THE APPEAL OF TEEN DRAMA

I believe the CW series Gossip Girl to be one of the greatest shows of all time. I am not being facetious. I am a 31-year-old adult who believes Gossip Girl, which chronicles the lives of wealthy Manhattan prep school students, is right up there with Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Wire. I am not alone in my love of teen shows. When Riverdale, a modern reimagining of the iconic Archie comics, premiered on Netflix this winter, my friends went gaga for it.

In 2014, New York Times columnist A.O. Scott famously declared “The Death of Adulthood” in North American culture. This essay was sent to me by more than one person I know who was put off by my affection for shows starring stylish 16-year-olds. I would argue, however, that being a proper grown-up and appreciating teen television are not mutually exclusive. A disproportionate amount of prestige television is about middle-aged men.

Of course, I have no problem with middle-aged men, but I don’t think all the stories should be about them. In the genre of teen TV, strong female characters take centre stage. They are given space to become flawed, evolving people who receive just as much screen time as their male counterparts, if not more. Sure, their plot lines may be about the quest to get into their dream universities rather than Tony Soprano’s quest for mob supremacy. But, why is Blair Waldorf’s dream of being accepted at Yale unimportant? Why is Don Draper struggle with serial infidelity considered a complex character arc, when a teen protagonist’s decision about whether to lose her virginity is trivialized?

Not only do I appreciate teen shows from a feminist perspective, I’m also old enough to understand that adolescents are more compelling than adults. We’ve already had our hearts broken, survived failed careers and been to prom. Teens are doing everything for the first time. First kisses, first loves, and first days at work. The stakes are always at their highest the first time. Enjoying teen TV isn’t a sign of immaturity. It’s a sign of understanding; of knowing that the life of a mature adult is often far less fascinating than that of the adolescent.