For many, Thanksgiving celebrations entail the expected: home-cooked turkey, cranberry sauce, and being with family and friends, amongst other things. But for a select, intensely dedicated group, it means Gossip Girl.
That’s right, the CW teen show that provided unending drama, intrigue, and ridiculous levels of luxury (not to mention fashion inspiration) is lauded by some fans on Twitter as the Thanksgiving show. You wouldn’t expect our resident, privileged Upper East Siders to be the face of this holiday, but the beloved series has sprouted cult-like viewers to champion this annually.
Why exactly? Well, Gossip Girl’s connection to Thanksgiving can be traced to one episode in particular: Season 3, episode 11, “The Treasure Of Serena Madre.” In this one, the entire cast sits around the Van der Woodsen dining table, and the meal turns quickly sour. Secrets unravel and tensions simmer in palpitation-inducing succession. Grievances are aired and brilliant one-liners are haughtily uttered: “Your sweet potatoes are bland.” And it’s all set to Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” — an iconic musical choice, in itself, as the song samples Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek,” famously used in the dramatic Season 2 finale of fellow teen drama The O.C.
As a biased Gossip Girl fan myself, I have to say the Thanksgiving episode is unforgettable, for both the undeniably ridiculous content and execution that kept us glued to our screens. From the enviable aesthetics to the delicious dialogue and to the rising suspense levels: the compounding effect of it all is a truly memorable meal some of us aren’t ready to let go of.
Which bring us to Twitter: people have actually deemed the holiday of Thanksgiving “Gossip Girl day.” Some say they rewatch the aforementioned episode and others, in observance of GG day. Others say they listen to Derulo’s song on repeat. All of these tweets overwhelmingly insist the show invented Thanksgiving. That may be questionable but still, goes to show just how influential the drama remains, almost 10 years after the original ended.
Happy Thanksgiving! XOXO
