90210 : Network Execs Demanded Brenda Regret Sex With Dylan

[hewontgo]

'Beverly Hills, 90210' Creator Says Network Execs "Demanded" Brenda Regret Sex With Dylan https://t.co/DXLnS7VFQY
- Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 17, 2024
Darren Star attempted to lead the teen sex revolution in the early ’90s, and it was almost televised

Comments

[skyler_white_yo]

90210 really did try to touch on topics the best way it could for its time. It’s been a while since I’ve watched the early episodes, but from what I remember, the show had a healthier attitude toward sex then other show aimed at teens. Usually it was the “very special episode” where they’d have a one off character be a pregnant teen, or a “save yourself for marriage” type message. Not to mention that the negative consequences of having sex squarely on the girl (pregnancy, being labeled a slut, etc), but for boys sex was marked as a right of passage.

[ashtrayrock]

I rewatched some recently and it was pretty ahead of the times. A lot of the sex talk, at least from what I saw on rewatch, was be safe when doing it. Not necessarily don't do it. They had an episode with a woman with HIV and even her stance was you're going to have sex but know who you are having sex with and be safe about it.

I don't remember much about Brenda having regrets and didn't get that far. But I did see the episode where her and Dylan have a mature and good talk about sex and how she isn't ready and it's sad to hear they have her regret later when they do have sex. It would have been more powerful to show hey this girl waited, in a relationship, until she felt comfortable and had a great time.

[skeetertuskin]

They did show Brenda waiting and Dylan being patient and attentive and not pressuring her into anything and her finally being ready to have sex with him after the spring dance in the final episode of S1 which was really a pivotal moment that showed what a truly bonding experience it was, only to have it spoiled at the start of the next season with a bullshit pregnancy scare even though they practiced safe sex. The studio got cold feet after receiving complaints from “concerned parents” so in order to avoid controversy they turned Brenda into a cautionary tale and Dylan into a callous asshole who wanted Brenda to have a quick abortion.

[ashtrayrock]

That's disappointing. I didn't get that far even but the first bit of the season had some good convos. Even with the girls themselves. Sad to see it went downhill from there.

[skeetertuskin]

Yeah the first season was really pushing the envelope with wide arrays of topics such as date rape and aids which were quite groundbreaking at the time for a show that involved teenagers. But as the article here points out, the show blew up after the first season forcing the studio to retool the show for the mainstream audiences (and their parents) which meant no more carte blanches. From S2 it pretty much turned into a standard teen soap opera with topical issues sprinkled here and there. By S4/S5 it was just a dumb show about rich kids doing rich kids things.

[skeetertuskin]

Yeah but these “healthy” topics always involved rotating characters. The main group, exclusively women, always ended up being punished for their sexual proclivities: Brenda had a pregnancy scare after losing virginity and swore off sex for two seasons. Donna (at the insistence of Spelling) remained a virgin until marriage. Kelly was “the slut” who was constantly asking for sexual coercion, abuse and eventually rape. And while Gabrielle Carteris’ real life pregnancy forced writers to write Andrea’s teen/college pregnancy into the show, her character was basically punished for it and quickly written out of the show.