subscribe to style file blog via RSSa guy’s take on gossip girl
October 29, 2008 10:55 am
Welcome to the latest installment in our series offering a male viewpoint on all things occupying the fashionable mind.
I came to bury Gossip Girl, not to praise it. As someone charged with offering a male viewpoint on all things fashionable, it seemed a gift: a vapid show for vapid people, by which I mean of course vapid women. The only thing standing in my way was the fact that I’d never actually seen the thing, but I figured I’d catch the first 15 minutes of Monday night’s episode and get enough fodder for a few hundred words before switching over to Top Gear on BBC America. (I even had a first line worked out in my head. “I admit I’m late to the Gossip Girl phenomenon, though this might be a case of better never than late…”) Five minutes in, though, and I was like, OMG, I totally get the appeal.
Sure, I could complain about the fact that the show is as cheesily over-lit as a daytime soap, but I assume that’s a knowing reference on the producers’ behalf and it suits the general air of hormonal overstimulation, so I’ll let it slide. I could complain that all the male actors look as if they’re one rogue gene away from being actually good-looking (are Chuck Bass’ eyes like that naturally, or is it some feat of computer generation?), but I kind of dig the fact that the women are in charge. I mean that Serena chick looks like she’s three feet taller and a good ten years older than any of the guys. I could complain about the laughably complicated intrigues, the cringe-inducing dialogue, the supposedly influential fashions (influential for what? slutty Halloween costumes?), or the fact that Gossip Girl has none of the charming self-awareness that made The O.C., Josh Schwartz’s previous effort, such a great show. But I won’t, because I’m guessing Schwartz has realized that The O.C. was maybe too smart for its own good and that you can’t have a guilty pleasure unless there’s something to be guilty for. Finally, I could complain about the show’s sexualization of young women. But why would I?
So will I be changing the dial from BBC America to the CW on Mondays from now on? Not a chance, even though Top Gear, which airs back-to-back episodes at 8 and 9 p.m., always seems to show the same two episodes. (Cunningly, they alternate which episode they show at 8 and which one at 9.) But I’ll no longer scorn you for watching Gossip Girl. I’ll just add that to the list of things, like needing one in every color and wanting to cuddle after sex, that I’ll never understand about you.
What’s your take? Is Gossip Girl a guilty pleasure or just plain guilty?
tags: Gossip Girl, Josh Schwartz, The O.C., Top Gear
Gossip Girl is straight up guilty. I too, tuned in for the first time ever on Monday night wondering what all of the hype is about the show and why on every corner do I see billboards advertising it as, “Every parents worst nightmare”?
I quickly came to realize I didn’t care about any of the shallow chracters in the show. There was no interesting story line and none of it realated to real life.
From what I could see, the three main stories was about a girl that was like 15, caught up in some confusing love drama with a guy that seemed way older. Then Serina who suddenly realized this one guy she liked was her “husband” at summer camp years ago?! And Blair being a slut with the creepiest looking guy I have ever seen in my life.
It did not interest me in the least. The only audience I can imagine it being slightly amusing to is girls far too young to be watching skanks like Blair work her magic with Chuck.
Bottom line, Gossip Girl wasted and hour of my life.
By Nigelific on 10/29/08 at 2:56 pm