From Charles Bass to Cha Chi Soo:The Reform of the Preppy Bad Boy

When I last explored the subject of "The Preppy Bad Boy", the world was teetering on the precipice of the current economic crisis.  The mainstream media's portrayal of fashionistas and trust fund babies at play continued to be consumed like a cotton candy confection.  However, times have changed.  The same aforementioned "trust funders" have joined the 1960's throwback Occupy movement and conspicuous consumption is just not that cool.   As the tide of wealth guilt grows, an interesting trend has developed within television dramas marketed to the ever important 18-34 year old female audience. 

Charles Bass (or Chuck as he is affectionately known by his so-called friends), power mogul and hotelier, reforms his playboy persona to become the loving owner of a rescue dog.   Could it be that this personality evolution has another motive, other than the fact that he lost the love of his life?  Perhaps the writers of Gossip Girl realized that by softening Chuck's personality, not only would Blair fall back in love with him, but their viewership, as well.  Ratings for Gossip Girl have plunged dramatically since the strong debut the show made in 2007, having lost almost a million average viewers by Season 4.

Season 5 has brought out the lighter side of Chuck Bass.  After trading his on-again, off-again girlfriend for a hotel, psychologically destroying the aforementioned girl, and committing physical violence against said girl,  Chuck has finally seen the light.  He is also facing the cold realty of losing someone he cares about much more than money to another man.   It is difficult to be nonchalant in such a dire situation.

By comparison, the Korean drama Flower Boy Ramyun Shop is much lighter fare.  The story centers on Cha Chi-Soo, a flower boy, who falls in love with his student teacher (Yang Eun-Bi) under unusual circumstances.  Within Korean culture, relationships that involve age difference are a taboo; the age difference between Chi-Soo and Eun-Bi translates to about six years  From the start, Cha Chi-Soo is arrogant to a fault and behaves like a much older man.  He flaunts his wealth gracelessly and has a flighty girlfriend, who also actively disregards the feelings of others.

Over time, however, Chi-Soo develops feelings for Eun-Bi.  He is, as so poignantly stated by his father caviar to her "homemade rice".  Rice is substantial; caviar is a delicious luxury that is frivolous and unnecessary.  Over the course of the drama, which spans 16 episodes, Cha Chi-Soo transforms from a sniveling flower boy until a boy who sheds tears for his first love.  The snarky personality trait that made you despise him in previous episodes, begins to endear him to you.

Viewers of both shows find themselves rooting for the "preppy bad boy" because everyone is allowed a second chance.  Although Cha Chi-Soo and Chuck Bass both face challengers that have significant disadvantages, the reformed bad boy comes off as a knight in shining armor.   There was a nice boy lurking within them, after all.

Season Five of Gossip Girl is currently airing on The CW, with a mid-season finale on Monday, December 5, 2011.  Flower Boy Ramyun Shop is currently airing on the Korean cable network TVN, but can be seen with English Subtitles on Dramafever.

Textual Harrassment: Rumors, Techonology, and the Gossip Girl Generation

When I was a catty, teenage girl the greatest threats to my social life were the vicious rumors that were often spread by my so-called friends. Such rumors would distributed through the simplest of technologies, notes passed in class or every one's favorite game, telephone. By the end of a particularly difficult day, Tommy So-and-So would finally know that I had a crush on him, even if he was dating Mindy the cheerleader. Such events could be temporarily damaging, but generally faded after a few days. Today, teens are facing an ever changing environment in which even they do not have complete control.



Social networking sites such as facebook, which I joined with great reluctance, allow for ordinary citizens to become mini-celebrities. People you haven't talked to since elementary school are suddenly your best friend. Actual friends are provided status updates; photo galleries allow for nights of drunken debauchery to be encapsulated in cyberspace for all eternity. While technology such as Twitter and Flikr have viable applications, they are often misused or abused. For today's teens, a brief moment of indecision towards a supposed friend can lead to what may seem like a lifetime of misery.

Technology, while convenient, has created a world in which abusive relationships can thrive in unprecedented forms. As a teen in the nineties, I was witness to friends and boyfriends who were overzealous with instant messaging, phone calls, and even beeper pages. (Yes, prior to the proliferation of cell phones high school students carried pagers). While receiving repeated pages or phone calls was annoying, the person on the other end had no way of tracking your location. Global positioning technology that is currently available in many consumer electronics has paved the way for abusive partner to maintain constant location some one's whereabouts.

During the past month, the airwaves have been jammed with fans who were horrified at domestic dispute between musicians Chris Brown and his girlfriend, Rihanna. Apparently, the incident, which led to extensive injuries and a blood spattered car, was precipitated by Rihanna intercepting a text message that was intended for Chris Brown. Art often imitates life, but in this instance, Rihanna's concern over the female sender of the message led to a period of violence. What fans are finding most disturbing, however, is that she has not public renounced domestic violence or issued some form of statement that is seeking assistance. The fact that both artists maintain a youthful fan base is what I personally find most disturbing.

