20 Gossip Girl Storylines That Would Never Fly In 2018 (& Why)
Hey, Upper East Siders! You remember Gossip Girl, the show depicting the lifestyles of the richest teens in New York, who had absolutely everything. They knew how status and wealth impacted them, and they would stop at nothing to make sure they all stayed on top of the status quo! Blair Waldorf, Sarena Van Der Woodsen, Chuck Bass, Dan Humphrey, and Nate Archibald weren't only fictional characters, they all became household names during Gossip Girl's run from 2007 through 2012. Parents hated them, and young adults envied them; the show had the perfect recipe for cultural domination, and it did just that!
The hype surrounding Gossip Girl was deserved. Adapted from the wildly popular book series written by Cecily Von Ziegesar, the TV show captivated viewers with gripping storylines week after week, which kept viewers tuning in and helped turn the show into a popular culture phenomenon. Who wouldn't want to have Blair Waldorf's wardrobe or date Nate Archibald? For a period in the late 2000's, Gossip Girl fans were asking these questions while slamming their flip phones closed, just as Serena would do.
Of course, with time and cultural evolution, a few storylines on Gossip Girl wouldn't exactly fly in the current year of 2018; the times have changed, and popular culture has begun to understand that many of the behaviors depicted by some Gossip Girl characters are not okay! Keep reading as we take a look back on the Upper East Side drama that wouldn't work in 2018!
20 Chuck Selling Blair
He was probably Gossip Girl's most debonair dude, but Chuck Bass needed to get his priorities straight! By season three, viewers were aware of Chuck's reputation as the Upper East Side's bad boy whose devilish ways couldn't be resisted by Blair Waldorf, the most popular girl on the Upper East Side.
Their relationship was filled with ups and downs, but even in the worst of times, how low could one go to sell their girlfriend in exchange for a hotel?
This super strange storyline doesn't work at all; Blair is a human being, who should never be treated as property!
19 The Sarena/Blair/Nate Triangle
One of the most memorable storylines of the show was the love triangle between best friends Blair and Serena. The ladies traded boys almost as often as they traded clothing!
It's hard to believe considering Blair's relationship with Chuck was one of the central relationships on the show, but she dated another Gossip Guy, Nate Archibald! When Blair discovers her bestie had a history with her boy, she decides to get even with Serena.
Funny enough, 2018 has no time for storylines that put women against other women! Serena and Blair truly shine when they're loving each other, not hating each other!
18 The Vanessa and Serena Rivalry
The relationship between queen of the social scene, Serena Van Der Woodsen and shy writer Dan Humphrey, was one of the most memorable relationships on the show; Serena dating Dan made waves on the Upper East Side social circle because Brooklyn boy Dan's status was never as elite as his girl's!
Dan can count on his best girlfriend Vanessa to always be around, and her laidback personality often conflicts with S and B's high-profile lifestyle. There are times when Dan's crush on Serena gets in the way of their friendship, and rivalry between women is so ten years ago!
17 The Whole Ivy Dickens Situation
In the six seasons of Gossip Girl, the storylines filled with hot gossip never slowed down! New characters were steadily introduced throughout the show's history to keep main character's lives juicy enough to stay on the front page of Gossip Girl's website. One Upper East Side resident shook things up so much, we're still a little confused about what went on.
"Ivy Dickens" came to town without a plan, and this girl became the center of attention, with a plot surrounding mistaken identity; constant lying and manipulating your friends is never a cute look; there's no room available in 2018!
16 Georgina's Existence
When the Upper East Side has the dynamic duo of Serena and Blair, it's hard to imagine finding another girl who has more power than the two beauties combined? Georgina Sparks surely had enough "spark" during her time in New York to totally eclipse the leading ladies.
Georgina Sparks was everyone's favorite resident bad girl; it's hard to narrow down exactly one problematic aspect of Georgina's character; her actions were often so mean and rude she was often speculated to be the identity behind Gossip Girl!
