Life Lessons From The O.C.

Seth or Ryan, Seth or Ryan, Seth or Ryan...Anna? It is hard to know who to crush on most in the O.C. Teenage fantasies aside, there is definitely a Newport Beach nostalgia moment going on. Maybe enough time has passed for it to now be acceptable to revisit our favourite over-privileged California residents, or perhaps we are just gasping for a half decent teen DRAMA with actual ACTORS in the wake of a TV schedule packed with 'scripted reality' crapola. If someone had told us 10 years ago that we would watch hours of 'real people' pretending to act out their 'real lives', there would have been mass suicides at RADA. Anyway...

I for one have been finding solace in the arms of the Cohens and Coopers, i.e. The O.C, series 1, circa 2005. This was THE seminal programme of my teenage years; I would rush home from 6th form on a Friday to my boyfriend's house, where we would be glued to the TV for an hour. I remember sobbing with his younger sister over one particularly traumatic episode - not that most episodes of The O.C. weren't traumatic; every week something dreadful would happen. These were the days before Channel 4 put out a helpline number after an episode, so we just had to deal with the 'issues' on our own, and it no doubt made us stronger, more rounded human beings. Domestic abuse, illicit affairs, divorce, bankruptcy, and alcoholism: there was always some darned thing throwing a spanner in the works of teenage romance. 

Oh, the romance. Played out against the backdrop of California mansions, pool houses, crazy parties, public schools and of course, Newport Beach, the love lives of these troubled teens were all-consuming. The constant on-off Ryan and Marissa situation was infuriating, while Seth and Summer proved that love between a geek and a cheerleader can most definitely happen. From an outsider perspective, the two boys represented the different male tribes: Ryan was the macho, strong yet silent alpha male, while darling Seth was the ultimate geeky-yet-cute-and-funny beta. I always used to be a Seth girl, but now I just cannot decide between them. One of life's hardest choices.

Yes, I did Photoshop those hearts on myself. No, I have nothing better to do with my time right now.

Deciding who to swoon over wasn't the only thing we took from The O.C. - I remember being crippled with jealousy after nearly every show. I wanted Marissa's wardrobe and bone-thin physique, Summer's confidence, Anna's wit and ability to pull off short hair, their sun-drenched lives in a glamorous US state so far removed from my life in a sleepy English village it was laughable. Thankfully, I have outgrown my O.C. hang-ups and general life envy, although it has left me with one scar: an unshakeable desire to go to California, just to see if life really can be like that. One day...

GL