There’s horny on main, and then there’s Bela in The Sex Lives of College Girls. Not since Sex and the City’s Samantha has there been a character who is so fearlessly, gloriously horny. Bela’s (Amrit Kaur) love of sex isn’t just the funniest part of Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble’s truly lovely comedy. Bela herself has morphed into the friend we all need, in college and in life: a goddess who always encourages us to be our thirstiest, sexiest selves.
That’s specially true of Season 2. From The Sex Lives of College Girls’ very first episode, Bela introduced herself as a super sex positive person who was “ready to smash some Ds.” Initially, that sexual enthusiasm only applied to her own life as Bela paved her way through The Catullan with a dick in one hand and a sext-filled phone in the other. But in this latest season, Bela’s sexual enthusiasm has blossomed to touch everyone around her. It’s been glorious to behold.
We’re only four episodes in and already Bela has organized a strip show for charity, recruited the equally horny Lila (Ilia Isorelýs Paulino) to her comedy site, cheered on Leighton’s (Reneé Rapp) many hookups, and has introduced Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) to new sex positions. That sort of horny openness is a gift. And directly because of that kindness, we’ve seen Kimberley (Pauline Chalamet) and Leighton (Reneé Rapp) become more confident people.
Do you think that Kimberley would have been so aggressive with Nico (Gavin Leatherwood) and Jackson (Mitchell Slaggert) without Bela’s nagging? Would Leighton have been able to get over herself enough to screw every hot girl in sight if she didn’t have Bela cheering her from the sidelines? Absolutely not. Both Kimberley and Leighton needed someone to believe that they were badass drop-dead sexy bitches before they could believe it themselves and go after what they want. Time and time again, Bela has been proud to provide that service.
Also, let us not ignore the fact that, in this universe, Bela is actually funny. So often in shows, the “funny one” or “the guy obsessed with comedy” is only marginally funnier than the other characters on the show. The Sex Lives of College Girls works hard to give Bela as a character the absolute best jokes. This is not to knock Rapp, Chalamet, or Scott’s performances. But often when you’re laughing at them, it’s at their excellent performances rather than at Leighton, Kimberley, or Whitney.
Ever the wordsmith, Bela herself best sums up her personal superpower in “The Short King.” “I’d never slut shame you,” Bela tells Leighton. “In fact, I’d only shame you for not being enough of a slut.”
Is it crass? Always. But that’s exactly the type of friend every human needs. You need someone who reminds you to stick your tits out in front of hot crew guys and to test out how heights effect orgasms. So often sex feels like this taboo part of life. The Belas of the world remind us that doesn’t have to be the case. Sex is supposed to be fun, so why shouldn’t our conversations about it be just as much fun? We salute you Bela, your hedonic highness. Here’s hoping that your short king and straight twink are giving you everything you want in life.
