Team Conrad or Jeremiah has been the burning question of the summer. Almost everyone has an opinion, and company PR teams have jumped on the bandwagon to comment on which brother is Belly´s perfect match..
With this new fascination surrounding “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” viewers have taken to social media to discuss the characters and the actors. However, the onslaught of rude comments both the showrunners and actors received, highlighted the implications of lacking the ability to separate an actor from their TV persona.
One actor in particular who has received a lot of abuse online is Gavin Caselegno, the actor of Jeremiah Fisher. His character is disliked in the latest season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” and as a result, Caselegno is being targeted across all social media platforms.. “I think it’s important to also understand and realize that this is a fictional story — and it’s also not me,” said the actor in an interview with Deadline.
But as many fans agree, with the passion they feel for the show, it’s hard to separate the art and the artist. “It’s hard when you’re so invested. Lola Tung and Chris Briney, I have no issue with, but separating Jeremiah from Gavin Caselegno is difficult,” said senior Elizabeth Otts.
These feelings, however, are also nothing new in pop and literary culture.“ I think it’s a fun banter situation that teenagers like doing, clearly as we’ve seen it with Twilight before, The Hunger Games and all the other great pieces of media that have love triangles in them.” said senior Kylie Figanbaum. Love triangles are at the heart of many classics, from “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy all the way to “Twilight” by Stephanie Meyer. The tensions created from opposing love interests have always been compelling and emotionally tense.
Still, the passion is not an excuse, “I don’t think that the love triangles should lead to online bullying, the actors are real people,” Figanbaum concluded.
That being said, the show itself has criticized the bullying of its characters and actors. The official account of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” released a PSA on all its social media platforms, reminding viewers that“Cousins is our safe place. Everything good, everything magical. Let’s keep the conversation kind this summer.” They followed up their statement with a strict zero-tolerance policy for hate speech and bullying on any of their forums.
In the end, the debate between Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah is meant to be a light-hearted way for fans to engage with the meaningful story. But when playful rivalry slips into personal attacks, the magic of Cousins Beach is lost. After all, the heart of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” lies not in choosing sides, but in celebrating the joy, nostalgia and human connection the series inspires.
