One of my favorite shows is Popular, an early 21st century TV series that explores the nuances of social cliques, individuality, self-esteem, human relationships, etc. It's disguised by a cast of beautiful peeps and fun-luck pop-punk and indie rock tunes. The eye candy begins with Carly Pope and Leslie Bibb and .... well, that's all you need =)
It's campy, cheesy, silly. Plenty o' ridiculous music-video-esque skits made me laugh hysterically. It's your typical high-school TV sitcom: cliques, zits, homecoming dances, nerds, jocks, blah blah blah. If you like Freaks and Geeks, I bet you'll enjoy Popular.
On the flip side, the show does dive into the human psyche and social conflicts. Every single being on this planet wants to be accepted, to feel a belonging. Whether it's religious institutions, political parties or ethnic groups, we fight for that belonging because no one wants to feel alone. Sometimes we fight so hard, that when we're absolutely wrong, we still fight because we have to win. Of course, the hijinks ensue and then a cafeteria food fight breaks =)
High school sitcoms seem a cliche but they're the perfect backdrop to exploring group behaviour. Those years are probably the most awkward of anyone's life. Sprouting pubes, deepening voices, boobs and who's hot and who's not, bookend the daily ritual of attending classes and doing yer homework. It's the most ridiculous period of the American life, and so appropriate for comedic storytelling.
Hee hee, as you can tell, I didn't really like high school. And no, I wasn't popular. Mainly cause I looked like that (see left).Labels: carlypope, highschool, lesliebibb, socialpsychology, television