Tonight on Gossip Girl, Dan required the Art Gallery hipster Vanessa to swear on her “Simple Machines 7 inches.” I laughed at this line. Well, chuckled. Not because it was particularly funny, but because it was obviously written for me and my 30something ilk.

Several years ago, a good friend off-handedly remarked that Television writing was getting “better” because “we” were writing it. By “we” she, of course, meant those of us born in the ’70s. I’m not sure if it is technically any better than previous decades, but it is most definitely being written by our generation. The strange thing is that the kids watching Gossip Girl can’t possibly know or even deign to care about Simple Machines Records in 2009. Can they? Is there some underground ’90s indie rock sub-culture thriving on the web or on Facebook? Doubtful.

I’m continually amazed at Gossip Girl. On the surface it is so disgustingly grotesque I find it at times hard to stomach, yet, much like The OC and Dawson’s Creek before it, there exists this wry, witty subtext and these aforementioned impossibly cool references that allow me to totally justify the sickening hour as a completely justifiable guilty pleasure.

And hell, how many television shows give you an excuse to post some Tsunami live at Fort Reno?

Update:
Also noted on Austin360 and in the WaPo. And The Drawer gets a shout out from Idolator!