Screenshot via Youtube
The former CW tv show Gossip Girl is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, but its creator is also sharing his regrets about the show.
The tv series was about rich and popular teenagers living in Manhattan and was based off of a book series.
In celebration of the anniversary creator Joshua Safran spoke to Vulture about his time with the series. He even shared his thoughts on how he wishes he had made it more diverse.
“When I look back on ‘Gossip Girl,’ the only things I regret were not as much representation for people of color and gay storylines,” Safran says. “Those are the two things I think we probably could have delved into more deeply.”
While the tv series was willing to be bold in terms of depicting sex between the characters and the evolution of their lives, the show wasn’t bold in depicting people of color or gay relationships. As Safran states himself, the show was pretty white and straight.
In terms of LGBTQ characters, there were two very good chances that slipped by. First, the show had Serena van der Woodsen’s younger brother Eric (played by Connor Paolo). While that character was gay and had gay storylines, they were often much shorter than other stories shared in the series.
In addition, Ed Westwick played a bisexual character in Chuck Bass, but the fully realized bisexual character in the novels never appeared in the tv show. His sexuality was never really explored because he maintained a rocky relationship with Leighton Meister’s Blair Waldorf.
The only time Chuck Bass really explored his bisexuality in the show was through a kiss that was mainly meant as a game for his girlfriend.
Unfortunately, its too late to fix anything now, but its nice to know that the creator at least acknowledges that things could have been better.
h/t: Washington Blade
