  6. Sue Perkins always.

    I knew my real life bff and I were true, platonic soul mates once Broad City came out. She is the Abbi to my Ilana and we both texted at the same time to tell each other this fact. I just need her to move the fuck closer to my home so we can snuggle more.

  8. Sue Perkins on Worlds most dangerous roads is the GREATEST thing but when we got our new TiVo box I lost the recording :'( Also her Mekong river series. Let’s face it I’ve been crushing since I was a wee baby dyke in the 90s…I’d watch her read the dictionary. It would be hilarious.

  9. Listening to Sam Bee read her audiobook on a longass road trip with my mom and sister is one of the most joyful memories I have. She is such a gift, and America does not deserve her.

  11. I was gonna say I’d like to be friends with Cristina Yang from Greys anatomy but I don’t know if I would be able to survive the numerous tragedies that happen at my friends workplace

  12. I have a million things to say about this list but the only coherent thoughts that are making it through are ABBI AND ILANA!!! SAMANTHA BEE!!!!!!! SOMEBODY TEXT JANELLE MONAE MY ADDRESS SO SHE CAN COME OVER AND WE CAN HAVE A DANCE PARTY. It’s not peculiar to twerk in the mirror and dance alone late at night IF YOU COME OVER WE CAN ALL DANCE IT OUT.

    Wait.

    WAIT.

    I want all of these women at a dance party with me RIGHT. NOW.

    I want to see Kathy Lee twerk on Hoda. That clip has to already exist somewhere, right?

  13. Ahh how did you know this was my list! Anyone I hadn’t heard of before is now officially added, of course. Plus Jenny Lewis.

  14. The two people I legit will be friends with lesbian gods willing is Jessica Williams and Britanni Nichols.

    I have too many personally written fanfreakyfic for it not to happen.

    *shrugs like it is done*

  16. If you’re one of the rare people in the world who doesn’t want to be best friends with Jessica Williams, check our her new podcast, 2 Dope Queens. You’ll certainly change your mind.

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