Why I Could Never Be Friends with Bridget Jones
January 3, 2007 by Kristen King
Filed under Women's Health
Let me start by saying that I think Helen Fielding is to be commended for what she’s done for chick lit as a genre. But that doesn’t mean I like her main character.Bridget’s on the right track when she resolves to take better care of herself by cutting back on the ciggies and the booze, but the fact that she measures her happiness by whether Daniel Cleaver is more or less interested in getting into her knickers on any given day just grates on me. Oh, and did I mention that he’s her boss? Um, duh, bad idea.She gets a bit better by the end of the book/film, but it’s too little too late as far as I’m concerned. Happiness isn’t about what the scale says or how many men are trying to seduce you. It’s about feeling good physically and emotionally. Of course it’s flattering when someone you’re potentially interested in shows some interest in you (check out Damn, I still got it!), but you can’t allow that to make or break your self-confidence.She seems like a nice girl, that Bridget, but I just don’t think we could be friends. What do you think?
Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King
Yeah, I could be friends with Bridget — because we’re real. I know that we’re supposed to have all those issues under control, but if we’re honest, they just creep out at times. And usually the most inopportune of times.
So Bridget and I would be friends. And we’d shore one another up. And we’d cry with one another when we fell short. And most of all, we’d go out for cocktails and remind ourselves of why our own opinion of ourselves was so much more important than a man’s opinion of us.
Mary Jo, I love what you said about you and B.J. shoring one another up. It’s so important for women to encourage one another build one another up. Developing a support system, whether through friends, family, or an official group, is critical. It helps you maintain perspective and find solace and inspiration.
Great comment. Keep ‘em coming!
Kristen :]
I found her dumber in the second book. She gets arrested for drug smuggling or something. Duh!
Amen to that! And the whole “Like a Virgin” scene in the Cambodian jail cell (Was it Cambodia? Maybe it was somewhere else…) was just so far over the top for me. In her defense, the drug thing wasn’t her fault, but still.
kk :]
Afterthought: Fictional characters probably don’t need to be defended, as I just did in my previous comment, but there you have it. :]
kk