*Hey Alexa, Play Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John*

“Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite… And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO, GG”

In honour of the New Gossip girl reboot on HBO Max and Crave (if you’re Canadian like me), I wanted to bring awareness to the cultural reset that was and is Gossip Girl. In this blog I will not be sharing the fashion in Gossip Girl due to the fact I will soon be doing a whole separate blog dedicated to that. I am currently writing this blog while listening to the GG soundtrack to get some inspo about the 2007 major hit that is/was “Gossip Girl.”

XOXO  

The Creation 

After creator Josh Schwartz was done working on the classic 2000’s teen drama The OC, he didn’t necessarily want to start another new teen show. The OC was one of the most influential shows during its run from 2003-200, showing glamorous lives, scandals and tons of drama during its four seasons. One of my favorite teen dramas! After Josh read the first GG book, written by Cecily von Ziegesar, he saw the potential that this show could bring to the teen demographic, although he was a little skeptical because he didn’t want it to be the New York City version of The OC. 

The Plot 

Gossip Girl was groundbreaking when it first got picked up by the CW network. Labeling it as “Reading, Writing and Raunch: Mean Girls Rule Prep School,” a 2007 New York Times article said:

“It’s a sleek, glossy, musically enhanced soap opera centered on wealthy, gorgeous high school students who connive and cavort to the sound of Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Peter Bjorn and John, Angels & Airwaves, and Timbaland.” 

Honestly this description was so Iconic just in itself.

The plot of Gossip Girl is described by IMDB as: “Privileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no secret from the ruthless blogger who is always watching.” 

The use of technology in this show was huge because it really foreshadowed how times are now, with the idea that everyone is watching and everyone has access to a phone; more specifically, a phone with a camera and social media. 

In the time of the original Gossip Girl, there was no Instagram, no Facebook, and no Twitter, but a fictional blogging website called Gossip Girl where teens who lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, NYC, could send in tips and secrets surrounding their fellow classmates. Narrated off-camera in the show by Kristen Bell, Gossip Girl targeted the iconic friend group of Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively), Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Nate Archibald (Chase Crawford), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), Dan Humphry (Penn Badgley), and Jenny Humphry (Taylor Momsen). After Serena flees NYC to attend boarding school, she is spotted at Grand Central Station where a tipper notifies Gossip Girl, which then alerts everyone that Serena is back. Serena and Blair are the IT girls and everyone wants to be them. 

The Lifestyle

The lifestyle of the elite Upper East Side goes as follows: fancy clothes, designer cosmetics, limos, parties, and scandals. Totally not the average teenager but it makes AMAZING TV. 

2021 Adaptation

The HBO reboot is not necessarily a reboot in my opinion, but rather an adaptation. In this version of the show, new Upper East Side teenagers show how life has evolved in 2021. 

Instead of a blog there is now an Instagram account to share the gossip and scandals of the new class. This version is a lot like Elite and Degrassi with the edginess and angst, while still having luxurious occasions and outfits. There is no Serena or Blair in the new version but they are not forgotten. This new show talks about the legacy the IT girls (Serena and Blair) and the rest of the group had on the new Upper East Siders. In this way, they are still relevant and still a part of this fictional world, although they are not a part of the show acting-wise. New IT girls have taken over the Constance BIllard Gossip Girl scene and now THEY rule the school. 

One important difference — in this new version, the identity of Gossip girl is announced right at the beginning of the first episode, leaving fans to give it mixed reviews. 

I personally like this version as well and will continue watching! I would however recommend watching the original first and then moving on to the reboot. Reboots are so problematic in general with comparisons and high expectations. But I personally don’t see a problem with this one, although nothing compares to the original. 

Overall 

Gossip Girl has inspired a huge community of people who want to live each day like they are Blair Waldorf or Serena Van Der Woodsen. I know personally that after I watch the show I am influenced to dress in my best outfit and take on the world just like Blair and Serena do. From 2007 to 2013, New York city was packed with fans trying to watch the filming of the show. The cast would shut down streets due to the high capacity of fans who were loyal to the show. So many conversations happen on TiKTok and other social media about plots, storylines and characters. 

Gossip Girl was a cultural reset with its fashion (stay tuned for an upcoming blog all about that), scandals, an amazing cast, and rule-breaking television and storylines. 

You know you love me, XOXO

Sadie