DUMB: Netflix Sitcom ‘Pretty Smart’ Complains World Is a ‘Straight Space’

MRCTV Contributor | October 10, 2021
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Pretty Smart is a new Netflix sitcom (released Friday) about recently dumped Harvard graduate Chelsea (Emily Osment) who moves in with her bubbly sister Claire (Oliva Macklin) and her three roommates. But it’s pretty dumb when it comes to its explanation of the world of “straight spaces.”

In the fourth episode, one of the roommates, Jayden (Michael Hsu Rosen), a gay social media influencer, goes to a gay bar for a Laura Dern party. Claire invites herself to the party, and Jayden does not have the heart to tell her no. After Claire ruins Jayden’s reenactment of Jurassic Park at the party, he runs to hide in the bathroom. When Claire asks what’s wrong, he replies he doesn’t want her there because she is straight and everything is a “straight space.”

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Jayden: It’s not about you.

Claire: It feels like it is. It feels like you don’t want me here at all. What’s going on?

Jayden: Ok, you know when you go to the bank?

Claire: No, I do all my banking on my phone.

Jayden: Just pretend you go to the bank.

Claire: Ok. I think I see a robber.

Jayden: No, no, he’s not a robber. He’s just a straight guy in a stupid beanie. And everyone else in the bank is straight too. Except me, and maybe the twink counting bills behind the counter, but forget about him he got so high and mighty after he bleached his hair. The point is the bank, by default is a straight space. And the world is full of straight spaces, doctor’s offices, gas stations, H&R Blocks. Explaining why I spend so much on iced coffee to my accountant is so annoying… It’s a lot. Being gay in a straight world can be exhausting. So having spots like this, it’s so important to me. A place where I don’t feel like a stranger in a straight land. Does that make sense?

Claire: Yes, totally. Jaydie, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to explain these things to me, but I’m really glad you did.

According to Jayden, doctor’s offices, gas stations, and H&R Block are “straight spaces” because those areas don’t cater to the LGBTQ (if that’s the right acronym now) agenda at all. Except, everywhere you look, especially during “Pride Month” in June, companies bend over backwards for the LGBTQ mob.

During the month of June, almost every major company changed their logos to rainbow and if a company didn’t, it was seen as a bad thing. Turn on your TV and many shows, particularly children’s shows, depict LGBTQ characters and songs. Even Blues Clues, a show aimed at preschoolers, had a drag queen singing about identities.

Despite what Jayden in Pretty Smart says, the world is not a “straight space.” It is very much a gay space catering to a very tiny percentage of the population.

Related: Netflix ‘Gay James Bond’ Cartoon Embraces Demonic Eroticism, Calls Jesus ‘Her’

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