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How Gossip Girl Reboot Sinks into Teen Idealism (And Misses the Point)
By McKinzie Smith | “In this attempt to make its characters relatable, the show obscures the original point. It’s creating something new, it’s just not doing it very well yet.”
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How Meadow Soprano Ended Up Just Like Her Mother
By Shea Vassar | “Young Meadow is mean to her mother because she wants to be everything Carmela isn’t. Ironically, in the end, she becomes just like her.”
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‘Everything’s Gonna Be Okay’ Celebrates the Continual Discovery of Identity
By Claire Davidson | “[Matilda represents] an understanding of autistic self-definition that is still cognizant of boundaries with others as much as any flawed teenager can be.”
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Growing Up (Or Not) in the Share-House on Screen
By Zoë Almeida Goodall | “Is share-housing a place where characters can grow up, or a place they have to leave in order to grow up – a transitional arrangement that must be abandoned once the characters are past a certain age?”
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The Unapologetic Queerness of ‘Generation’
By Arianne Binette | “Being queer in Generation is just part of life.”
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From Ugly Duckling to Swan: Limitations of the Teen Makeover Film
By Nuha Hassan | “These makeover films represent how female adolescents can become the embodiment of feminine beauty and desire. They work to conform to a reality that takes pleasure in viewing the female body as patriarchal objects, rather than accepting who they are before.”
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On Haircuts and Himbos
By Bailey Herdé | “This is the thing about Cappie that draws you in, more so than the charm, more so than the hair: he cares. And, unlike so many men his age — unlike so many men, period — he isn’t afraid to show it.”
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“They’re All Gonna Laugh at You”: The Cynicism of Adolescence in ‘Carrie’
By Samantha Vargas | “We know Carrie wants to fit in, but other than gain social acceptance, she doesn’t exist outside of the confines of her high school torment. In the realm of this film, Carrie simply exists to suffer, react, and then eventually burn out.”
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Teens, Dystopia, and the Art of Rebellion
By Georiga Davis | “If teenagers rebel, it is often against an older authority, whether it be their parents, their teachers or society itself … So, transferring this generational battle of power to the realm of dystopia – where these establishments reign supreme – only seems natural.”
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Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ and High-School Era Nostalgia
By Isabella Rosete | “The careful intimacy evident in these varied approaches serves to render the suburban experience at once universal, and incredibly personal.”
Grow Up 