Okay, I'll come clean. I've shamelessly fallen for trendy TV shows. I thought that I would leave this habit behind after my Dawson's Creek years, but I now know that I must embrace my inability to look the other way when shows become hits. I was seduced into the O.C. culture, as well as Project Runway, okay and the Hills, and yes I suppose America's Next Top Model roped me in. Oh and then there was the tantalizing McDrama of Grey's Anatomy, and then the sweet talking boys of Entourage. I suppose I fell hardest for Flight of the Conchords, but I like to think that show isn't super trendy—yet. So even as hard as I tried NOT to succumb to Gossip Girl, it was hopeless. It has too many factors of the show addiction equation that has overpowered me before: a witty narrator, a swanky locale (in GG's case the PERFECT setting: my beloved NYC), beautiful 20-something actors playing 15 year-olds, music that will surely scale the top-40 charts, and it's all wrapped up in preppy packaging. It's a miracle that I waited as long as November to really get into it.
I will say, however, that while I do fall into TV trends, I do recognize the difference between good TV and good entertainment. I know that shows like Boston Legal, the Weeds, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, Law & Order, and West Wing are (or were) all much better written and served up much more authentic drama. Gossip Girl plays on the innate desire to gossip, which is not noble or complex. It does not offer insight into today's political arena or comment on society. In fact, it actually glamorizes a somewhat sinister pocket of society—a pocket that is deep with privilege and disposable wealth. Gossip, pretty people, and expensive spreads and threads, what's not to love?
I realize now that the O.C. might have cleared the path—or rolled out the red carpet—for Gossip Girl, as they are practically the same show separated only by location. Yet, there is something tantalizingly different enough for Gossip Girl to come out on top of the O.C. First off, there is no equivalent to the neurotic Seth Cohen character, which is popular at first only to quickly become nothing but irritating. Secondly, Gossip Girl's narrator mystery will end up providing the show with a second wind (should the show need one). My bet would be at the end of the second season they'll come close to revealing—or maybe actually reveal—the identity of Gossip Girl. This of course could lead to another anonymous blogger to take over, perhaps Gossip Guy. In the mean time, Gossip Girl's identity is not crucial to the drama, so the viewers will be happy enough to follow the main characters without needing to know who the heartless voyeuristic narrator is.
I would like to say I've learned something from falling for trendy shows, only to lose interest in them when everyone else does. The truth is that I've really learned nothing, mostly because most of these shows have nothing to teach. I think as long as I know the difference between good television and good entertainment, the shows won't truly get the best of me, though I'm certainly happy getting the best of them.
