Definition
Absolutely Fabulous (often shortened to “Ab Fab”) is a British television sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders that aired from 1992 to 2012, with various specials and revivals. It follows Edina Monsoon, a PR agent desperately clinging to relevance, and her best friend Patsy Stone, a fashion editor who has apparently not slept since 1967. Together, they navigate London’s fashion and media scene through a haze of champagne, cigarettes, and spectacularly bad decisions.
Why It Matters
Absolutely Fabulous is one of the most influential British comedies of all time. It pioneered the “unlikable female protagonist” long before it became a trope — Edina and Patsy are selfish, vain, substance-abusing, and absolutely hilarious. The show coined catchphrases that entered the lexicon: “Sweetie, darling,” “I’m thin and gorgeous,” and Patsy’s iconic declaration that she hasn’t eaten since 1973. It was a love letter and a satire of the fashion industry, celebrity culture, and the desperate pursuit of youth. Before Sex and the City, before Girls, before Fleabag, there was Ab Fab proving that women could be messy, monstrous, and magnificent.
Example
“Edina bursts into her daughter’s room at 3 AM, holding a bottle of Bolly, wearing a Galliano dress she definitely can’t afford, and declares that she’s ‘absolutely fabulous’ despite having just been rejected by three magazines, two clients, and her own mother. Patsy is asleep on the sofa with a cigarette still burning. It’s Tuesday.”
The LMAAIFY Angle
Ab Fab is the spiritual ancestor of every influencer who posts “living my best life” while crying in an Uber. Edina Monsoon is what happens when you give a middle-aged woman an Instagram account and a sponsorship deal with a detox tea. The show’s genius is that it makes you root for two terrible people who should absolutely not be role models. Patsy Stone’s commitment to never eating, never sleeping, and never apologizing is honestly aspirational in a terrifying way. And the best part? Jennifer Saunders wrote it while high on her own painkillers after a car accident. That’s not a joke — that’s just British comedy dedication.
Related Terms
- Sweetie, Darling — The iconic Ab Fab greeting
- Patsy Stone — The eternal fashion editor who hasn’t eaten since 1973
- Edina Monsoon — The PR disaster in human form
- Bolly — Short for Bollinger champagne, the official beverage of Ab Fab
- PR Disaster — A person who is essentially Edina Monsoon in real life