I was too busy at work to comment on this when it was more relevant but I will attempt an abbreviated commentary now.
I started off ambivantly towards GG (not to be confused with "Gilmore Girls" a far superior program). It had some elements that showed potential - NYC scenary, rich kids doing bad things, snobby one liners, good wardrobe. However, it didn't really live up to its' campy potential. Characters were too one dimensional, there didn't seem to be real stories, and the parents were waaaay too young. The main heroine that you root for really did terrible things to her best friend and apparently only eats yogurt for lunch (which is funny but a little anorexic). Plus many of the actors struck me as cheap versions of actors on "The OC".
For example,
Dan Humphrey = Seth Cohen without the wit, geeky charm, and good taste in music. Better looking in a classic sense but too uncomfortable in his own skin and not in the endearing way.
Serena Van Der Somethingsnotty = Marissa Cooper with better wardrobe and saucy vibe (UPGRADE!).
Mom Van Der Woodsen? = cheap Kelly Rowan wannabe, I didn't even like you on "Melrose Place" Kelly Rutherford (even the actress's names are similiar)
Blair = budget Summer Roberts but not as pretty
and so on...
I became a casual viewer. I watched bits here and there since it was preferable to "Private Practice" (grow up, you guys are like 40+, this behavior is no longer charming) but I did not find it tape worthy although it seemed as though every single person on the street and everyone I knew was watching. I don't buckle to peer pressure.
However, one lazy Sunday (who am I kidding? all my Sundays are lazy), there was a MTV marathon featuring all the GG episodes. I believe at that point 4 or 5 were shown in a row. And that is when I decided you know what? I kind of like this show. It started to grow on me and feel comfortable and comforting much like the way a martini washes over Serena and comforts her by masking the pain. Blair became super bitchy with a heart and some of her lines are pretty good. I am finding the show pretty watchable as a whole. But something still irks me beyond belief. And some parts of my rant may sound snooty and elitist on my end but considering I'm reviewing a show about elite Upper East Siders, I think it's allowed.
The subject of my rant is the Humphrey family (minus Jenny, the kid's alright and she's only 14. I will not talk trash about someone so young unless it's Dakota Fanning jk). YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY HUMPHREY FAMILY!!! Ugh, first off, that dad is far too young to be believable. There was some scene where he was reminscing about like Nine Inch Nails or something that was so recent that it made me feel like I was old enough to sire a child Dan's age. Soon we are going to have parents on the CW say "Remember when Britney Spears was hot? Back when we were young and in middle school in the 1990s?" Also, the Humphrey's are poor. They spend all their money to send their kids to top NYC private schools so they have a better shot at a good education blah blah. Well their apt in Brooklyn (which is apparently in the boonies. yes yes I know that is what all the other kids think but it's just so ridiculous) is gorgeous. It's huge, it's well organized, it looks totally hip. They are not poor. Maybe Dan doesn't have enough money for duck at a fancy restaurant but at least papa Humphrey could fix up some bolognese for them. Also, Dan is supposed to dress like a hip "outsider". He sometimes wears hip army green jackets and tight plain t-shirts. This denotes the fact that he's "indie" and should give him street cred. Puh lease, we all know those pieces from Urban Outfitters and American Apparel don't come cheap Dan! And this is what enraged me more than anything. Dan wants to go to Dartmouth. That is his dream school. He got pissy with his dad because he didn't get to be an usher during Ivy Week b/c he didn't have the family connections. Let me break it down for you Dan. Dartmouth, while indeed an Ivy League school and a fine institution for higher learning, is what one might consider an "easy Ivy". Great school, great reputation but Yale, Harvard, or Princeton it is not. There are lots of kids who go to public high schools who do well on their SATS, get good grades in honor and AP classes, and are involved with activities who get into Dartmouth. I'm not saying it's easy to get into Dartmouth by any stretch of the imagination but you don't need to go to some fancy ass school and have family connections to get in. If Dan is as literate, smart, and well rounded as everyone says, a guy like that should have a really solid shot of getting into Dartmouth. You know why S wasn't stressing Dan? Not b/c she already had an "in" with the school (although that helped) but b/c she was eyeing Brown, another easy Ivy. So Dan, get off your melodramatic high horse and stop bitching at your dad. Just start volunteering and write some deep personal statement and you will get into Dartmouth. The end.
