Aw… youth, a time when people all over the world find themselves being twisted and corrupted into some sort of mold that we have adorned with the title of adulthood. Looking back on mine, I find that I was actually quite a talented, intelligent, and charismatic young boy, but I find myself wondering: what happened?

Completely ignoring my childhood home life, which I’m sure someone could write a book about (I just lack the energy), leaves a few examples of where I possibly got the amazing ideas that I had in my adolescence that have carried on into my so-called adult life.

First, friends added fuel to the fire, I’m sure, but when truth comes out, I really was more of a corrupter. Second, and probably most common among all those young and impressionable across this great nation of ours, was television.

Let‘s remember what it was like for kids of my generation, who grew up in a age when parents would often times forget about most, if not all of their familial responsibilities, and just say “here take this little pill, (so I don’t have to deal with you today, or get to know you ever)”, to have role models silver-spoon fed to them, three times a day, six times a week, for decades.

And now that awe inspiring, life changing, complete waste of time television show 90210 is back and that it is sexier than ever. Unlike the original, this time, the kids only look about twenty-something. The one thing that I am truly curious about is why these completely sadistic television people don’t think they have ruined programming enough. With all the “reality” TV, they have gotten everyone between the ages of ten and 40 addicted to, what other kinds of train wrecks could they trump up to numb our cerebral cortexes once more.

In the original series, we were lucky enough to be touched by lovely stories of lying, rape, theft, drug addiction, abortion and god knows what else; we didn’t even have to leave the comfort of our own homes. Not only that, prominent producer – including the show 90210 -- Mr. Spelling did all this under the guise of wholesome family television. After all, with the problems that youths faced in 90s, such as trying to figure out what to wear to the mall, a astronomical increase in designer drug use, figuring out what words were cool to use, and a ever increasing teenage suicide statistic, what we really needed was to idolize a bunch of thirty something “actors” that bore no burdens at all.

With the bar set so incredibly low, what are they going to do now to get under it? Are they finally going to run that gang-bang on Kelly or any of the other three less attractive girls on the show? Oh goodie! Are they really going to show how drug use at an early age actually does leave you alone, on the floor, soaked in your own urine? Are they finally going to address sexual assault as a real subject, and not something that girls are supposed to deal with quietly, and alone? Or maybe this time they will all have parents that aren’t turning a blind eye, to their kids that clearly have some serious problems? I hope so, because this world is harsh on kids, all kids, and even the overly privileged ones.

In East Cobb, the “nicest” neighborhood that I have ever had the “privilege” of living in, I saw and experienced some of the most horrible side-effects from this immoral, wealthy and completely ignorant lifestyle. From the seemingly weekly overdose to wonderful stories of all the date rapes that would happen at all the popular kids’ parties, a dull moment was never to be found. I knew there was a pretty good reason why I never fit in with that crowd, besides the fact that I was way too high all the time. I can say this honestly; I have never met more completely fucked up people in my life than when I lived in the suburbs.

Constantly striving impress everyone around them, the people in these neighborhoods have truly forgotten all that is valuable. Nothing is more important than knowing your children, and protecting them from harm. Not that I’m going to come out as some sort of huge advocate for family values, because I don’t actually even know what that means, but seriously, leaving your kids completely unattended, with large sums of cash is just plain stupid. Trust me; I probably sold drugs to one of them.