Why You Should Watch "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" or How YouTube Changed my Opinion of Jane Austen

For the record, y'all can thank Jojo for this post. She encouraged me to write it (I mean, y'all really think we've had a one-year hiatus because we were banned from the internet or something? Come on). But moving on.


I promise to [try to] keep this short. A few days ago I was sitting in my living room, bored, when I remembered that some of my friends used to watch these videos called "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries." I refused to watch them as they came out/while they were popular with said friends because *gasp* I had yet to read Pride and Prejudice, so I didn't see the point. Also I hadn't read the book because I wasn't interested in the story, or in anything Jane Austen, for that matter.


Fast forward to last Christmas. I finally realized that, as an English major and self-proclaimed lover of literature, I really ought to read Pride and Prejudice. Besides, it's a personal philosophy of mine that you can't talk about something you don't know about (the reasoning behind my silence on Twilight, and my [lengthy] critiques of The Hunger Games). So I checked it out of the library (please hide your looks of alarm that I don't own this book. I thought we established my dislike for Austen already?) and forced myself through it over Christmas break.
Major pluses?
(1) I've finally read Pride and Prejudice, or, an Austen novel in full. . .
(2) I can now fully participate and engage in dialogue and debate about aforementioned Austen novel
(3) I love Lizzie and Darcy! I mean, I still totally don't get why they're such a great couple. Maybe that should go in the minuses?


Major Minuses?
(1) I still don't get the Lizzie-Darcy phenomenon
(2) Mrs. Bennet is possibly the most obnoxious fictional person on the planet
(3) No one DOES anything. All they do is talk. Or write letters. Or wait for visitors. Or visit the people that just left. Or wait to get married. Or talk more about their letters or visitors or [potential] impending marriages.


Fast forward to a few days ago back in my living room. As you have probably already inferred from the title of this post, I decided to watch these videos I had heard about. I'll admit, I was hooked from Episode One. Six episodes in, I decided to wait and share this viewing experience with my sister. Due to the reasonable length, colorful characters and general hilarity of each video (and the addictive nature of a YouTube playlist), we made it through 40 episodes that day!


The next day we watched about ten more episodes. Then last night we finished the series!
Yes, that's right. Finished. Done. All 100 episodes. Originally released twice a week for over a year, knocked out in less than three full-days' time. Yes, we stayed up until 1:30am to find out what happened.


But, here's the thing. My sister and I have both read Pride and Prejudice (and we've both seen the movie, albeit quite a time ago). Regardless, we know the story. We knew what was going to happen. So why were we so enthralled? Because we wanted to know how it was going to happen. This isn't a new concept (anyone seen a movie remake recently?), but it is one worth mentioning. Because, at the conclusion of our YouTube journey, I really like the story of Pride and Prejudice.


Yes, that's right. That realization shocked me too.


I've had quite a few realizations, actually.
(1) Classics are classic for a reason
(2) I was prejudiced against Pride and Prejudice, for reasons I will later explain
(3) Sometimes, a part of a story one person loves can hinder or even hurt another person's appreciation for the same story


To (hopefully) quickly conclude, I pose the following question: why do we read classic literature? People really love to write on this topic -- ranging from Sir Philip Sidney's An Apology for Poetry to those studies currently circulating the interwebs, which I would reference here, except I trust that you are capable enough to Google on your own. Some short excellent reasons include but are not limited to:
(1) we love stories because we were created by the greatest storyteller of all time
(2) we love stories because they are about people and we are inherently relational
(3) we love stories because they allow us to enter into the lives of another: to think and feel as a character thinks and feels
(4) we love stories because they show us truths about human nature


Classic literature is composed of works whose authors have accurately and artistically portrayed the lives of others, allowing us to not only read their stories, but to participate in them, resulting in us oftentimes learning as much about ourselves and our wider community of humankind as we do about anything that actually happens in the book.


So, what does this have to do with a YouTube channel? In short, "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" took everything I don't like about Pride and Prejudice, namely, how unrealistic the time period and setting make the plausibility of the story today, and changed it. But, in some stroke of genius, they were able to exchange the dated for the modern without compromising any major events of the plot, character qualities, lessons learned or truths taught. Every character is certainly different, and, true, some are missing. Mrs. Bennet is no less bothersome. But, the modern characters are no less real, face no fewer struggles and, honestly, I feel like I know them.


Whereas some people really love early 19th century England, full of well-read and accomplished women and dashing gentlemen ready to sweep them off their feet -- literally or figuratively -- the notion of a society where women must marry, can't own property and, let's be real, never wear pants is a major turn-off for me. The historical context of Austen's novel prohibited me from fully appreciating the story within it.


But, due to a fictional 24 year old in California pursuing a Master's degree in Mass Communications, I found a Lizzie Bennet I actually like. Lizzie in the 21st century, complete with twitter and planes and texting and independent women and many other things I love, let me see the deeper parts of her story. The parts we love stories for in the first place. I love Lizzie's relationship with her (albeit fewer) sisters.  I realize the magnitude of Darcy's actions towards the Bennet family, and Lizzie's prejudice against him. I realize the difficulty in communicating effectively, even in this century, and why so much of our lives involve SO. MUCH. TALKING.


So, my little adventure with YouTube and laughs turned into something much greater. Thanks to "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries," I learned about human nature and, yes, about myself. So: I suppose Jane Austen isn't so bad after all. Her story's lasted this long, hasn't it?


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okay fine. . .I guess I do love Lizzie and Darcy now.
They're not perfect, but they're perfectly human. And, while I definitely prefer the 21st century version of them, I guess the 19th century version is alright too :)


Thanks for sticking this out, if you've made it this far! Kudos to you!


- Tana