First time visiting 10 Things?
Rather than a "review," each post features a collection of observations, intended primarily for people who've already seen the show. Check out the introduction post for more context.
Everything Sucks!, Netflix Original
Created by Michael Mohan and Ben York Jones
From snap bracelets to Columbia House, Everything Sucks! crams 90s nostalgia into every scene. In the big picture, though, are decades defined by pop culture minutiae or by the pervasive social zeitgeist? For instance, will people remember the post-9/11 years for Nickelback and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or for xenophobic tensions and manifest patriotism?
Speaking of Columbia House, the show uses an all-90s soundtrack to not only underscore moments but also to drive narrative action (expect a new generation to get hooked on Tori Amos). For a show set in the Pacific Northwest, the grunge scene (both the iconic artists and the aura of disillusionment) seems largely underrepresented.
What happens when a TV show casts actual teenagers, not just twentysomethings who kind of, sort of (but not really) look like teenagers? If we accept that years of training (i.e., a university acting program) improves an actor’s skills, then it’s reasonable to conclude that young people might lack the requisite technique to deliver nuanced performances. In exchange, real young people (and their real young bodies) add layers of authenticity and vulnerability — essential elements for any TV show that aims to capture the high school experience.
Whereas network television tends to feature shows that fit within rigid genre classifications, many of Netflix’s original series (like Everything Sucks!) defy easy genre identification. The aesthetic style shifts from episode to episode, and, in some cases, from scene to scene.
Who is the intended audience for Everything Sucks!? Netflix assigned the show a TV-14 rating, but it’s clear that many parents believe the show’s content is too provocative for teens. So is ES! a show about teenagers for adults? Or maybe a show for teens who watch without their parents’ consent?
Instead of the usual “jocks are cruel” tropes, the show’s antagonists are…the theatre kids? (The show clearly isn’t a documentary).
Even when teen characters are depicted as “uncool” or “invisible,” they still manage to draw a large crowd for their basketball game, school play, or (in this case) movie.
The majority of North American students attend urban high schools, but there’s a disproportionate number of shows sets in small towns. Perhaps there’s something inherently dramatic about close-knit communities that never let young people escape their high school experience? (Side note: Boring, Oregon is a real place!)
Both of the primary romances (one with teenagers, one with adults) bring together intercultural couples. In the school and the community — which seems to be mostly white (and set in the 90s) — there appears to be no reaction, let alone opposition. The couples identify many issues (sexuality, age, children) that stand between them, but they never discuss race. Overlooking historical accuracy in order to bolster cultural representation has been a priority for many live theatre productions over the past decade; could there be an expansion of this concept into television and film?
On-demand media provides freedom from many of the structures of network television (length of episodes, commercial breaks, etc.). And yet, the season finale cliffhanger still reigns supreme, leaving most shows on the precipice of renewal or cancellation. What about the third option: a mini-series that presents the entire creative vision within a finite number of episodes?
—Nick Hanson
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