Gossip Girl- Eric Van der Woodsen

Gossip girl here your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. This elite community is supposed to be the home of the wealthy, white, sophisticated and “perfect” men and women of New York City. So, what happens when someone defies the standards? The normal member of the elite fits faultlessly into the heterosexual world and displays the stereotypical and privileged lifestyle at every age. Throughout the halls of Constance (the private school) there is the usual gossip about new hook ups and new couples. However, when an old enemy (Georgina) comes back to haunt our protagonist Serena Van der Woodsen, the predictable life of Senerna’s elite family is turned upside down.  Georgina sees Serena’s brother (Eric) kissing another boy and decides to share this piece of information with her family. The evil teen decides to crash a family dinner and tell Eric’s mother that he has a new boyfriend; the problem is that Eric has yet to tell his family that he is gay. Eric’s mom and sister are shocked and speechless. Lilly (the mother) responds with tears and disappointment, while Serena comforts her brother telling him that is okay and there is nothing wrong with homosexuals. Soon enough the news breaks to everyone in his school- shockingly, no one really focuses on the fact that Eric is gay. The news actually highlights the fact that the boy, whom he is seeing, has a “girlfriend” as well. It seems that everyone younger who hears has a very open reaction, not truly caring that Eric is gay, and everyone adult who hears seems to be shocked and a little taken aback by the entire situation. I believe this highlights a stereotype in our society. Most people seem to think that the younger generation is more open to homosexuality and the older generations tend to disagree with it and view it as a sin. Being that Gossip girl is a new show on CW, Eric’s homosexuality is not exploited and is dealt with quickly and then moved passed. However, in the episodes after that he does fill many of the homosexual stereotypes. He dresses differently than the other boys, even though there is a uniform his outfits always seem a little more put together. He has a best friend who is a girl and is always there for her. He has a slightly higher voice, he does not play sports, and he lacks a close group of friends that are boys. These stereotypes, although not always true, are definitely portrayed in the one gay character on the gossip girl set. Although the show does not focus on Eric or his love affairs, they do cover the stereotypes of a gay character as the audience watches him develop.