Find me a girl between the ages of 12 and 22 who is willing to do something other than sit in front of the TV on any given weekday night. This task is not as easy as it seems. I know many young women claim immunity to the power of primetime WB TV, but the fact remains that a good portion of, if not most, teenage girls find themselves glued to the tube from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., rain or shine.
Whether the show will be starring bald yet beautiful Chad Michael Murray, shy and mysterious Gregory Smith, or “super” hunky Tom Welling, it matters not. The girls will still turn on their TVs and hide their remotes from their roommates.
But why are these nighttime soap operas so popular? What is it about them that makes young girls swoon? Is it just the cute boys? This is doubtful, considering all you have to do to get an eyeful of attractive testosterone is go to class. Could we be watching to fit in with the crowds and to have something to talk about in the cafeteria the next day? This theory is unlikely as well, considering many girls are reluctant to even admit they watch the shows.
These “guilty pleasure” programs are sometimes considered too juvenile for a serious college woman to be watching religiously. Maybe we have such an obsession for these shows because they simply show us the things we are interested in: be it forms of absolute perfection we may never seen outside the small screen, or real life issues many of us face every day.
Handsome boys fall in love with brainy girls, the captain of the football team doubles as the caring older brother, parents and teenagers find common ground. On the flip side, these shows also broadcast innumerable unplanned pregnancies, promiscuous sex, drug use and other “naughty” things.
Whatever the true reason we watch, the message is clear. The WB has found the perfect formula to win young audiences, whether we will admit it or not.
Posted to Web by: Scott Fobes