If you haven't seen "Degrassi: The Next Generation," can you really say you've lived? "Degrassi: TNG" not only pushed me through the rough years of middle school and high school, but also gave me plenty of great writing material. For those of you who have never heard of the show, "Degrassi: TNG" follows the lives of a small group of Canadian students as they conquer the trials and tribulations of growing up. It handled (in the most melodramatic way possible) the toughest subjects, including bullying, sexual assault, and eating disorders. When it wasn't "going there," "Degrassi" was making us laugh at its sheer ridiculousness. Below is a list of some of the most important of those ridiculous moments. The staples that made "Degrassi: TNG" the perfect mess that is was.
1. When JT bought a penis pump
And when he opened it in a bathroom stall surrounded by his closest male friends.
And when Manny walked in on him trying to use it. His reaction says it all.
It's OK, JT! You may have lost Manny and your dignity, but at least your character was killed off before the show went completely downhill.
2. When Emma got her first period
Fun fact, Emma Nelson actually invented feminism. There were so many lessons to be learned in this episode, but the most important one is that boys dig it when you stand up for your right to menstruate.
3. When everyone thought Liberty was diddling her teacher
Even Mr. Armstrong couldn't tolerate season one Liberty.
4. When Sean went rogue and crushed Emma's heart
Even the Chuck and Blair of "Degrassi" went through their rough patches. Sean decided he'd rather steal candy from vending machines than save the whales with Emma.
5. When Manny wore a thong
She went from the innocent, naive freshman to the school trollop in less than 30 minutes. Even Britney Spears took longer than that to reach rock bottom. We're still jealous that she got to make out with Craig, though.
6. When Drake was wheeling through Degrassi with his woes
This isn't really one moment, more like a collection of multiple moments of greatness. Before Drake started following Li'l Wayne around Hollywood, he was known as Jimmy Brooks on "Degrassi." His skills ranged from providing other characters with romantic advice to dropping sick beats in garages.
Nothing was the same.
7. When Craig lost it
Degrassi was never very good at dealing with mental health issues, so when they attempted to tackle bipolar disorder using Craig as their subject, they didn't really do it right. Instead of being a normal person who happens to have bipolar disorder, he just seemed absolutely insane and possibly sociopathic. This ended up being even better than what the writers were going for, though, because crazy Craig was hands down the best character on the show.
8. When Terri got too turnt at the eighth grade dance
Terri learned the golden rule: Use the pregame, don't abuse the pregame.
9. When Marco kissed Craig
Because who really cared about Dylan anyway? This moment also taught us another crucial life lesson: When in doubt, you kiss Craig.
Also, let's just take a moment to appreciate the wonders of Craig's facial expressions.
10. When Jay gave Emma an STD
You got it, Manny! The worst part of this situation wasn't Emma getting gonorrhea. It was the fact that Dracula wouldn't kiss her in the school play, and Emma's whole high school acting career came to a screeching halt. Way to go, Dracula. Also, I get that Emma was in her rebellious stage, but I would not set foot in a sketchy van in the middle of the woods. Just saying.
So that's "Degrassi: TNG" in a nutshell. The acting was subpar and the situations were laughable, but I will always consider this show one of my favorites. If you haven't seen it, hopefully this article will make you want to view an episode or 12. You won't regret it. If you're still not convinced that "Degrassi" is the best show ever made, here's a picture of Toby in a bra.
You're welcome.
