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THE BATTALION
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Reliving those awkward years
College students confess addiction to TV shows about high-school teens
B
BY EMILY HARRELL
The Battalion
rad Wineman, a graduate student at Texas A&M,
“didn’t wanna wait” for the new season of the
hit teen show “Dawson’s Creek” to begin.
Wineman said he .
began watching
‘Dawson’s Creek”
when some of
his friends
invited him
over to
watch once. He said he has been “addicted” ever since.
“| What I like about ‘Dawson’ is] really kind of an
intangible thing. It’s so over-dramatized that it’s al
luring, kind of like a soap opera. It’s just a fun show.
I like it so much because I don’t take it seriously,”
Wineman said.
While he said he likes the light-heartedness
of the show in general, the teen-aged charac
ters were also a draw.
“In a strange way, it is a throwback to high
school. It’s interesting to see the characters take on
some of the same problems that I had to deal with in
high school. And while I’m not that far out of high
school — I’m only 22 — I can look back on how
they deal with everything and be glad that I’m past
all that,” he said.
Wineman said the differences between the char
acters on “Dawson’s Creek” and real high-
school students made the show more
appealing to adults.
“It gives you a chance to vent
over people who over dramatize
everything. And 1 also love how
elaborate the characters’ vocab
ularies are. I mean, I didn’t
know the word ‘pedantic’ in
high school,” he said.
Although Wineman calls
“Dawson’s Creek” a “girl show,”
he said he does not care what oth
ers think of his viewing habits.
“I’ve got nothing to prove. I don’t
take it that seriously. It’s just how I
spend my Wednesday,” he said.
However, some fans take their viewing a
little more seriously.
Angela Fields, a senior biomedical science
major, said she watches “Dawson’s Creek”
and “Felicity.”
“I used to watch a lot more, though,
back when we watched ‘[Beverly
Hills,] 90210’ and ‘Party of Five’ every
week. I just don’t have time to any
more — not that I wouldn't if 1 did,”
Fields said.
“Between ‘Dawson's Creek’and ‘Felicity,’
‘Dawson’s Creek’ is my favorite because I’ve been
watching it since the first time, the very first show.”
Fields said she and her friends find some interest
ing ways to show their support of the teen melodrama.
“Gne time, [during] the first season, we taped the
season finale of‘Dawson’s Creek,’ because the sea
son finale is always the best, especially when you’re
waiting for two people to hook up, and they do. We
watched it so many times that we memorized it, and
then we would recite it to each other,” Fields said.
Fields said that her love of the show has not
waned in the three seasons that “Dawson’s Creek”
has been on the air.
“This season, for the season premier, we had a par
ty at my friend Lauren’s house, and we had cupcakes
decorated with D’s on them, and I made her a card that
said ‘Happy Dawson’s Day,”’ Fields said.
While Fields said she is obviously an active fan,
she added that her friends have made more overt dis
plays of allegiance to the show.
“My friend Lauren is worse than me.
She has a shrine to ‘Dawson’s Creek’
above her laundry closet with pictures
and articles and everything,” she said.
Although Fields said she down
plays her support of “Dawson’s
Creek,” she said she once took support
of another teen show, “Saved By the
Bell,” to a whole new level.
“Freshman year, when I had more
time on my hands because I didn’t think
needed to study, my friends and I watched
‘Saved By the Bell’ every day, because the
reruns were on every afternoon. Then one
, we found out about these ‘Saved By the
Bell’ action figures that were supposedly
found at the Dollar General. We searched all
over the state for them, because we wanted to
make a ‘Saved By the Bell’ diorama and put it
over our TV. We were going to make it a scene from
the show where Jesse is hooked on pills that keep
her awake to study,” Fields said.
Some fans are a little more low-key about
their support of teen shows.
Jacy Benton, a senior education ma
jor who calls herself a “TV junkie,”
said that of all the shows that she watches,
“90210” is the one she wishes she didn’t
watch, but is addicted to because of her familiar
ity with the show.
“1 know the characters, and you don’t have to pay
attention all the time. It’s just goofy and fun, and it’s
usually not sad. I am glad that it’s in its last season.
It’s not a show that you get anything out of. You don’t
learn anything from it. It’s just a fun show,” she said.
Benton said she is glad that the show is in its final
season.
“The story lines aren’t good anymore,” she said.
“About once a month they have a good show, but it
has gotten too materialistic and stereotypical.”
Benton said that she continues to watch “90210”
despite its shortcomings.
“Maybe because I watched [the characters] in high
school, and they are so familiar, and you don’t have
to pay a lot of attention. You can miss a couple of
weeks, and still catch right up, sort of
like a soap opera,” Benton said.
Unlike Fields and Wineman,
Benton said that she has
some qualms about being
an adult who watches a
teen series.
“I don’t know if it’s
something a 22-year-old
should still be watching, or
at least admit they’re
watching on a weekly ba
sis, but I do,” Benton said.
She said that al
though she is devoted to
the show, she has never
collected anything per
taining to it.
“No, I never have,
thankfully. That would
be really sad.
GRAPHICS BY RUBEN DELUNA/1 m Battalion
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