Teen fandom is so potent. Any choice they make in pop culture forces the rest of the world to take notice.
We're doing what we want to do, and that's why the kids respect us.
Teens find out a lot from other teens.
It's important to make teens realize the influence they have over others.
If you can get a teen leader in each sector of a student population, you can pull people in. Everybody wants to get involved, but most are too afraid. When they see a person they think is cool leading it, they're first to join.
As a performer, much of my life has been spent in the spotlight. I know how important appearance can be to teens, especially the impact it can have on the way you feel about yourself.
I visualized high school as being like 'Saved By the Bell.' I decided I would do all the things they did on that show.
Certainly working with teens keeps me up to date with language and with certain kinds of thinking. I often feel like I have to go back to that 17-year-old Chris Crutcher, and that forms the core voice. I can draw on teens from 1964 to 2001 to find a part of the voice I need.
I think, very often, little girls look at these teen television shows and think, 'I have to have a boyfriend because Blair Waldorf has a boyfriend, and she's always fighting over boys!'
