Why people in their 30s and 40s love this teen show
When teen TV is done right, it can capture an audience far beyond teenagers — and the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is proving just that. Though the Amazon Prime Video show is about a love triangle between three teenagers, it has a large fan base in their 30s and 40s.
Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with culture writers Sarah Hunter Simanson and Megan Angelo about what makes The Summer I Turned Pretty appealing to people of all ages.
We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.
WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube:
Elamin: Megan, at first glance, this does not seem like a show that is particularly catered or trying to target millennials, and yet we are left with the reality that a lot of millennials love the show. What is it about the show that you think strikes at that nostalgia of teen drama for an older generation?
Megan: Yeah, so it's funny, I thought I was the only one for a long time, and then this community just exploded. But I've thought a lot about it. I think it taps into some of the great early aughts shows of the millennials' upbringing, like Dawson's is the classic love triangle show, The OC definitely had that great escapism quality.
Elamin: What sort of escapism do you think the show [ The Summer I Turned Pretty ] is offering for people?
Megan: Another way they suck you in is the Nancy Meyers kitchen, the hydrangea bushes, the clothes. But the more I got into the show, the more I realized that the real luxury is time, the real escapism is the time they [the characters] are able to spend on the show. Because for the young people, it's that thing of like, "I have all the time in the world to not worry about the state of the world, to not think about anything out there, to just think about this timeless quest to understand who I am and who I really love." And for the people in their 40s, like me, it's tapping into that fantasy that you say every time you're with your old friends, like, "We're going to get a house and we're gonna spend every summer together, and our kids are going to grow up together," that's the dream. And on this show, they actually do it.
Elamin: I'm glad that you brought up that Nancy Meyers kitchen, because one, unbelievable kitchen, but two, I think, there is something that the show does that the books don't do. The show spends quite a bit of time with the lives of the parents. [Main character] Belly's mom, and then the mom of the two boys [the two brothers who Belly is in a love triangle with], you are introduced to their lives as adults, they've had this long-time friendship, they're trying to navigate the ups and downs of that friendship alongside this love triangle playing out. Sarah Hunter, what do you make of the way that the adults' lives play out on the show?
Sarah Hunter: I had the opportunity to interview Jackie Chung, who plays Belly's mom, Laurel. And one of the things that she talked about in our conversation was how most teen shows, the focus on the parent relationship is how the parents work in relation to the kids, and their storylines usually serve the kids. But in this show, I think what's so unique is it expanded on the book and gave these adult characters, especially Laurel, Belly's mom, so many different arcs and storylines. And so you see her mom navigating life post-divorce, and you see her navigating her career and also the loss of a friend from cancer and grieving. And how do you do that while parenting kids who are also grieving?
I think what this show does best, to me, is that the complexity that it gives her [Laurel] is the same complexity it gives Belly, and it really emphasizes how growing up never ends. I think it's a coming-of-age story for teens, but also in many ways for adults. Laurel, she loves her kids, she's very present, but she's also very imperfect, which I just think is such a great thing to see on TV, because you don't get to see that as an adult, especially as a parent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Warner Bros Discovery beats second-quarter revenue estimates
Warner Bros Discovery topped Wall Street estimates for quarterly revenue on Thursday, boosted by international expansion of HBO Max and blockbuster releases including U.S. top grosser 'A Minecraft Movie.' The company, which is restructuring into studio-focused Warner Bros and cable-centric Discovery Global, reported second-quarter revenue of $9.81 billion. Analysts had expected $9.76 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Is Disney About to Beat Netflix in Streaming?
