Parents Are Cool?

“For decades, TV has depicted teens as angst-ridden and rebellious, and parents as out-of-touch and unhip. Then network executives realized that popular shows that tapped into the defiant-youth subculture were losing viewers. … This less-defiant generation is influencing plots, changing what types of shows get made and prompting networks like MTV that have long specialized in youthful rebellion to rethink their approach.” In the new shows “Parents typically have prominent roles and just as many tawdry story lines as the teens—and look almost like older siblings.”