Gallery Description: This gallery contains 46 pictures of the cast of Gossip Girl arriving to celebrate the airing of it’s 100th episode. These pictures were taken in November in NYC.

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 30 pictures of Blake Lively at a Versace for H&M event which happened in NYC on the 8th of November, 2011. She is wearing a black and white dress with a black small coat on and black leggings. She looks great, but it’s a shame she has covered up her amazing legs.

Gossip Girl is an acclaimed teen drama centered on the lives of a group of young, wealthy Upper Eastside socialites. The Gossip Girl TV show was created based on a popular novel series written by Cecily Von Ziegesar. This teen drama premiered in 2007 on The CW network, and is still currently running, now in its 5th season.

Gossip Girl revolves around the narration of an unseen blogger played by Kristen Bell – the all seeing, all knowing Gossip Girl – who also happens to write a gossip blog read by the characters on the show. Gossip Girl’s blog provides the characters as well as the viewers with all the latest rumors and drama surrounding the lives of the characters’ exclusive and privileged inner circle. It’s these romance and drama filled relationships between the show’s characters that have propelled Gossip Girl into the position of one of the most watched primetime shows amongst young females.

The earlier seasons of Gossip Girl begin with most of the characters in prep school looking to attend college, while the later seasons continue to follow the characters lives as they transition into college and young adulthood. The show begins with the return of Serena Van Der Woodsen – played by Blake Lively – to Manhattan’s Upper East Side and into the lives of the Gossip Girl characters. She’s introduced to viewers as a former “It” girl in the Manhattan Upper Eastside social scene. While the circumstances of her departure aren’t revealed initially, various reasons for her departure are revealed as the pilot’s storyline unfolds.

Viewers are also introduced to Serena’s ex-best friend Blair Waldorf – another young queen-in-training of the socialite scene played by Leighton Meester. Daughter of a successful fashion designer, Blair and her friends attend an exclusive prep school and fancy socialite parties. Serena’s return to Blair’s life in the pilot episode begins to throw her seemingly picture perfect life into turmoil, as we find out that Serena and Nate – Blair’s boyfriend – slept together on the night before Serena left for boarding school. Furious at this revelation, Blair tells Nate that he can never talk to Serena Van Der Woodsen again if they are to mend their relationship. In the same plotline we learn that another main character on the show – Chuck Bass – had secretly watched Serena and Nate as they had sex. Chuck uses this revelation as an opportunity to force himself on Serena, but she manages to get away.

Not all the Gossip Girl characters are on the inside of the socialite scene. Sitting outside of the socialite circles are the characters Dan Humphrey and Jenny Humphrey. We’re first introduced to Dan through Gossip Girl, who refers to him as “Lonely Boy”. We discover from the first minutes of the pilot that he’s held a longtime crush on Serena. During the pilot episode, he manages to get a date with her. Meanwhile more drama erupts as Jenny, Blair, Dan, Serena, and Chuck attend the same party, where Chuck attempts to force Blair into a make-out session and Dan and Chuck manage to get themselves into a fight.

The pilot introduces us to the scandal and drama that fills each and every episode of Gossip Girls and that is the driving factor behind the show’s storylines. While relationships and drama are central themes in most television dramas, the characters and the interplay of their various relationships essentially take the role of plot in Gossip Girl, perhaps pushing Gossip Girl to the grey middle ground that lies between the genres of primetime drama and day-time soap opera.

Gossip Girl Guide – Gossip Girl Characters

Blair – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Leighton Meester

Blair Waldorf is the central character of Gossip Girl and played by Leighton Meester. Her character is rich, successful and described as a “queen bee” of Manhattan’s social scene.

While her character is given all the privileges that Manhattan’s elite are offered, her status as a privileged, manipulative, vain overachiever is contrasted with her own insecurity. Leighton Meester herself has described the character as a sea of contrasts, both “bitchy and nice, ugly and pretty, young and old, stupid and smart, innocent and slutty, blond and brunette”.

Serena – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Blake Lively

Serena Van Der Woodsen – portrayed by Blake Lively – is a tall blonde with good looks and charisma. Serena comes from an elite family that made their fortune in shipping during the 18th century. She’s often shown using her striking looks to manipulate and get her way. The show begins with her getting kicked out of boarding school and returning into the lives of the Gossip Girl Characters, particularly that of her best friend Blair and her then boyfriend Nate Archibald.

