Gossip Girl

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Winnow
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Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

This is sort of out of the blue for me but I watched the premier episode of Gossip Girl a couple weeks ago because it was a freebie download on iTunes and I was playing around with my new iPod Nano so wanted some video on it.

Turns out this series isn't bad. Not great, but not bad. It mostly focuses on the uber rich high school kids in Manhatten and their warped view of things, along with the pressures put on them by their parents to mingle with the right crowd and pursue the colleges and careers their parents want for them.

After one episode, I was left uncertain as to the value of watching this series. The characters were introduced well enough and their basic situations and relations to each other were given enough attention that you have a basic grasp on things at the end of the first show. You have a lot of rich kids, the most popular rich kid returning after a year away, and a new brother and sister finding themselves entering this elite crowd although they've lived around it already for some time (hello 90210).

While this does sound like the east coast version of 90210, there's no Peach Pit here...it's all super rich type stuff.

The first episode plays out as expected demonstrating the snobbery that you'd expect to find in this setting. The storyline had enough going for it that I intended to watch another episode to see where it went. I didn't get back to it until tonight, but watched three more episodes. While all the stereotyping is there, I was pleased to see that even the evilist of rich bastards did some good things and were made a little more interesting in the show.

If you're in the mood for something about as deep as 90210 was back in the day, Gossip Girl is worth a look, but watch more than one episode. It's hard to squeeze enough character development into the opener to see more than one side to the characters to begin with. The pleasant surprise is that you'll find they have more than one as the series progresses.

If you're looking for something to break up the deep thought Losts and Heroes type shows, this might be one to check out.

Its target audience seems to be 16-24 females which is perfect for me. :!:
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

I'm still digging this show. It has gotten better with each episode as good shows should.

Someone download the first two episodes and watch it. Maybe someone who liked 90210 back in the day. As shallow as it appears, the character depth keeps increasing each episode.

It's nowhere near the quality of the HBO and Showtime series. I'm looking for an, 'eh' or 'meh' response.
New York Post

It's a nasty piece of work filled with underage sex, vulgar, hateful kids and references to young girls that are flat-out ugly and disrespectful.
That's actually not the case. New York Post must have only watched the first episode.
It's very well-done teen angst, but at the same time made me feel very old and slightly pervy while watching it.


getting warmer. It's always fun to look back on "the good old days" though.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Just finished episode 10 of Gossip Girl. The show remains fresh and entertaining each week.

It's my guilty pleasure show although it turns out there's a solid story and learning experiences behind it so I don't feel too bad. I'm surprised none of the newsgroup TV show downloaders haven't at least tried the first show or two, even to say they didn't like it. The rich kid soap opera shows must have limited appeal!

My overall opinion of the show has increased almost with each episode. It started out a 7.2 and is now 8.2 and climbing!

Worth a look if you don't mind a pretty straight forward story (this isn't a Lost or Heroes with guesswork) modern day 90210-ish type show.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Boogahz »

What if we didn't like the original 90210?
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Boogahz wrote:What if we didn't like the original 90210?
Then you pass on this show!
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Re: Gossip Girl

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you are a creepy motherfucker
I TOLD YOU ID SHOOT! BUT YOU DIDNT BELIEVE ME! WHY DIDNT YOU BELIEVE ME?
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Hello new stalker! Took you awhile to get into the hang of it but you're settling in now.
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Re: Gossip Girl

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man.. whatever.. just please dont masterbate while thinking about me :\
I TOLD YOU ID SHOOT! BUT YOU DIDNT BELIEVE ME! WHY DIDNT YOU BELIEVE ME?
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Now that's a creepy thought, you freak.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Despite cadalano's insecurities, Gossip Girl is a good show and returns for season two April 21st.

Mark your calendars, set your DVRs (for whatever obscure channel it airs on), or prepare to grab the new episodes (and season one's) off the newsgroups.

XOXO

In some unrelated news:

Juno DVD will be released April 15th
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Leonaerd »

How would its character development compare to, say, The Office?
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Lalanae »

It's a good trashy teen drama. Think Dynasty for 16 years olds. I'm not all the way through the first season, but I'm enjoying it.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Leonaerd wrote:How would its character development compare to, say, The Office?

Character development is one of the show's strengths. The characters continued to develop throughout the entire first season.

