The Gossip Girl Phenomenon

Part I of the “Things I Shouldn’t Openly Admit To On The Internet" Series.

So I’ve been watching “Gossip Girl” - the smash-hit teen ridicu-drama on the CW (the network formed as the bastard offspring of the UPN and WB networks’ unholy union).

The show - to put it simply - is simply marvelous. And if you’ve never seen it before, I’d describe it as a cross between “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Sex And The City,” and “The Lord Of The Rings.”

It’s sex, drugs, teenagers, and sheer mythical fantasy. I think I saw a wizard ride a unicorn through the schoolyard last episode – handing out inexplicably perfect fake ID’s to all the bar-hopping 16 year-olds on the show, complete with hologram and magnetic stripe.

Ok, maybe no wizards.

But therein lies my only problem with “Gossip Girl” - not that these children are breaking the law, but rather, how the hell do they get into every hot bar or club in New York City? I get carded at ESPNZone when I order a Miller Lite. And I’m literally twice their age.

Anyway, the writers of “Gossip Girl” produce pure magic with their dialogue and intriguing plot twists - despite the need to suspend disbelief from time to time.

Some other highlights:

- Everyone has had sex with everyone else on the show at some point during the show’s timeline.

- You get to see the interiors of some incredibly high-end apartments.

- The cast is very good-looking, and mostly over eighteen in real life, so no need to feel guilty about watching.

- New Yorkers get a kick out of seeing familiar locales on TV – much of the show is actually filmed on location in the city.

- No animals are harmed during production of the show.

- Morality and laws take a backseat to fashion and make-up.

If you haven’t indulged yourself yet, check out “Gossip Girl” Monday nights on the CW.

If you become addicted, don’t say I didn’t warn you.