While Serena and Blair were once best friends, the revelation that she and Blair’s boyfriend Nate slept together transforms them into rivals, though they frequently reconcile and fight throughout the course of the show. Additionally, Serena’s effortless way with men and her charisma continuously threaten Blair’s tenuous place at the top of the social pyramid, causing more tension between the two.

Nate – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Chace Crawford

Nate Archibald is the arch-typical golden boy Born to rich parents and a star on the lacrosse team at the exclusive St. Jude’s School for Boys, he’s also been in a relationship with Blair Waldorf since they were children, though he has always held strong feelings for Blair’s best friend, Serena. Nate struggles against the traditional path of Ivy-League education, a marriage to Blair, and a place atop the Upper East Side social scene forced on him by his successful parents.

Nate is the only male character on the show that has some form of involvement with each of the four main female characters – Blair Waldorf, Serena Van Der Woodsen, Jenny Humphrey, and Vanessa Abrams.

Chuck – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Ed Westwick

While the character of Charles “Chuck” Bass was that of a peripheral antagonist in the original novel series, Chuck Bass is one of the main characters of the Gossip Girl TV show.

Son of a self-made billionaire, Chuck Bass is perhaps the most controversial character on Gossip Girl. Played by English actor Ed Westwick, he is portrayed in the pilot as a sexual predator, as he makes attempts to rape both Serena Van Der Woodsen and Jenny Humphrey. Though this gritty portrayal is abandoned and softened for future episodes, there have nonetheless been criticisms from women’s rights groups that he was physically and emotionally abusive during his on-again-off-again Blair, though these claims are denied by the show’s producers. As a hard partying, womanizing character with a troubled past, he fills the role of “bad boy” and anti-hero on the series. His trademark line from the show “I’m Chuck Bass”, accurately summarizes his arrogance in 3 words.

However, despite his vengeful and manipulative tendencies, Chuck Bass also carries deep hidden vulnerabilities related to his past. In Gossip Girl Season 2 for example, we learn that his mother died giving birth to him and that his father has always blamed him for her death. In later seasons, his “bad boy” tendencies take less of a center role, as the viewer is exposed to more of Chuck’s softer side.

Dan – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Penn Badgley

Dan Humphrey, who began the show as an outsider to the Manhattan social scene, manages to find his life intertwined with those of its key players. He’s portrayed as a regular, straight-arrow guy with a good heart and a strong sense of right and wrong.

Son of Rocker Rufus Humphrey and older brother to Jenny Humphrey, Dan Humphrey is an aspiring writer attending the elite St. Jude’s School for Boys, though his family is relatively poor compared to the majority of kids at St. Jude’s who come from ultra rich families.

Jenny – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Taylor Momsen

Unlike her brother Dan, Jenny Humphrey is discontented with her initial role on the outside of the elite social scene and spends the first season of the show engaged in rampant social climbing, where she eventually achieves status as an “it” girl at her school. Her desire to be popular leads her to occasionally commit shady and manipulative acts.

Vanessa – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Jessica Szohr

Vanessa Abrams, played by Jessica Szohr, is portrayed as a sullen, budding filmmaker born to hippie parents. Best friends with Dan Humphries, like him she’s a natural outsider to the Upper East Side social scene, but becomes involved in their lives. She holds a secret cruch on her best friend Dan, though Dan is fixated on his affections for Serena.

Vanessa is portrayed also as a character that stands up for herself and speaks her mind, perhaps to contrast the fake socializing that often characterizes Upper East Side life. The actress who plays Vanessa – Jessica Szohr – has described Vanessa as the most relatable character on Gossip Girl, due to her relative lack of wealth compared to the other characters.

Lilly – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Kelly Rutherford

Lilly Van Der Wooodsen is a multiple time divorcee, socialite, and ex-ballerina mother of both Serena Van Der Woodsen and Eric Van Der Woodsen. In the course of the show, she marries Chuck Bass’s father, Bart Bass, who passes away in Gossip Girl season 3. It is also revealed that she was once a groupie of Rufus Humphrey – father of Dan and Jenny Humphrey, whom she later marries.

While Lilly Van Der Woodsen is frequently concerned with maintaining the high appearances necessary for elite status in high society, we frequently see hints that she lived a wild, indulgent life in her past.

Rufus – Gossip Girl Character – Played by Matthew Settle

Rufus Humphrey is the father of Dan and Jenny. A divorced former rock star, he also owns an art gallery. While not privy to the Upper East Side social scene, he enrolls his kids in the private schools of the elite in the hopes of securing for them better education. In later seasons, he marries his former lover, Lily Van Der Woodsen, though they later divorce.

