I am excited to report that quite a few readers have answered my call for guest posters! I have decided to call the guest post feature "RSVP." Cute, huh? Today's guest post comes from A-The-Writer-Not-The-Tennis-Player. A and I were on the tennis team together in high school (a surprisingly competitive and successful team, considering that our get-fired-up song was "Brown-Eyed Girl"?!). A is an awesome tennis player and the sort of positive, fun person who is always enjoyable to be around. A is recently married and lives in Florida. Having noted that many NTB authors and readers seem to love television, she sent me this post on Gossip Girl. It's a helpful overview of the show and characters for those of you, like me, who have not yet developed this particular addiction . . .
Let's talk addiction. I used to smoke way back when. Long story and I can't be sure why I ever made that decision but either way, I was an addict. Alcohol: I am certainly not an addict, but I do thoroughly enjoy a glass of full bodied red wine. Gossip Girl: I know, I know...what a silly addiction but I am not ashamed to admit it. I love Gossip Girl. I love the teen angst. All I have to say is that I thank God that my high school (Go Rams!) was nothing like this. But seriously, are there high schools out there like the one in the Upper East Side? Sex. Drugs. Theft. Hot, well-dressed students. Affairs with married women.
Blair with her "queen" status, constantly looking for any attention she can get from her mother, Serena, her off again-on again friends. Her mother is a clothing designer and her ex is Nate. She is constantly trying to manipulate situations so she seems like the golden one.
Serena is supposedly the protagonist in this drama. She is beautiful and popular and up until the most recent episode, seemed to be morally set. She is evolving as the show progresses. The boy she loves is from "the other side of the tracks." She does have a shady past considering the drugs and alcohol and the sleeping with Nate who was dating her best friend, Blair.
Dan aka "lonely boy" is just trying to find himself and the writer inside him. I can understand that. I'm not going to lie, I have a little cougar like crush on him - in a very harmless, married way. I do relate to his character which is probably why I like him. His has a girl best friend, Vanessa. She is infatuated with Nate.
Chuck is the bad boy. He wants to be known as that but it is just a facade for a boy who had a lonely childhood. He's bored and like to keep himself busy with the things only money can buy. Give me a break though, high school student drinking scotch? I do enjoy his bantering/love triangle with Blair.
Nate is the "pretty boy" who deep down is a good guy. His dad is corrupt and he feels the need to take care of his family. He did have an affair with the married dutchess. My prediction is that he and Jenny will end up together at some point. Don't keep Vanessa out of his web of love interests though.
Jenny is Dan's little sister. Fashion inclined, she wants to belong. She wants to be an upper east-sider but doesn't like all of the games that go with it. Looks like Jenny and Blair who started off as enemies may turn into allies this season. She is the girl with the conscience who continues to defy her father over and over again.
Rufus is the father that keeps on being defied. He doesn't have the mother of their children around so he is just trying to do what's best. He is stuck in the atmosphere of high society but is still considered "poor." He has a very interesting past with Lily.
Lily is Serena's mother. She and Rufus used to date way back when. They feel in love but love couldn't survive their social differences. She just married Chuck's father which makes them step siblings.
Vanessa is Dan's best friend. She is the urban version of Serena. She and Dan are just friends but they seem to understand each other on another level. She cares for Nate but got blackmailed into not pursuing their relationship.
So those are the main characters. Doesn't it seem like they are all related somehow? I just figured out why I enjoy this show. Even though my high school and even college experience come nowhere close to the dramatics of this, I can definitely identify with a lot of the characters. I think a lot of people can. You usually know someone who wants to outshine the rest, especially when you are young. Hopefully most of us have that one true friend who understands us on a different level. I know I do and he happens to be of the opposite sex. Bottom line is that this show may not be so far fetched.
I just hope that if/when I have children and they attend high school, it is nothing like this. As a parent, I don't know how I wouldn't go off the deep end. Guess I won't be moving to the Upper East side anytime soon. I just don't think I'd fit in.
So that is my addiction. I'm so addicted that I write a blog about it. On the good side, it does give me something to look forward to after a long Monday at work. And apparently it gives me something else to write about. Gotta love the CW.
Thanks A-The-Writer-Not-The-Tennis-Player! So, what about you? Do you watch Gossip Girl? Any thoughts on the show and/or its resemblance to your own high school experience? What are you watching this Fall? It's all old favorites for me, though I have decided to give the Chef Jeff Project (Food Network) and The Starter Wife (USA) a try, plus, God forgive me, The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Bravo).
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9 comments:
This summary was enormously helpful for me. New York Magazine, which is my own personal addiction, loves the crap out of Gossip Girl, and often references it, analyzes it, etc. As I find that I like most things vetted by NY Mag, I've been curious (but not curious enough to actually watch, not being too big of a TV person.)
There are bill boards all around NYC, where I live, with steamy images of the characters and phrases like, "A Parent's Worst Nightmare," that advertise the show. This makes me sort of less inclined to tune in? Also less inclined to move to the UES, not that I was ever inclined to do that to begin with...
As a loyal viewer, let me commend you on the concise and accurate account of the characters. It may seem a little simple to non-viewers when put on paper, but the show is delighful and continues to surprise me enough to keep me interested.
One random observation I've been pondering is why every high school drama seems to have the token "writer" character? Andrea Zuckerman on 90210, Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill, and of course the adorable Dan Humphrey on GG. I'd even strech and throw Dawson Leary (Dawson's Creek) in there even though he told his story via film, not book. I don't know about you, but I didn't know any fellow Rams destined for penning the next great american novel, editing the NY Times, or having a sit down with Spielberg. Guess we weren't aiming high enough? However, I guess that's a petty point given the only obvious similarity between our high school and the one on Gossip Girl is the uniforms. Of course, someone could have been drinking scotch from a water bottle at lunch and I most likely wouldn't have caught on.
love the show...i cant get enough really. xoxo gossip girl
The steamy billboards are also plastered all over Chicago, and they make me uncomfortable. As a former high school teacher and overall prude, I don't like thinking of all the goins' ons amongst today's teenagers (and yesterday's, I guess, but, like LAP, I was blind to a lot of stuff, I think).
Do teenagers watch Gossip Girl?
I certainly hope teenagers aren't watching this show! I only know of 20's, 30's and 40's that enjoy this guilty pleasure. There was a rerun on tonight and I was a little disappointed. My husband, on the other hand was pleased. He doesn't understand my addiction. Actually, there's a lot he doesn't understand!
I thought I would add here, to follow up on LAP's and MEP's points about being naive in high school, that I used to sit next to this one particular girl in my Junior year Religion class (Catholic school). One day, I sat down at my lunch table and reported to my friends that this girl was really getting fat.
She left the next day to have a baby.
Whoops.
My love for Gossip Girl happened out of the blue. Caught season 2 premiere and two days later was seen purchasing the full first season at Target.
I often laugh at the absurdity of the blatantness of drinking, going out to the clubs and some story lines but something keeps me hooked.
And hands down my favorite character is one certain Chuck Bass. Chuck Bass for President!
Nice post!
P.S. I am certainly watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Scary.
I haven't watched this show yet because I just don't have time what with all of my other TV and blog addictions. I may have to DVR it and give it a try, though. Thanks for the overview!
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