Prepping For Disaster

"NYC Prep" has made its highly anticipated debut on the Bravo channel and this could be good news or more importantly bad news depending on whom you ask. Living in New York, its hardly unlikely that you would be immune or oblivious to the fact that socialites, debutantes and offsprings of old money dynasties are taking over where the previous generation left off. So of course it makes sense in this age of "Reality" TV to document their every move. But it looks like this particular offering has surprisingly robbed certain people the wrong way. The very people whose lives are one or another intertwined with the rich and privileged, seem to be repelled by the way the characters are portrayed on the show and are appalled that such antics could possibly be condoned and celebrated. The supposedly real life version of another Preppy soap opera "Gossip Girl" is attracting negative reviews from most if the Private Elite Schools in the area as they adamantly deny their involvement with the show or the preppy cast members. But interestingly enough, there is a battle of the wills ensuing amongst the various Prep Schools as they each conclude that none of their pupils would ever think of degrading themselves by appearing on a reality show showcasing the "Preppy" lifestyle. As one of the school administrators eloquently declared: "The schools on the show are all at the bottom, there would never be a Brearley girl on this show". That may very well be the case, but the fact is the stereotypical impressions of the spoilt, white, privileged boys and girls are here to stay. And shows like "The Hills", "Gossip Girl" and now more recently "NYC Prep", do nothing more than confirm our worst fears - We were right all along.