American Vandal is the Netflix mockumentary series that became a massive hit the year it was released in 2017 (below is a trailer of Season One for those who are not familiar with it)
Its depiction of American teenagers has been hailed as one of the most hilariously accurate portrayals in recent times - from the awkward mannerisms to the comical importance they give to seemingly mundane obsessions (i.e where each student sits during lunch period in the cafeteria or how "perfect" a student's instagram page seems).
However, the series also takes the time to deeply humanize these often times profoundly misunderstood group of individuals- by removing common stereotypes and replacing them with more positive characteristics. American Vandal does make light out of teenagers' narcissistic tendencies, but also showcases all of the positive qualities that can be found in this constantly pigeonholed age-group.
In order to convey American Vandal's portray of teenagers, we must first provide a clear understanding of the story at play.
Warning: there will be spoilers ahead!
Please take the time to watch the show- not only so that this post becomes more relevant to any reader unfamiliar with the show, but overall because it is truly incredible. It is hilarious, captivating, quite realistic and it will always keep you at the edge of your seat. It is my favorite show at the moment.
If you are daring nonetheless, then let's procede with our explanation.
It's a parody of modern crime shows that takes the dramatics of high school and turns it into a phenomenal investigation of a vandal on school property. Season One tells the story of a vandalism that took place within a school parking lot: multiple cars were graffitied with phallic imagery, resulting in class-clown Dylan Maxwell to be accused and charged for the act, due to possessing a precedent for pulling off pranks of this vulgar nature.
However, protagonists Peter Moldonado (below right) and Sam Ecklund (below left) - juniors at Oceanside High School - take on the task of proving Dylan's innocence. Each episode consists of them exploring their school's pupils and the dynamics between students and teachers, prompting them to find new leads at each twist and turn. American Vandal is essentially their own documentation- they regularly post their findings on social media in hopes that Dylan's case will be heard. In this fictional scenario, their series goes viral and the entirety of their school becomes involved in freeing Dylan. Their investigative skills prove to be successful, as they manage to exonerate him from the crime- although things don't exactly turn out as expected.
Season Two takes on a similar approach, although in this scenario American Vandal has spread across America: both Peter and Sam have reached wide-aclaim and fame (a cameo from Trevor Noah where the protagonists are being interviewed soldifies this point).
Both investigators have attempted to invest themselves in a new case: an interesting series of vandalism have taken place within Saint Bernadine Catholic School. To put it bluntly, an anonymous individual by the name of the "Turd Burglar" has terrorized the school in a string of excrement-related pranks (including but not limited to someone pouring laxatives into the cafeteria lemonade, leading to hundreds of students having *ahem* horrendous accidents and being unable to use the restrooms in time. This incident was appropriately christened "The Brownout").
Here, awkward self-proclaimed outcast Kevin McClain is accused and charged with the crime- and once again, it is up to Peter and Sam to prove his innocence. Season Two offers the same amazing twists and turns- with an ending that is truly unexpected, as multiple students - including Kevin - were individually responsible for each of the four crimes, most of them pushed to do so by a manipulative catfish who had blackmailed them with their own nudes. I won't say anymore as to who this "Turd Burglar" is- watch the show.
We have now established the main storyline present in this series. We may now move on to the question at play: American Vandal has brilliantly portrayed teenagers of the twenty-first century - or Gen Zers - in a way that ruptures the teenage stereotypes of the past. This new representation constitutes a socio-cultural shift within this generation that has thoroughly been explored within the framework of this Netflix show.
American Vandal is very telling of the Gen Z teenagers of today in the following ways:
- The Image of the "Popular Kid" has Shifted over Time
For decades, this typical high school archetype has had the same portrayal in movies and television by the same actor: he's usually a young man fitting the "jock" model - usually good old fashion American football - who falls into white eurocentric beauty standards. Despite his light-hearted nature, his carelessness often mean-spiritedness, the "popular kid" is surrounded by a cacophony of friends, girlfriends, and other admirers.
