gossip girl, The coming-of-age drama, which follows the fictional lives of elite New York City teenagers, has recently been trending on TikTok for a surprisingly niche reason: Though the hit CW series ended over a decade ago in 2012, some TikTok creators are indulging in nostalgia for one character and her go-to phrase: “It” girl Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and her four favorite words: “I gotta go.”
YouTuber Emma LaPlace (@emmalaplace9979) may have made the first video outlining van der Woodsen’s tendency to frequently walk out by claiming she “has to go” (fans trying to accommodate Lively’s pronunciation also spell “go” as “geaux,” “gou,” or “goh”), a trend that has recently become a hot topic on TikTok.
In fact, the hashtag #ihavetogoserena has been viewed more than 38.7 million times on TikTok, thanks in large part to creator Lana Vish (@lanaviish), whose recent impersonation of van der Woodsen has become a hit on the app.
Vishu first posted his Van der Woodsen impersonation in November 2023, showing other TikTok users how to “properly” say the signature “I gotta go” line, including the facial expressions, walk and pumps. After garnering nearly 1 million views in a day, Vishu responded to the video: gossip girl During the show’s premiere, she told Yahoo News that she’d taken it upon herself to record more sketches and re-enactments of other iconic scenes from the show.
“I didn’t expect everyone to like it so much.”
“I’ve always loved acting and making an impression, but I’ve never really focused on that on social media before. On TikTok, I was like, Serena van der Woodsen, one of the main characters in the Star Wars movies. gossip girl, “She used the phrase ‘I’ve got to go’ way too often,” she says. “People tended to use that phrase to do impressions of her. I’m a naturally observant person, and I love observing quirks. [own] version.”
TikTok and the allure of rewatching old TV shows
Even though it ended over 10 years ago, gossip girl TikTok continues to help maintain and grow the fanbase as younger viewers discover the shows, and Los Angeles media psychologist Corey Emanuel told Yahoo News that TikTok as a platform has the power to increase discoverability and encourage viewers to rewatch older shows.
“[TikTok] “TikTok is doing dual duty by introducing TV series to a new generation and reviving nostalgia for those who watched when it originally aired,” he said, adding that the app also creates a “sense of belonging” for users. “TikTok users actively engage by leaving comments on videos that evoke fond memories, fulfilling an innate desire for connection and community.”
Gossip Girl would be very different in a post-Uber New York City, where Serena would say, “I gotta go,” and then she’d wait on a street corner for six to eight minutes to get an Uber black.
— Trish (@ULTRAGLOSS) September 24, 2023
Vishu’s short sketches impersonating van der Woodsen all debuted on TikTok in late 2023 and have garnered more than 50 million views combined. She says the response to the videos was completely unexpected.
“I didn’t expect people to like it this much! I didn’t intend for it to become a series, but when I first posted it, everyone loved it. [in] “People were asking for more in the comments section,” she says.[I] Blake Lively [sees] I love them too!”
Emotional comfort and predictability are some of the reasons audiences tend to rewatch, Emanuel said.
“Watching nostalgic TV shows is driven by a desire to look back and reminisce. gossip girl, “It means looking back at earlier times of wealth, glamour, fashion and relationship dynamics of the past,” he said. “The predictability of old TV series gives us a sense of control and reduces uncertainty and anxiety, thereby creating a comforting routine in our often unpredictable lives.”
