My So-Called Thirtysomething Life
4.19.2011
Perhaps the witty thing to say is that as a newly minted 30-year old, the whole experience would likely have been more traumatic had I not been 29 just the day before. Or perhaps I would be more freaked out if (wait for the humble-brag) I hadn't been able to check off the job, career, and wife boxes. The stereotypical societal expectations might bring some people down, but not me! Who cares.
Since my life as a young adult ended, Lauren decided to revisit her childhood: she's started watching My So-Called Life (on Netflix streaming now!). My dirty little secret is that I've never seen this seminal TV show of my youth. Did I have something better to watch at 8PM on Thursday night for the 19 weeks that the show managed to run? Have you heard of Due South? Gotta love those Mounties.
I've been trying to organize my thoughts on a show that deeply impacted my peers, but also introduced us to such great acting talent as Claire Danes and Jared Leto. At least I now know why Jared Leto is a cultural phenomena. Thanks ABC. I'm sure that many pints of ink have been spilled about varying details of the show: the clothes, the after-school special themed shows that passed for cutting-edge cultural commentary, representations of the American teen experience of the 1990s, so I'll just cut and paste the genius that is the Wikipedia entry on "Themes":
But let me not leave without at least expressing a few of my own, self-aware thoughts. 1. Never again would a major network show aimed at a teen demographic contain such a generically homely cast. 2. Lauren was surprised to see so many plotlines revolving around the parents. 2a. How quickly she forgets how the OC spent many long minutes focusing on Kitty and Sandy. 2b. Back in the 4 channel pre-cable days (OMFG), everything in primetime had to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, which is why 99% of shows were terrible, like Mad About You. 3. Jordan Catalano was not illiterate. If he were illiterate, he wouldn't be able to write all of his songs for his band. Duh balls. Some kids just don't like to read. Like Kemba Walker. 4. For all the attention paid to the parents and the teenaged characters, poor little sister Danielle just gets brutally ignored in the world's worst 19 episode portrayal of parenting. 5. We do ultimately discover being the smart but awkward teen is better than being the cool kid in high school. See the past 16 years of Claire Danes' career vs/ Jared Leto's. I kid. The only winners in My So-Called Life are our memories.
Since my life as a young adult ended, Lauren decided to revisit her childhood: she's started watching My So-Called Life (on Netflix streaming now!). My dirty little secret is that I've never seen this seminal TV show of my youth. Did I have something better to watch at 8PM on Thursday night for the 19 weeks that the show managed to run? Have you heard of Due South? Gotta love those Mounties.
I've been trying to organize my thoughts on a show that deeply impacted my peers, but also introduced us to such great acting talent as Claire Danes and Jared Leto. At least I now know why Jared Leto is a cultural phenomena. Thanks ABC. I'm sure that many pints of ink have been spilled about varying details of the show: the clothes, the after-school special themed shows that passed for cutting-edge cultural commentary, representations of the American teen experience of the 1990s, so I'll just cut and paste the genius that is the Wikipedia entry on "Themes":
My So-Called Life dealt with important social issues of the mid-nineties, including child abuse, homophobia, teenage alcoholism, homelessness, adultery, school violence, censorship, and drug use. Many shows at the time used these themes as a one-time issue (a "very special episode") that would be introduced as a problem at the beginning of an episode and resolved at the end, but on My So-Called Life these issues were part of the continuing storyline. The title of the show alludes to the perception of meaninglessness that many teenagers experience and encapsulates the main theme of the series. The show depicts teenage years as difficult and confusing as opposed to a light, fun-filled time of pranks and jokes.
But let me not leave without at least expressing a few of my own, self-aware thoughts. 1. Never again would a major network show aimed at a teen demographic contain such a generically homely cast. 2. Lauren was surprised to see so many plotlines revolving around the parents. 2a. How quickly she forgets how the OC spent many long minutes focusing on Kitty and Sandy. 2b. Back in the 4 channel pre-cable days (OMFG), everything in primetime had to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, which is why 99% of shows were terrible, like Mad About You. 3. Jordan Catalano was not illiterate. If he were illiterate, he wouldn't be able to write all of his songs for his band. Duh balls. Some kids just don't like to read. Like Kemba Walker. 4. For all the attention paid to the parents and the teenaged characters, poor little sister Danielle just gets brutally ignored in the world's worst 19 episode portrayal of parenting. 5. We do ultimately discover being the smart but awkward teen is better than being the cool kid in high school. See the past 16 years of Claire Danes' career vs/ Jared Leto's. I kid. The only winners in My So-Called Life are our memories.
Labels: 30, Fletch, My So-Called Life
