tv

Gossip Grilled

I was contacted for this article about the internet appeal of Gossip Girl. None of my quotes ran, but here's two things I said:

This actually has a lot to do with a NYC-centric vision of media. Very few of my friends back in the midwest watch the show. If I didn't live in New York, I'm not sure I'd watch it. While it's eye candy for those of us who walk by the Beatrice Inn, it's gaudy class warfare for those who don't.

The use of these communications technologies -- the cellphone, the gossip website -- are part of what makes the show so compelling to internet people. The most recent episode was the first to closely dwell on the mechanics of the anonymous site. For those of us who work in the industry, it was fascinating to see someone else use it as a vehicle for revenge, for manipulation... for gossip.