Laguna Beach: The Real Clueless
Another Thompson essay
Previously on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, Lauren, otherwise known as L.C., the tall, tan blonde fashionista who seems incapable of wearing anything but see-through white bikinis when she’s near a swimming pool, told her friends that it is impossible to actively look for a boyfriend. Her friends quickly concurred, citing the logical comparison of how hard it is to find shoes when you look for them. This quickly dissolved into an argument about whether that theory can also be applied to purses or sunglasses (but not both, no, never both). It brings to mind a line Alicia Silverstone’s character Cher says in the movie Clueless. “Looking for a boyfriend in high school is as meaningless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie.” If she thought that Pauly Shore movies lack depth, imagine what she’d say about Laguna Beach.
MTV’s dramality, marketed as a reality version of Fox’s hit show The O.C., was actually supposed to be a reality version of Beverly Hills 90210. After all, if people were tuning in en masse to see actors play rich, spoiled, beautiful teenagers, why not just watch the real thing? Apparently the real Orange County has a lot less of shooting your juvenile delinquent boyfriend’s ecstasy-selling brother, but makes up for it with a lot more typical high school drama. There are the normal relationship break-ups and fights with close friends that all high school kids experiences. But these kids somehow manage to cope with teenage tribulations between spring break trips to Cabo San Lucas, surprise BMW SUV’s from daddy and planning their lucrative entertainment careers in L.A. instead of preparing for college. A better title would have been The Real Clueless, because these kids are re-enacting the movie without even realizing it.
Not that they are entirely to blame. For each generation of young girls, there is that one movie that stays in the zeitgeist. For those who are college-aged now, that movie was Clueless, Amy Heckerling’s valley-girl version of Emma. The majority of the cast on Laguna Beach was about eight years old when the movie came out in 1995, and it’s a sure bet that Clueless would be any of their “Top 5 favorite movie” lists.
Take a look at Kristin, the narrator (or Cher) of Laguna Beach. She is startlingly self-confident for her age. She shops and grooms herself constantly. She also is quick-witted, sarcastic and fun. The girl just wants to enjoy her senior year. She flirts, teases, and strings several boys along at once, but never settles on just one. She even drives a white jeep, as Cher did in Clueless.
After the landslides in Laguna Beach in June, the cast from last season, home from school for the summer, planned a charity fashion show and concert at a fancy restaurant to raise money. Not to dismiss the tragedy in the victim’s lives, but if they were living in mansions overlooking the Pacific Ocean, wouldn’t they be up on their insurance payments? This was like in Clueless when Cher decides she wants to do something good and become captain of the Pismo Beach disaster relief. Her teacher tells her they need to collect blankets, diapers and canned goods. Cher instead collects caviar, mini-skirts and tennis rackets.
Clueless satirized the lives of teenagers with money, whereas Laguna Beach takes itself too seriously and misses the punch-line. The popular clique’s pension for sexual antics quickly emerged and became the shows focus. It feels as though they purposely create drama for the cameras. Bad boy Jason has cheated on not one, not two, but three girlfriends this season alone. Stephen tries to rekindle a relationship with either Kristin or L.C., depending on whom the camera seems to be following that week. Kristin even kisses her best friend Jessica’s crush, which is caught on camera, but she never admits it.
The show is an addictive guilty pleasure that over 3 million people indulge in each week. Much like the primetime soap operas it was meant to imitate, it is full of lust, betrayal, stylish clothes, fancy cars and characters that are fun to hate. And much like a Pauly Shore movie, it is meaningless to search for meaning on Laguna Beach. Instead, just sit back and laugh.
Previously on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, Lauren, otherwise known as L.C., the tall, tan blonde fashionista who seems incapable of wearing anything but see-through white bikinis when she’s near a swimming pool, told her friends that it is impossible to actively look for a boyfriend. Her friends quickly concurred, citing the logical comparison of how hard it is to find shoes when you look for them. This quickly dissolved into an argument about whether that theory can also be applied to purses or sunglasses (but not both, no, never both). It brings to mind a line Alicia Silverstone’s character Cher says in the movie Clueless. “Looking for a boyfriend in high school is as meaningless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie.” If she thought that Pauly Shore movies lack depth, imagine what she’d say about Laguna Beach.
MTV’s dramality, marketed as a reality version of Fox’s hit show The O.C., was actually supposed to be a reality version of Beverly Hills 90210. After all, if people were tuning in en masse to see actors play rich, spoiled, beautiful teenagers, why not just watch the real thing? Apparently the real Orange County has a lot less of shooting your juvenile delinquent boyfriend’s ecstasy-selling brother, but makes up for it with a lot more typical high school drama. There are the normal relationship break-ups and fights with close friends that all high school kids experiences. But these kids somehow manage to cope with teenage tribulations between spring break trips to Cabo San Lucas, surprise BMW SUV’s from daddy and planning their lucrative entertainment careers in L.A. instead of preparing for college. A better title would have been The Real Clueless, because these kids are re-enacting the movie without even realizing it.
Not that they are entirely to blame. For each generation of young girls, there is that one movie that stays in the zeitgeist. For those who are college-aged now, that movie was Clueless, Amy Heckerling’s valley-girl version of Emma. The majority of the cast on Laguna Beach was about eight years old when the movie came out in 1995, and it’s a sure bet that Clueless would be any of their “Top 5 favorite movie” lists.
Take a look at Kristin, the narrator (or Cher) of Laguna Beach. She is startlingly self-confident for her age. She shops and grooms herself constantly. She also is quick-witted, sarcastic and fun. The girl just wants to enjoy her senior year. She flirts, teases, and strings several boys along at once, but never settles on just one. She even drives a white jeep, as Cher did in Clueless.
After the landslides in Laguna Beach in June, the cast from last season, home from school for the summer, planned a charity fashion show and concert at a fancy restaurant to raise money. Not to dismiss the tragedy in the victim’s lives, but if they were living in mansions overlooking the Pacific Ocean, wouldn’t they be up on their insurance payments? This was like in Clueless when Cher decides she wants to do something good and become captain of the Pismo Beach disaster relief. Her teacher tells her they need to collect blankets, diapers and canned goods. Cher instead collects caviar, mini-skirts and tennis rackets.
Clueless satirized the lives of teenagers with money, whereas Laguna Beach takes itself too seriously and misses the punch-line. The popular clique’s pension for sexual antics quickly emerged and became the shows focus. It feels as though they purposely create drama for the cameras. Bad boy Jason has cheated on not one, not two, but three girlfriends this season alone. Stephen tries to rekindle a relationship with either Kristin or L.C., depending on whom the camera seems to be following that week. Kristin even kisses her best friend Jessica’s crush, which is caught on camera, but she never admits it.
The show is an addictive guilty pleasure that over 3 million people indulge in each week. Much like the primetime soap operas it was meant to imitate, it is full of lust, betrayal, stylish clothes, fancy cars and characters that are fun to hate. And much like a Pauly Shore movie, it is meaningless to search for meaning on Laguna Beach. Instead, just sit back and laugh.
posted by The Couch Critic at
10:01 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home