In the words of Kanye West, no one man student should have all that power!

But they do on Gossip Girl 2.0. 

Gone are the days where the Blairs, Serenas, Dans, Chucks, and Nates ruled Constance Billard. These days, the new Queen B ruling the halls and the Met Steps is JC, Julien Calloway, along with her rival, half-sister, Zoya.

The cast is much more diverse on the surface, but deep down, you’ve seen iterations of these characters before. 

Max posesses the swagger of Chuck Bass. Obie resembles a Dan Humphrey with money. Audrey is a dead ringer for little Jenny, and is 16 and married (sounds like an MTV show, right?) with Aki. And where Blair had her minions, JC has her besties who moonlight as brand managers, Luna and Monet. 

There’s also Kristen Bell resurrecting the Internet gossip in all her glory as she utters her signature “XoXo, Gossip Girl.” A tingle went down my spine and I was instantly transported back to 2007 when I heard her narration.

But the joy is shortlived and fleeting as we’re pulled into sloppy schemes ushered in by the reveal of GG’s identity by the time the hour is up. 

Unmasking Gossip Girl strips the series of the mystery that fueld the original series through its entire run.

And it’s even more toxic and problematic that the gossip queen is a handful of teachers spearheaded by Kate Keller, who are “taking back their power” from New York’s elite.

It was one thing to know Dan Humphrey was GG, but if we ever saw how he got his intel, we’d realize just how weird it was. 

And it was beyond creepy to to see a grown man snag half-naked pictures of his students in order to post it all over Instagram. 

I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in more than one way, but the series glosses over that part, though it, at the very least, acknowledges how creepy the whole situation is. 

Taylor Momsen and More Gossip Girl Stars Have This Advice for the New Cast

Thankfully, as GG takes on a mind of its own amongst the new generation of students, the teachers likely won’t have to do much of the sleuthing anymore. 

However, there’s also the whole fact that these teachers care enough about what their students are doing on their free time to arrange after school meetings to plot ways to destroy them. Do they not have anything better to do? Even when you suspend disbelief, it’s hard to imagine anyone in education stooping this low. 

It’s almost as if the teachers themselves never left high school, which is pathetic. With so much of the focus on the teacher trying to destroy students, it’s hard to even get into the drama between Zoya and JC, the half-sisters who secretly attempt to form a friendship only to get dragged into a fued by Gossip Girl.

In keeping up with the times, GG swaps in her blog for Twitter before determining that it’s outdated and only used for memes and Lin-Manuel Miranda and embracing Instagram instead.

If this series truly wanted to resonate with the youth of today, wouldn’t GG at least embrace TikTok?

But that’s the thing — the series seems confused on the audience it’s trying to entice and vibe with.

Through the diverse and sexually fluid student body, it seems to set its sights on Gen Z, but roping in the teachers in some odd revenge-plot seems to be a desperate (though successful if I’m being honest) attempt at hooking original fans, like myself, who are likely all grown up just like Nate’s former classmate-turned-educator, Rebecca, who gives Kate the idea to ressurect GG in the first place. 

It’s also why HBO Max aired the pilot episode on The CW, the network that made the original a series that defined a whole generation. 

The idea is to keep the rich kids accountable for their actions and respecting authority by exposing their secrets (I’ll be the first to say it’s a bit of a sretch to say that the students from Blair and Nate’s time were “scrared straight” by GG), though, it veers wildly off track, especially as the teachers become obsessively engulfed in the teen gossip themselves. They love having that power back. 

From the audiences standpoint, the series loses the magic and pull of its predecessor, while also failing to carve its own path as it leans too heavily into Netflix’s Elite, which I highly recommend you binge in your free time. 

As a fan of the original, I’ll be sticking around just to see if the series finds its footing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it finds that in trying so hard, it alienates the audiences it hoped to represent.

Should we have allowed Gossip Girl to stay in the past?

Let us know in the comments below!

By LINDSAY WEINBERG 

It’s hard to know who lived more glamorous lives—the characters of the original Gossip Girl series or the actors that portrayed them. From avoiding the paparazzi (casual) to making the most “magical friendships” on set, some of the actors from The CW show are sharing their most impactful memories ahead of the new reboot.

That’s right: It’s time to welcome back the most powerful Upper East Sider of all. Gossip Girl (Kristen Bell) will return to our lives on Thursday, July 8, when HBO Max debuts its juicy new series.

