There are a lot of inconsistencies between real high school and the way high school is portrayed on TV shows. For example, the fact that TV high schools let students chill aimlessly in the hall every 10 minutes or how they obviously never have any homework since their fictional lives are way too action-packed to have time for anything like that.

But, regardless of the unrealistic differences, we watch and try to relate to these shows… although, it’s pretty hard to relate to a certain class of fictional high school students when none of them ever seem to graduate.

When Ryan Murphy, the producer of Glee, announced that he would be graduating the cast of the show and bringing in new people, I was a bit surprised, but definitely relieved. Yes, the characters we’ve all come to know and love will be missed, but would you really want them to be 3-year super-seniors?

Check out some of the other shows that decided to make their students stay back over and over again for the sake of high ratings.

Do you think it’s okay for shows to “graduate” and replace their original cast, or would you rather see the cast of your favorite show stay in high school forever? Do you remember any other shows whose cast members never seemed to grow up?

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So apparently drinking and doings drugs is cool again.

At least that’s what our friends over at Jezebel are telling us the stats at Drugfree.org are telling them. 45% of high school students don’t see a “great risk” in heavy drinking. And 68% of those high school students have had their first drink by age 14. Additionally, since 2008 the use of marijuana is up from 32% to 39% and the use of ecstasy is up from 4% to 6%.

But let’s step back from the statistics for a minute an discuss the stuff behind the stats. For the first time in years substance abuse is once again on the rise and the real question on everyone’s mind has to be, why?

The director of strategy at Drugfree.org suggests budget cuts to prevention programs, the legalization of medicinal marijuana or even the stress of difficult economic times. But for me at least, these don’t seem like viable options.  I don’t think medicinal marijuana is behind this increase, nor do I think it’s the hard economic times. I mean, if teens don’t see the risk of binge drinking do you really think they see the ramifications of the stock market crash? And, honestly, I don’t think it’s the loss of prevention programs either. Teens today live in a world without limits. All the information they could ever want is at their fingertips. Pamphlets won’t tell them anything Google can’t.

Still though, that poses the question, what are the real reasons for this increase in drinking and drugs in the past few years?

The media, perhaps? We can’t ignore the fact that we live in a time when just about everyone is glorifying drinking and drugs. The pilot of Gossip Girl has a then sixteen year-old Blair and Serena sitting at a hotel bar sipping martinis. In that very same episode, Chuck and Nate are stepping outside at a party to smoke some pot. The cast of The Jersey Shore dedicates their every night to binge drinking.  90210’s newest female lead has just started using marijuana, and that would be the second drug problem this teen soap showcases. And let’s not forget the Glee episode. So if high school students are more comfortable than ever with drugs and alcohol do we really have to ask why?

But then again we can’t ignore the peer pressure factor. It’s perfectly clear that the media portrays drug and alcohol abuse as the cool thing to be doing. So is this just something that teens are doing to look cool in front of their friends? Or are they even really doing it? Is it possible that they’re exaggerating their exploits to feel cool? They know the risks but they don’t want to look like the odd man out so they exaggerate their exploits. Any frat boy can tell you how that works.

I don’t have a straight answer. And neither does Jezebel. Or Drugfree.org. But that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss the possibilities. So lay it on me, ladies. What do you think the reasons for this increase in substance abuse is? Is it the media? Peer pressure? Attempts to look cool, or just gross exaggerations?

The Kiss – probably one of the most popular posters for college guys. I’m referring to the picture, taken by Tanya Chalkin, of two girls, lying in bed in their underwear, kissing. Yes, the one I’m sure everyone has seen at one point or another during their college career. This picture, which is said to represent the freedom and experimentation during college, is one big, fat lie.

A study by the Center of Disease Control showed that it is actually women without high school diplomas that are more likely to have same-sex experiences than women in college. Sorry boys, but 10 percent of women aged 22 to 44 with a college degree reported to having a same-sex experience as opposed to 15 percent of women lacking a high school diploma. In addition, the numbers show that the numbers are rising for women with lower educational achievements.

Can you hear that? It’s the sound of college boys’ dreams shattering into teeny, tiny bits.

This study comes years after New York Magazine released a story called “Bi for Now,” which introduced the world to the idea and allegedly budding trend of ‘lesbians until graduation’ (or as they called them, ‘hasbians’). The idea was fun, exciting and controversial so, naturally, it caught on, and soon everyone was talking about it. Before long, girl on girl experimentation was thought of as just another college expectation, like final exams or getting really drunk on your 21st birthday.

It’s not to say there’s anything wrong with kissing a girl and liking it, but there is a problem with being pressured by others to experiment in a way you’re not comfortable with just because it’s a common belief that all college girls experiment with other girls. Especially when that belief is not even true.

And the pressure is everywhere. Not just at the campus bar where drunk guys gather and chant “KISS!” at two girls at the center of the circle. The whole idea of girl-on-girl experimentation has completely overwhelmed the media and perpetuated the idea that having a “lesbian encounter” is normal and expected.

