Shows like The O.C and Laguna Beach

[TristanDSP]

Do any of you see a social discriminatory message in these shows?

Growing up, I watched TV shows about moderate families trying to get through life (Family Matters, The Simpsons, MWC). Although hey didn't have bankloads of money, one message I learned was that you don't need money to enjoy life.

And yeah, sure, there was 90210 and Melrose place, and they were popular, but they weren't directed at such a young demographic like these new shows are.

Frankly, if you look beyond the petty drama, the beautiful people, and all that other manufactured stuff, I think these shows spread a message that if you don't have that type of money, you can't enjoy life as much as these "kids" do.

Forget the disproportion of race representation (It IS The O.C), and the fact that these kids are never seen in school and are shown spending thousands if not millions that their parents, not them, earned. I just think these shows prepetuate the notion that if you aren't that fortunate socially (hell, maybe racially), that you're not deserving of that life.

Maybe it's just me; a lower class, modest Filipino from a humble, more simple part of San Diego that came from a single parent family who has been thrust into a greek system full of rich, more fortunate (and lighter skinned) spoiled kids who always try to remind you that daddy paid for the Escalade. But as someone whose had to work to pay tuition and dues, I wouldn't want to see my kids emulaing these spoiled brats.

I just wanted to throw that out there since it's been on my mind......

[AchtungBaby80]

I think those shows are just the modern versions of "Beverly Hills 90210," but I did used to be a fan of "The O.C." Now, however, it's getting more ridiculous with each episode...and I'm starting to get really bored.

I watched Family Matters as well while I was growing up. You know, I grew up in a family where my parents watched every penny that came in and thought we were killing them if we had the light on in the daytime. Our house had a lot of windows so there really wasn't a whole lot of need to turn on the light in the day unless you went to the bathroom or were in the hall.

My parents didn't have a lot of money until I went to college because they inherited my granddad's business when he passed. My parents just got lucky but they did work their a$$ off for what they had when I was growing up and still are working their a$$ off for what they have now. I admit I am a trust fund baby because my granddad set it up for me when I was born. I have never had access to it nor will I until my brother turns 21, which is a few years away. I was lucky enough to have my parents pay for my tuition and expenses. My grandmother paid for my sorority dues. Unless I didn't want spending money, I did have to work during the summer for that so I wasn't just handed money whenever the mood struck.

I think I enjoy life more because I didn't grow up with everything handed to me. I had to work for it or "be good" to get it. Most of the time, I had to wait until Christmas or my birthday to get a certain toy or some clothes because my parents couldn't just scoot on over to Louis Vuitton and buy stuff. My parents didn't let either set of grandparents just gourge our sensibilities with crap we didn't need. They set a spending limit on each grandchild and didn't spend more than that.

I do agree that these shows are sending the wrong message and aren't just reincarnated versions of 90102 and Melrose Place. Granted, they have the same feel to them but we knew that the characters on Melrose Place and 90102 were fake characters. The characters didn't exist in real life . . . yes real people played them but we knew the difference. Laguna Beach and the My Super Sweet 16 are based on real people doing real things. I hope kids realize The OC is just a group of fake characters.

[annice22]

I recently decided to stop Laguna Beach for a couple of reasons, but here's one:

This season the people they are following are a lot worse and more spoiled than the first season. I enjoyed the first season because they did have a few people on their with some substance: Trey, Morgan, and Christina.

Most of the girls on this season are whiny, spoiled, self-centered, and immature. The guys are no better. Also, Why would anyone choose to fight over a guy (i.e. Jason and Steven)?

So, I will no longer watch Laguna Beach. I made the mistake of not changing the channel Monday (after my last viewing of LB) and caught a little bit of Sweet 16. The girl on the showed should have felt happy and content that she was adopted by a nice and caring family instead she say "I am soo happy I got adopted into a rich family". I don't think that's a good show to air on TV, I hope younger girls are not watching and then feeling bad that their families do not have that type of financial standing as the people on those shows.

Yes, Money is neccessary other wise you know. I just have a problem with people who are wasting it just to be the most popular person at school or get mad when they can't get what they want even though they are not working, etc.

There was a quote that I saw that I really like:
"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like."
Will Smith echoing Will Rogers

[TristanDSP]

The article on Katrina I posted in the News/Politics Forum kinda goes along the same lines:

"TV prefers a middle-class pleasure dome outfitted with a penthouse for the fabulously well-heeled (these days, Donald Trump occupies the J.R. Ewing suite).

Never mind that this sanctuary of TV affluence clashes sharply with 2005 Census figures that show 37 million people living under the poverty line."

"On TV, anyone who falls below a certain economic threshold is ripe to be depicted as a caricature, if not an outright stooge."

[sugar and spice]

I think that, while shows like this certainly influence our society, they started out reflecting it. Increasingly in the past five-ten years, popular culture (especially that aimed at people in the, oh, 12-30 demographic) has focused on the very wealthy. It's a trend you can see in TV, movies, books, and a number of other things. You can probably trace it back to the advent of "Cribs" or even earlier. It's just escalated.

So in some ways, it's influencing the culture -- you see those brats on "My Super Sweet Sixteen" acting how they THINK they should be acting based on previous episodes, not how they'd actually act "in real life." But a lot of it is also based off of previous stuff that's come along -- people, for some reason, are just very obsessed with the wealthy and beautiful right now, just the way they were more interested in family-based shows, diversity, and "blended" families back when we were growing up.

Popular culture can always be traced back to the politics and social mores of the era, and I don't think anyone will argue that the politics and social mores of today are quite a bit different than they were 10 or 15 years back.

[AchtungBaby80]

I lump "Laguna Beach" in with "The O.C." though because technically it isn't a reality show. The kids may/may not be real (that's being debated), but all the drama is pretty much made up. There's an article in this month's Seventeen.

[so damn cool]

I love Laguna Beach.

Stephen is a playa.