However, in American Vandal, the "popular kid" takes on a vastly different image that is much more fitting of today's more openly diverse society. If the show's creators had adopted the "popular kid" stereotype, they would have created a character more similar to Season One's Dylan Maxwell to fit this archetype to a T.
However, Season Two is indicative of a change regarding the model of the "popular kid" with one of its main characters: DeMarcus Tillman is Saint Bernadine Catholic's star basketball player: he has countless friends, an endless amount of girls dying to be with him, and teachers consistently praising his talents.
He exudes self-confidence, sometimes to the point of arrogance: he is so beloved within the establishment that he is able to get away with pretty much anything (from taking phone calls in the middle of class to *maybe* pulling off one of the most gruesome pranks in high school history). It would appear as though DeMarcus Tillman represents another typical jock- except he possesses one defining quality differentiating him from his past archetypes. He is an African-American individual, originating from an empoverished neighborhood, who managed to be accepted into this prestigious private school not through his parents' money, but through his athletic talents.
He becomes one of Peter and Sam's main suspects, as they argue that athletes within Saint Bernadine are much more privileged than the average student, due to the protection they receive by the establishment, as they make up Saint Bernadine's esteemed reputation for basketball in the country. That being said, DeMarcus doesn't make up a simple one-dimensional suspect within the American Vandal universe. The creators make him into a multi-faceted character, one that showcases his privileges all the while portraying his insecurities in a sensitive manner.
For example, the show takes the time to delve into "code switching", which takes place when an indivdual desires to appear differently to different groups of people. DeMarcus' friends from his hometown - all of whom are people of color - have pointed out that he "talks whiter" at Saint Bernadine. DeMarcus himself even reflects one a time he "accidentally let the n-word slip" in front of some younger caucasion Saint Bernadine students- and how he saw their "brain ticking" as they wanted to use the word as well. This was ultimately shut down by DeMarcus before they even had the chance.
When it is revealed that DeMarcus was blackmailed into committing one of the crimes (he placed actual excrement in a pinata and it exploded all over a classroom once it was broken, I can't make this shit up, no pun intended) by the Turd Burglar (he had catfished multiple students, which we will get into later), Peter and Sam couldn't believe that DeMarcus Tillman of all people found comfort in a girl he had met online, while there were numerous girls desperate to be with him in real life.
When they asked him why he had been so easily manipulated, the show breaks away from DeMarcus' jock-like nature: the bold and carefree attitude disappears, and instead we are met with a strikingly raw depiction of a deeply insecure individual with an insurmountable amount of pressure on his back. The "popular kid" is no longer merely shallow and attention-obsessed. He/she is simply human, and he/she can come in many forms. This archetype is a person at heart, and possesses mulitple dimensions to their character.
- Social Media Constitutes an Instrinsic Part of the Modern Teenager Life
American Vandal highlights the importance of social media within the lives of Gen Zers today. This has primarily to do with how this particular generation has never really known a world without these platforms: I personally grew up on Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and other means of social communication have rooted themselves within my daily routines.
The series' creators don't shy away from the negative implications of social media on ordinary teenagers. It seems that in a lot of ways, Gen Zers' lives are dictated by these platforms.
For one, American Vandal exposes how social media is intrinsically linked to individuality, to the point where our own identities are merged within the realm of these platforms. Everyone has a a small avatar, complete with a small audience; making social media a peculiar reality to thrive in: we all perform these idealized versions of ourselves, we post whatever picture or story that will make our lives appear to be both ideal and compelling. American Vandal utilizes these platforms as the source of much of the investigation that takes place, as Peter and Sam gain their information about potential suspects through their social media profiles.
In Season One, a party that takes place only a few days before the vandal is makes up much of the conflict that we see throughout the series: Peter and Sam realize that the instrument used to commit the graffiti - a decades-old red spraypaint bottle - was in a shed outback from where the party was taking place. This means that the perpatrator had to have been present at this party for him/her to have accessed this specific spraypaint can.