Think about how lesbians, bisexuals or even bi-curious women are represented on TV and in movies. There’s the sorority girl, such as Rebecca Logan in Greek, who kisses one girl and then all of a sudden proclaims she’s a lesbian. There is no shock-and-awe, her “coming out” is shrugged off, and within a few episodes she’s back to guys. Or how about in Skins (the good UK version, not the MTV one) when two girls are told to kiss during play rehearsal even though it’s not part of the scene, and they do so without much hesitation.

I’ve never had a girl-on-girl experience, much like 90% of my female peers, but I have to imagine it’s not that easy, that quick, that carefree. I mean, that is if it’s actually a moment of experimentation and not just a ploy to get male attention. It’s not like throwing back a shot or hugging a friend; there is a lot of thought and emotion that goes into something like that and we don’t see that. Ever.

Instead, we see girls just frivolously kissing other girls, experimenting for a hot minute, then moving on as if nothing happened at all. How is someone supposed to truly explore this idea if it’s being treated with such blatant disregard everywhere she looks?

The seemingly heterosexual woman character kissing another woman has become so prevalent and watered down that it’s now known as the “lesbian kiss episode” on television. Think about all the shows you watch (or used to watch) and how many times you’ve seen it: The O.C., Glee, Gilmore Girls, 90210, Gossip Girl, and the list goes on. Everybody’s doing it now.

Except they’re not. Not in real life, at least. Which means that none of us should ever feel pressured to try it out. Of course, if you’re curious, by all means, do it. But don’t feel bad if you don’t find yourself in the arms of another girl before you don that cap and gown. Just like there’s nothing wrong with never trying it out, there’s also nothing wrong with going LPG (Lesbian Post-Graduation).

What do you think about the ‘lesbian until graduation’ stereotype? Is it being exploited? Are you curious to experiment? Have you ever felt pressured to?

What will come of our favorite TV couple!?

After three entire months of reruns, and crappy MTV-I-need-a-girlfriend-and-a-life reality shows, I am more than ready for the new fall lineup, which starts this week!

In addition to our old favorites whose finales left us on the edge of our couches with mouths open and ice cream dripping on our PJs, there are a slew of new shows that are totally worth tuning into this fall.

We know it’s hard to get back into your nightly TV schedules, so we complied a guide for the must-see fall TV!

Our Returning favorites:

Gossip Girl (The CW): Monday , September 14, 8pm

Do I even have to recap? Jenny takes over as queen bee; Blair, Dan, and Vanessa head off to NYU (where conniving Georgina comes to stir up more trouble); and Serena is headed off to Europe to find her father? Let’s just leave it at OMFG, shall we?

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): Thursday, September 24^th, 8pm, ABC

So unfortunately, no one can keep a secret these days and word leaked over the summer that it is in fact George (T.R. Knight) who will be leaving the cast. But that doesn’t change the fact that viewers have an emotion packed premiere, which features a funeral bound to be heart wrenching for us die-hard fans.

Heroes (NBC): Monday, September 21, 8 pm

Who isn’t obsessed with this show? It has taken over Facebook statuses all over the internet. The season finale left us on the edge with a new killer in town, Nathan dead and Sylar and Nathan are one! In the premiere we will see this unfold, as well as Matt and Janice getting another chance at raising their super-power baby.

The Office (NBC): Thursday, September 17, 9 pm

If you haven’t been a fan, it’s not too late to start. The show is super easy to get into, and once your hooked you’ll have plans for the next 3 weekends catching up on old seasons. There were hints in the season finale of a possible pregnancy and we hear Michael’s love interest Holly isn’t out of the picture.

90210 (The CW): Tuesday, September 8, 8 pm

It’s not going to be on the Emmy ballot anytime soon, but it’s become one of our guilty pleasures. In the finale we were left wondering who has caught Annie drunk driving and running someone off the road. Plus the season premiere is full of new hookups, what more could we ask for?

ANTM (The CW): Wednesday, September 9, 8 pm

Here’s to another season of beautiful aspiring models, apartment catfights, and hoping one screws up enough to induce a Girl-no-you-didn’t-let-me-take-my-jewelry-off Tyra smack down.

New Shows!

Melrose Place (The CW): Tuesday, September 8, 9 pm

Sure it’s like a fusion of GG and 90210 in a grown up world, but it’s another one of those shows that will pop up everywhere, so none of us want to be out of the loop. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Ashley Simpson nosedive in the acting arena, or, less likely, surprise us with actually having an ounce of talent? I know I’ll be watching.

The Beautiful Life (The CW): Wednesday, September 16, 9 pm

All you OC fans get ready; Mischa Barton is back in a new drama set around a group of models sharing a home in NYC.

