Should television reflect the dramatic aspect of life in society? If yes, then the current teen boon of television shows miss the mark for many youth. Matter of fact, the shows promote unrealistic occurrences and subtle ethnic segregation. Take for example the television shows Felicity and Dawson’s Creek.

Each week viewers are taken on a trip of angst and pseudo problem resolution. Ok, what story can really be told in an hour? NEVERTHELESS, can’t our little foray into make-believe include a meaningful dialogue or story about on-going social problems? For Felicity — would it be too much to ask to see her troubled over something beyond dating relationships and choosing a major? What would happen to this girl phenom is she had to deal with college problems such as unpaid bills, trying to befriend a resistant person of color, being caught in a compromising position, having a computer crash in the middle of midterms, being robbed, or even just plain getting lost in the big streets of New York? Speaking of New York, what has Felicity’s parents said lately about this grand move? If some of these stories were incorporated in the show, Felicity’s character would broaden and infuse a needed punch to an otherwise unidimensional view of real college life.

Dawson, on the other hand, finally seems to experience the lighter side of youth. It was fantastic to see Dawson tempted by a vixen, caught in a compromising position, going to an adult strip bar, wrecking his father’s boat, and even fighting his best friend. Also, seeing him interact with the new school principal was enlightening. Aside from the principal, does Dawson interact with anyone else outside the sacred five? He’s like a deer in headlights when he’s forced to do something. The growth I crave in Dawson’s character is one where he can actually say something sucks without analyzing the situation to death or show visible signs of regret. Hope springs eternal…

In spite of the two or three year age difference between Felicity and Dawson, I find it amazing that each character began this season in the same place as in the initial pilot. Felicity is still chasing after a guy that explicitly told her he didn’t want her and Dawson is still unwittingly avoiding Joey. Where is the human growth and the drama associated with living.

Felicity

The premise is to follow the college life of a California girl chasing a pipe dream of a guy to New York City. Come on now, how many college bound teenagers, with an admission to Stanford, would seek the mean streets of New York City without monetary support or a college entrance letter!!!!!!! Better still, the portrayal of her gaining entrance to a rather selective university without knowing what she would like to study is laughable. Excuse me, but does this even remotely represent a likelihood in reality?

Secondly, can anyone tell me how in the middle of New York City Felicity seems to only speak to two, count ‘em, two people who are significantly different from her status quo relationships? The girl hails from California! The Bay Area of Northern California nonetheless. A cultural diversity boon! Granted there are cities with less contact with diverse people. However, with California and New York being the most ethnically diverse places in the country, Felicity’s rare interaction with any person of color besides Tangy and Javier is mindboggling.

Dawson

What are Dawson’s interests beyond making mini doc-u-drama films and trading witty repartee with his best pals? This character is not the typical teenage repressed guy. Dawson’s character shows his definite ego — me, myself, and I - in all his dealings. If this male character is to represent the typical good guy high school student, when does he develop his well-roundedness? Living vicariously through Pacey’s antics doesn’t count. By the way, has Dawson ever held a job? However, I digress. Dawson’s interests are solitary. What ever happened to joining school clubs, volunteering, or even hanging out anywhere? For all the commotion that is generated about Dawson, he is a self-serving brat that doesn’t really want to make real connections with anybody. To me, it seems that future Dawson Leary films would be colorless and issues of diversity would not exist.

Where are the writers coming from? Further, is the typical television show just for fantasy? I hope not. Although television shows increasingly portray the dramas in society, the models established by Felicity and Dawson’s Creek leading characters make real life circumstances trite and the presence of people of color non-existent. I ask, how is it these stories increasingly talk about issues of gender and not those of race or culture? One person of color does not make a melting pot. While television provides an escape from the daily grind, it’s striking to see that issues central to youth life are rarely projected. Would people tune-out and or ratings really drop if another version of teenage life were portrayed? This should be a direction networks need to pursue.