Both investigators come to know this by looking intensively through footage taken from this event- footage they were able to access through hundreds of Instagram and Snapchat stories from all of the party-goers. The hilarious videos are very telling of the individuals involved in the vandal- however the spraypaint bottle is an essential piece in the puzzle Peter and Sam are attempting to solve. There are countless examples of this throughout the series- of Sam and Peter acquiring incredibly pertinent information to their respective cases through social media profile stalking. An honorable mention goes to a moment in Season Two when both investigators are able to narrow down suspects by finding Saint Bernadine students who had the infamous "IOS glitch", where any "I" is turned into a "A" followed with an encased question mark (Iphone users will know).
The Turd Burlgar notoriously posts aftermath photos on his account, as a way of asserting his presence and humiliating the students involved. His captions contain the glitch, meaning any student having been affected by the glitch could be potential suspects. This is extrememly helpful to Peter and Sam's investigation
Here, we find how social media has become quintessential to the lives of Gen Zers, as much information can be processed through a simple search through our profiles. Teenagers today thrive within the era of social media in a way we have never seen previously with older generations.
In addition, it is obvious how American Vandal not only portrays social media as being rooted within teenagers' existences, but also how this embedment has contributed to some deeply toxic attitudes.
I have established previously that social media is performative, that it is comprised of nothing more than profiles and followers- yet these are our way of showcasing ourselves in the most ideal way possible. My post about the commercialization of wellbeing provides more details concerning this phenomenon, so if this interests you please check it out.
Season Two highlights how social media is used as an instrument of protection- with photos and videos being circulated with ease within social media, it is no wonder that the Turd Burlgar - who I will not name - resorted to the feelings of frustration, anger and resentment that led him to perpetrating the vandals through the individuals he had successfully catfished and blackmailed.
The series exposes how social media - ironically a means of connection - can lead us to profound feelings of solitude. American Vandal proves to the audience that the constant exposure that comes with social media is deeply venomous to wellness, self-esteem and generally our perception of others. The Turd Burglar's motives were largely rooted in a deep sense of disdain towards the classmates that he perceived as being both callous and cowardly: to give you an idea of his outlook on social media, he had referred to Snapchat filters as "masks".
He couldn't fathom how his school peers found it so easy to pretend to be people they weren't- through the means of escape that social media allowed them; all the while being vindictive and downright cruel to students of lower social status. The crimes are excrement related, because he wanted to show the entirety of the Saint Bernadine student body that they are literally full of shit.
It was through this that the Turd Burglar was able to successfully catfish so many people. He relished in the fact that he was not alone in his feelings of isolation- so many other students felt the same way but felt as though they could not express themselves. He first connected with them in a way that allowed for his victims to feel safe - this space of trust was what eventually led to nudes being shared, which were the materiel used to blackmail them - and the he threw their insecurities back into their faces. I could get into a character study of all the catfish victims, but I think this is best exemplified within DeMarcus Tillman. A young man who seemed to have it all, resorted to being catfished because of how profoundly isolated he felt, despite his success.
It is important to note how the events that took place within Season Two would not have happened had it not been for social media- and the prolonged feeling of loneliness, isolation and ostricization that often comes with this activity. American Vandal brilliantly handles this sensitive matter in a way that helps the audience better empathize with teenagers. This age group is so satirized that we often lose sight of their humanity and sensitivity- seeing as there are so movies and shows that make light of their narcissisim and self-absorption. American Vandal displays social media's influence in a way that is multidimensional and that showcases its impact on teenage life.
- Teenagers are Aware of Cinematic Conventions
One of the most common stereotypes associated with Gen Zers is that we are deeply immersed within an online world that is little conducive to our growth and maturity: with gamers on Youtube, Twitch and other streaming services making their livelihoods off of gaming to young audiences, it seems that older generations would be right in saying that our fascination with the internet has proved to have little benefits to our development- seeing as watching someone play Assassin's Creed religiously doesn't exactly provide us with much intellectual stimulation.
I personally disagree with this state of mind seeing as the same older generations that criticize us for watching gaming also go nuts over watching football players pass a little ball around for two hours- so like, maybe check yourself?
