Talk about the different ways that high school has been portrayed in TV, in particular the two subsets of Idealistic (ie. Saved By the Bell, That’s So Raven) and Realistic (Daria, Freaks and Geeks). Compare these two portrayals to each other as well as the real life experience of high school.
Freaks and Geeks is a cult classic and the perfect example of a realistic TV show. Every individual can relate to a character on the show as each of them come from different backgrounds and face various adversities. Other TV shows like That's So Raven also tackle some real life issues like racism and portrayal of women in mainstream media (when Raven isn't allowed to be on a magazine cover) so it is not necessarily idealistic. There are different forms of TV shows, there are the recent Disney or Nickelodeon shows which completely set up false expectations for the kids.
Then there are other TV shows like Gossip Girl or Parenthood, with predominantly white casts and where the families are completely supportive and everyone tackles everything together. A really great portrayal of high school is also showed in Gilmore girls. then again this is all TV... nothing can be explicitly like real life. – Aish8 years ago
First, one would have to agree that these two "subsets" are the only possibilities for high school representation. And second, one would need to clarify that the subject is American/Western/Hollywood portrayals of youth life. – T. Palomino2 years ago