Ypulse Readers Review 'quarterlife'

I haven’t watched it yet since I was out last night, but you did, and two of you wrote or commented with your take (interestingly, they have a similar theme). Holly Siegel, who is a senior editor at ELLEgirl.com, wrote:

“quarterlife,” which began as an original series for MySpace by the creators of “My So Called Life” and “Thirtysomething” and first aired on TV last night, is about a group of friends in their mid-twenties. There’s comfort in the stock ensemble cast - the promiscuous roommate, Serena van der Woodsen - er, Rayann - er, Michelle Williams - is inherently flawed; the indie guy, Dylan McKay, - er Ryan Atwood - is who you root for; the good looking jerk, Jake Ryan - er, Chuck Bass - is no one you’d ever really be friends with, etc. And that the heroine, Dylan, is part Angela Chase, part Brenda Walsh, is a mid-level editor at a teen magazine who fights for a special ad-free section printed on recycled paper where the readers won’t be pandered to, got my attention.

How odd that I, a senior editor at a teen website, formerly an assistant at a teen magazine, scrawled the words “I refuse to identify with a girl who talks to her computer” on a nearby envelope. And then it hit me: the girls I’ve been writing for for the last five years about HPV and toxic friendships must feel like this all the time. When I rolled my eyes at the use of “so” instead of “definitely” (as in “I am so there”) or calling the internet “the ‘net” (so Hackers!), my mind flashed to that phone commercial where the teen is screeching abbreviations into her cell. “Oh em gee, my B.F.F. Jill!” How many girls got elbowed in the ribs by their dads every painful time that commercial was on and resented that their parents’ understanding of them likened them to a gum smacking teeny-bopper. In real life, no one unexpectedly hires you to film a car commercial and an airhead caricature named Brittany who steals your ideas is not your superior at work. Just like you don’t have an Upper East Side debut or wear Chanel to high school.

The bottom line is, I feel like I am being made fun of. And no angsty girl with a boy’s name is ever going to change that.

Joel wrote:

Watched “quarterlife” last night. As part of the twenty-something demographic they are marketing the show towards, I could both appreciate the show’s attempt at authenticity while also being repelled by the cliche look at my age-group. It felt like they were trying to get me to watch their show by presenting me with what they think I look and act like. They are trying to sell me their idea of me. Hope that makes sense!