The Chris Brown and Rihanna incident has sent a very dangerous message to young women who may need to seek help for domestic violence. Thanks to the piranhas at TMZ, police photos of a horribly battered Rihanna have been leaked to the press. The anonymity that is normally afforded victims is apparently forgone when a victim is famous. Thankfully, there are various efforts that are being made to counteract bullying, domestic abuse, and technology abuse.

In an attempt to draw awareness to technology abuse, domestic abuse, and gossiping, The Family Violence Prevention Fund and The Ad Council have launched the website, That's Not Cool. That's Not Cool is a clever site that has provides free e-cards for teens to send to their friends, gossip mongers, and partners about actions that are just not cool. Included in this list is the abuse of instant messaging, posting damaging information on social networking sites, or stalking. This humorous take on these often illegal activities is intended to help create a dialog amongst teens regarding abuse.

As a fan of Gossip Girl, I often marvel at the over-the-top plots, dialog, and wardrobe. Is Chuck Bass really wearing a pink ascot? However, I must admit that I was horrified at a plot that unfolded during Season One of the series. During the episode, Poison Ivy, Blair Waldorf and her cohort Chuck Bass, spread the nasty rumor that one of their flock was absent from school due to stint in a rehabilitation facility. Complete with photographs that are distributed throughout the school faster than a snow chain, this rumor has devastating effects on both the subject and her family members. In true Gossip Girl fashion, there are no negative consequences for Chuck or Blair. It is not until an entire season later that all of the rumor spreading finally catches up with Blair. Perhaps, someone needs to send her character a That's Not Cool message.

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The Mean Girl Playlist:

Hot and Cold-Katy Perry

Wikked 'Lil Girls-Esthero

Kiss Me Thru the Phone-Soulja Boy

Diva-Beyonce

From Charles Bass to Charlie Bartlett: Preppy Bad Boys Emerge: Part 2

In this continuing series of critiques, I will be analyzing the emergence of the preppy bad boy in contemporary teen media. In my prior post, I contrasted the differences between the male characters portrayed in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight with those depicted in Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series. Feminists and parents groups have expressed alarm at the relationship dynamics featured in both Twilight and Gossip Girl. Each has become an example, by older generations, of what is wrong with American youth.


In fairness, von Ziegesar was expressed dismay over the way in which the television series has started to diverge from her original concepts. For example, in the printed series, Aaron Rose character who remains with ingenue Serena van der Woodsen for quite some time. However, both viewers and Cecily were horrified at the manner in which television Rose was portrayed. According to von Ziegesar, Aaron Rose was intended to be a free-thinking bohemian, who happened to be wealthy. Instead, he evolved into a narcissistic hipster. Once again, there was a demonetization of the wealthy male.



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From Charles Bass to Charlie Bartlett: Preppy Bad Boys Emerge

Forget the sullen, leather clad, Gothic vampire of the movie Twilight. A more nefarious archetype has been maneuvering into many teenage girl's psyches, one Ralph Lauren blazer at a time. In a time where ostentatious displays of wealth are passe, well heeled boys who ride to school in limos are the new rebels without a cause. In this series of posts, I will explore the contrasts between what was once considered the model of rebellious youth in America, as seen through the media lens. In the not so distant past, a prep school boy with great pedigree was viewed as the perfect match for the modest girl who never left the house without her pearl necklace. Now, it is apparent that years of preparatory education and strict adherence to societal rules can lead to endless debauchery. Fathers, beware; the guy with the attache case is here to sweep your daughter off of her feet.

The vamped up boys of Twilight are the sorts of compassionate, troubled souls one might find hanging out near the band room at their local high school. Blood lust aside, these teenagers are portrayed as generally harmless. Any wealth that is present is for the most part concealed; anyone who is different is considered so because they might just sparkle in sunlight. With lingering Christian undertones,Twilight and it's series is a great primer for suburban youth beginning to explore forbidden romance. Any inappropriate themes are not racy to the extent that parent's groups are ready to storm the palace gates.

By contrast, Gossip Girl, with its regular portrayal of underage drinking, teenage sex, and conspicuous consumption, has endured the outrage of groups ranging from Decoder to Focus on the Family. The producers of the series have cleverly utilized the negative publicity to their advantage by creating even more shocking ad campaigns. In a recent episode, prepster Chuck Bass (played by British actor, Ed Westwick), endures the death of his psychologically abusive father by drowning his sorrows in single malt scotch and high priced call girls. Plunging into a seemingly endless downward spiral, Chuck has a brief brush with death on the roof top of his speakeasy inspired burlesque club.

When events seem like they could not get any worse, he spurns the oft placed affection of Blair Waldorf (portrayed by actress Leighton Meester), his contemporary who continues to be enamored with him. No matter how many drunken rampages Chuck goes on, Blair is generally there to pick up the pieces. In a recent episode, much to the dismay of many Gossip Girl fans, Blair finally removed herself from the position as Chuck Bass' resident enabler. Blair, a girl whom appears to have everything together, can finally move on with her life and focus on her college applications. Those fans who are privately cheering at the obvious advancement of a female character from doting to academian, should brace themselves for the predictable moment when Blair steps back into the role of the bad boy's right hand lady.
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