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The Most Important Lessons Gossip Girl Taught Me

After six amazing seasons, Gossip Girl has come to an end. I still can’t believe I won’t be turning on my TV every Monday night, waiting anxiously for the delivery of the most recent drama from the Upper East Side. This show was probably one of the most important pieces of pop culture any of us will ever have the pleasure of viewing.

Gossip Girl represents an era of scandal, mystery, and drama, illustrated through the story lines of amazingly relatable, yet out-of-touch characters, who are always dressed in the best designer labels. When you think about it, as a show it truly was a testament to our generation. Deep down, we’re all just a bunch of over-privileged lost souls who live for digging up dirt on our loved ones while scoring front row seats to NYC Fashion Week. Although I am completely upset and distraught the series has come to an end, I was actually thrilled with the way the final episode played out. All of the loose ends were tied up, and each character’s life worked out exactly as I hoped it would. As a devout follower of the series, I’ve realized that not only did GG entertain me, but it taught me some valuable lessons.

1. Keep Your Friends Close, And Your Enemies Closer


If I learned anything from Dan Humphrey and his escapades, it’s that the only view worth having is the inside view. While I was totally certain he was Gossip Girl, it’s pretty obvious most of the other characters hadn’t figured him out. Dan was able to hold the entire Upper East Side in the palm of his hand by listening closely for possible blackmail to surface. I mean, yeah, he might have screwed his friends over a few times in the process, but he still wound up with his dream girl in the end. I think we can all learn something from Mr. Humphrey.

2. There’s A Difference Between Besties And Bitches


Blair Waldorf is my idol for innumerable reasons. One of which being her ability to allocate responsibilities and tasks to each of her minions. Throughout her time at Constance, and her brief stint in college, Blair was always able to find a bottom-feeder to do her dirty work for her. While she considered her minions to be her “friends,” she always reserved special treatment for her bestie, Serena. Serena and her were at odds many times, but they always managed to come out the best of friends in the end. I think the most important reason this dynamic duo survived everything from high school rivalries, to failed engagements, is that Blair always treated Serena as her equal, and not as her slave. We all know that one girl who thinks her sisters were put on this earth to do her bidding, but Blair Waldorf knew exactly where to draw the line between her besties and her bitches.

3. What You Actually Do Doesn’t Matter, As Long As You Appear To Have Your Shit Together


Serena has long been hailed the party girl of the Upper East Side, and with good reason. From showing up wasted to Thanksgiving dinner, to disappearing in Europe for multiple summers, this girl was literally all over the place. Blair, on the other hand, was definitely more calculating and evil, but was always more respected for one simple reason: she managed to show up to the right parties wearing the right outfits. Compared with Serena, she was just as much, if not more, a siren in the bedroom. She definitely had her fair share of scandal, too. She was just better at keeping up appearances. We often feel that we’re faced with the basic dilemma: should you be a Blair or a Serena? The common misconception is that Serena is the fun, gorgeous, carefree party girl and Blair is the stuffy, boring, classy one. Au contraire! It’s always better to be a Blair. She still goes out, parties, knows the right people, and sleeps with the hottest guys. She just knows when to play the bitch card so people assume she’s in control of her life. So smart.

4. It’s Never The Wrong Time For Champagne


As indulgent and over-the-top as the lives of our favorite television characters seemed at times, they were all definitely doing one thing right: drinking champagne whenever it was available. People often associate champagne with celebrations, which makes sense because nothing encourages happy memories quite like the sound of a cork popping. However, who actually dictates which celebrations call for champagne and which just call for a laugh? If you really think about it, all of our lives are gorgeous and amazing. I am the queen of dramatics, but I know a good thing when I see it, and my life is one of them. Sure, I may tend to bitch and throw a hysterical fit when I miss a sample sale, but when it comes down to it, every day should be a celebration, and every celebration calls for champagne.

5. Whatever You Do With Your Life, Marry The Right Guy


Sure, Blair needed to take the fashion world by storm in order to feel like an accomplished lady, but we all knew her goal in life was to marry Chuck Bass. It became pretty evident that Eleanor Waldorf Designs was not worth nearly as much as the Bass empire, which is why it was even more important that Blair secured her privileged lifestyle by marrying Chuck. Oh, and he was her “soul mate,” or whatever. In Serena’s case, it was all too fitting that she married Dan Humphrey, the man who chronicled her teenage social blunders and climbed the ladder of Upper East Side society by breaking scandals.

6. I Would Let Chuck Bass Do Dirty, Unspeakable Things To Me


From the scarves, to the ascots, to the bow ties, Chuck Bass is the reason the power suit remains such a panty-dropper, and I’m none too proud to admit it.

As sad as I am to see the series come to a bittersweet end, I can only hope that we’ve all learned a thing or two from our favorite Monday night drama queens. What does the future have in store for the rest of us viewers? Well, I’m still here to continue the legacy GG left behind, publishing one celebrity scandal after another.

You know you love me, xoxo.
Pearls

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