August 29th 2024.
Growing up as a British teenager in the early 2000s, I, like many others, found The Inbetweeners to be a must-watch show. It was a refreshingly honest portrayal of the awkwardness of youth, unlike other popular coming-of-age shows such as Skins or The OC. Instead of the usual impossibly beautiful characters living glamorous lives, The Inbetweeners followed a group of average guys just trying to navigate their way through adolescence.
But it wasn't just the relatable depiction of teenage lust that made the show a hit. Let's be real, the crude and immature humor also played a big role. I remember walking down the streets of Norwich, my hometown, and hearing people shouting out catchphrases like "bus w**nker" and "clunge" from the show. At the time, it was hilarious. But would it still be funny in today's world? Probably not.
That's why the rumored revival of The Inbetweeners is a terrible idea. I was the show's target audience when it first aired, and I found it hilarious. But now in my 30s, I wouldn't find the childish sexual humor remotely amusing – in fact, I would find it offensive. The show's treatment of women, for example, reducing them to just their physical appearance, is not something that would fly today. And let's not forget the constant jokes about Neil's dad being secretly gay, which were not only homophobic but also just plain mean.
But even if we put aside the problematic jokes, the show's humor as a whole would not hold up in 2024. It was very much a product of its time, and rehashing the same jokes now would just feel outdated and unsophisticated. And if the alternative is to update the humor to be more reflective of society today, it would completely change the heart and soul of the show. Can you imagine Jay making socially sensitive jokes instead of being horribly inappropriate? I certainly can't.
Even Joe Thomas, who played Simon in the show, admitted that a revival might not live up to the original series or the two movies that followed. There's always the fear of not being able to live up to the high standard set by the original, and that's something the cast would have to grapple with if they decide to go through with a reboot. There have been talks about a reunion at a Las Vegas stag do or a five-a-side game, but these ideas just don't feel fresh or original anymore.
Despite my reservations, I have no doubt that an Inbetweeners revival would be a blockbuster success. It has a huge fan base, and even those of us who have aged out of the humor would probably tune in out of morbid curiosity. And let's not forget the power of nostalgia – just look at the success of other throwback acts like Sugababes and S Club 7. But for me, I would rather leave The Inbetweeners as a fond (albeit cringe-worthy) teenage memory.
So to Joe and the rest of the cast, I say this: let's not tarnish the legacy of the show by trying to revive it. Let's remember it for what it was – a hilarious and relatable representation of teenage life in the early 2000s. And for those who still want to relive the glory days, the show is available to watch on Channel 4. Let's leave it at that.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