(Fyi, not hating on boomers, my dad is a boomer and I love him to pieces).
Anyway, back to the question at hand. Are teenagers today solely knowledgable of conventions surrounding the internet? Are Reddit memes, Pewdiepie videos and Instagram models the make up of our lives?
The internet adopts a generally negative when it comes to its relationship with younger generations- you've heard it all before, "teenagers today can't look up from their phones", "this social media stuff is making them braindead". However, there are many positive attributes to the spread of the internet- mainly how it enables billions of individuals across the globe to be exposed to different cultural phenomena.
We mentionned earlier this idea of conventions- that teenagers today are so deeply immersed within the internet world that they are completely aware of all the modalities that go into this incredibly complex universe. However, this platform has made it all the more easier for us to come to know hundreds of other conventions- stemming from the exploration of many socio-cultural platforms.
From the world of music to the world of television, teenagers have adopted a more progressive interest in subject matters so diverse that we are no longer solely confined to social media- we have taken interest in art. This is shown in the shift of previously considered "underground music" to mainstream popularity- I mean hello, Grimes is now considered a mainstream artist? Yes please (I'm listening to Miss Anthropocene as I'm writing this, check it out omg).
I've listed both music and television as examples of conventions that have spread to new audiences- which brings us to the literal reason I'm talking about conventions in the first place: American Vandal is a series on an immensely popular streaming service aimed predominantly towards teenagers. From this description alone, you would think that this was a typical teen show right? About angst and unrequited romance and saying NO to drugs?
Yeah no that doesn't fit the bill.
American Vandal is described as mockumentary series: what distinguishes it from most teen series is its adoption of conventions from true crime documentary series.
Allowme to further explain.
American Vandal takes all of the elements that you would find within a typical true crime show- and makes of them a parody of themselves. Everything from the dramatic interviews showcasing all the witnesses and potential suspects, to the theatrical renactments of the crimes in question, to the suspensful and omnipresent narration on the part of the main character (in this case, Peter, who TAkes this on so well he EVEN got the intonATIONS right). To give all of you a reference, you should seriously watch series such as the insanely popular Making a Murderer, The Disappearance of Madelaine McCann and Don't Fuck With Cats. ALL of the elements that I listed previously are found in each of these shows.
Let me shed some light as to where these conventions can be found within American Vandal:
- all of the interviews completed by witnesses, potential suspects, and other individuals involved to provide the viewers - and the investigators themselves - with useful information that is pertinent to the development of the series
- in Season Two, Episode 1, the comical renactment of the Brownout (the shadow-like silhouettes, the dark lighting paired with the dramatic music, interplayed with the interviews from the students affected by the incident, you know what I'm talking about)
- the dramatic and suspenseful music spread throughout the show
- in the early episodes of Season One, the dramatic voice-overs given by Peter talking about Dylan's potential motives for accepting his aid
I've established previously that American Vandal is mostly geared towards teenagers: this implies that the show's creators have fully intended for this particular audience to understand all of the conventions adopted from the true crime genre- which is very telling of the diversity of interests found within Gen Zers today stemming largely from the interconnectedness we find within the framework of the internet.
- Teenagers are Multi-Faceted and Concern Themselves with Important Issues
As we have mentionned previously, teenagers are constantly being portrayed within the cinematic world as being one-dimensional, egotistical and relishing in self-importance: this in turn has stained the way society perceives Gen Zers: despite our efforts to be more politically active, we are still reduced to being small-minded individuals driven by nothing but gossip and our phones.
American Vandal does poke fun at some of our tendencies- especially our obsession with the mundane. After all, when we're constantly surrounded with the same group of students for more than a decade, we tend to notice everything about them, which is why something as mundane as a bit of gossip provides us with some sense of excitement. An example of this in Season Two takes place during the very beginning of the investigation. As Peter and Sam interrogate Saint Bernadine students regarding the infamous "Brownout" incident, they ask whether or not they noticed anything unusual about the day the vandal took place prior to it actually taking place. One student mentions how the cafeteria seating had changed- and she proceeds to name every student who wasn't sitting in their usual spot (last names and all, which makes for a really funny moment). This detail was nonetheless important as the investigators discover that Kevin McClain was responsible for this seating shift- as he chose to sit next to his middle-school bully (he relished in the idea of watching a guy who had tormented him for so long shit his pants at his own doing).
