Former Teacher Convinced ‘New Girl’ Is Actually About Her Has Impressive Evidence She’s ‘An Ingredient’ Of Jess Day
Kathy Hutchins | Shutterstock We all know and love the iconic, quirky, ukulele-playing teacher Jessica Day, the leading character in the hit show "New Girl". She's the perfect epitome of millennial joy in the early 2000s, embodying the spirit of all things "twee."
For Micaela Blei, though, Jessica Day is more than just a character. While reflecting with her 16-year-old niece, Blei discovered serious parallels between her experiences in her early twenties and those humorously depicted in "New Girl." She's got the evidence to prove it, too.
Teacher Micaela Blei may be an inspiration for Jessica Day from 'New Girl,' and her quirky experiences only prove it further.
The idea sparked in Blei's mind when she was sharing her life in New York City after college graduation with her teenage niece, and she immediately connected the dots. "'Auntie Mookie... are you New Girl?'" Her niece said, according to Blei, in a now continued series about the "New Girl" coincidences.
At first, Blei admitted that she was skeptical, but when she continued to reveal details, it became more obvious. During her time in New York City, she had shared an illegal loft with three men, all the while being an admittedly quirky elementary school teacher. She wrote songs about history on her ukulele, wore spunky outfits, had a classroom stuffed animal rock band, and was in a comedy group. But perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence is that she actually went to school with the creator of "New Girl," Liz Meriwether.
Our potential leading woman shared that she was two years ahead of Meriwether in school, but they were in neighboring comedy groups and knew of each other. While the two had no personal bond, it is possible that she collaborated creatively with Blei's former roommates.
She had a close bond with her male roommates, which mirrors the relationships shared within the show. According to Blei, they would help act out scenarios for her classroom, make up in-house jokes like "top point second unit", and allow her the only room with a door in the loft (seeing as she was the only woman).
She even had her own "Nick Miller," the famous love interest of the show, who was also one of her roommates, but the result was a shared kiss rather than a happily-ever-after.
When reaching out to her former roommates, they furthered the evidence that the show drew inspiration from their lived experiences.
After the TikTok series blew up for its shocking parallels, Blei reached out to two of her former roommates to check the timeline of events, or even if they knew about the show's inspiration.
Her designated "Nick Miller" confirmed that she had been inside the loft before, countering Blei's suspicions about this detail. "I did a few shows with her. Timeline checks out," he revealed through a text.
The loft's "Schmidt" also responded, despite the many years since they last saw each other, and stated that, while he is not able to determine whether the show is actually inspired by them, he believes there could be a couple of elements mixed in.
Blei noted that his answer was him being wary about the idea of credit, which is something she has been mindful of, as she does not want to make Meriwether uncomfortable. She explicitly stated that she does not want credit and that this series was simply to have fun with her newfound fan base.
While there is no solid proof that Blei was the inspiration for Jess Day, Meriwether has alluded to her time in New York City as crucial in the writing process.
There have been several theories online regarding the inspiration behind "New Girl". Meriwether has stated in a 2013 interview that Jess Day is an amalgamation of many different people, one of them being Diane Keaton.
There is also a rumor that the show was written based on Meriwether's time surfing from one Craigslist sublet to the next in the heart of L.A. for about four years. Since the show takes place in L.A., this is feasible.
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Perhaps the most relevant theory to Blei's situation is based on information provided by Meriwether when she appeared on "Larry King Now". The creator said that she had friends in Williamsburg who lived in a loft, and oftentimes she would end up spending hungover days there.
Since Blei had moved out of the loft circa 2003, it is possible that Meriwether ended up in the loft in New York City that would eventually inspire the show. The gap in their schooling times makes the timeline possible, and it would explain her roommates' casual responses.
Blei encourages the takeaway that all of us reflect the characters in 'New Girl' in some way.
Although there's no certainty if Blei is in fact Jess Day, she insists that the characters can be all of us; she even said that she was a bit "Schmidt".
The show has been a source of comfort for those looking to relive their twenties, people figuring out adulthood, or those invested in the romantic plot. Perhaps the reason why we are so connected to the quirky sitcom is because of its mirrored elements of our lives.
Alexandre Debiève | Unsplash
Regardless of whether or not the show is reminiscent of her life, Blei is not concerned with finalizing the details. "[I] just want everyone to get along, it's part of how I'm built," she said.
Spoken like a true Jessica Day.
Gabrielle Mattes is a writer working towards a Creative Writing degree. Her focus is lifestyle, wellness, human interest, and relationships.
