Comments on: Podcast Supplement: Gossip Girl, Glee, and the Sex Lives of Teenagers

By: Gab

Gab — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:38:12 +0000

Is Glee *really* pro-teen-sex? I don’t know, I think it’s showing it as a fact, but in a negative light, as in it’s saying something along the lines of, “This is the sad state of our society, our kids are horndogs and we can’t control them.” A similar depiction could be said about any of the “pro” stances the show seems to have at first glance. And the “anti-marriage” stuff is more pro-patriarchy, for notice how the problems in the marriages stem from weak males and overly-assertive females that are given “too much” power in the relationships. Why did Finn’s gf get preggars? Because she was vain, drunk, and disloyal to him (you find this out in episode 4, which I’m sure you’ve seen by now), and he believes her when she tells him the baby is his.

You know, in your defense, the authors of the shows are all older than you, aye? So if they have the “right” to write them, you most certainly should have the right to analyze them. I also think this comes from another level of subversiveness from both shows: they proport to be for teenagers (if only because the central characters are teenagers), but they really are for adults.

So next time, or in the future, I request a discussion of how these teenagers are really allegorical symbols for adults and the adults are representative of the projected norms (and the hypocrisy) of societal views, dos, and don’ts. I’d also be interested in an analysis of the other shows the CW and Fox air and how GG and Glee fit into those systems respectively. I’m not sure about the reputation of the CW and its shows, but Fox’s affiliation with FoxNews makes me wonder why it would have a show that seems to run antithetical to all of its “values,” unless it’s meant to provide a source of moral outrage or something (you know, alert us of the “gay agenda” etc.). The only other Fox show I watch is Dollhouse, and I think how it seems to go out of its way to give viewers the willies says something.

Oh yeah, and the Comedian dies.

By: Punning Pundit

Punning Pundit — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:43:38 +0000

I _was_ going to put off watching Glee until the end of Season 1. But then I listened to your podcast and had to watch.

Episode 4 just came up on hulu. Must watch.

BTW: is it ok to listen to your podcasts while at the gym? I feel like that sort of violates the spirit of overthinking it…

By: lee

lee — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:02:11 +0000

Re: “Don’t Stop Believing” in “Glee.” I think the song works as sung by high schoolers because of the general “80′s nostalgia” wave that, to my knowledge, has penetrated (heh) high school students just as much as it has every other younger age demographic these days.

Re: name of the new podcast, why not the simple “Kids These Days”? Or you could kick it up a notch and add “And Their Rainbow Parties” to the end of that.

By: Sheely

Sheely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:08:37 +0000

@pave- If Blair is Obama, then Vanessa is Glenn Beck; whiny, histrionic, and often failing to grasp the nature of a given situation.

I’ve never seen an episode of the powerpuff girls, but your reference almost makes me want to watch it… almost.

And I’m glad that we’re fulfilling your craving for GG related discussion. If you have anything that you’d like us to discuss on the next episode, let us know!

By: pave

pave — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:41:14 +0000

@HBomb
in the gossip girl universe blair is probably obama. she’s like the go to person…even when people dont really like her, like stupid dan who always seems to think of her first. it’s like he’s the mayor and blair is all of the powerpuff girls.

By: pave

pave — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:38:44 +0000

yay! thank you thank you! the only person i know who watches gossip girl is far away and also not caught up on this season.. so yay gossip buddies! excellent!

By: HBomb

HBomb — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:08:33 +0000

Georgina is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Blair’s Barack Obama. Discuss. (Though the Blair/Obama correlation doesn’t quite fit.)

By: links for 2009-09-23 « My Delicious Bookmarks

links for 2009-09-23 « My Delicious Bookmarks — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:15:08 +0000

[...] Podcast Supplement: Gossip Girl, Glee, and the Sex Lives of Teenagers | Overthinking It (tags: Blog funny smart) [...]

By: fenzel

fenzel — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:52:39 +0000

::Rumbles into thread::

What is it that you guys are up to in here??

Geez! Tell a guy, whydontcha!

I’m definitely listening to this later tonight.

By: Sheely

Sheely — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:55:24 +0000

@pFranks- I like the way you think. However the way you have formulated it sounds a bit like it is a “how-to” podcast. How about “These F***king Teens”, because it accomplishes both of the goals that you mention, in addition to kind of alluding to “This American Life”.