Key Relationships

It would take a novel (or perhaps a series of novels authored by Cecily Von Ziegesar), to chronicle the history and complexity of the relationships in Gossip Girl, but below are a few of the key driving relationships on the show.

Blair and Serena

The relationship between Blair and Serena is a complex one. While the two were best friends since childhood, there is tension between the two due to the fact that Serena slept with Blair’s boyfriend Nate Archibald. Additionally, Blair’s insecurities about her place in the social pyramid manifests itself when faced with Serena’s easygoing charm and tall blonde attractiveness. Throughout the series, they fight and reconcile many times, and their drama is frequently fueled by the men in their lives, whether it’s Serena’s one night stand with Nate, or Blair kissing Dan in Season 4.

Chuck and Blair

Standing somewhere below the top amongst the cutesy nicknames bestowed upon celebrity couples in recent years, including TomCat, Brangelina, Bennifer, Jam, and others, is the nickname “Chair”. This moniker was given to the relationship between Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass by Gossip Girl fans.

Blair loses her virginity to Chuck in Season 1 Episode 7, after breaking up with Nate. After she goes back to Nate, Chuck’s relationships with Blair and Nate are temporarily severed, though Chuck and Blair reconcile after they join together to protect Serena from her archrival Georgina.

In Gossip Girl Season 2, the primary thread in the Chuck and Blair story is that he is unable to tell her he loves her, though they end up together in a real relationship when he admits his true feelings, and Blair also realizes her true feelings for Chuck. Though she was dating Nate, she breaks up with him to be with Chuck. In Gossip Girl Season 3, Chuck ends up offering up Blair to his evil uncle Jack Bass in exchange for the return of his hotel, which he lost when a woman pretending to be his mother betrays him.

While they nearly reunite, with Chuck ready to propose, Dan Humphries punches Chuck and forces him to reveal that after Blair broke up with him, he slept with Dan’s sister Jenny. This leads to Blair ending their relationship for good. In Gossip Girl Season 4, the two attack each other with various schemes, though they also begin having casual sexual encounters. After Chuck declares his love for Blair during sex, they ultimately end up apart again.

All in all, Blair and Chuck both share a streak towards the vengeful and manipulative, which we see manifest itself many times throughout the show when they get together to manipulate other characters. Also manifested in the Blair and Chuck relationship is Chuck Bass’s borderline abusiveness. This is shown several times through season 4, including one scene where viewers see Blair go home bleeding after a heated argument with Chuck.

Dan and Serena

The Dan and Serena relationship is introduced from the very first minutes of the pilot episode. Here, Gossip Girl reveals Dan’s longtime crush on Serena, though states that she doesn’t even know his name. Dan bumps into her after seeing her back in town, causing her to drop her purse and cellphone. Though she gathers the contents of her purse, she leaves behind her cell phone, giving Dan an excuse to return her phone and setting up a date.

Their first date goes awkwardly and ends early because Dan’s sister texts him saying she needs his help at Blair’s party. Dan and Serena arrive at Blair’s party, where they save her from Chuck Bass’s forceful advances. After another date, Dan ends up leaving Serena after he’s informed by Blair that Serena slept with Nate while Blair and Nate were together. Of course, they eventually make up and continue the on-again, off-again relationship that characterizes so many of the complicated drama-fuelled relationships that make up Gossip Girl.

Gossip Girl Books

Before the Gossip Girl TV show was the Gossip Girl books. The CW show’s release in 2007 was highly anticipated due to the popularity of the Gossip Girl books. While expectations for television shows based on popular books are always high, Gossip Girl appeared to deliver on its promise. It not only received support from the author – Cecil Von Ziegesar – but also praise from numerous critics in the media. Though there have been many elements of the original book series that have been changed, both with characters and plot elements, Cecil Von Ziegesar noted that the pilot contained all of her major plot points.

Gossip Girl Air Dates

Gossip Girl initially aired on September 19, 2007. Season 1 lasted from September 19, 2007 until May 19, 2008. The season premiere for Gossip Girl season 2 was September 1st, 2008 with the season finale airing May 18, 2009. Gossip Girl season 3 ran from September 14, 2009 to May 17, 2010, while Gossip Girl season 4 ran from September 13, 2010 until May 16, 2011. Gossip Girl season 5’s season premiere aired on September 26, 2011. Season 5 of Gossip Girl is still currently airing every Monday 9/8c on CW.

