Intertwined with interviews and shots of Lebowitz walking around Manhattan, the episodes revolve around scenes with longtime friend Martin Scorsese as he talks to her at a table at The Players in Manhattan. Netflix’s limited series Pretend It’s a City is a seven-episode collection of Fran Lebowitz complaining. She personifies a pricklier era of New York City that many are nostalgic for, even though they never experienced it. She is therefore an inspiration to many, especially writers who hate most people and doing things but passionately love the art they write about and consume.

Her brutal honesty is her most defining characteristic: She hates the things she hates and she isn’t afraid to say it. She became famous for her voracious commentary on American culture and life in New York City - a well-dressed Larry David before Larry David. Now, on rough nights (read: almost every night) I’m up until three o’clock in the morning watching clips of Fran Lebowitz complaining on Late Night With David Letterman in the ’80s instead of doomscrolling on Twitter dot com.įran Lebowitz is a writer who hasn’t published a book in nearly 30 years. On one of the many dark days online in 2020, a good friend texted me, “When I’m feeling petty, I watch old clips of Fran Lebowitz complaining on YouTube.” This tip quelled my anxiety instantly, although not permanently. Need a distraction? Try watching Fran Lebowitz complain about, well, anything in Pretend It’s a City.

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