LAGUNA BEACH: THE REAL ORANGE COUNTY -- It?s one of the wealthiest, most beautiful communities in the world and MTV has unlimited access to the tight-knit power clique of eight rich, beautiful teenagers that live there. T... more »heir lives intertwine in ways you won?t believe, until you drop in for a visit. Watch as these friends share experiences through parties, relationships, love triangles and small town injustices. This is where the angst and the tumultuous affairs are the stuff of prime time drama ? except this is all REAL. Welcome to Paradise, otherwise known as Laguna Beach, California.« less
dottikins | San Francisco, CA United States | 08/21/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This show is pretty much the definition of a guilty pleasure, and I'm guilty all right: half of the people I know mock me for watching this show and the other half have no idea I watch because I would die of shame if they found out. My sister constantly questions why I watch LB and I have fine-honed my reasons:
-- I went to an overly academically geared high school, so never had the chance to gossip about the in-crowd hijinks of "hooking up" and drunken antics. I missed out on my prime gossip years!
-- It's a chance to see how the other (wealthier) half live... and mock them.
-- Anthropologists have determined that 60% of human communication involves talking about other people; watching "Laguna Beach" proves how human I am.
-- It's a chance to sit back and watch attractive, overly wealthy and pampered teenagers make each other miserable by gossiping, back-stabbing and stealing each other's boyfriends and objects of affection. It's like the real-life version of "Mean Girls" only without Tina Fey writing their lines for them. Less wit, better clothes!
The show is lots of fun if you've got the twisted sensibility to enjoy it. And the second season is much, much better than the first season, with more cat fights, break-ups, tears and "hook-ups" than ever.
My only caveat: watching this on DVD is really the best way to watch, just downing episode after episode right after each other, but I don't know about the necessity of owning them -- who would want to re-watch these episode over and over again? I'm pretty much of the opinion that no reality show is a must-have on DVD, so definitely Netflix/rent over buying."
"Escape reality" television worth watching
Amanda | North America | 10/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There is nothing intelligent on TV anymore. Even the shows that you think might be intelligent really aren't. News isn't intelligent, informative, nor credible. So why haven't I thrown out my television set yet? Partially because of Laguna Beach, to be honest. It doesn't try to be smart. It doesn't try to be deep. It doesn't even try to be good. It just is what it is, and if that makes any sense, that's why it's good. I've given up on television shows that try to be smart, funny, dramatic, informative, sensitive, etc. LB doesn't try to be any of those things. You can just sit down with an episode of LB and you get a nice 1/2 hour of mindless fluff. And for that reason and that reason alone, it's why it's worth watching. It's 'escape reality' telvision... and in my opinion, that's the best kind of television there is."
Not the OC but a whole different view
C. Grey | 06/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Laguna Beach is a great show to watch while hanging out with your friends or just having some down time on a Saturday afternoon. It is mostly made up of fueds between friends and dramas that occur with regular teenagers around the world. I for one love this show and TiVo it every time it appears on television. I used to think it was just abut some stupid kids running around spending money but when I started to watch it more and more, I got hooked! I can't wait to see the next season! I would definatley recomend this show and would encourage you to buy the DVD set."
Good for the die hard fans.. but there's a problem...
Marissa Cooper | USA | 07/21/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Like many people, I was sucked into the Laguna bubble, and became a die hard fan of the series, so it only made sense that I buy this set. The packaging that MTV did is beautiful, the quality and sound is great, and all the extras are well worth watching.
The only problem I have with this set, is that MTV made a bunch of music changes. Some songs that were used in the original broadcasting of the show have been replaced, and in my opinion, the changes stuck out like a sore thumb. If you watched all the reruns, and are enough of a fan to buy the set, I'm sure you'll notice them too. Personally, I can't stand when the original music of episode has been altered. But what really annoys me, is that MTV didn't even put a warning anywhere on the box. "Features brand new music," would have been a nice warning to those willing to fork out $30 for their set, but apparently they kept it a close guarded secret. At least with "Dawson's Creek," ( original music was also changed for the dvd ) they let the consumers know about it. Bad move MTV."
Yes, I admit, I LOVE this show!
ElaineReads | Williamsport, PA | 10/18/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I never really watched Laguna Beach while it was in its first season. After watching a few partial episodes of the second season, I, of course, became addicted. When I finally faced that fact, I was looking for some background info on the LB gang so I went out and bought the first season.
I'm glad I got it, because I saw some things about certain cast members that I'd never have known about if I hadn't seen the first season. In my opinion, Jessica in season 1 and Jessica in season 2 are really different people. I'm not sure which I like best, because they both annoy me, but still...
I recommend anyone who started watching Laguna Beach during the second season to at least rent a copy of season one.
I'm not sure what I like more about this show, the drama, or the amazing scenery. That town is beautiful (and I'm really not talking about the people)."