Confession

My name is Luis Merino, and I have recently become captivated by (and possibly obsessed with) the 80′s Canadian ‘masterpiece’ known as Degrassi Junior High.

Natalia: Now, when Luis says he is “quite possibly obsessed,” what he actually means is he will soon be attending a 12-step program to overcome his addiction to the awful acting and cheesy plots that Degrassi Jr. High is known for.

Degrassi Junior High (DJH) was a Canadian television series that starred normal-looking and age-appropriate kids to tackle “real” and “serious,” issues that teens at the time seemed to be dealing with. Every episode was one of those Very Special Episodes like unto the sitcoms of the 90′s. Here are some of the Very Special issues the students of DJH have had to face:

• Being physically abused by a parent
• Coming to terms with being adopted
• Teen pregnancy
• School politics
• Teen drinking
• Dealing with bullies
• Depression
• Substitute teachers who are “too friendly”
• Ya know, everything that a normal, real kid has to go through (pfffft..)

Most of the reason I dig DJH is because the (very large) cast is made up of quite plain and even ugly looking 12-14 year-old kids with little-to-no acting experience, which makes for a delicious CHEESE-fest of a show. The clothes, the hair, the dead-pan delivery, and the stiff acting chops all add to the magic that is DJH.

Natalia: Unlike Luis, I personally may not know all 532 members of the cast individually by name (I only know there is a girl named Miriam McDonald in one of the Degrassi series). In fact, to me it seems they keep adding more and more members to the cast every time I see an episode. But for some reason, Luis really likes this about the show.

I have just finished the third (and final) season of DJH, and am ready to move on to Degrassi High, its sequel series. It is interesting that along the way I found myself caring about these characters. I do admit that their portrayal of school life (however cheesy) is more accurate than many similar shows.

These two series are predecessors to the currently airing Degrassi: The Next Generation (which, yes, I have and do watch). Don’t act surprised! This is the same guy who admitted to liking The Sound of Music, and watching soaps!

Natalia: And in spite of his quirky likes of tv shows, I still love him more than life itself.

My name is Luis Merino, and I watch Soaps.

No, not hand soaps, dish soaps, or bath soaps, but Soap Operas — you know, the lame, over-dramatic, under-acted, poorly-written rubbish you find on TV in the afternoon — those Soaps. I figure it’s been a long time coming that I should come clean (pun, intended) about my watching of Soaps.

There is one Soap in particular I tend to gravitate to (although I’m in the know about a handful of other soaps and what’s going on in their worlds, while not really watching them). I can acknowledge that Soaps, in general, tend to constitute a big waste of time, considering there’s new episodes every day, and they all tend to – what word can I use to describe them — suck. Even though they’re awful I am still (somehow) captivated by them.

Natalia is usually around as I “watch” All My Children… (I use the term loosely because I fast forward through about 75% of it). I always complain saying “snooze,” or “give me a break,” or “shoot me in the face,” and she asks me, “Why do you watch this if you don’t even like it!?” To which I respond, “I don’t know.”

I was raised on watching Mexican Soaps (telenovelas) with my mom, so this type of storytelling has always had a place in my heart. And I will say this, American Soaps are awful. Mexican soaps are much better, and I even actively watch 1 British Soap which is actually quite good.

SO, there, I said it… I watch Soaps. Feel free to make fun of this silly pastime; I’m just glad that it’s now out in the open.