If you manage to make it through 3 or 4 episodes, you should have a good idea of whether you'll like it or not.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

This show is still very good. Season one took a break after 13 episodes. Episodes 14-18 have been released over the past few months.


Try it out! Relive your 90210 moments except with New York as the setting and with snobbier kids! Character development does take a few episodes so one show might not do it!
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Thess »

I just finished watching the first season and I have to agree with Winnow, the show is actually very good!
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Re: Gossip Girl

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So, its a show about teen drama queens. And Winnow and everyone else with a vagina likes it? Color me shocked.....
War is an option whose time has passed. Peace is the only option for the future. At present we occupy a treacherous no-man's-land between peace and war, a time of growing fear that our military might has expanded beyond our capacity to control it and our political differences widened beyond our ability to bridge them. . . .

Short of changing human nature, therefore, the only way to achieve a practical, livable peace in a world of competing nations is to take the profit out of war.
--RICHARD M. NIXON, "REAL PEACE" (1983)

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."

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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Thess »

Which means you'd love it Jice!
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Jice: King of the insecure bigots!

You're going all pro anime viewer on us on the anime thread trying to separate the "pedospank" from the "real" anime and then you bring this shit? Only real men paint orcs! It's a wonder your TV ever makes it past the Jesus channels.

If you have an issue with me watching a show that has teenagers in it, you'll be saying the same shit when I'm 60, 80 and if I make it to 100. You don't see a lot of Golden Girls geriatric TV shows. TV generally focuses on young people. You're going to have to learn to deal with it or your viewing options are going to be severely limited the older you get. Hell, even in comics, I like the Teen Titans and X-men Academy (and New Mutants back in the day). I like plenty of other books as well. The Teen years happen to be great drama years. Do you not watch Heroes because Claire is in High School? All of those fucking great high school movies..Fast Times, American Pie...WTH is wrong with you?
Can't watch Dazed and Confused! It's got teens!

BTW, sometimes half the story in Gossip Girl is about the middle aged (and older) parents. It's a drama, just like all the other dramas out there but this one has some quality to it.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Jice Virago »

The age of the cast isn't what I found amusing. The fact that a show about drama whores is on your favorites list is, however, highly amusing. But hey, if making fun of my painting hobby makes you feel like less of a mincing puffter, well, I guess I am your emotional tampon then. I am sure it will help you survive going to see Sex in the City as the only solitary male in the theatre.

On topic, I have never watched this show or anything like it in my life, but it just seems like another one of those 90210/Melrose/OC kind of night time soap things they trot out every few years and slap a bunch of half naked women in to draw the Winnow demographic in, like depserate housewives with a younger cast. Easy money for the network, but not exactly Emmy winning material.
War is an option whose time has passed. Peace is the only option for the future. At present we occupy a treacherous no-man's-land between peace and war, a time of growing fear that our military might has expanded beyond our capacity to control it and our political differences widened beyond our ability to bridge them. . . .

Short of changing human nature, therefore, the only way to achieve a practical, livable peace in a world of competing nations is to take the profit out of war.
--RICHARD M. NIXON, "REAL PEACE" (1983)

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."

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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Jice Virago wrote:The age of the cast isn't what I found amusing. The fact that a show about drama whores is on your favorites list is, however, highly amusing. But hey, if making fun of my painting hobby makes you feel like less of a mincing puffter, well, I guess I am your emotional tampon then. I am sure it will help you survive going to see Sex in the City as the only solitary male in the theatre.
When you quit worrying about what I do with my spare time I'll let up on your orc painting fetish which is supposed to counter balance all the "uncool" things I do.

STFU until you actually watch the show. I don't expect you to like it but at least you won't look as foolish commenting about it. And for the record, I painted a little wizard figure once back before you probably got your first starter paint kit. Ho hum. Go troll the SL thread some more.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Season Two of Gossip Girl kicked off tonight (Sept 1st). For those of you that enjoy the show, you'll be happy to hear that the quality hasn't dropped off.

The second season premier is pretty fast moving as it has to set up a lot of drama since last season ended most of the current relationships. There are some nice twists near the end of the show that get things going again.

So far, no one looks as old as Matt Dillon did on 90210 that is supposed to still be in high school! These kids would eat the 90210 kids for lunch!
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Lalanae »

The guy who plays Chuck Bass was in a movie I watched recently, The Son of Rambow. I didn't know he was British! Small part, playing a thuggish older brother of another character. I expect to see more from him in the future. Would be nice to see how he does as a nice guy though.

