Easily Amused...or not: I love Braceface!

I love, love Braceface!

What's Braceface?
A cheerful cartoon TV show about growing up and going through one's adolescence. Revolves around the tin-grinned Sharon Spitz (voiced by Alicia Silverstone of the Clueless fame), her family, and friends including Maria Wong, Connor, Alden.

Why I love Braceface:

It's wholesome (and trust me, if I like something that's actually wholesome, it must be really, really good!).
It's not patronizing. It's hard to talk about tween- and teenhood in a mature, honest and positive manner without sounding like a dork, but Braceface pulls it off really well! It's hard to be positive and cool at the same time, but the people behind Braceface are handling it really cool. And did I mention it's not patronizing?
It's something that I relate to. I know, I know: I'm past my teenhood already, and technically I'm now an adult. But let me share you a li'l secret: I'm a late bloomer. So yeah, in some ways I'm still a teen spirit trying to fit inside the body of a young woman. (If you're curious, here's a more gothic rendering of the pleasure I derive from watching Braceface.)

Point is, I still relate to Braceface, even though I may be a bit too "old" for it.

Braceface 101:
Things you'll "learn" from the show =)

Never compromise yourself based on what other people think of you.
Acting on a new value system isn't always easy.
No boyfriend is worth having just to have one.
Grown-ups aren't going to change things just because you want them to.
A celebrity's life isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Tolerance of each other's differences is a place to start.
There's no easy way out of life's difficulties.
Would you give up a geeky friend just to fit in?
Looking after something you love is not a game. You'd better be an adult before you have a child.
When you've outgrown a friend, does it mean your friendship is officially over? Relationship doesn't have to disappear--it just has to change.
It's a fine line between being free-spirited and eccentric.