Young Adult Literature and Multimedia--Resources
The World of Teen Television
Stacy Lyn Harvey
October 2, 2008
“Brandon, we have to go to the Peach Pit to meet Donna and David!” Brenda Walsh circa early 1990’s. These are words and characters that were at the heart of my teenage television viewing experience with the drama Beverly Hills, 90210 (Harlan, Loertscher, McElmeel, p. 44, 2008). And thanks to the new network, the CW, I can revisit the Peach Pit and teenagers now can be introduced to it. With a new cast of characters and some of the old ones returning, it is a show that may just close the generation gap of teens to young 30’s. The show may also force some of its newbie viewers to research a little about the old show and read the book, Beverly Hills, 90210 (Glidden, 1991).Another aspect of the new 90210 is that a conversation could be started between moms and teen girls and the idea of being too thin. Some of the actresses are in the spotlight for being bony (Wells, 2008). Instead of looking at this from a negative perspective, I am hoping moms take the time to discuss healthy habits with their teenage girls.
Speaking of hills, there is another television show in the teenage spotlight in many Americans’ favorite new genre, reality television. The Hills on MTV chronicles the lives of young twenty-something adults as they find their way in the world. The main characters are involved with fashion design and the glamorous world it beholds and of course, the Hollywood night scene. A great accomplishment for one of the cast members is a three-book deal. Lauren Conrad, who is the central character, will be writing for HarperCollins. The series is loosely based on her own journey from Laguna Beach, California to Los Angeles and the idea of becoming a household name. Lauren has done interviews and has been quoted as saying, “I have always loved books that I could lose myself in, ones that would transport me to another place, but had characters I could relate to.” (Miller, 2008). What a wonderful new book series that teenage girls will devour!
Devouring vampires is what Sarah Michelle Gellar liked to do while on the WB network in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer from 1997-2003. Though never a fan of the show myself, it had a cult following. The timelessness of vampires, werewolves and fairies continues today. A new series of books about vampires, starting with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, is now on shelves. A book that I have read is Wicked Lovely, about fairies and mortals colliding. Aislinn, the main character, is a mortal girl with a special Sight that allows her to see the fey around her. It has the appeal that most teenagers are looking for with some tough vocabulary that will have them using a dictionary.
If teens are watching a lot of television, hopefully they are researching the subjects they are viewing. Reading biographies and autobiographies of their favorite teen stars may lead to reading about political leaders, activists or great people in history. When a teen says, “I want my MTV!” he might just be on the road to reading books about great leaders or historical figures. It might be a long, windy road but sparking interest in learning about people may have to start with the current teen stars.
References:
Glidden, M. (1991). Beverly hills, 90210. New York: HarperCollins.
Harlan, M., Loertscher, D., McElmeel, S. Young adult literature and multimedia.
Utah: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.
Marr, M. Wicked lovely. New York: HarperTeen a division of HarperCollins.
Miller, K. ‘The Hills’ star Lauren Conrad signs a three-book deal. Retrieved October
2, 2008, from http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/09/11/2008-09-11_the_hills_star_lauren_conrad_signs_three.html.
Wells, T. Beverly hills 90210 is back and it’s thinner than ever. Retrieved October 2,
2008, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tina-wells/beverly-hills-90210-is-ba_b
_129444.html.
These lesson plans, guides, and other resource materials for young adult literature topics were created by participants in a professional development course in young adult Literature. Each resource is copyrighted by the individual educator who developed the material. The present course being taught is titled: Teaching Young Adult Literature in the Classroom from the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Sharron L. McElmeel, instructor)