Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a show about underdogs. Having escaped from a cult in a bunker, Kimmy Schmidt has more than her fair share of things to overcome once she’s back to the surface and interacting with the wider world. On top of leaving the weirdness of her former life behind, Kimmy must also figure out how to fit in in New York City. Let’s just say that it isn’t easy starting over after almost two decades underground — an adventure that will continue into season two, which debuts on Netflix Friday.
Even if you have much less to overcome, fitting in and finding your place can be more than a little tricky. Some people are born with a natural charm and charisma, while others just aren’t. If you are the latter, do not fret (okay, you can fret a little). It may take some work, but with Kimmy as your spirit guide, there is still hope for you yet, weirdo.
“Oh, I am very normal. I’ve had everything normal happen to me.”
When you’re feeling out of place, you might feel the urge to be a little too forceful in asserting that you are, indeed, normal. However, the more that you have to convince people that you’re normal, the less normal you are going to appear. If you’re trying to fit in, it’s probably best to own your particular brand of strange and roll with it. You may not blend in, but who wants to be just another face in the crowd?
“Titus, dancing is about butts now!”
If you aren’t particularly cool, you may not be up on all of the latest trends. The last time you went to a party was, well, a while ago, so things are probably a little different now. The basics remain the same: people show up, drink alcohol, and dance up on each other. However, the little details frequently change. Trying to fit in can be exhausting, so don’t feel too bad if you don’t get it right the first time. Besides, whatever dance people are doing now will be over soon anyway. Something tells me the Whip and Nae Nae isn’t going to stand the test of time.
“Hashbrown, no filter.”
When you’re trying to use slang, make sure you’re using it correctly. Like that time in elementary school when you mispronounced a word because you’ve only ever seen it written, using the latest jargon can be pretty embarrassing if you somehow manage to mess it up. There are two options here: either spend countless hours on Twitter and Tumblr in order to pick up on every single nuance of modern lingo, or you just go about your life and talk like a regular person.
“Just take it ten seconds at a time. Everything will be okay.”
The next time you’re in a situation when you’re just trying to blend in and feel normal, repeat this mantra. Trying to fit in and find friends can be exhausting, so when you’re feeling particularly lonely, just remind yourself that you can beat this thing. You may still be a little odder than the average bear, but you’ll find your group eventually. Until then, you can make do for the next ten seconds at a time.
“It’s a photo of a man’s penis. I read that people text them to each other.”
Even when you’re trying your hardest (or maybe especially when), sometimes you may bungle it when it comes to romantic relationships. Let’s face it: it’s miracle enough that someone was into whatever weirdness you were putting down, but it’s up to you not to scare them away. If you’re going to succeed in your love quest, keep all talk about your “kiss hole” and nicknames like “sugar balls” in check.
“Are you into Molly?” – Girl at the bar
“Am I?! She’s my favorite American Girl!” – Kimmy
Taking drugs to try and be cool doesn’t work. Taking drugs when you aren’t even sure what they are works even less.
“1996 called. It wants its clothes back.” – Xanthippe
“Hey, Xan. 2090 called. You’re dead and you wasted your time on Earth.” – Kimmy
Ah, there’s nothing like a good pile-on between friends to unite everyone with a little light-hearted meanness. However, in pursuit of a laugh and consequently a feeling of belonging, you might find yourself going too far. Sure, you meant it as a joke, but you were a little too on the nose. It’s ok. You can come back from this. Just apologize and move on, and learn a little bit more about reading the room.
“I was trying to have fun, but then I made everything weird, ’cause I’m weird.”
Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but accept that you’ll always be a little weird. It may make fitting in a little bit more difficult, but seriously, everyone has their own type of strange deep down. If you can find a way to own your weirdness, you’ll probably be even more likely to find friends who are the same kind of weird as you. And really, that’s the best kind of fitting in.