My mom’s box of Christmas presents finally arrived, containing (among other things) my long-awaited DVD box set of My So-Called Life. The Snook had never seen it, so we sat down the other night to watch the pilot. It was… uncomfortable. On so many levels. I remembered it being more funny and less angst-y. Where was the funniness? (I’ll cut ’em some slack; it was the pilot.) Also, Jared Leto is so not as attractive as I’d remembered. He’s just a jerk and I feel embarrassed for both Angela and myself for liking him. Further embarrassment was provided by the clothes. Why did I ever wear grunge? Why didn’t any of us realize that flannel baby doll dresses are never a good idea? Don’t get me wrong; it’s still a great show (as evidenced by the fact that I compulsively watched the next five episodes in one sitting today). But somehow it’s also embarrassing, you know? It reminds me that I used to be a totally different person, and that person can still make me cringe.
Max
January 5, 2003 — 3:57 pm
Yeah, but so many tv shows and movies from “those years” are like that, aren’t they? Once they’re a few years older, they just become…unexplainable to people who’ve never seen them (I’ve had something similar to your experience with Square Pegs, a show I lived and breathed in fifth grade yet can’t really “sell” to anyone who’s never seen it before). I still think there’s so much good in going back and watching them, though, no matter how squirmy they make you feel. It’s nice to be remeinded about what drew you to them in the first place and how you’ve changed (hopefully for the better, as in “no more grunge for Kris”) since then.
Leave it to me to get all misty-eyed and deep about old TV shows 🙂
orangecat
January 5, 2003 — 7:01 pm
i gel the same way when i rushed out and bought both “v” and “v: the final battle” on dvd when they were both released. “v” was still pretty good, but the final battle was downright bad.
i’m not even going to discuss “v: the series” **shudder**
orangecat
January 5, 2003 — 7:03 pm
i really should check my atrocious typing. “gel” should really be “felt”. boy o boy.
Kris
January 6, 2003 — 7:33 pm
I think another part of the problem was how dated the show looked. I’ve already accepted how weird the 80’s were, but the 90’s were my teenage decade, you know? It’s just weird seeing stuff you used to wear without irony looking like a Halloween costume. 🙂
And no, no more grunge for Kris. I still kinda miss it every now and then though.