So we all know that I don’t normally talk about television on my page — okay that’s a total lie, I love TV, and as a television enthusiast, I feel it is my duty to inform you all that there is a show you NEED to be watching… Awkward. This is the best show you will ever watch, and will forever make you a reformed MTV fan*.
Ashley Rickards (One Tree Hill) plays Jenna Hamilton, a socially awkward, accidentally suicidal 15 year old in Palos Verdes, California (major points for one city over from my home town!) surviving the hell that is high school. Jenna Hamilton is the “invisible girl” of the school, she only has two friends, Tamara (like “I’ll see ya tamara”) and Ming (a perpetual hat-wearing girl with strict Chinese parents), yet she manages to always grab the attention of people in school, usually in a bad way. While being the invisible girl of the school, Jenna manages to become the center of a love triangle with soccer jocks Matty and Jake, allowing her to be even more hated by the popular cheerleaders Sadie and Lissa. How is this different from any other (shitty) MTV show, you ask? Well… as I like to say, to each his own, but in my opinion, Awkward is one of the more refreshing shows that I have seen in a while.
While Awkward has in the past been criticized for its over-the-top writing, it addresses real life issues that teens these days are going through which make the characters and events that occur, more relatable.
Although I still don’t think my mom would tape my boobs up, throw me a kegger and let her chain smoking best friend friend who calls me lil’ Bitch, drug me into oblivion… but here’s to hoping! The character of Jenna is odd and quirky yet cool and confident at the same time – she provides hope for us nerds!
Besides being totally gorgeous for an “invisible” Jenna (Rickards) posesses a rather Juno-like sharp tongued-ness and an adorable quality that makes watching the show fun, I swear you will LOL every minute of this show! There to provide unneeded but very much loved comic relief is HS guidance counselor Valerie (Desi Lydic) who encourages students to make good choices (“punch in her in the fun bags,” just not on school grounds) and makes casual stops to her students houses with bottles of laxative wine! Snippy faces and lots of helpful advice are provided by Sadie (Molly Tarlov) daughter of a Palos Verdes knick-knacker (newer version of the OC’s Newpsie) and ever bitchy compulsive-eater cheerleader.
No, I’m not mean, if you want to know what I’m talking about, watch the show! Awkward tries to put high school into a rather dramatized but somewhat accurately portrayed 20 minute show. If you don’t like Awkward, I will walk around with my arm up in a sling for a week!
Watch this awkward interview of the cast and make sure to catch Awkward Tuesdays on MTV 11/10c!
*I use the word fan sparingly, because MTV has gone more RTV (Reality TV) than music TV lately, but that’s besides the point.
