TV Guilty Pleasures

Some Columbians have, for one reason or another, repressed the fact that they were ever in high school. The mere thought of reliving prom or lunchtime in the cafeteria has them running to Psychological Services. There are others who proudly hang graduation caps and photos of their clique on their dorm room walls, reliving the glory of being valedictorian or the captain of the football team.

This is where Newport Harbor comes in for me. Watching the show is like reliving your own high school experience—except that most of us had a much more extensive vocabulary. When watching two girls fight over a guy, it’s easy to assume the role of the older and wiser outsider, and laugh at how petty and pointless the entire series is. And while the show is a little silly, there was a time in all of our lives when something equally irrelevant dominated our entire world.

That being said, you should be warned that Newport Harbor does require some intellectual prowess. With every girl blond and teetering on the edge of anorexia, and every guy sporting the same deeply tanned skin and quizzical surfer voice, it took me three whole episodes to tell everyone on the show apart.

Be cautioned that Newport Harbor may prompt you to question the future of humanity. But by watching an episode or two, which can be found on mtv.com, you can easily relive those high school milestones and give your brain a rest from the horror that is midterms.