I’m sure Netflix expected their most watched series of the season to be something cheesy, romantic, and let’s face it – not at all stimulating. We choose to watch programmes that pollute our brain cells and distract us from the fast paced, stress inducing and complicated time we are living in. However, the binge-watching community has surprised Netflix this autumn by making ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ it’s current most popular series.
The series stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a fictional teenage girl from Kentucky - who faces drug and alcohol dependency during her journey from orphaned addict to the world’s greatest chess player. Chess – a game society stereotypes as played by stuffy Oxbridge students in cashmere jumpers and leather brogues. This story presents a girl that succeeds in a male dominated game, despite her atypical background. She becomes a stylish young woman, who exceeds expectations in every area of her life, and proves to oppressed young girls around the globe that they too, can succeed in whatever field they may choose.
The entertainment industry has a huge impact on the trends and culture of society. For example: when ‘Stranger Things’ came out in 2016, scrunchies, white trainers and denim-on-denim hit the high street within days of the series’ arrival. Girls appeared on Instagram with knee socks and colourful button-down shirts, inspired by Millie Bobby Brown’s fascinating Eleven. 4 years later, Taylor-Joy’s portrayal of the most successful woman in chess has hit the world by storm in a different way. Of course, her black turtlenecks and 60s silk scarves are incredibly covetable, but eBay disclosed that the online marketplace has had a 273% increase in searches for chess sets since the release of the series on the 23rd October. Taylor-Joy has re-proven that the entertainment industry is slowly but surely, changing society’s view of women in all areas of culture.