American Vandal shows us how the teenage existence contains multiple layers and dimensions- and that teenagers are not merely self-absorbed. Similarly to the seating anecdote discussed above, the series highlights how inherently perceptive teenagers are. We don't simply go about our days without any piece of self-awareness- we are much more lucid than we are made out to be. American Vandal has portrayed us to be multi-faceted in a realistic way.
There are multiple events that have taken place over the course of the show that exemplify this point.
One moment that is very telling of teenagers' lucidity - something that is more commonly associated with Gen Zers due to our socio-political involvement - takes place when Saint Bernadine students openly discuss a humanitarian trip organized by the establishment they go to every year called "Gifts of the Lamb". Basically the students go on a Christian-values-imbued all paid-for vacation, where for an hour they do a bare minimum of humanitarian work - they paint houses for empoverished families - and then they stay at a ridiculously luxurious hotel where all they do is party and bathe in their authentaciousness. So much for modest Christian values.
The Saint Bernadine student boy are fully well aware of how ridiculous the "Gifts of the Lamb" trip is- that's literally the word used by one of the students to describe the hotel. The students recognize the façade their school is attempting to create- the image of a generous and pious establishment promoting traditional Christian values is completely false. It's mostly a haven for spoiled, wealthy children.
Another example of this teenage self-awareness portrayed in the series can be found in the realization that most students have of the double-standard present within Saint Bernadine regarding its athletes: we have mentioned previously that the establishment's athletes have a precedent of misdemeanor - especially pranks, which is what initially leads Peter and Sam to believe that DeMarcus committed one of the vandalisms as a joke. An example of this took place a couple years ago- when star basketball player Perry Coleman stole the school mascot's costume and then proceeded to harass a female student on social media for months after she had commented on how ridiculous his actions were.
Despite her best efforts to report him when his harassment wouldn't cease, the school turned a blind eye to his actions- even when it was clear that he was responsible for the prank. He got away with his actions because of his status as one of the best players on the basketball team, and therefore successfully sealed Saint Bernadine's stellar reputation of the sport.
As a result, athletes within the institution can get away with pretty much anything, as long as they continue to excel in their respective sports, as this only benefits Saint Bernadine in the long run.
To give you an idea of how deeply this injustice runs, allow me to tell you what happened to another student - who was, very importantly, not an athlete, he was one of Kevin's friends. Grayson Wentz took the time to write an "unsavory" tweet (as his teacher put it) on the school computers (watch the show you idiots if you want to know what he wrote, you can rate how "unsavory" he was on a scale from 1 to 10). This tweet warranted him his expulsion- "and a job at the Kirkland mall" he said bitterly.
The students of Saint Bernadine are far from oblivious to this obvious display of favoritism: the victim of Coleman's prank, Paige Burton, speaks of the injustice she had suffered at the hands of her own establishment in a way that allows for the audeince to understand that teenage angst can be justified- yes, the prank was really stupid to say the least, but her strong feelings towards this particular event are totally reasonable. Reason is something rarely associated with the teenage mind- our hormonal shifts in mood and emotion are often made the object of mockery, rather than something to be actually taken seriously. Other students have commented on inherently injust system that Saint Bernadine perpetuates- this double-standard clearly projects an umbalanced system of priviledge. As Kevin McClain puts it, "if I knew how to shoot a ball through a hoop, then this would be a different story"
This example alone illustrates just how far teenage identity has shifted on television- from overly egotistical to lucid and aware of issues that pertain them, American Vandal has shown us that the teenager of today is at their core, their own person- and not a caricature. The show contradicts the negative stereotypes associated with the teenager by refreshingly displaying all of the nuances that come with being in such a tumultuous stage of our lives.
Comments