Featured Article

The television show, Pretty Little Liars, airing on ABC Family, has recently gained much popularity in the United States and abroad. With its wide range of exciting twists and turns, mysterious characters, and ongoing drama, it has captivated viewers of all ages and all walks of life. But beneath its entertainment value, Pretty Little Liars is actually quite beneficial – both in terms of its general Romantic ideals, as well as its clear and beneficial messages about female friendship and unity.

Primarily, Pretty Little Liars does a wonderful job of demonstrating strong romantic ideals. While love and romance are certainly prominent in the show, they are always portrayed in a positive and holistic light. Unlike many of the other teen dramas that currently air on television, Pretty Little Liars celebrates its characters’ naturally occurring romantic interests without skewing or warping them. This is particularly refreshing, given the fact that much of the media that teenage viewers – the show’s core audience – consumes romanticizes dangerous and unhealthy behaviors. The romantic relationships within the show are also depicted as male/female peer relationships – never teacher/student, nor parent/child – which sends the message that relationships should be based on mutual respect and trust.

In addition to its romantic ideals, Pretty Little Liars offers an invaluable example of female friendship and unity. The show’s four protagonists – Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer – represent a good, strong, and real example of female camaraderie. They are examples of young women who are largely independent, self-reliant, strong, and loyal to one another. Whether the four main characters are together helping each other out of a jam, standing by one another through heart-breaking losses, or simply celebrating victories, their friendship shows viewers that true friendship and joint-efforts make for possible success.

Overall, Pretty Little Liars is an incredibly good show. Although it can be intended to be viewed in a purely entertaining way, its underlying messages of strong romantic relationships, current gender role models, and female unity serve as invaluable examples for teenage viewers to model their own ideals and relationships after.