As far as S2, haven't watched any of it yet. I've been too busy to get through my Netflix, much less download new episodes, but worse come to worse I'll check it out when the DVDs are released.
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Re: Gossip Girl

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Here's an article detailing the cast's other projects: (written in all of its teen magazine glory)

Found this months back when I was trying to find out when season 2 would start.
'Gossip Girl' Cast Hits the Big Screen

Friday, June 06, 2008

Everyone knows that you can't star on a hit teen show without getting constant offers for movie roles, so it's no surprise that many of the Gossip Girl cast have spent their between season hiatus on film sets. It was just announced that our very own Nate Archibald (heartthrob Chace Crawford), will be appearing on screens this Halloween in a suspense thriller called The Haunting of Molly Hartley. Haunting is a regular TV star-palooza, directed by Everwood producer Mickey Liddell and featuring Jake Weber of Medium, AnnaLynne McCord of the new 90210, and Shannon Marie Woodward of The Riches.

Chace isn't the only Gossip Girl lead moving from the small screen to the silver screen. Everyone from our favorite lothario Chuck to wannabe Jenny will soon be gracing cineplexes everywhere, much to our delight

Reformed bad girl Serena (Blake Lively) is the busiest of the bunch as she tackles three movie roles. The first is the sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which also features fellow TV stars Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), and Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia). Set to be released on August 6, the film sends the four leads on different paths as they all leave high school, though they continue to keep in touch to share their adventures.

Blake Lively has also just finished filming a role in New York, I Love You, an anthology showcasing love lives in New York that also features Shia LaBeouf and Natalie Portman, and went on to play a young version of the title character in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Pippa is about a woman reflecting on her life after her husband leaves her and stars Robin Wright Penn as the adult Blake Lively. The release dates of both films have yet to be announced.

All three Humphreys are surely getting ready for a string of red carpet appearances. Jenny (Taylor Momsen) will be appearing in Doubting Thomas, in which a 12-year-old has to save the president's daughter, while cool dad Rufus (Matthew Settle) will star alongside Heather Graham and Joey Lauren Adams in Ex-Terminators, about a trio of women who meet in an anger management class and form an unusual new business. Both movies will be out later this year.

Big brother Dan (Penn Badgley) meanwhile will be tackling two new roles. In September he will appear in Forever Strong, a movie about a young football player portrayed by Sean Faris whose team competes against one coached by his father. Penn Badgley will also be seen fleeing in terror come 2009 in the remake of The Stepfather. The thriller co-stars Amber Heard (Hidden Palms), who is also in Ex-Terminators with Matthew Settle. Perhaps she's looking to spend some quality time with both of the strapping Humphrey men.

Finally we have deliciously devious Chuck (Ed Westwick), who will be leering his way through two upcoming films. First up later this year is 100 Feet, a horror thriller starring Famke Janssen as a woman confined to a home that is haunted by the husband that she murdered. Recently announced was Ed Westwick's role in S. Darko, a sequel to Donnie Darko which is sure to have a plot just as twisty as the first film. S. Darko will be released sometime in 2009, and also stars Justin Chatwin and Elizabeth Berkley (Step It Up and Dance).

Strangely, Queen Bee Blair (Leighton Meester) currently has no new film projects announced. We can only hope this means that she's either hashing out clever new roles in secret, or has chosen to rest up so that she can come back more fierce than ever when Gossip Girl returns to TV this fall.
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Re: Gossip Girl

Post by Winnow »

Caught up on six episodes of Gossip Girl Season 2 over the past week to get me through the first nine. It's still an entertaining show although a little more hit and miss than the first season. Think this may be the last quality season for it. Some of the storylines are wearing a little thin. It also looks like they're trying to set up Season Three to take place at Yale with most of the main characters applying there. (Blare, Serena, Dan, Chuck and Nate)

The only real bad decision they made was making Jenny, Dan Humphrey's sister, into a hooker-whore-slut Christina Aguilera lookalike about seven episodes into the season. Their dad ("Rufus" lol) has lost all relevance as he can't control his kids at all anymore and blew off Lily van der Woodsen right when she was trying to get into his pants. Nate Archibald is pretty fucked up these days as well although, to the show's credit, they didn't get him hooked on drugs in stereotypical fashion. Vanessa also seems mostly irrelevant to the storyline this season so far.
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