With shows like Degrassi and Gossip Girl having solid places as cultural icons, it's a little hard to find the middle ground between "boring" and "too much drama". But, if I'm being completely honest, I think everything is far too dramatic. AND I LOVE IT ANYWAY.

So... why is that? Why do we flock to dramas both on and off the screen? Why do we devour pages after pages of bad teen novels but scoff at the notion of reading a literary masterpiece? What is it about us as 21st century humans that makes us love drama?

Okay, to be fair, I'm positive our ancestors lived for drama as well. I'm sure the ancient Greeks tittered and fangirled over the latest myths concerning Zeus's romantic conquests, while ancient Romans probably speculated about the relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra, and early Christians probably gossiped about whether or not Mary was really a virgin. Take a look at ancient works of art. Read the mythology of your culture. That's some dramatic shit.

I guess it's just humans in general that love drama. But why? Usually, drama means misfortune for one or all of the parties involved. Shouldn't our humanity win out the war? Shouldn't we be sympathetic friends rather than drama-hungry vultures, desperate to hear the latest development in whatever the hell is going on?

I think it all stems from the idea of catharsis, or purging. This originated with the art of theatre in ancient Greece. The comedies and tragedies presented an escape for the audience. When they laughed, they felt better. When they cried, they felt better. It allowed them a break from the mediocrity and stress of their personal world and gave them something to focus on for a couple of hours.

I mean, how is Netflix binging any different? Sure, we might joke that the death of our favorite character "killed us", but we lowkey loved the drama of it.

Now, gossip? That's a whole different thing.