Growing Up Degrassi: Television, Identity and Youth Cultures Michele Byers, ed. Sumach Press

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_degrassi.html

Everybody wants something they’ll never give up
Everybody wants something, they'll take your money and never give up.
The Zit Remedy



I was, and still am, a huge fan of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. I grew up rolling my eyes at the antics of Joey Jeremiah, secretly crushing on Wheels and wishing I was Caitlin. So when I discovered the book Growing up Degassi, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I’m glad I did. Part academia, and part reminiscence, this book has something for everyone.
A series of articles on Degrassi and it’s influences on youth culture, this book was like learning something new about a very old friend. I found myself nodding my head in agreement a lot of the time, but the book also allowed me to look at the series in a new light.
Some of the articles were a comparison between Degrassi Classic (Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High) and Degrassi the Next Generation., while others were a comparison of Degrassi Classic and other teen shows of the era, such as Beverly Hills 90210. The book tackles such topics as the representation of femininity, Aids, and drugs among other topics. There is also much discussion on how Degrassi: The Next Generation differs from Degrassi Classic in tone, topic and look. Almost 100% of the time, Degrassi Classic came out on top. And I don’t mind admitting I cheered a little.
What was great about this book was that the tone of the articles differed. Some were very academic, like “The Next Generation Goes Digital: Technology, the Medium and the Message” by Laura Tropp, while others, such as “True to My School: An American Love Affair with Degrassi” written by Brian C. Jones were memories from viewers . My favorite, was the article “That White Girl from That Show: Race and Ethnicity within Canadian Youth Culture” co-written by Rebecca J. Haines, who played Kathleen on Degrassi Classic. This article combined both the academic and the reminiscence and I found it interesting that someone who had a role in such an important youth show as Degrassi is now a top researcher in Youth Culture.
I really enjoyed reading this book, although I will admit I found myself struggling not to skim over some of the more academic pieces. It was great to revisit some of my favorite moments of Degrassi and also to be presented with a new way of thinking about the series.

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