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If you are my age (23), or slightly older, you may remember a teenage drama that captivated much of America during the early 90s. I’m not talking about Saved By the Bell (which I consider to be one of the greatest TV shows of all time). I’m referring to something that was not quite as innocent.

Maybe you remember Steve, Andrea, Brandon, Dylan, Brenda, Donna, David, and Kelly–students of West Beverly Hills High School. (Okay if you were born after 1985, you still have no idea who these people are unless you watch Charmed, Dancing with the Stars, or some reality show for washed-up celebrities).

These people made up the teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210, a show that ran FOX from 1990-2000. 

The show followed several spoiled rich kids and the teen issues they faced in high school (and later in college). While dealing with the everyday materialistic issues of high schoolers, the show also addressed date rape, alcoholism, domestic violence, gay rights, drug abuse, teenage suicide, AIDS, and teenage pregnancy. The show was very revolutionary for its time…but not always in a good way. 

(Trust me…there is a point to this!)

Well, in case you haven’t heard, a spinoff of the show has been created and is set to premiere in fall 2008. The show is appropriately titled 90210 (how creative!).

This morning, I saw a trailer for 90210 and the push nearly made me sick!

Here are some quotes from the video:

“The new 90210–cooler, sexier, more provocative, where every story is intriguing, every character has a secret, and nothing is what you expect.”

“My character Naomi is a little bit spoiled, the rich kid, the popular girl…she’s a lot of fun!”

“I’m playing Ryan Matthews. He’s a literature teacher. He’s a younger guy and I think he identifies with the students.”

“Celia is the contemporary modern day mom. She is as cool as her children. What’s great about this show is that you’re going to see not only the world of the teenagers but also the world of the adults and the two worlds colliding.”

“I play Tabitha Mills–the fun, energetic, not your typical grandma.”

It is very obvious that the show is putting everything they have into targeting teenagers. Every “high schooler” on the show looks at least 25. The idea of sex is pushed very strongly in the 2 minute trailer. Just from the trailer and the quote above, it looks as if the “cool” parents are the ones who seem more like best friends with their teenager rather than an actual parent. The show seems to do the same thing with the “teacher.” The trailer also features many images of expensive cars, mansions, expensive clothing, etc.

My point is not to throw stones at the show, but rather to seek to find the appeal behind it. In no way does the show seem to reflect real life. It may be true in few places around the country…but overall, the show is not typical of reality. Yet millions of teenagers will tune in and be captivated and entranced at the high-school drama, sex, materialism, etc.

How did we get here and why is this appealing? I have a few observations:

1.) The media has destroyed the idea of teenage individuality
The media loves to tell teenagers to be themselves and create their own image. Unfortunately, if we translated that message, it would really say “Be your own person by purchasing our product!” Shows like 90210 absolutely destroy teen image. They essentially tell teenagers that you have to look like a movie star, dress like a million bucks, drive the newest and hottest car, date the hottest person…or else you are worthless! Instead of finding worth in themselves, teenagers seek to find worth by living through others. To be honest, most teenagers (Christians included) do not care they were made in the image of God. They would rather be made in the image of Paris Hilton or Justin Timberlake. If teenagers can’t live like the stars on TV, then they will try to live through them.

2.) Misconception of Reality
I’ll admit it. I used to be a fan of Reality TV. But that was actually in the days when it had a touch of reality in it. I will never forget when I heard the host of Fear Factor say, “We put people on our show who you would want to have sex with!” The same is true for all of TV…not just “reality shows.” The media has taught teenagers that everyone is beautiful, everyone is confident, and everyone is doing things “this” way. Unfortunately, we rarely get to see when the cameras stop rolling. If we do, it’s usually within a tragedy like the death of Heath Ledger. Even in that incident, there were people who were more distraught over losing their favorite actor than the future of his young daughter. Our culture has allowed itself to become so engulfed in the media that we can no longer separate the real from the fabricated. Teenagers become so infatuated with “icons” that they develop a non-existent relationship with a character who does not even exist.

3.) “You know that we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl…”  
I didn’t think I’d ever be giving credit to Madonna…but that quote hits the nail on the head. Today’s culture is not just driven by materialism…but drive-thru materialism. We want everything and we want it now! If we see the release of a new iPod or fashion item, we should have had it yesterday. The media drives teenagers to value “things” and “stuff” over real values. This is definitely not a surprise to anyone. We all struggle with materialism in some way. However, the media attempts to capitalize off of this. This is why Ashley Tisdale is a spokeswoman for deodorant, LeBron James for a sports drink, and Paris Hilton (formerly) for Hardees. It’s not necessarily about the individual product. It’s about “What can I get to make me cooler?” or “How do I become like the people I see on TV?”

I’m actually going to leave it at that. I’m curious to hear your responses. Do you agree with what I’ve said? Disagree? Have more to add? Let me know!

(Thank you Wikipedia for some help)

Tags: Beverly Hills 90210, Materialism, Media, Reality, TV