I just watched a mini-marathon of MTV's "My Super Sweet 16" and I just have to say: Holy crap, such a great freaking show. I mean, I've watched it before (hello, Anderson Cooper), but I've never just sat down and wallowed in the show.
And the thing is, it's epic. It's, like, Shakespearean. That's what I kept saying to myself, over and over again:"This shit is Shakespearean." All of the drama surrounding this one make-it-or-break-it day (in the eyes of your peers, at least). All of the pathos, the hubris. All of the intrigue and lies and hopes and dreams and fears. Oh, and the dressed! The cars!
In this one episode, all of the kids knew that there was going to be a surprise performer at the party and everyone was hoping it was going to be Eminem, and they were literally going ga-ga in anticipation ("Actually, I heard it's going to be Beyonce"), and then when the surprise performer came out onstage, it was...some dude no one had ever heard of. And in a split second, the birthday girl went from "I'm on Cloud 9" to "My World Is Over." Oh my god, and she cried like nobody's business. But then this guy she really liked asked her to dance and the world was right again. (Whenever I hear the phrase "guy she really liked," I can't help but think of that great moment in the pilot episode of My So-Called Life, when the English teacher says to the class, "how would you describe Anne Frank?" And then Angela mutters under her breath, "lucky," and the teacher looks at her, so upset, and says ""Is that supposed to be funny, Angela? How on earth could you make a statement like that? Hmm? Anne Frank perished in a concentration camp. Anne Frank is a tragic figure. How could Anne Frank be lucky?" And then Angela explains: "I don't know. Because she was trapped in an attic for three years with this guy she really liked?") (SUCH great dialogue) (And Angela Chase is one of the best teen characters in the history of television ever) (I was about to get all listy and do a Top Ten Best Teen Characters on TV, but I don't know if I can winnow a list like that down to ten right now) (because Angela Chase is definitely Number One on the list, hands down, and I won't listen to anyone who says otherwise, but if you think about it, I'd want to put every single teen character from MSCL on that list) (but if I did that, then we'd be all: (1) Angela Chase, (2) Rayanne Graff, (3) Brian Krakow, (4) Ricky Vasquez, (5) Jordan Catalano, and then we'd probably leave Sharon off the list, and we'd only have five slots left.) (And if we only had five slots left, we'd immediately start giving slots to Freaks and Geeks like (6) Lindsay Weir, (7) Sam Weir, (8) Nick Andopolis, (9) Neal Schweiber, and (10) Bill Haverchuck, and then I'd be upset because we already had our top ten and freaking Kim Kelly and Daniel Desario from Freaks and Geeks hadn't made the list, nor had Darlene Conner, or Kevin Arnold, or Winnie Cooper, or even Paul Pfeiffer! And don't even get me started on Degrassi characters.)
(I don't even remember what I was talking about before I started talking about TV teens.) (Oh, right, non-fictional tv teens.)
Oh, and speaking of Sweet Sixteens, I don't remember my sixteenth birthday at all. I figure we must have done something--I mean, I definitely had a party--but I can't remember any specifics. Is this early Alzheimers?
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5 comments:
The episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen you described is the only one I caught during the marathon!
I won't rant about how horrid it is that these parents see nothing wrong with throwing money around for spoiled teenagers to impress friends they won't even remember when they're in their thirties.
Did you have the same thought as me? I might have missed something during the episode, but the whole time that nobody singer was singing I kept thinking, "It's a joke. Eminem is totally gonna jump out of that cake on stage."
I mean, they didn't even USE that cardboard cake! Until at the end, when the credits were rolling, they showed the spoiled/lucky birthday girl jumping out of it.
On another note, from what I remember about My So-Called Life I really enjoyed it. But, I was still pretty young when the show was airing, and I'm sure I didn't quite get it most of the time. I should rent it on DVD.
Oh my god, Nichole, you MUST rent MSCL on DVD! And soon! You are so going to love it. Go rent it now!
And I agree with everything you said about My Super Sweet Sixteen. It is kinda horrid, but I find it fascinating.
My So Called life was, THE BEST SHOW EVER. Top three shows that were so good they hurt: (in chronological order)
1)My So Called Life
2)Felicity
3)Grey's Anatomy
Like... the way I can't breath now watching McDreamy, is totally the same way I couldnt breathe while watching Jordan Catalano eating a piece of cheese after sneaking in to Angelas parent's kitchen and kissing her on the neck and the same as Ben talking his sweet talk to Felicity.
ohh... to be young and in love...
sigh...
Michal, I never watched Felicity (I know, it's a crime), but I recently saw the pilot episode and it made me cry, so I want to start renting all of the seasons and catching up.
Oh, and nobody eats a piece of cheese sexier than Jordan Catalano.
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