Last night was the season finale of MTV’s The Paper. Who knew? About 1.4 million people, not including me. As the marching band and drill team ushered in editor-in-chief Amanda’s NYU acceptance letter/mailbox scene, I wiped away a solitary tear (hello! college!) and thought "Wait, that’s it?" But I want more! The kids are still in their first semester! There are so many more notices to scribble with colored markers onto Ms. Weiss’s huge white board! (Inspecting these scrawlings, especially the ones from section editors who use hearts to sign their names — aww! — was by far my favorite part of the show. I actually paused my DVR whenever there were new ones. That’s so weird, and a little pervy.)
We didn’t cover The Paper on PopWatch until last week’s Q&A with drama queen Adam Brock, but it’s been a solid antidote to The Hills and an EW Must List staple for a while now. (Read Jezebel.com’s weekly posts for a rundown of the season, or you can watch the entire series online at MTV.com.) I initially started loving The Paper because I was these kids in high school and college — probably most like Cassia, The Circuit’s entertainment editor who generally stayed out of people’s way but was usually smirking somewhat dismissively in the corner. But beyond that, The Paper is as "real" a reality show as you can find — the students’ often petty (but important to them, which is the point) high school catastrophes were embarrassing, but cool, in a geeky, "TKTKTKTKTK" sort of way. (If you have to ask, don’t, it’s that lame.) We all know an Amanda Lorber (pictured, scheming), the overachiever with an affinity for colorful school supplies and a tendency to page through the same 10 nostalgic photos on her digital camera whenever possible. We’ve all had a high school identity crisis that turned us into an indecisive, obnoxious, withering mess, à la managing editor Alex. And everyone knows a Giana, the girl who scowls at everything (that’s not endorsed by her circle of boy-worshipers, of course). They’ll all grow up and get it together soon enough. Anyway, it was damn refreshing seeing real people who weren’t on TV because of their rich parents, willingness to do anything for cash, or big asses and sex tapes.
R.I.P., season 1 of The Paper. And Amanda — welcome to New York!
Why can’t there be a reality show featuring young people whose parents don’t live in huge houses or have huge bank accounts? Instead, we get to watch rich kids involved in rich kid problems and “The Paper” is absolutely no different than Laguna Beach in that sense. The difference is that MTV picked the nerds instead of the popular people.
I just finished watching the season finale and admit I loved the show for the nostalgic feelings it brought. I agree though that it was a little surprising that MTV didn’t finish out the year, I would have watch 8 more episodes. I see the Paper is casting for it’s next season and will look forward to watching a new group of high school newsies. I’d also suggest MTV look into a college version of the paper, because if my experiences taught me anything it’s that there is only more drama at the higher ed level.
I LOVED THE PAPER!
i absolutely love this show. i was part of the middle-school newspaper team and, even though we weren’t as hardcore as “The Paper” team is portrayed, i can totally wax nostalgic while watching them work. they need to bring it back soon. they have some loose ends they need to tie up.
It was a very well-done show, and was a nice look at kids in high school who were doing something that had nothing to do with drugs or anything like that. Initially, I felt that all the kids were ridiculously petty and immature, but I then flashed back to when I was 17, and then I remembered that I was just as bad.
Oh, and New York is going to eat Amanda alive.
I am OBSESSED with The Paper! Is it coming back? Isn’t there a whole semester for these kids still??
The editing on the show was excellent, though the cameraman seemed a little into Giana’s adult parts.
I was editor-in-chief of my high school paper, and I currently write for my college paper. While I can’t believe how serious The Circut is, this show reminded me somewhat of my life and allowed me to have a good laugh at myself. Oddly enough, I have a friend at NYU who reminds me a lot of Amanda. Maybe they’ll end up being friends.
There was a show called the Paper??
I am so glad EW did a TV Watch (even though it was very late) on the Paper. I loved this show. It was refreshing to see high school students that are actually involved in something other than shopping. I really hate that they did just one semester! It was so good – I looked forward to it each week.
know, what would be great? if EW hired Amanda as an intern and than MTV did a show about it or at least EW did webisodes about it. I love to see her figuring out New York. Sort of like The Hills but realer. So do I get a commission if it happens? And seriously, why didn’t the show follow them through graduation?
Is this show coming back when THE HILLS returns this summer? It was only October when the last episode ended. They still have several months to go.
wow annie. i couldn’t have said it better myself. it took 3:25 into the first episode for me to set my season pass because i was having serious high school/college flashbacks. granted, our moderator wasn’t nearly as involved in our paper, but all that drama was still there. i loved the paper, and hope it comes back for a second season. but if EW gives amanda an internship, i’m going to be SUPER jealous.
I feel for you people. Sad, sad, sad.
Totally random, but Annie, I nominate you to do the TV Watch of Gossip Girl. It’s perfect for you. I know you will give it the love that you showed the OC. Thank you.