The Vampire Diaries (The CW): Thursday September 10, 8 pm

This show needs no introduction or, really, a plot line at all now that we think about it. Give us a gorgeous, blood-sucking star and we’re happy. But even better for viewers, the acting and storyline look promising. After the cyclone that was Twilight, this is bound to be a hit.

Glee (Fox): Wednesday, September 16, 8 pm

We were already given a glimpse of the show with its first episode in the spring, and we liked what we saw. A lot. A more sophisticated High School Musical with catchy tunes and there are already a slew of guest stars set to join the season including Eve and Kristen Chenoweth.

Modern Family (ABC): Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm

Who couldn’t use a little AL Bundy in their lives? This comedy has been deemed “hilarious” by critics and has that fresh, off-the-cuff office feel. We’re definitely giving it a chance!

What other series premieres are you guys dying to tune into this month?

When I was in elementary school, life was simple.  I spent my time divided between the playground at school and my living room couch.  Yeah, there might have been some school involved, but nothing was important as my shows:  Step By Step, Family Matters, Full House, and Saved By The Bell.  Especially Saved By The Bell – Zack Morris was cute to the max.

All the best moments are etched in my mind as clearly as events from my own life:  Jessie Spano’s caffeine pill addiction, Lisa Turtle’s sprained ankle dance, the Hot Fudge Sundae aerobics/music video, the gang’s glee club fail and the time AC Slater and Zack got in a fist fight.  A. Ma. Zing.  Never mind that my childhood memories are of TV shows…

Anyway, when I recently became aware of Jimmy Fallon’s plan to reunite the cast of SBTB, I had a minor freakout of happiness.  BUT then I found out about Tiffani Thiessen’s plan to eff everything up! WTF Kelly Kapowski!!  I always knew she was a bitch.  She even left Zack for that douchebag, Jeff!  According to a recent interview, she’s just too busy for a SBTB reunion due to her excessive hotness and her new live-action cat movie (she’s doing all the voices).

You know what, Tiffani Thiessen?  I say you get off your bikini-clad ass and take one for the team.  Saved By The Bell was the high point of your career (hell, it was her career – what has she even done since then, aside from her stint as bitchy Valerie Malone and a few crappy TV movies?), so this can only help you, really.  I mean, it’s a small step from the cover of People magazine (from which Screech was missing…somewhat worrisome) to a full-scale reunion, is it not?

I don’t know why anyone would voluntarily skip out on a chance to hang out with Mark-Paul Gosselaar.  Seriously.  Just make it happen.

Time-in!

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Whitney Port reveals that she hated the Twilight movie. And we care, why?

Bagel receipts are the new cocktail napkins.

Ladies, remember, don’t drink and drive your bar stools.

90210 spoiler alert!

The only way Mattew McConaughey could look any cuter is if his shirt was off.

Obama wants to help students.

Chris Brown pulls out of Teen Choice Awards.

Lookin’ for a new look? How about 80′s eyes?

Shooting spree in Alabama kills 11.

Annalynne McCord drives as well as she acts.

Spring handbags!

Katie Holmes has lady hair!

Octomom coming to her senses?

5 argument tactics that never work.

Life changing beauty products.

Britney Spears flashes her vajay…in concert.

Take your goldfish for a walk.

Everyone needs an internship.

Will Dancing With The Stars prove better luck for The Bachelor’s Melissa?

90210 hottie without a shirt. I have to start watching!

Mama likey.

Jessica Simpson…this isn’t helping things.

Daaaamn, Beyonce. Is that real?!

Isaac Mizrahi for Liz Claiborne. So. Cute.

Drew Barrymore cleans up really well.

Padma Lakshmi…for Hardees?

I would now like to share with you one of my favorite blogs. It’s very simple, nothing fancy, but somehow it manages to be the most awesome thing every Monday. This magical, mysterious blog?

Isgossipgirlnewtonight.com.

Guess what it’s about? Yep, that’s it! That’s literally it. Is Gossip Girl a new episode tonight? A one word answer, yes or no, and you can continue planning your Monday night. Go ahead – check it out. I know, it’s not THAT hard to find this info out yourself, but come on, who wants to navigate the CW website and get attacked by terrifying new-90210 ads? Not I, that’s for damn sure. It’s handy, it’s clear,  it serves its purpose and nothing more. Love. It.

This delightful informative blog is not alone in it’s single-minded practicality. Oh no, check out Doineedanumbrella.com for all your immediate weather needs. And, while not exactly surprising anymore, these are still AWESOME to look at, when spirits are low: isobamapresident.com, and equally enjoyable, ismccainpresident.com.

Some may say they’re silly; I say they’re brilliant! They’re the answers to questions you silently ask yourself every morning, while you decide exactly how much effort you’re going to put into finding the answer. Maybe I love this trend because it facilitates my laziness, but you know what I say to that?  WHATEVS. (Yes, I am too lazy to say the whole word.)

This seems to be hot right now, so I’m sure you all have more that I haven’t heard of yet! Let me know, would you? My bookmarks are waiting….