Monday, November 01, 2004

OH, SEE

Unbelievably, a promo is running on Fox Television reassuring us that:

“The series that redefined a generation is back.”

It’s unbelievable because the promo is for “The O.C.,” which is returning for a second season of what is essentially a transplanted “Dawson’s Creek” with faux class consciousness. Somehow, this show, all one season of it so far, meaning all 27 episodes, has redefined a generation?

Probably only because this has become the generation that, until a year ago, had to watch something else Thursdays at 8 p.m. The promo’s claim falls into that numbing gap of things that seem like hyperbole but aren’t, like the claim that something will “change life as we know it,” when things are actually doing that constantly: “The O.C.” has changed life as we know it, for those who’ve heard of it, but so has the salad spinner, bubble tea and the fact that you can get stamps from an automated teller.

The line is even vague on which generation has been redefined. It’s possible, although unlikely, that it refers to the greatest generation, meaning those old enough to fight World War II. Its members may be shutting off televisions in disgust, for instance, earning redefinition from “the greatest generation” to “the generation that can’t stand the crap they have on television now.”

Of course it’s most likely the tagline refers to the youth of America, those watching and enjoying “The O.C.,” buying the first season on DVD, posting to or creating “O.C.” Web sites and listening to all three “O.C.” soundtrack albums, which implies that the show really has redefined a generation — as the generation that will O.D. on “The O.C.” and, in a year or so, move on to another redefinition.

5 comments:

Indri said...

Chortle, chortle. I don't even know ANYTHING about OC, and I thought this was funny.

Incidentally, bubble tea HAS changed my life. It's an excellent tool for horrifying some of my more delicate friends.

Scape7 said...

Thanks. But a new thought is bothering me:

Three soundtrack albums from one season on television? "Dawson's Creek" used a ton of music over six seasons — 163 songs are available on the show's Web site — and produced only two.

If "The O.C." sticks around as long, we're looking at a potential 18 soundtrack albums!

Indri said...

AND I wouldn't recognize any of that music if it came up and bit me on the nose. Seriously. I was walking by the Warfield the other night, and stopped to look at the sign announcing big name acts coming to town, and didn't recognize any of them. The kids standing in line for the evening's show were all wearing black shirts with band names I didn't recognize. I felt about nine and a half million years old.

Is Tony Bennett still alive? Maybe I need to develop a taste for that kind of thing, being as ancient as I am.

Scape7 said...

Get a hold of yourself, woman! I went to a show by The Faint the other night and was clearly the oldest person there (who wasn't employed by the club). But the show still rocked. Perhaps you need to be exposing yourself to more new music, rather than giving yourself over to ossification.

I doubt checking out the music played on "Dawson's Creek" is the way to do it, though. I didn't even bother looking at the playlist!

Maybe that's a problem of mine, actually. You get credit for looking.

Indri said...

Sir, I must protest! I am exposing myself to (or perhaps more accurately, by) new music all the time.

It just happens to be from other countries, and often heavy on the accordion. I embrace my unhipness!