15 Who's Serena's Father?
We all remember Lilly Van Der Woodsen, Serena and Eric's elegant but high-handled mother. Lilly raised the Van Der Woodsen children largely without their father being present, and viewers did not catch a glimpse of Mr. Van Der Woodsen or learn his identity until season three.
Pretty much from the moment William Van Der Woodsen was introduced, we learn that he is an absentee father, and he has a rocky relationship history with Lily and his children. Not only was William an absentee dad, his character thrived on lies and manipulation.
Serena and Eric always thrived without their absentee Dad!
14 The Lilly And Rufus Union
Immediately following Serena's famous return to the Upper East Side, we quickly learn about the boy who sees her walk through the train station in a moment of fate!
This boy turns out to be Dan Humphrey, who would go on to be one of the healthiest relationships for Serena, despite gaining the reputation of being Gossip Girl's central "Lonely Boy."
We also learn Serena's mother Lily and Dan's father Rufus know one another from Rufus' days as a 1990's grunge musician. Turns out, the pair had dated back in the day!
Can't Serena and Dan be allowed to thrive?
13 Nate Running A Business
Nate Archibald's identity on Gossip Girl as the son of an extremely wealthy businessman initially established him as the guy who was given anything he wanted, but Nate never let his last name legacy keep him from achieving his dreams and unique plans!
Nate stood out from the other Gossip guys because he was always incredibly driven, and never let anyone stand in his way.
One of Nate's ventures involved running a gossip website while attending college. What college student has time to go to class and have a leading boss job? Where were Nate's priorities? This is so unrealistic!
12 Did They Go To Class?
The drama on Gossip Girl is constantly rampant, so it's understandable to forget Manhattan's most elite members actually didn't spend a lot of time in the classroom! The show followed the characters through high school and chronicles the beginning of their college careers, but schooling slowly takes a backseat to the drama experienced everywhere else but the halls of academia!
One of the most unrealistic elements of Gossip Girl is the character's ability to let school fall by the wayside, and take on extremely adult tasks and jobs.
How would this practice work well in the real world? Who knows!
11 Everyone Breaking Into School
It doesn't take many episodes of Gossip Girl for viewers to realize the gang loves to take any opportunity to have some fun, even if it's on the dangerous side!
On an episode in season one, the crew decides to break into the school in order to create a little mischief in the form of a pool party, and no real consequences happen for anyone.
Realistically, if a bunch of students break into school, they would immediately face consequences which could have long-lasting effects; if we could've seen the gang learn a lesson, we could see them grow and flourish!
10 Serena And Chuck As Step Siblings
The characters of Gossip Girl sometimes make us forget New York is a very big place! One of the most gripping elements of Gossip Girl is its ability to keep everyone connected, but sometimes, certain pairings won't work on a realistic standpoint!
At the beginning of the show, it's established Serena and Chuck have a rocky and uncomfortable history together. As the series progresses, we discover Chuck's father, Bart Bass, and Serena's mother, Lily, start a relationship and later marry, making Chuck and Serena step siblings.
Wouldn't it be more realistic for the children to be considered in this life-changing situation?
9 Blair And Serena Going To Paris
Having the chance to peak into the world of status and wealth makes Gossip Girl so fun to watch, but when we're talking about realism, the character's frequent ability to travel at the drop of a hat can be a bit distracting and envious!
One trip happened in the fourth season where Serena and Blair spent some time in the "city of love," also known as Paris, France. One of Blair's main reasons for taking the trip is to get over her beau, Chuck Bass. Who among us doesn't wish we could go to Paris to get over a guy?
8 The Famous Musicians
Not only are there countless parties thrown on the Upper East Side, but they also wouldn't be Blair Waldorf approved unless they had extremely memorable entertainment!
Among the entertainers at the extremely lavish parties over the seasons include Lady GaGa, who brought "Bad Romance" to the stage giving the perfect soundtrack to the show's ever-present relationship woes.
