Why I Like Degrassi

You know, I used to be just like you. I looked at those who admitted to liking Degrassi with disdain. I mean, I watched Saved by the Bell when I was younger. Why would I want to watch another teenager show when I am in fact not a teenager?

And now look at me. I watch Degrassi every day of the week! Sometimes I even manage to catch the new ones on Sunday. But here's the thing, Degrassi ain't like Saved by the Bell in the least. My friend lent me her copy of the book Growing Up Degrassi and the authors come the show to both Saved by the Bell and 90120 and all say the same thing: the American shows lack the realness of Degrassi. On the Next Generation alone, I've seen them deal with eating disorders, teen pregnancy, lesbianism (and learned that the proper way for a man to come out to his father is in the middle of a school play), a predatory coach, cheating parents, and my favourite storyline of all:

Libery and JT: An inter-relational Couple

Liberty is a over-achiever and on the student council. Her parents disapprove of her relationship with JT, who lives with his grandmother and has to work 2 after school jobs. When Liberty gets pregnant, she is worried that her parents are going to kick her out so the two decide to get an apartment together. JT isn't able to afford the rent along with all the other costs of having a child so he begins to steal drugs from the pharmacy where he works and sells them to a drug dealer. Now, which one is Black and which one is White?

The answer may surprise as Liberty is African American and JT is a ruggedly handsome Causasian (I may also have a crush on JT). It's things like this where they flip the stereotypes around that makes me less ashamed to admit to liking Degrassi. It's not just cheating boyfriends or who's sleeping with who. It's stuff that happens in real life that teens have to deal with. And just so you all know, Liberty and JT give the baby up for adoption. But don't worry, other characters have had abortions and kept their babies. All options are equally represented here. But that's the thing about Degrassi, the characters have to live with their decisions. It's not a one episode per issue type show. The main characters are the ones who have to deal with the tough stuff.

So if liking Degrassi is wrong, I don't want to be right.