Blog entry #2: The Success of the Teen Drama in My Life

Up until about 2003, my absolute favorite television show was without a doubt the popular teen series Dawson’s Creek. This “coming of age” drama (which told the story of 15 year old Joey, Dawson, Pacey, and Jen growing up in a small New England town)premiered in 1998 and was soon being compared by critics and fans alike to an earlier and similarly successful breakthrough show-Beverly Hills 90210. Not only have I been a mere fan of Dawson’s Creek since its debut and long past it’s run, but I have followed the show so religiously that some might claim I treat it as a hobby. It was not video games or mountain climbing during my adolescent years-but Dawson’s Creek instead. I truly enjoyed keeping up with all of the latest gossip about the show, its characters, and the actors who portrayed them. Unfortunately, after a solid six-year run, Dawson’s Creek was cancelled in 2003. By this time, I owned all of the seasons on DVD and could watch them at my leisure (often a few episodes a day). As much as I admired Dawson’s Creek above any other show, maintaining it as a hobby was difficult once new episodes were no longer being made. Luckily, I soon discovered a new hobby that I like to call my “Dawson’s Creek comparable” (although not my “Dawson’s Creek replacement”). One Tree Hill debuted in 2003 on the same station as Dawson’s Creek (the no longer existing WB-now referred to as the CW after the WB and UPN merger) and in my opinion, spoke to teens in the same way as Dawson’s Creek but in a seemingly more direct and (some might say) improved manner. One Tree Hill is now in its sixth season and is one of the most watched teen dramas worldwide.

Because I cannot decide which one of these noteworthy shows is truly my favorite, I would like to propose the argument that One Tree Hill is really just an extension of the Dawson’s Creek franchise. Therefore, because of the many similarities between the shows, I can respond as to why I have such a great interest in both of them.

One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek are continually criticized for their unrealistic storylines surrounding characters so fantasy-based that viewers just cannot relate to their extravagant lifestyles. Unfortunately, this critique can easily be contradicted by looking at the number of teens who watch these shows (and other teen soaps) week after week and year after year. I am quite used to being teased for my “obsession” and “over-enthusiasm” about these shows by those who say Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill are poor representations of the actions, language, and relationships between teenagers in a small town. Opponents claim that real teenagers simply are not comfortable enough to assert their feelings about issues such as sex, divorce, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, etc. in such a well-crafted and articulate fashion. Also, the storylines presented on these two shows are often hard for anyone to swallow because the chances of the events playing out so well (or so not well in some cases) in the real world are close to impossible.

I will suggest that the reason I admire these shows may be the same reason that millions of other die-hard fans do as well. My pull to these two teen dramas is not their plausibility. If the goal of the producers was to accurately portray teens in a “realistic” atmosphere, than they would be making another reality show. I do not watch Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill to see real teenage characters but instead to feel real emotions. These shows are reminiscent of the difficulties of growing up and comfort me upon finding myself in a world that appears out to get me at every turn. The shows also offer advice and each episode has a moral, or a universal lesson for its viewers (Shakespeare plays also share this method of teaching). The main proposition of the shows: “You are not alone. These characters are YOU…even if they don’t appear to be at first glance. Get to know them, let them help you.”

As cheesy as this concept may be, Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill have a therapeutic quality to their production which keeps me (and everyone else for that matter) watching. Whenever I am feeling lost, enjoying an episode helps me to find my way-that alone is gratifying. It is also important that both shows have memorable quotes spoken by the characters that are applicable to many situations in my own life. My emotions help to connect me to the characters in the show and bridge the gap between what appears fantasy and what is reality.

A final note: In its fifth season, One Tree Hill made the smart move of jumping four years into the future from the end of its fourth season. The characters are now in their early 20’s. This decision not only increased the overall number of viewers tuning into the show every week, but it also expanded the age range of the viewers-making it no longer just a “teen” drama. Because of the rising interest in the show, especially among adult audiences, I predict at least two more seasons are on the horizon.

Blog Entry #1

I think the most prevalent elements of pop culture in my life at this point in time (and since I can remember) would definitely be the entertainment mediums of film and television. When I was very young, many of my friends and family began to refer to me as “a film geek”-and not without reason. I am always eager to substitute a film or television episode for an actual book because these specific fields of pop culture speak to me in a way that no piece of purely written literature ever has or probably ever will. Steven Spielberg’s E.T. was the first film I ever fell in love with. My passion and genuine appreciation for Spielberg’s work at such a young age was startling to others and I still have an E.T. doll sitting in my room. It is important to me that my admiration of good film and television goes beyond simple enjoyment or entertainment value. I believe film and television visually and auditorally convey complex and untouched ideas, growing controversies, and ultimately attempt to present some verdict (often times a moral one) they hope their audience will buy. I can connect to film and television because I always find an avenue to relate the ideas presented on screen to my own life in an almost therapeutic sense. Film is not just film to me.

In the future, I hope to become an entertainment lawyer. Film, television, and most likely music will all influence my occupation. Pop culture of the time will determine what types of contracts I will be negotiating and what kinds of people I may be prosecuting or defending. A drastic change in pop culture will affect the entertainment industry and vice versa.

I wouldn’t say that I have learned anything new today by listing film and television as the most highlighted elements in my personal pop culture world because this is no revelation to me. What I have been reminded of, through the reading, is how much of an impact pop culture has consistently had on my life because of my personal interest in film and television. I am excited that by learning to affectively study pop culture and its impacts on our society, I will be furthering my own study of film and television in a way that may now be considered academic!