Everyone seems to think Blair Waldorf was a better “It Girl” than Serena Van Der Woodsen, but here’s a piece that’s quite au contraire. You see, when I grew up watching Gossip Girl, I actually quite liked Serena! I thought she was sweet, loving, and though she was definitely a mess, it was clear she meant well. There are a myriad of reasons why Serena was a better person than Blair, but allow me to list a few:
- She was real
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Serena was raw and genuine, and didn’t seem to be the schemer that we all knew and loved Blair to be. While she may have run away from home when things got tough, or went on the occasional party bender, unlike Blair, she didn’t sabotage everyone in her path. Granted Serena did have her moments of weakness, but it wasn’t a personality trait like it was Blair’s!
- She was genuinely nice
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Whenever people had a rough time, Serena genuinely cared. She always lent a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, and it wasn’t fake in the slightest. She didn’t use people’s vulnerabilities against them like Blair and she wasn’t rude or demeaning to others like Blair – she was a nice person, whose mistakes seemed to define her.
- She wasn’t obsessed with her wealth
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Despite having friends like Chuck and Blair, a mother like Lily and, at some point, a stepdad like Bart, Serena didn’t turn out like the rest of them. She treated Dan like any other person, actually enjoyed his company, and didn’t care at all that he wasn’t wealthy. Unlike Blair, whose hatred for Dan stemmed from the fact that he wasn’t well to do – yikes!
- She had good values
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Serena had good values, especially when it came to family. She searched long and far for her father, cared immensely about Eric, and even tried to have a connection with her pretty horrible mother, Lily. And let’s not forget about the time that she trusted and loved a crazy person pretending to be her cousin, just because she thought she was family! Blair, on the other hand, was pretty self-centered, and put herself before anyone else – excepting, maybe, Chuck.
- She didn’t prey on other people’s insecurities
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Right from the start, you could tell Serena was confident in her body. But she never used that to prey on other people’s insecurities. When her best friend was having trouble modeling at a photoshoot, instead of tearing her down (something I wouldn’t put past Blair), she helped her feel comfortable to be her best self! Unlike Blair, who might I remind you once attempted to sabotage her mother’s fashion show, all because she was jealous of Serena!
- She wasn’t afraid to blow off societal standards
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Serena wasn’t afraid to do whatever she deemed fit, even if it wasn’t what was expected of her. Despite getting into Brown University, Serena made a decision to walk away and take time off to figure out whether that was the right choice for her, society be damned.
- She was a supportive friend
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Serena always had faith in Chuck and Blair, and often gave them the push they needed to remember how much they loved each other. She recognized that Blair was truly in love, and so she supported her like a good best friend would. Unfortunately for her, Blair did not return the favor, and couldn’t accept Serena and Dan’s relationship for the better part of the series.