If you ask any member of society how they think a show about young rich kids would do in the Nielsen ratings, I would venture to say the majority of them would predict a flop.
However, surprisingly enough, “Gossip Girl” seems to have cemented its status as a guilty pleasure among young and old.
Perhaps the appeal to this type of show is being able to put yourself
in a world you don’t often experience – the upper echelon of Manhattan. These characters turn plotlines about cheating, partying and lying into just plain addictive television, which probably doesn’t say too much for the moral fiber of its audience.
This is a show where viewers can revel in the imperfections of the characters and feel a little bit better about the lie they told their boss that morning, as it pales in comparison to the immoral scenario
they are watching on television. It appeals to older audiences as well because it addresses how the parents deal with the sexcapades and bad choices of their children.
To change things up a bit, the new season of “Gossip Girl” began in Paris, where there promises to be a fairy tale romance unlike anything seen in the Big Apple. Blake Lively’s character Serena is perfectly contrasted with Leighton Meester’s Blair as they make their way through the city.
The idea of an all-powerful force controlling the lives and environments
of the people in the show is also quite convincing. Kristen Bell is the infamous narrator and the eyes and ears of everything that goes on in the world of Gossip Girl.
As the puppeteer, Gossip Girl remains in control, sending strange messages to everyone who’s anybody
in Manhattan (a.k.a. the six main characters), almost like a weird video game or “Real World” episode.
Clearly, this is not the only show featuring society’s snottiest young adults, but this one seems to have taken a special place in the hearts of dramaholics everywhere.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that, as everyone
knows, “The O.C.” ended far too abruptly, and the writers have carried over the same seductively imperfect characters and plotlines to this show.
It will be interesting to see how this season plays out and which romances and friendships will burn with passion and then, of course, die. But I’m sure by the end, many of you will be calling this can’t-look-away, train-wreck-of-a-show your guilty pleasure.