Gossip Girl and Social Impact

Gossip Girl Style & Gossip Girl Fashion

It is said that no television show has had as much of an impact on style and fashion since Sex and the City. Indeed, as a hit TV show following the steamy drama in the lives of hot fictional New Yorkers, this comparison was unavoidable. Like in Sex and the City, New York City itself acts as another regular member of the cast in Gossip Girls, with the show constantly referencing and name-dropping the city’s hot spots, events and landmarks.

Serena Van Der Woodsen Style

Serena Van Der Woodsen is arguably the Gossip Girl character with the most imitated style. While not even close to attaining the style icon status of Sarah Jessica Parker’s character Carrie on Sex and the City, Serena’s Gossip Girl wardrobe is often mimicked and talked about by teenage girls and young women alike. Some have described Serena Van Der Woodsen style as “Kate Moss inspired” – a look that features many vintage pieces, put together with a rock chick edge – reflecting elements of Serena Van Der Woodsen’s personality. With the show’s enormous following, it’s no surprise that girls that identify with Serena would want to imitate her wardrobe as well.

Gossip Girl Fan Fiction

Immersed in the Gossip Girl world, a number of hardcore fans spend time on web forums and mailing lists devoted to the Gossip Girl TV show and books writing and reading fan published fiction revolving around the lives of the characters on the show.

Moral Criticisms

While the show continues to enjoy enormous popularity amongst young females, the show has received criticism from conservative family values groups for its portrayal of constant affairs and sex between teenage characters. The Parents Television Council has been particularly critical, condemning the show for having featured an attempted teen rapist, teen threesomes, teen drug use, as well as teenage girls having sex with adult men.

Additionally, women’s rights groups have criticized the Chuck Bass character for his behavior in his relationship with Blair Waldorf. Much of that concern centers around an episode where Blair appears to go home with blood on her face after a heated fight with Chuck where we see Chuck react physically, though not going so far as to strike her. However, criticisms remain due to the implications of the blood seen on Blair’s face. The show’s producers deny that the Chuck Bass character ever had or ever would do anything to physically harm Blair.

The Future Of Gossip Girl

While there have been dips in the ratings in recent years, Gossip Girl is still a popular show amongst the teen female demographic. In its 5 seasons on the air, Gossip Girl has also managed to turn several of its leading actors and actresses into bona fide stars. With the 5th season already underway, one has to wonder how much longer the show will last, particularly with several of the show’s stars expressing interest in pursuing other projects.

Whatever the end result, Gossip Girl has left its mark on television. It may not be a realistic depiction of everyday life. It is certainly not the most sophisticated of dramas, and perhaps even the storytelling is lacking in many ways. However, Gossip Girl set out to pique the interest of teenage females and offer them the vicarious thrill that can only be experienced through the lives of riveting fictional characters, and in that it has succeeded. If Gossip Girl is to end in this season or the next, its effect will surely be felt by its legion of young female fans who will certainly miss gazing in on the lives of Blair, Serena, Dan, Nate, Chuck, Jenny, Lily, Rufus, and Vanessa through the all-hearing ears and all-seeing eyes of Gossip Girl.

Time Warner (the parent company of CW, the home of Gossip Girl) have just inked a new deal that is set to bring $100 mill in revenue in the next quarter. They have sold the rights to reruns of the hit television show to both hulu and netflix so the series will now be available for streaming.

Who would have thought that there is money in making a hugely popular television show available on the internet? Let’s just hope this sets a trend and more shows straight being available for view online.

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 6 pictures of Roxane Mesquida wearing an all black number on the set of gossip girl.

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 3 pictures of Leighton Meester looking very leggy and wondeful at a ‘Very Classy’ book signing that happened in paris. She is wearing a white/cream loose dress with a simple white belt of the same color. To accompany it she is wearing knee high velvet(?) boots that show off her stunning legs. Simply to die for.

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 4 pictures of Leighton Meester on the set of gossip girl on the 24th of October, 2011. She is wearing a truly atrocious blue number. Seriously this is one of the ugliest outfits I’ve ever had the pleasure of looking at. Truly god awful.

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 7 pictures of Leighton Meester at an uptown downtown rendez-vous. She looks incredibly washed out in these pictures, does anybody else agree?

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 39 pictures of Blake Lively at Christina Louboutin’s book launch which happened in NYC.

Gallery Description: This gallery contains 39 pictures of Blake Lively at Christina Louboutin’s book launch which happened in NYC.