★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
"A group of hyper privileged Manhattan private-school kids seem to get away with everything. Except an anonymous blogger is watching their every move." NETFLIX
OVERVIEW
Gossip Girl, starring Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, is widely popular among the youth, winning multiple teen choice awards, while at the same time reinforcing racial stereotypes, class divisions, and gender inequality. Beginning with the men of the series: Dan Humphrey is a self-indulgent manipulator, who ends up trashing all of his friends for the entire six seasons. Nate Archibald takes the role of the ultimate player, constantly sleeping around with escorts and older women, and cheating on both of his girlfriends. Chuck Bass, while a part of the “epic” love story with Blaire, is constantly sexually assaulting women throughout the series and essentially doing whatever he pleases. Now for the women– while with intent of empowering young girls my choosing two female protagonists– Serena Van Der Woodsen and Blair waldorf are no role models. Serena has no depth, her personality sparks from her being admired and intimidating to every other female in the Upper East Side due to her outstanding beauty. Blair Waldorf, otherwise known as the “queen bee” of Constance Billard School for Girls, is in a constant struggle to find her place in a word that she can no longer control after her high school graduation, further, she struggles with bulimia early on in the series, as her jealousy towards other girls grows to be self-destructive.
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