I’m not great at anniversaries. The 10 year anniversary of Mean Girls came and went along with dozens of write ups and Buzzfeed quizzes, while I thought “oh yeah, I liked that movie… If only I could watch it on Netflix and write something relevant about it.” Shrug.
This week, a retrospective about My So-Called Life popped up, pointing out that the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut is upon us. Twenty years is a big one, particularly in this genre of television that by all attempts at definition and delineation is truly only about 25 years old. But on the other hand, why does twenty years matter more than, say, eighteen? It doesn’t. Realistically, it is, of course, an excuse to think and write about things we like.
The simple truth is that we notice and write about major anniversaries for pieces of media that stick with us in some major way. I didn’t notice anyone posting about twenty years since Beverly Hills 90210 began, back in 2010, because really, who cares enough? And there’s a new 90210 to not care much about now too. But My So-Called Life is/was/will always be different. It was special, and it doesn’t matter when you watch it, it will always be a special piece of television.
When it aired twenty years ago, I was in elementary school, and completely oblivious to its existence. Not until I was 18, had already embraced more contemporary teen television such as Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, did I finally watch and experience the magnetism of the show. It was like a punch in the heart. It didn’t matter then that the show was already over ten years old, and it doesn’t matter that it’s an ancient twenty now.
Its beauty is in its truth.
This show is bursting with truths about young people, and truths about life. Truth is a sometimes painful lack of eloquence. Truth is feelings that can be debilitating, all consuming monsters. Truth is not always understanding why we do things, even the worst things, like dropping a friend. There’s truth in messy endings, awkward moments, flawed characters, and annoying (adorable) little sisters. Beauty is truth, truth, beauty. MSCL, you are so beautiful, it hurts to look at you!
Stripped to its core, it is still, perpetually, one of the most realistic portrayals of teen characters a teen drama has ever achieved, which (beyond being something to brag about in and of itself) allows it to create this amazing bond with the viewer. When we not only see and understand, but truly empathize with Angela, Rayanne, Rickie, Sharon, and Brian, we can’t help but fall in love—with Jordan Catalano, with Claire Danes, with Winnie Holzman (creator extraodinaire).
My So-Called Life, like all the best stories, made my heart ache, and all I can do in return is love it forever.
