My love for the redeemable bad boy has been well chronicled on this site, and with my ever-abiding and increasing love for Glee‘s Puck and HIMYM‘s Barney as continuing proof, I suppose it hasn’t really ended. But recently, while rewatching Veronica Mars Season Three (because, well, if it’s a season that I can’t quote entirely from memory, that’s just not okay) I realized that I might, just might, be maturing a little. Suddenly, Logan’s whole broody bad boy thing seemed unfounded and off-putting. I’m sure season one’s break light cracking, FBI-punching version might still make my little heart go pitter patter, but I actually found myself rooting for… you guessed it… Piz.
And it’s more than just that. I watch early Gilmore Girls seasons and think, “Milo Ventimiglia is cute and all, but does Jess have to be such a grump?” Where before I saw deepness and sexiness, I’m suddenly all, “young people these days don’t know how good they have it.*” I find myself increasingly worshipping at the altar of the Chucks (from Chuck) of this world, rather than the Chucks (from Gossip Girl).
Even Twilight, my enjoyment of which certainly seems like the greatest evidence one could find against my continued maturation, seems to be trying to remind me that I’m not a moony eyed fourteen year old anymore. Gone are the days of angsting away after the Edward Cullens of the world. I’m suddenly loving the more emotionally healthy werewolf best friend.
It’s one of the most fun parts of being a popular culture junkie that I can truly measure growth in my life by my relation to popular culture, but this one took me a little by surprise. I wonder what farther reaching complications it has for me?
I’m trying to think of other, similar revelations. I remember watching Freaks and Geeks before high school and getting a completely different message out of it, but I think that’s to be expected. And I certainly appreciate aspects of Buffy’s later seasons a lot more now that I’m on a different side of the adolescent divide.
What about the rest of you? Any deep revelations spring up for you while watching your regularly scheduled programming?
*Which should not be misconstrued as jumping ship to Team Dean.