If she were a bit older. If there weren’t a semi-graphic sex scene where she loses her viginity. If the first line she utters didn’t include the phrase “porn tits,” well, then I’d say this is a great show for teens.
But, since all of the above occur two minutes into the first scene of “Awkward,” MTV’s new series, I have to say that this just isn’t the kind of thing you’d want to watch with your kids — nor want your kids to watch.
Too bad because, aside from the gratuitous sexual stuff, “Awkward” is a really good, funny, fun show.
Jenna (Ashley Rickards) is a teen who chokes on a couple of aspirins, which causes her to lose her balance and fall on the floor, while her hairdryer goes flying into the full tub. Added to the confusion is the fact that she had written minutes before that she just wanted to die.
Her parents — and everyone else — assumes, of course, that she’s attempted suicide.
When Jenna wrote about dying, she was referring to how embarrassed she was that she had given up her virginity on the last day of summer camp to Matty McKibben (Beau Mirchoff).
Matty is the hot jock at school who, right after having sex with Jenna in a utility closet, tells her to keep it to herself, because a guy like him shouldn’t be screwing around with a dork like her.
Why MTV thought it was important to show Matty bumping and grinding atop Jenna before reaching orgasm is beyond me. They are supposed to be 15!
It’s so creepy; I felt like a pedophile watching it.
How freaking jaded is Hollywood, anyway?
That aside, Rickards is a great teen actress of the Ellen Page variety — the kind of kid whose pretty face and adorable bearing is swamped by her ability to look awkward and offbeat. Love this kid!
Anyway, Jenna has to return to school all busted up. Not only is her arm in a cast — fixed in an up position, like she’s waving — but she’s wearing a giant cervical collar. And she’s now know as “that girl who attempted suicide.”
Her two best friends (Jillian Rose Reed and Jessica Lu), also outcasts, try to protect Jenna from the usual contingent of mean girls, including a fat cheerleader, but it’s Jenna who has got to figure out how to turn lemons into Long Island lemonade. (Yes, kids drink on this show, of course.)
Quirky fun, but seriously, do you want your kids watching 15-year-olds having sex?