Who has the connections to secure these famous faces for parties thrown by teens? We could only dream of having the means to put Lady GaGa on our fantasy guest lists! Despite the extremely unrealistic entertainment elements, the performances are still fun to watch.
7 Jenny's Fashion Career
Jenny "Little J" Humphrey is one of the more realistic characters on Gossip Girl. She's a freshman in high school at the beginning of the show, and she has to try and make her way through the world of the popular cliques, dominated by the Blairs and Serenas of the world, but her storylines can be a little unrealistic for a teen!
Like many of us, Jenny goes through a radical transformation when she meets a cooler girl, Agnes, who is a fashion model. Jenny is suddenly catapulted into the adult world of fashion, but realistically, what teenager has time?
6 Dan And Blair's Relationship… Enough Said
When you think of Gossip Girl as an entire show, it's pretty impossible not to mention the show's memorable couple pairings. From Sarena and Dan to Chuck and Blair, the show's primary couples made the storylines so interesting!
In one of the biggest plot twists of the entire series which made the show feel completely different, Blair found herself in the arms of Dan Humphrey after she decided not to marry Prince Louis. Their entire relationship felt off and unrealistic because the pairing felt really rushed!
As the saying goes, if something isn't broken, don't try to fix it!
5 The Lavish Parties
Social status matters on the Upper East Side, and from the first episode of Gossip Girl, we learn everyone who is anyone knows the importance of a great party. The Upper East Side crew seemed to attend parties constantly, and it seemed any moment not spent planning a lavish party was spent talking about the events of the previous party!
Where did everyone find the time to plan these lavish parties? Why are parties the biggest focus of the Gossip Girl world? Let's be real, all of us have other engagements to attend to in the real world! Totally unrealistic.
4 Dan And Olivia's Relationship
In a New York world, spotting famous people is a pretty frequent occurrence, but of course, the Gossip Girl crew take it to the next level! In season three, an actress visits the Upper East Side, and she ends up dating Dan "Lonely Boy" Humphrey while he was on a Serena break; Dan and Olivia Burke spend her short time in NYC as a couple, and unfortunately, feelings get in the way!
Dating someone in the public eye can be tricky; the relationship probably will not last, so Dan's attachment to Olivia realistically wouldn't work out in the real world!
3 Blair Marrying A Prince
You don't have to watch many episodes of Gossip Girl to realize we're all rooting for Chuck and Blair to get together and succeed, but it wouldn't be a juicy storyline on the upper East Side without some drama and suspense!
In the middle of the series, Blair is swept off her feet by a prince and her dreams of being a royal come true.
This storyline was taken straight from our royal dreams of falling in love with a prince and having an extremely lavish wedding, but what are the chances of our fairytale dreams coming true? Not likely.
2 The Disappearance Of Eric
We know Serena Van Der Woodsen is the most popular member of the Van Der Woodsen clan, but her younger brother Eric is an extremely underrated and important member of the family.
From his first appearance in the pilot episode, Eric is prominently featured on the show, so it's a little surprising when Eric is slowly written off the show without much of an explanation.
In real life, the actor playing Eric, Connor Paolo, decided to leave the show, but Eric doesn't really get a proper goodbye, sadly! It would be more realistic (and satisfying) if Eric's disappearance was explained.
1 Dan As Gossip Girl
For six seasons, Gossip Girl gave viewers countless memorable plot lines full of glitz and glamour aided by the involvement of Gossip Girl, and her real identity is masked throughout the entire show; there were times where every main character could've been Gossip Girl, but her real identity belongs to the beloved Dan Humphrey!
The revelation of Dan as Gossip Girl evoked a ton of reactions, but one of the biggest reactions is, "How is it possible?"
Six years after the finale, we're still wondering how Gossip Girl's could be realistic in the least, but wouldn't Gossip Girl love that? XOXO
References: Metro, Medium, Entertainment Weekly, Internet Movie Database, Daily Mail, Travelaway.me, YouTube, Internet Movie Database, Insider, Wet Paint, TV Line