Gossip Girl -- Analysis of "The Serena Also Rises" from Season 2

Title: “The Serena Also Rises”
Tv Show: Gossip Girl
Company: CW
Location: Season Two, Episode 5
Target Audience: High School Youth
Cultural Impact: It promotes sex, self-indulgence, and manipulation while pushing mature issues on highschool students.


With its high-fashion society, glamorous characters, a life beyond our pocket book, and extremely juicy gossip, it's no wonder why Gossip Girl is so popular among teens! But we need to take a closer look at the not-so-subliminal messages this show is putting out. Not only has everyone of the upper-east side grown to accept gossip in their lives, but their purpose gets wrapped up in power, status, or pleasure, all through selfish motives.

As a female, I have fallen short and bowed to my stereotype that girls gossip. It's not easy to avoid the stories we hear or the power we associate in possessing knowledge over our peers, but it's a damaging act. Soon we fall prey to believe everything we hear. Then we pass it along, only to victimize the subject. Do we ever stop and question the evidence? How many times have we been the initiator of gossip? or the victim?

The episode, “The Serena Also Rises,” is completely saturated with stepping on people to rise to the top. Blair, the Queen Mobster of the High School, feels a threat to her throne so she gets tickets for her friends to a high flutent fashion show her mom is putting on. Regardless of her attempts to buy her friends, they are easily swung to the attention of Serena, who was recently published in the tabloids. Blair goes to every evil measure to sabotage her own mother's show in order to hold onto her power and status. When Serena is invited to the show, Blair moves her seat to the back. Once Serena's front row seat is retrieved, Blair kicks out all the models. In return Serena is asked to model, but Blair replaces her dress. Thanks to little J the show recovers, but Blair goes to any measure to secure her dignity and seek revenge on anyone who will take it (whether on purpose or not).

It doesn't stop there. Dan throws morals behind his back and does anything possible to get a good scoop on one of Manhattan's elites. Charading genuine interest, manipulating trust, and then exploiting his new friend in order to get a story that will get him into Yale. Jenny goes behind her father's back, skipping school, and lies to her boss in order to rise in the fashion world. Serena buys into the lies that watching out for another's feelings only holds back her true potential. Is that what life is about: sacrifice anything and everything to rise to the top?

Whether it be gossip, stealing dresses, buying off your friends, or simply telling white lies to reach the top, is it worth it?

By: Emilie¹

Notes

1. Emilie is currently a student at the Focus Leadership Institute (FLI) and will be going back to finish up her degree at Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, IL. Every semester, several FLI students are able to be interns with AXiS and research for us as well as travel around the country ministering to students.