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In
the picture
Gossip Girl***1/2
*ing: Blake Lively, Leighton Meeser, Ed Westwick, Penn Badgely,
Chace Crawford, Taylor Momsen
Tagline: 'Gossip Girl here. Your one and only source into the scandalous
lives of Manhattan's elite.'
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Gossip Girl
- by virtue of its very name - spins a world of controversy and
scandal. But the show is far more than that, and the kind of reaction
it has garnered abroad and in Pakistan, even, is quite surprising.
The brainchild of the creator of The OC, the show has managed to
become a hit in a very short time - with its second season premiere
being watched by 3.4 million viewers in the US alone.
Gossip Girl is based on a very simple premise: the story focuses
on the lives of several teenagers studying at an exclusive private
school on the Upper East Side in New York - Nate, Chuck, Blair,
Serena, Dan and Jenny.
Nate, Chuck, Blair and Serena are all part of the New York's elite,
belonging to fabulously wealthy families with mostly absentee parents,
while Dan and Jenny live on the other side of New York, in Brooklyn.
The show's base character is someone called Gossip Girl, whose primary
job in life is to round up all the gossip circulating among the
Upper East Side and circulate it via text/video messages to this
young society set. Her sources: the backstabbers and gossipers among
the students at these private schools. While Gossip Girl herself
is unknown, the backstabbing and gossip that these young people
indulge in is quite remarkable! (Yet still not as worse as the intense
amount of gossip everyone indulges in Pakistan)
From ruining people's prospects at Ivy League schools to dishing
out the dirt on couples getting together or breaking up - this is
what Gossip Girl's characters thrive on. Throw in the fact that
the entire cast is incredibly good looking, and wears designer clothes
and is very now in terms of their cultural references - and that's
one hit show.
The character's lives are all very intertwined: Nate and Chuck are
best friends as are Serena and Blair. Nate and Blair dated, but
broke up when Blair found out Nate cheated on her with Serena, Serena
and Chuck become step siblings when their parents marry, Dan's sister
Jenny is a social climber who betrays Blair to get closer to Nate.
Serena and Date date while it remains a secret that Serena's mother,
Lily dated Dan's father Rufus when they were young. Dizzy yet? Watch
the show to find out what all the drama, intrigue and gossip is
about!
But to give you a teaser, here are the top reasons anyone should
watch Gossip Girl:
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Chuck
Bass:
Chuck Bass' character is by far the most alluring. He is as
much of a backstabber and schemer as the matchmaker aunty everyone
runs away from at weddings, but the eccentric character is one
everyone will slowly grow to love. He speaks with a slow, calculated
drawl, dresses flamboyantly in the style of '50s matinee idols
and has absolutely no morals. The only person on the show who
can match him is Blair Waldorf, and the two characters have
intense chemistry together. Chuck wields a cocktail, a Blackberry
and a squash racket with equal ease, and is definitely not the
boy you can introduce to your parents to build a happily-ever-after
life with.
Constantly striving to gain the approval of his workaholic billionaire
father, Chuck Bass comes with his own set of issues, and even
though he is |
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supposed to be playing a 16 year old, he comes across as far,
far older. While the other two male characters - Nate and Dan
- come across as being broody and goody-two-shoes, Chuck is
such a stark contrast that one often feels like applauding once
he's carried off one of his evil plans to perfection! |
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Fashion
Alert!
Watching an episode of Gossip Girl is a fashionista's dream
come true. The show eschews all stereotyped fashion no-nos
and has sparked a number of fashion trends. One spots the
cast in a mix of designer outfits and accessories such as
lace headbands and knee length stockings, or plaid blazers,
capelets and unconventional scarves. The show has had a profound
influence on retail," said Stephanie Solomon, the fashion
director for Bloomingdale', according to The New York Times,
adding that it appeals not just to teenagers but also to women
in their 20s, the daughters and the younger sisters of the
generation that made Sex and the City requisite viewing for
aspiring glamoristas.
Gossip:
'You're nobody until you're talked about'
This tagline from the show captures its essence perfectly.
The combination of gossip, potential scandal and rumours make
Gossip Girl addictive. The show thrives on the gossip that
the characters create about each other. Add to that the exclusivity
of their social circle, and the fact that all of their lives
are so intertwined, socially and family-wise, and it's a never-ending
saga perfect for the tabloids. One of the reasons it's gained
a fan following in Pakistan is this - we too, thrive on the
rumours about anyone and everyone we read online or find out
via text message.
Every
parent's nightmare
While most shows one watches always has a goody-good ending,
some sort of preachiness that draws the line between right
and wrong - Gossip Girl is anything but. The show's characters
scheme, ruin lives, get warring couples together and break
them up, bribe and cheat without blinking an eye.
And quite aptly, when one of the show's reviews said 'Every
parent's nightmare' which the show picked up and then used
in an ad.
All in all - Gossip Girl is guilty pleasure viewing. It's
like cheating on a diet with a tub of ice cream: the more
you have, the guiltier it makes you feel, but it's oh-so-delicious
and worth it! DVDs of the show are available at most stores,
and if you're lucky enough to have a great Internet connection
and stable electricity, download away!
–
Saba Imtiaz
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME |
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