A picture is worth a thousand words...and a little bit of heartache.

You are walking down the streets of upper class New York City when you look over to Le Petit Oeuf café to see “Lonely Boy”, Dan Humphrey, getting a little too close to someone who is not his girlfriend, Serena Van Der Woodsen.  You immediately reach for your pocket, pull out your phone, and take one little picture.  This picture is worth more than a thousand words and a good bit of heartache.  Getting that little scandalous picture out is as easy as pressing one little button: send.  You send the picture to Gossip Girl and immediately a juicy story is attached and is sent to all of those who subscribe to the gossips of an unknown vender.  The gossip that the students of Constance Billiard love so much is what causes so much controversy from week to week on the television show, Gossip Girl.  Will the gossip ever end?  Can one picture take down an entire group of people?  What are the consequences of a scandalous picture?

The past week, we follow the story of the beautiful Serena, the poetic Dan, and the new English teacher at Constance Billiard, Rachael.  Rachael does not look like a teacher.  She is young, beautiful and meek and mild, unlike the stereotypical stern and over controlling teacher we know and love.   At first, she seems like a breath of fresh air in the halls of this rigid school, but just any good story line, we know that there is an ulterior motive to her character.  We instantly see a bond between her and Dan Humphrey, who is an aspiring writer with years of praise on his works.  Rachael gives Dan more than any of the other students that we can see.  She goes out of her way to meet with him at different coffee shops and cafes to discuss his papers, writings, and so on.   Serena, Dan’s girlfriend for the 3^rd or 4^th time, always seems to drop in at the moment when the two writers are conversing outside of school.  I know that if I ran into my boyfriend with a beautiful and young teacher, I would stop and question myself as to why they didn’t just discuss his papers at school.  Not only does Serena see what is going on between her boyfriend and her new favorite teacher, but everyone else at Constance Billiard.  Well, not immediately at least.  It took a little “nudge” for everyone to take a second look at Dan Humphrey and Rachael. 

And by “nudge”, I mean Blair Waldorf.  Blair is the daughter of a world-renowned fashion designer and aristocrat of upper Manhattan.  Blair is not your typical teenager: she is devious, conniving, and loves good Gossip and controversy.   Her most useful weapon is her cell phone, which we never see her without from week to week on the tv series.  Anything that slightly resembles a scandal is well documented to Gossip Girl through Blair because it keeps her on top of the “food chain” at Constance Billiard.  She didn’t get the title “Queen B” for nothing!   Rachael’s arrival threatens Blair in many ways, including getting her first B in senior year and taking her cell phone away during school. 

Taking cell phones away during school? Who would do such a thing?  The answer is Rachael.  With her coming to Constance Billiard, we find that new rules and spirits are found in corridors more frequently.  Cell phones are banned from entering the school, which is to help keep gossip out.  But we all know that when there’s will and money, there’s a way.  Blair buys contraband cell phones for her and her minions.  With this, she is still the most powerful in the school and well equipped for gossip.  Not long after she gives her followers their tiny weapons, she sees Dan and Rachael in the hallways conversing intimately.  Not only is this the perfect opportunity to get back at Rachael for the things she’s done to Blair, but also to get herself back on top of the Constance Billiard food chain.  She sends a little picture of the couple along with a question of their intentions.  Gossip Girl returns the favor by forwarding a long and juicy story to everyone about Dan and Rachael’s undying love for each other. 

You may be asking yourself: what could one little picture possibly do?   The impact of one picture is outstanding especially when looking at whom it could possibly affect.  Not only the people in the picture’s lives are affected but family, friends, lovers, haters, teachers, jobs, relationships in general, and so much more.  Let’s take this picture, for example. (See picture 1) Serena took this picture while walking outside the Le Petit Oeuf café where Dan Humphrey and Rachael are discussing the accusations against Rachael and a possible relationship with a student (Dan).  At the moment the picture was captured, Rachael started to cry, where Dan tried to comfort her.  When looking at this picture, I automatically feel like Dan is brushing Rachael’s hair out of her eyes while he is about to give her a passionate kiss.  Serena immediately thinks that her boyfriend is going in for a kiss and snaps a picture as he pushes back Rachael’s hair.  As a confused girlfriend of what appears to be a cheating boyfriend, Serena shows the picture to her best friend, Blair.  This is the perfect revenge against Rachael for Blair.  This picture is sent to Gossip Girl by a convincing plea from Blair to Serena and then is broadcast throughout all of upper Manhattan.  The picture and story surfaces and is distributed to it’s subscribers like a drug just in time for the parent-teacher conference concerning Rachael’s conduct with her students. (See Picture 2) If I were a parent at this conference and saw this picture on the projector for all to see, I would be up in arms against this teacher.  It not only gets Rachael fired from her position at Constance Billiard but outrages countless parents who cannot believe that something like this could happen in their children’s school.  Dan’s father, Rufus, is bitterly upset with his son who seems to have forgotten the rules of student and teacher relations.  Serena’s mother is torn between her daughter’s emotions of losing a boyfriend versus Rufus’ emotions of a immoral son. Blair has gained satisfaction for trumping Rachael.  Dan is put in a sticky situation where he has lost his girlfriend and trust from his father.

Of all the people involved in this scandal, Rachael seems to have taken the largest blow.  Her work at Constance Billiard has been terminated and now has a bad mark on her teaching record for having relations with a student.  She seems deeply hurt and confused because she does not feel like she showed much attention to Dan other than praising him for his wonderful penmanship.  Now that Rachael is no longer a teacher at Constance Billiard, she is able to express her true feelings toward Dan, which are just what she was accused of.   You cannot tell in this picture, but at this moment, Rachael lunges at Dan for a big and juicy kiss.  (See Picture 3) When the stunned and quite confused Dan asks her what she is doing, she simply replies, “I’m not your teacher anymore.”  From this picture, I am sure you can assume what followed the kiss.  The teachers as Constance Billiard wouldn’t be too pleased of their ex-teacher’s conduct.   We find in the previews for the next episode, though, that the allegations against Rachael had been dropped and she has been rehired to teach at the school.  Now what will happen after things did heat up between the ex-teacher (who is now teacher again) and her teacher’s pet, Dan?

One picture can affect so many people from lovers and enemies, to teachers, parents, entire schools, friends, and everyone in between.  Because one picture was taken of an “almost” intimate exchange, people were fired, love was lost, friendships were questions, parents were torn, motives were questioned, and new relationships were given the right away to bloom.  If that picture hadn’t been taken, I’m sure there would have been underlying tensions between the lonely boy Dan Humphrey and his teacher, but things would not have progressed past lunch dates to talk about papers.  Serena would have kept her boyfriend of the millionth time.  Blair would have kept on scheming Rachael’s demise.  Serena’s mother, Lily, and her new beau, Rufus, would have had nothing to be torn over, like their children’s emotions or parent-teacher squabbles.   If that picture hadn’t been taken, lives would have been undoubtedly saved from the gossips of the anonymous Gossip Girl and the heartache she brings to those she speaks of.  As long as cell phones are weapons and pictures are taken, I don’t think the gossip will ever end.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3