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Pop culture forays into adolescent adventure
Gossip Girl a guilty pleasure, delight
By Christy Brownfield
Bitch is the new black for the privileged and tortured Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), who, along with frienemy and “It Girl” Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), is wreaking havoc on the Upper East Side. Much criticism pours in from parent groups regarding the blatant glamorization of underage drinking, recreational drug use and sexual dalliances among these characters.
Guilty-pleasure television seems to be in no short supply these days. With a slew of reality shows offered by each network and teen dramas sprouting up left and right, it’s natural to wonder what sort of staying power these shows present. Touted as the O.C. reincarnate, “Gossip Girl” comes all wrapped up in East Coast pomp, proving to skeptics that executive producer Josh Schwartz has a knack for drawing in the underage set, and may be sticking around for a few more seasons.
Entering its second season, Gossip Girl seems to be hitting a stride with viewers and critics alike, showing a significant ratings hike compared to the first season. In fact, the show’s low rating last year made some wonder whether the plug would be pulled early, but as iTunes tracked the show as a popular download and The CW saw much traffic to its Web site (where full episodes are streamed), the decision was made to move forward.
Based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, Gossip Girl features an ensemble cast of beautiful people with fancy names and seemingly limitless cash flow. Bitch is the new black for the privileged and tortured Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), who, along with frienemy and “It Girl” Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), wreaks havoc on the Upper East Side. Much criticism pours in from parent groups regarding the blatant glamorization of underage drinking, recreational drug use and sexual dalliances among these characters.
The main question on minds right now, however, is whether or not Schwartz will keep this new series running longer than its ill-fated older sister, The O.C.?
With a large cast and 12 books of material to fall back on, the main obstacle will be continuing the show after the characters finish high school, a barrier the O.C. was unable to overcome.
To put things in perspective, Saved by the Bell: The College Years lasted just one season before fading into TV history, and Dawson’s Creek, Beverly Hills 90210 and Veronica Mars were all doomed by the post-graduation curse.
For the moment, however, the addictive nature of the show draws in viewers each week. Gossip Girl coins phrases like “XOXO, you know you love me,” and furthers the pop practice of calling individuals by the first letter of their last name.
As the new go-to show for the latest styles and trends, Gossip Girl can be forgiven for a lack of depth in dialogue and an outrageous story line twist here or there, since in exchange viewers are treated to a taste of luxury in complete excess. In the end, Gossip Girl makes the perfect guilty pleasure show du jour.
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