Disney 's (NYSE: DIS) recent earnings report, including deals with the NFL and WWE, signal a big shift toward becoming a streaming giant. The company's potential to generate more streaming revenue than Netflix after ESPN's streaming app launches could help Disney stock. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of Aug. 6, 2025. The video was published on Aug. 6, 2025. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » Where to invest $1,000 right now When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,026%* — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 Travis Hoium has positions in Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Netflix, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Travis Hoium is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
From the Stones to Cardi B, this college haunt has attracted big acts for 50 years
A mural of past concerts at Toad's Place is displayed above one of the bars in New Haven, Conn., on Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Nestled on a narrow, one-way street among Yale University buildings, a pizza joint and an ice cream shop, Toad's Place looks like a typical haunt for college kids. But inside the modest, two-story building is a veritable museum of paintings and signed photos depicting the head-turning array of artists who've played the nightclub over the years: The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan. Billy Joel. Bruce Springsteen. U2. The Ramones and Johnny Cash. Rap stars Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kanye West, Cardi B, Run-D.M.C., Snoop Dogg and Public Enemy. Blues legends B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and John Lee Hooker. And jazz greats Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock. This year, the New Haven institution is celebrating 50 years in business. And the people who made it happen are reflecting on Toad's success in attracting so many top acts to a venue with a standing-only capacity of about 1,000. 'You know, I thought it would be good for a few years and then I'd be out doing something else,' said owner Brian Phelps, 71, who started as the club's manager in 1976. 'And then the thing started to happen when some of the big bands started to come here.' Music and cheap beer fuel success Original owner Mike Spoerndle initially opened Toad's Place in January 1975 as a French restaurant with two friends he later bought out. Before that, the building had been a burger and sandwich joint. But when the restaurant got off to a slow start, Spoerndle had an idea for bringing in more customers, especially students: music, dancing and beer. A Tuesday night promotion with bands and 25-cent brews helped turn the tide. Among the acts who performed was New Haven-born Michael Bolotin, who would change his name to Michael Bolton and go on to become a Grammy-winning ballad writer and singer. The gregarious and charismatic Spoerndle, who died in 2011, endeared himself to bands and customers. A local musician he tapped as Toad's booking agent used his connections to bring in area bands and, later, major blues acts. Then, in 1977, came a crucial moment. Spoerndle met and befriended concert promoter Jim Koplik, who would bring in many big names to Toad's over the years, and still does today. 'Mike knew how to make a really great room and Brian knew how to really run a great room,' said Koplik, now president of Live Nation for Connecticut and upstate New York. A year later, Springsteen stopped by Toad's to play with the Rhode Island band Beaver Brown after he finished a three-hour show at the nearby New Haven Coliseum. In 1980, Billy Joel stunned Toad's by picking it — and several other venues — to record songs for his first live album, 'Songs in the Attic.' That same year, a little-known band from Ireland would play at Toad's as an opening act. It was among the first shows U2 played in North America. The band played the club two more times in 1981 before hitting it big. An unforgettable show for US$3.01 On a Saturday night in August 1989, Toad's advertised a performance by a local band, The Sons of Bob, and a celebration of Koplik's 40th birthday, followed by a dance party. The admission price: US$3.01. After The Sons of Bob did a half-hour set, Spoerndle and Koplik took the stage. 'Ladies and gentlemen,' Spoerndle said. Koplik followed with, 'Please welcome the Rolling Stones!' The stunned crowd of around 700 erupted as the Stones kicked off an hourlong show with 'Start Me Up.' 'Thank you. Good, good, good. We've been playing for ourselves the last six weeks,' Mick Jagger told the crowd. The Stones had been practicing at a former school in Washington, Connecticut, for their upcoming 'Steel Wheels' tour — their first in seven years — and had wanted to play a small club as a warmup. The band's promoter called Koplik, who recommended Toad's. The band agreed, but insisted on secrecy. Those at Toad's kept a lid on it for the most part, but swirling rumors helped pack the club. Doug Steinschneider, a local musician, was one of those at the venue that night after a friend told him the Stones would be playing. He wasn't able to get in, but managed to get near a side door where he could see Jagger singing. 'It was amazing!' said Steinschneider. 'For being a place where major bands show up, it's a tiny venue. So you get to see the band in their real element. In other words, you're not watching a screen.' A few months later, Bob Dylan's manager reached out looking for a club where he could warm up for an upcoming tour. Dylan's 1990 show at Toad's sold out in 18 minutes. He played four-plus hours — believed to be his longest performance — beginning with a cover of Joe South's 1970 song 'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' and ending with his own 'All Along the Watchtower.' 'That was a good one,' Phelps recalled. Variety is the key to longevity Phelps — who bought out Spoerndle's stake in Toad's in 1998 — believes the secret to the venue's longevity has been bringing in acts from different genres, along with events such as dance nights and 'battle of the bands'. Rap shows especially draw big crowds, he said. Naughty by Nature and Public Enemy played Toad's in 1992. After releasing his first album, Kanye West played there in 2004 with John Legend on keyboards. Drake played Toad's in 2009, early in his music career. And Snoop Dogg stopped by to perform in 2012 and 2014. 'When you have all these things, all ages, all different styles of music, and you have some dance parties to fill in where you need them, especially during a slow year, it brings enough capital in so that you can stay in business and keep moving forward,' Phelps said. On a recent night, as local groups took the stage for a battle of the bands contest, many were in awe of playing in the same space where so many legends have performed. Rook Bazinet, the 22-year-old singer of the Hartford-based emo group Nor Fork, said the band members' parents told them of all the big acts they'd seen at the New Haven hot spot over the years. Bazinet's mom had seen Phish there in the '90s. 'Me, the Stones and Bob Dylan,' Bazinet added. 'I'm glad to be on that list.' Dave Collins, The Associated Press
