The other day, I was eating dinner while Wom was cooking in the kitchen. When I'm at home, I usually eat dinners in front of the TV. Yes, it is a shame that this is what our generation has come to. But seriously, what meal doesn't taste better with the sounds of
E! News or, God willing, a
Teen Mom rerun playing in the background?
So, there we were, Wom and daughter, watching TV. As I was eating, I commented on the show that was playing, which happened to be
iCarly. The conversation that ensued between me and Wom is documented here for your entertainment:
Me: I freaking love
iCarly.
Wom: I do too.
Me: [turning to face Wom, my eyes open with childlike wonder] Really? You love
iCarly??
Wom: Oh, I thought you said avocados. I love avocados.
I'm not quite sure how "iCarly" and "avocados" sound similar. Maybe it's my Baltimore accent coming through (dear God,
I hope not). Maybe she's been reading too many of
my blog posts. But Wom is right. Avocados and
iCarly have something in common: THEY ARE BOTH AWESOME.
(Note: This is a picture of the
iCarly cast. Not avocados.)
I probably don't need to explain to you why avocados are so great. But, for some reason that I cannot fathom, many people my age and older do not watch
iCarly. They think it's a kid's show. And they're right, it is a kid's show. But it is so, so, so much more.
Now, think back to the shows you loved as a kid. Yes, you're allowed to name drop some Nicktoons right now. Although, let me tell you, Nicktoons are not as great watching them as an adult as they were when you were a kid. Believe me. I spent one Friday night a couple weeks ago watching old
Rugrats episodes on Netflix. The show really revolves around talking babies who probably should have become wards of the state, seeing as to how their parents left them unsupervised 90% of the time. Once you realize this, the show tends to lose its appeal. I must say, though, that the "Passover" episode still stands the test of time. That might have something to do with it being based off of the Biblical passage that has been told for thousands of years. Or
Rugrats was just really awesome.
Anyway, think back to those great shows you once loved as a kid. They were silly, goofy, and just made you genuinely laugh. You could watch an episode a million times in reruns, and it never got old. When a new episode would air, it would be like getting a free package of
Lisa Frank stickers: it would make your day.
This is exactly the feeling I get when watching iCarly, except I'm almost 20 years old. Obviously, iCarly is fairly different from most of the other shows I watch because A.) It's not a reality show B.) It's main audience is people who have yet to grow in their 12-year old molars.
I first watched
iCarly when I was babysitting a couple years ago. I remember thinking "Wow, this show is actually sort of funny." I would catch episodes occasionally, but it was never something I made a conscious effort to watch every week. However, about a year and a half ago I started talking to my older sister, who also had seen episodes of
iCarly. We both agreed that it stood out because it was so funny and well-written. I started to make more time to watch
iCarly, and the more episodes I saw, the more I enjoyed the show.
Basically, the show is about this girl named Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) who lives in Seattle. She lives with her older brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor), who left law school and now works as an artist. Carly's two best friends are Sam (Jennette McCurdy) and Freddie (Nathan Kress), and the three friends decide to start a webshow together. Carly is cautious and the "normal" one, while Spencer is a complete goofball. Freddie is really nerdy, and Sam, who is very brash and always getting into trouble, likes to make fun of Freddie. There's also their friend Gibby (Noah Munck), who just runs around with his shirt off and says funny lines.
It's hard to explain why
iCarly is so amazing without sitting down and watching an episode. The characters work so well together. Even though this type of kid/tween show could become boring and predictable, the writing is clever and fresh. The characters aren't put in situations that we've seen dozens of times before on other shows. In the most recent episode, Spencer accidentally burns down Carly's room after he made her a lamp adorned with gummy bears. In another episode, the trio of friends go to space training because they are offered the chance to film their webshow from space (I'm pretty sure that would be impossible but hey, this is from the network that made
Catdog). Sometimes the stuff that happens on the show, especially the webshow-within-the-show, is so weird and out-there that you have to laugh. Plus, the actors really commit themselves to the roles. Jennette and Jerry are hysterical. And Miranda and Nathan both play their characters as sweet and charming, but still with the right mix of goofiness are weirdness thrown in.
Another reason why the show is so appealing to today's generation is that its use of technology actually makes it seem believable. The concept that a couple of teenagers in any city in the country could make a webshow and reach mild celebrity doesn't seem weird or strange in today's world. This differs greatly from
Hannah Montana, basically the
iCarly of the Disney Channel. On
Hannah Montana, the audience is supposed to believe that a huge celebrity could live a very private life where hardly anybody actually knows who she really is. In the days where
Justin Bieber can't go anywhere without causing a huge commotion, how the heck are we supposed to believe that someone of his fame could just go to school and nobody would recognize them? But what do I know. Maybe it's all in
the wig.
iCarly is like the more realistic counterpart to
Hannah Montana. On
iCarly, their version of Apple products is "Pear" everything--Freddie is always on his computer that looks exactly like a Macbook, except with a pear logo. The characters all love their "Pearphones" and "Pearpods." Also, the show has different names for YouTube and Google, but they are easy enough to understand what they translate to in real life. While some TV shows mold their plots around comedic situations that could have easily (and in real life, would have been) solved with a simple text message or e-mail,
iCarly embraces technology.
Another difference between
Hannah Montana and
iCarly is the contrasts between the personal lives of the two casts, and how they connect with their audiences. I follow iCarly the show, the executive producer Dan Schneider, and the cast on Twitter. On any given day, Dan will post behind-the-scenes videos and pictures of the cast, crew, and set. The actors will tweet each other, and really seem like great friends. I've never read anything bad about any of the cast in the tabloids or media--no bad behavior or rivalries, and definitely no mean comments about the show.
Hannah Montana, on the other hand, has Miley Cyrus to thank for its negative image.
Her comments about
Hannah Montana don't do anything to make her more likable. It's also unfortunate that at age 17, she seems determined to push herself as far away from the "Disney" image as possible. Take her latest music video, "Can't Be Tamed." Who is supposed to watch this? People who are my age and older still think
Hannah Montana, and, by proxy, Miley Cyrus, is lame. And I hope to God that parents aren't letting their 8 year olds, who bought the
Hannah Montana lunchboxes and clothes and merchandise that made Miley so rich in the first place, watch this music video. Seriously, just compare "
Can't Be Tamed" to Miranda Cosgrove's music video for her new song "
Kissin U." Miranda's is so much more wholesome!
And it seems like people like
iCarly much more than
Hannah Montana, at least according to
television ratings. But really, this post isn't meant to bash Miley or
Hannah Montana, it's supposed to be about what makes
iCarly so great. All I can say is, watch an episode of iCarly for yourself. There's episodes on the Nickelodeon website
here, and new episodes premiere Friday nights at 8. Plus, there's always reruns on Nickelodeon.
Last but not least, let's not forget the number one reason why
iCarly is amazing:
David Archuleta guest appeared on an episode!
....
Never mind.
Picture credit:
iCarly photo