But before there was Zoya Lott (Whitney Peak), Audrey Hope (Emily Alyn Lind), Aki Menzies (Evan Mock) and Julien Calloway (Jordan Alexander), fans were obsessed with the extravagant lifestyles of Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) and Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford).

So, in honor of the premiere, E! News asked the cast of the original Gossip Girl to share their A+ wisdom with the new stars, including some pretty heartfelt advice on how to savor all that NYC has to offer.

Nearly 10 years after portraying Jenny Humphrey, Taylor Momsen reflects, “Shooting Gossip Girl was such an exciting look into New York.” She started out as Little J before pivoting to the music industry, releasing the album Death by Rock and Roll with her band The Pretty Reckless earlier this year.

Her advice to the newcomers? “I would encourage the new cast to take it ALL in,” Taylor, 27, tells E! News. “Gossip Girl was a unique time for me. When I look back I cherish the time I had to explore the city and to learn from people I respect, like [creators] Stephanie [Savage] and Josh [Schwartz].”

Robert John Burke, who portrayed Chuck’s dad Bart Bass, says he sends his “best wishes” the Gossip Girl ensemble, while offering some hot fashion tips. “Have fun, go with the outfit you first decide on and never, ever be on a rooftop alone with my son Chuck!” the 60 year old shares, referring to the bad boy’s scandalous side.

Another fan favorite on screen was Dorota, Blair’s feisty maid and trusted confidante, played by Zuzanna Szadkowski. The actress explains to E! News,” For me, Gossip Girl was all about chemistry,” pointing to the “electricity” between “Miss Blair and Mr. Chuck.”

“It was a real thrill when Dorota found her match in swoon-worthy Vanya,” she says of the doorman, played by Aaron Schwartz. “I hope that the caretaker and sidekick characters amongst the new GG crew find some heat and romance of their own.” 

Since the show ended, Zuzanna has realized that the best part was the friendships she made on set. “The greatest gift Gossip Girl gave me was my friendship with Leighton Meester, and I learned so much from working with her,” shares The Gilded Age star, now 42. “There will never be another Blair and Dorota, but my wish for the new generation is that magical friendships will bloom in unlikely places.” 

She adds that she’s “very excited” to watch the new Gossip Girl, noting that the original “spread love for NYC all over the globe.”

“This reboot comes at the perfect time because we could use some fun, flashy NYC-centric glamour right now,” Zuzanna gushes. “I can tell from the teasers that the cast already have their smoldering gazes and cold shoulders on lock. It looks really hot. I hope they ruffle some feathers.” 

As for Katie Cassidy, who played Serena’s nemesis Juliet Sharp, she tells the new cast to “stay focused, work hard, and have fun!” Not to mention, “Watch out for paparazzi when you’re shooting exteriors in NYC.”

Katie went on to star in Arrow and recently wrapped filming on the movie Agent Game. For her, Gossip Girl is a real “throwback,” saying, “I miss Juliet Sharp, what a fun role I got to portray!”

And if she has it her way, we just might see her in the reboot. “Who knows, maybe I’ll direct an episode for Gossip Girl 2.0 or maybe we will see Juliet Sharp back in the Upper East Side,” Katie, 34, suggests. “Just putting it out there!”

To see what the rest of the O.G. Gossip Girl cast is up to these days, click here.

Read the original post here!

Hey Upper East Siders,

The long-awaited Gossip Girl reboot has finally dropped its first trailer.

Nine years after its original run in 2007-2012, Gossip Girl is back and ready to ruin the lives of the next generation of New York’s elite.

This time, she’s upgraded technology and can wreak havoc beyond her blog and outdated flip phone’s contact list.

Through the use of an anonymous Instagram account, she threatens to unveil a huge secret among the ruling rich kids at the private school Constance Billard.

With a cast full of up-and-comers including Jordan Alexander’s portrayal of the queen bee, Julian Calloway, and Whitney Peak as the new girl, Zoya Lott, the show seems to do a great job of diversifying its characters.

There are a few familiar faces including Elizabeth Lail (You) and Laura Benanti (Younger), and the recognizable voice-over of Kristen Bell as the ominous Gossip Girl.

In this short two-minute trailer, it’s clear that the show will be full of drama, and according to the official logline, “The prestige series will address just how much social media–and the landscape of New York City itself– has changed in the intervening years.”

Don’t forget to tune in, as the series will officially stream episodes on HBO Max weekly starting July 8.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl