Kristen Bell, A Total Dick

Kristen Bell has made not just an entire career, but an entire person-specific genre, out of being an unapologetic asshole.

Kristen Bell in 'Nobody Wants This" (2024) (Netflix)

(Lainey: Today’s newsletter comes to us courtesy of Duana who’s been studying Kristen Bell for as long as I’ve known her.)

The above title isn’t clickbait. At least not in the way you think. At no point in this piece am I going to point out that, actually, Kristen Bell isn’t a dick. Because she is. What I am going to do, though, is point out that, actually, that’s her superpower.

Everyone is loving Nobody Wants This, and I think that’s appropriate – it’s funny and feels fresh, and that’s, yes, partly casting and the chemistry of Bell + Adam Brody, but also very, very much a credit to writer/creator Erin Foster. Her characters feel real and familiar, who might act like we would in similar situations, and that includes being less than perfect some (much?) of the time. I’m not super familiar with Foster’s podcast with her sister, Sara, but my understanding is that this level of realism is part of their brand.

Which makes Kristen Bell this show’s secret weapon. Let me explain…