Learning from 90210, then and now
Most of the incoming Northwestern class was born in 1990, the year Brenda and Brandon Walsh first started their harrowing tale of fish on a gilded, gold platter. 18 years later, they’ve updated 90210 for a new generation. We’re supposed to relate to this shinier, sexier version more. Whether that’s true or not, oh, how times have changed.
On this week’s afternoon special
OLD 90210: Racism, cheating and date rape are bad
NEW 90210: Letting pigs loose in a rival school’s hallway is okay as long as you’re good-looking and say you’re sorry
Pop culture reference
OLD 90210: The Love Boat
NEW 90210: The Hills
Token minority
OLD 90210: Geeky Jewish girl
NEW 90210: Adopted black guy
Saddest plea for attention
OLD 90210: Fans writing letters for advice to Brenda Walsh
NEW 90210: A blowjob scene within 10 minutes of the first episode
Live act
OLD 90210: Hello Day .
NEW 90210: Tilly and the Wall
Shannen Doherty’s bad girl act
OLD 90210: Getting into schoolgirl tiffs with southern belle Jennie Garth
NEW 90210: Lipsticking the cars of girls who kiss her man (Rick Soloman, co-star of One Night in Paris)
Sex ed
OLD 90210:Sex is bad until you love each other
“You actually do that to him, in real life?”
Incest vibe
OLD 90210: Brother and sister
NEW 90210: Son and father
Washed-up sitcom star
OLD 90210: Saved by the Bell’s Tiffani Theissen
NEW 90210: Beverley Hills, 90210’s Jason Preistly
Identity crisis
OLD 90210: Donna Martin or Donna Morgan?
NEW 90210: Gossip Girl or 7th Heaven?
Denim trend to master
OLD 90210: Acid-washed jeans
NEW 90210: High-waisted hot pants
Class to stay late for
OLD 90210: Algebra with Mr. Brody
NEW 90210: English with Mr. Matthews
there are quite a few inaccuracies/questionable statements in this article
-the new 90210 will be adding that “after-school special” vibe as it crafts more issue-oriented storylines, a la the original. do you actually keep up with the 90210 news?
-considering the original 90210 lasted for a whopping 10 years, there are lot more “pop culture references,” “token” characters (there were quite a few blacks incorporated over the years) and live performances (after dark, anyone?) than the ones you randomly picked and made seem like they were rare occurrences.
-the old 90210 definitely did not always promote sex only when you’re in love. case-in-point: the characters of steve, valerie, etc.
-the saddest plea for attention can’t be the oral sex scene. people tuned in WITHOUT knowing it was going to happen. the saddest plea is really all the promos with jennie and shannen.
-sbtb wasn’t a sitcom, nor was jason ever on a sitcom–or on the new 90210 either. and his last name has a second e in it: priestlEy
-the only class students actually stayed “late for” would be the summer drama class taught by chris suiter.
if you’re going to write about such an iconic show and call it “nostalgia,” at least have it be well-researched. don’t just write about it because every other media outlet is.
sizzlemaker
November 3, 2008 at 11:58 pm