My So Called Life: TV That Defined My Adolescence

One of my favorite 90's TV shows is the episodic series My So Called Life. The short lived ABC drama only lasted one season but it's by far one of the most critically acclaimed prime time teen dramas ever to air on network television. I remember distinctly when the show first aired.

I didn’t watch it. 

I was one of those fans that didn’t get involved about the show until AFTER it was canceled. ABC gave MTV the rights to air their ABC primetime series on their network and I firmly believe it was because of that strategic move by the network that My So-Called Life became the cult classic that we all have come to know and love today.

After watching reruns, I can honestly say I've seen each episode at least a dozen times.

My So-Called Life chronicles the life of 15 year old Angela Chase. Angela is a sophomore at Liberty High School and befriends and meets a few high schoolers who may arguably be deemed by some as “social outcasts”. One high schooler in particular was Rayanne Graf. Graf was played by actress A.J. Langer. Rayanne had so many layers that one season could not nearly account for her tomfooleries and misadventures that she always managed to reel Angela in. Rayanne went from a girl who likes sex, booze, and drugs to a girl who was actually concealing whom she really was through all of those barriers.

Rayanne just wanted to be normal.

She wanted to be someone who desired to be loved, respected, and belong to a group of friends. She saw a lot of who she was through Angela Chase who for Rayanne -- seemingly had the perfect life.

Rickie Vasquez is best friends with Rayanne Graf and also befriends Angela. He’s struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality and loves to frequent the girls bathroom and wear black eyeliner.

Brian Krakow is a nerdy and often nosey childhood friend of Angela’s that has a “Duckie-like” crush on her. He’s always had an unrequited affection for her and is there for Angela which she uses to fulfill her own wants and needs that have nothing to do with Brian.

Angela Chase grew up with Sharon Cherski and the two were best friends. However, when freshman year of high school came, their friendship grew stale and they slowly started to separate into their own respective cliques. I think many of us share a similar experience where we grew up with a childhood friend and as we got older we found that we had less in common with our newfound teenage identities. Angela’s new BFF, Rayanne Graf introduces Angela into an exciting whirlwind and also helped encourage her to talk to the hotness that is Jordan Catalano.

Oh Jordan. 

The gorgeous blue-eyed hottie was one of the main reasons I was fascinated with this show. I was also fascinated that Angela Chase played by Claire Danes who was someone with girl next door looks and not some Hollywood glam starlet off the pages of Cosmo Girl magazine. Someone who looked like Angela approach and later have a relationship with someone as gorgeous as Jordan Catalano made many teen girls feel like they too could have a shot of dating a guy who could quite possibly be “out of their league”. However, as it turned out Angela was the one that was out of Jordan’s league and wasn’t quite good enough for someone like her. Jordan had his own issues with insecurity and it was revealed that he was illiterate. Unfortunately, Jordan betrayed Angela’s trust by having a sexual encounter with Rayanne. Angela and Jordan were split up at the time.

However, that unwritten rule of dating your best friend's ex was broken.

My So-Called Life was a show way ahead of its time. It dealt with issues of homosexuality, teen suicide, alcohol abuse, homelessness, adultery, gun violence, and drug abuse. In one solid season it addressed all of those issues and so much more and was canceled way too soon. It’s sad that there are not too many shows on the air that deal with such issues that affect teens and pre-adolescents. It was truly a show that defined my adolescence.

The show may come across as dismal based on my descriptions of social issues that were addressed, but it was quite the opposite. It was a refreshing take on life as a teen in high school and what it is to have close friendships and come upon events that may easily change your life forever. Or at least until you graduate high school.

J.