R.I.P. "The O.C."

Growing up, I have always tried to live the American Dream.\nFor me, this dream consisted of roaming the halls with the likes of Zack Morris and Kellie Kapowski and Brenda Walsh and Dylan McKay. I longed and hoped that when I finally came around to the best years of my life, there would be a show like "Saved by the Bell" or "Beverly Hills, 90210" I could relate to.\nSure enough, by my sophomore year in high school, "The O.C." aired, and I was hooked. Adam Brody's character, Seth Cohen, with his quick wits and pop-culture references, knocked any previous TV heartthrob out of the park for me. His parents, the Cohens became the most attractive married couple on TV, the ones you'd most likely want to be adopted by. Rachel Bilson's and Mischa Barton's characters set desirable yet impossible fashion standards for the hallways. The music played on the show, which became well-known on its soundtrack ("The O.C. Mix"), frequently featured groups I adore, such as Beulah and The Super Furry Animals.\nAnd unlike other programs billed as "teenage soap operas," "The O.C." presented cultural relevance. It didn't just feature its teen stars; it focused heavily on its central family, the Cohens.\nIt is commonly misconceived the show is just about young socialites going to the beach and indulging in mindless conversation. That's really what "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" was all about. Personally, I'd much rather live in the "fake" O.C.\nWhile few viewers could relate to beautiful and rich kids in Orange County, Calif., the show had an element of universality about growing up. As each season passed, just like in high school, life seemed to get more and more complicated. For the show, this meant more melodrama. But "The O.C." started losing its edge for many viewers, and ratings plummeted. Other shows, like "Lost," Grey's Anatomy" and whatever reality show was "in" at the time, became everyone's new favorite programs. \nWhen Mischa Barton's character, Marissa, Orange County's drama queen, died in the third season's finale, it seemed the show was destined to die shortly afterward. The fourth season proved itself to not be a post-Marissa flop, and was quite like its first season. But ratings still were on the decline. And now, after four seasons, the show has been canceled. Feb. 22 will mark the last episode. \nAlthough my generation is accustomed to quick changes in our lives, I also feel we are more nostalgic than we appear. We often look back at our childhood favorites such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nickelodeon and Disney soundtracks. '80- and '90s-themed parties even seem to be the newest trend among every scene, from the sorority to house-party circuits.\nSurely when we're old and bitter 20-somethings we'll reminisce over the sadly short-lived, yet highly significant, phenomenon that was "The O.C"