I don’t know what’s happened to me. I’ve lost myself. Yes, it’s true. Out of the blue I’ve found myself laughing quite hard at…(gasp)…teenager sitcoms…(gasp again).
This is just not me. Really. You know that kid who was never really a kid? That was me. ;)
Okay, I wasn’t that bad, but I definitely didn’t watch shows meant for teenagers or listen to music meant for teenagers…Did I just admit to listening to the music? (gasp again) Just the theme songs!
I consider this to be a temporary aberration. Sooner or later the effects of such things will wear off. Either that or a new show will come out and I’ll laugh at that one too. ;)
Before we go too far with this, I am hazarding to make many of my writerly friends out there gasp by saying this new found love of “Young Adult” entertainment met its match in my love of literature. Yes, my friends, I tried to read YA fiction…and it didn’t work. The first book I tried choked me into annoyance within three chapters. I am seriously unsympathetic to “teenage issues.” I’m sorry, but we all deal with that stuff. I don’t see why we have to make it more dramatic than it is. LOL
The second one was interesting, perhaps even compelling in a way, but I put it down one night and never picked it back up.
You see, a friend of mine recommend Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott and when I found a very old copy sitting on our shelves I picked it up. The English is a bit hard and the set up very descriptive, but I am enthralled by the Norman conquest of England and the downtrodden Saxon Lord! I find myself wishing I had more time to read it and that is my official sign of a good book. I’ve LOVED English literature and history ever since I started reading it when I was 14.
So, it seems to me that the laughs we get out of these teenage sitcoms offer a moment of stress release in what my brother and I call sophisticated silly. But deep down I’m still hardcore old fashioned literature girl…My dignity finds a measure of comfort in that… ;)
Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you’ve never found yourself in this place. LOL
Or have you just stopped by to tell me I shouldn't give up on YA fiction yet?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
A) Don't totally give up on YA lit...just find a great YA historical or something (they ARE out there)
B) It is okay to embrace your inner teenager - but yeah, I like being a full grown adult too
:D
I watch those kind of shows.... Chuck is my favorite (not quite teen) younger than I am shows. I don't wanna grow up I guess sometimes. :O)
I wouldn't be caught dead watching teenage sitcoms... Sorry. LOL! They're just so downright ditzy.
And do not give up on YA fiction! There are lots of good fantasy books in that genre (and a few mysteries and historical fiction too)! ;-)
Don't give up on YA fiction until you've read the Hunger Games!
I can't stand regular YA fiction for the same reasons you listed, but when you add SF, fantasy, dystopian, steampunk, etc. to it, it takes on a whole new luster.
I love classic young adult literature & children's too. You know, the Yearling, Where the Red Fern Grows, Wrinkle in Time, Anne of Green Gables, dozens of others.
I agree, you can't give up on YA Lit until you at least TRY The Hunger Games.
But YA lit also is an acquired taste. For me, it's all about getting in the right mindset. I was never the typical teenager either. I started college at 16, didn't have my first bf until 20 and used to get asked are you 14 or 40. So it's kinda funny to see the way I SHOULD have been acting as a teen. :)
Sometimes I find myself watching them...I actually prefer them to the rest of TV. So if I do watch TV it's something about people just a little younger than me.
Funniest thing I thought of while reading this...my friend's dad admitted to watching a well-loved teen sitcom and enjoying it. While I find myself appreciating his honesty, it still makes me laugh! :)
I'm the same way with YA lit. But some of their movies and shows ARE funny!
Christine: Yeah, I know I should look around a little more at YA. :P ;)
(embraces my innter teen ;)
Diane: I guess we all need a little break from our age level. ;)
Brianna: LOL, I use to be just like you. ;) But I've found that having something just silly that really makes you laugh is a good release every once and a while. ;)
Margo: Steampunk? This is an entirely new, but interesting sounding term.
Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorites growing up! :)
Shannon: Yay, for someone who understands! Lol! I had people assume I was a college student when I was 14. :P I can't imagine doing the stuff they do in these shows...but it sure is funny. ;)
Lady: Yes, compared to "normal TV" teenage shows can actually be a lot better.
...Okay, I'm going to out my dad. He laughs hard right along with us. :D
Karen: Sometimes we just need a good laugh. ;)
My girls keep me in touch with the tween/teen world. Even though they are not quite there yet we seem to see plenty of those shows:)
I say definitely try a historical fiction YA novel, or something about horses and not just "boys, dating, and cheerleaders." Not that any of those subjects are bad, but when YA fiction goes bad, it is usually because it is focused on one of those three. Try something like SHADOW SPINNER by Susan Fletcher, which I think is technically MS historical fiction about the time period when Shahrazad was telling the 1001 Arabian Nights stories. I just read it recently for my eldest daughter's home school curriclum. We're studying Arabia now.
Don't give up, but go to the library and comb the shelves, or search online and then comb the library's online hold services. Somtimes the good books are all checked out.
For Christian MS to YA fiction, try Dandi Daley Mackall's Winnie the Horse Gentler series, or the Starlight Animal Rescue series. They are labeld YA some places, but there are super quick reads. My youngest (8) read them all. The subject matter is good, and the books are well-written, even if they are too short.
I have a secret love of pop music. I sing Black Eyed Peas and Sean Kingston all the time! Terrible!
Haven't read Ivanhoe...
Kara: Sometimes it's good to be in touch. ;)
Tyrean: Hm, you've left me some very interesting sound titles, especially the 1001 Arabian nights one.:)
Jill: Why does liking pop sound so wrong? LOL
Ivahoe is good so far, but I haven't gotten a chance to read much.
I was never the typical teenager either.
Banner Advertising Network India
Post a Comment