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Diane Nguyen And The Commodification of Pain
The final episodes of Bojack Horseman just aired on Netflix, marking the end of one of the most influential animated series of the decade. Don’t get me wrong, the show is not without its faults. The central character, Bojack, is infuriating for many reasons. He is a perfect composite of so many powerful men in the media for whom we are encouraged to feel sympathy, due to their apparent trauma and self-loathing, despite the fact they use that trauma and self-loathing as justification for the most egregious behaviors without demonstrating any desire to do the arduous work required in making amends. Like these real life men, Bojack’s outbursts have the most negative impact on those without his power and status.
All in all, I would argue that the series, especially in its later half, does a very good job of articulating these inequities while zeroing in on the cyclical nature of abuse, as well as on the impossibility of healing without consequences. The series also, very smartly, pulls focus to the characters surrounding Bojack and fleshes them out in compelling ways.
One such character is Diane Nguyen. She begins the series as Bojack’s love interest, and a foil for his character. They were both raised in abusive homes, but they differ in their expressions of that trauma — expressions which are rooted in societal norms and gendered expectations…
