Normalizing Abuse In Gossip Girl

When someone mentions Gossip Girl, one can only remember the opulent and the outrageous lives of Manhattan's aristocracy. Running for six seasons, Gossip Girl had a massive impact on young adults. I remember my friends and I dissecting every little detail from the show, starting from what brand Serena’s dress was from to who was dating whom. Many consider protagonists, Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen’s rough relationship to be #friendshipgoals. However, what stuck most with the viewers, is the incredibly problematic relationship between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf. Every time I open Facebook, I come at least one post titled, “8 Hot Chuck Bass Moments That Made Us Want to Marry Him,” or “15 Times Chuck and Blair were the Ultimate #RELATIONSHIPGOALS”. If you look past Blair’s bratty behavior and Chuck’s razor-sharp jawline, many issues start emerging.

Throughout the seasons, Chuck and Blair broke up and got back together more times than I can count. The show passed Chuck’s manipulative and erratic behavior as passes it off as a romantic hero who’s willing to do anything for his true love. Gossip Girl glosses over the complex issues of abusive behavior and sends misleading messages to its young audience. There's no doubt that Chuck is guilty of sexual harassment and assault. In the pilot episode, a sad and drunk Serena is told that she can buy Chuck’s silence in exchange for sex. A very uncomfortable Serena tries to brush off Chuck; however, he was persistent and kept making unwanted sexual advances. Serena fights him off. Later on, in the series, they become close friends. Minutes after Serena escapes Chuck, he finds a new prey, Jenny. Chuck kisses her, but she tries to distance herself from him. Terrified, Jenny texts her brother to come rescue; however, a determined Chuck continues to make unwanted sexual advances. Fortunately, Jenny’s brother Dan and Serena show up on time. Instead of being ashamed, Chuck justifies his behavior by saying that it’s a party and things happen. As Chuck leaves, he calls Serena a slut. Did I mention that it all happened in the first episode? Did I also mention that Jenny was fifteen years old at the time of the incident? It was just the beginning of six long seasons of writers justifying Chuck’s misogynistic, entitled, and dominating behavior towards women. This sets an unhealthy example for young girls watching.

The message we received was that it was normal for a man to treat women as objects of desire and use them as he wishes. What is even worse is that those incidents were never mentioned again. Serena and Jenny continue their lives as if nothing ever happened, and Chuck was never penalized for his actions. What young women see on television can have a deep impact on their lives. Young women are being told that this monstrous behavior is justifiable if the man is rich, charismatic and powerful. I remember my girlfriends placing Chuck Bass on a pedestal and praying to find a boyfriend who mirrors his qualities. Idolizing such a man in real can have dangerous consequences. We are basically giving men like abusive men, like Chuck, a free pass. I mean, yes, everyone wants a relationship where your significant other stays with you through the highs and lows of life. However, is it worth it when your partner is unstable and manipulative?