I started off ambivantly towards GG (not to be confused with "Gilmore Girls" a far superior program). It had some elements that showed potential - NYC scenary, rich kids doing bad things, snobby one liners, good wardrobe. However, it didn't really live up to its' campy potential. Characters were too one dimensional, there didn't seem to be real stories, and the parents were waaaay too young. The main heroine that you root for really did terrible things to her best friend and apparently only eats yogurt for lunch (which is funny but a little anorexic). Plus many of the actors struck me as cheap versions of actors on "The OC".
For example,
Dan Humphrey = Seth Cohen without the wit, geeky charm, and good taste in music. Better looking in a classic sense but too uncomfortable in his own skin and not in the endearing way.
Serena Van Der Somethingsnotty = Marissa Cooper with better wardrobe and saucy vibe (UPGRADE!).
Mom Van Der Woodsen? = cheap Kelly Rowan wannabe, I didn't even like you on "Melrose Place" Kelly Rutherford (even the actress's names are similiar)
Blair = budget Summer Roberts but not as pretty
and so on...
I became a casual viewer. I watched bits here and there since it was preferable to "Private Practice" (grow up, you guys are like 40+, this behavior is no longer charming) but I did not find it tape worthy although it seemed as though every single person on the street and everyone I knew was watching. I don't buckle to peer pressure.
However, one lazy Sunday (who am I kidding? all my Sundays are lazy), there was a MTV marathon featuring all the GG episodes. I believe at that point 4 or 5 were shown in a row. And that is when I decided you know what? I kind of like this show. It started to grow on me and feel comfortable and comforting much like the way a martini washes over Serena and comforts her by masking the pain. Blair became super bitchy with a heart and some of her lines are pretty good. I am finding the show pretty watchable as a whole. But something still irks me beyond belief. And some parts of my rant may sound snooty and elitist on my end but considering I'm reviewing a show about elite Upper East Siders, I think it's allowed.
The subject of my rant is the Humphrey family (minus Jenny, the kid's alright and she's only 14. I will not talk trash about someone so young unless it's Dakota Fanning jk). YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY HUMPHREY FAMILY!!! Ugh, first off, that dad is far too young to be believable. There was some scene where he was reminscing about like Nine Inch Nails or something that was so recent that it made me feel like I was old enough to sire a child Dan's age. Soon we are going to have parents on the CW say "Remember when Britney Spears was hot? Back when we were young and in middle school in the 1990s?" Also, the Humphrey's are poor. They spend all their money to send their kids to top NYC private schools so they have a better shot at a good education blah blah. Well their apt in Brooklyn (which is apparently in the boonies. yes yes I know that is what all the other kids think but it's just so ridiculous) is gorgeous. It's huge, it's well organized, it looks totally hip. They are not poor. Maybe Dan doesn't have enough money for duck at a fancy restaurant but at least papa Humphrey could fix up some bolognese for them. Also, Dan is supposed to dress like a hip "outsider". He sometimes wears hip army green jackets and tight plain t-shirts. This denotes the fact that he's "indie" and should give him street cred. Puh lease, we all know those pieces from Urban Outfitters and American Apparel don't come cheap Dan! And this is what enraged me more than anything. Dan wants to go to Dartmouth. That is his dream school. He got pissy with his dad because he didn't get to be an usher during Ivy Week b/c he didn't have the family connections. Let me break it down for you Dan. Dartmouth, while indeed an Ivy League school and a fine institution for higher learning, is what one might consider an "easy Ivy". Great school, great reputation but Yale, Harvard, or Princeton it is not. There are lots of kids who go to public high schools who do well on their SATS, get good grades in honor and AP classes, and are involved with activities who get into Dartmouth. I'm not saying it's easy to get into Dartmouth by any stretch of the imagination but you don't need to go to some fancy ass school and have family connections to get in. If Dan is as literate, smart, and well rounded as everyone says, a guy like that should have a really solid shot of getting into Dartmouth. You know why S wasn't stressing Dan? Not b/c she already had an "in" with the school (although that helped) but b/c she was eyeing Brown, another easy Ivy. So Dan, get off your melodramatic high horse and stop bitching at your dad. Just start volunteering and write some deep personal statement and you will get into Dartmouth. The end.
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