THE INBETWEENERS
Teenage Kicks The old crusties among us probably don’t know much about ‘real’ teenagers. We get most of our understanding of the acne-addled angst- mongers when gasping aloud at the ruddy rudeness of Skins and chin-scratching over the almost impenetrable lingo in Attack The Block. (It’s ‘bare’ confusing, mate. You get me?) So, are Scottish teens anything like the loveable social (and sexual) misfits in The Inbetweeners? Lauren Mayberry speaks to some Glasgow teenagers to see what they think and whether they’ll be queueing up to see the movie when it hits the big screen.
GILLIAN ROSS 17, SANDYHILLS, GLASGOW
I love The Inbetweeners. I’ve got a group of friends that is half girls, half boys and it’s exactly the kind of stuff we do but a really, really ridiculous version. Some of the things they get up to might be a bit stupid but it’s still funny because I can imagine my pals doing those kinds of things on a smaller scale. I’m at high school and also work part-time in Republic to get extra cash. Even though the set-up of the school in The Inbetweeners is different to how it is in Scotland, the things that go on in the show are still very relatable. Their outlook seems pretty typical of British teenagers. I’m going to go see it with my friends first to test the water. It looks like it might be an English version of The Hangover
90 THE LIST 18–25 Aug 2011
but better, because it’s funnier to me. I’m sad that after the film, there will be no more but I guess we’ll always have the boxsets. If it’s not too unsavoury, I might take my mum too. I have a really good relationship with my mum, although I know a lot of people who don’t have that with their parents so I guess I am lucky. I can’t watch it with my dad in the room, but I know my parents watch the show. I think my grandpa even watches it sometimes if I ask him to record it for me, so I guess that speaks for the show’s broad appeal. I have pals who watch 90210 but I think it’s a load of crap. It’s too frothy for me and you need to keep up the outrageous plotlines. The with Inbetweeners was less soap-like. Each episode was different, so you didn’t need to know the background to enjoy it.