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Every single teen drama casting joke

This meme jokes about the long-standing common trope in teen/coming-of-age TV dramas where teenage high school characters are almost always played by actors that are significantly older than the characters they portray. The top text jokes about a new HBO coming-of-age drama that follows a friend group of 16-year-olds, clarifying the actual ages of the actors are between 19 and 46. The image below shows five people of varying actual ages from late teens to middle age posing together for a bathroom mirror selfie, visually illustrating the joke about the wide age range of actors cast as teens.
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HBO’s new coming-of-age drama starring a relatable friend group of 16-year-olds (ages 19 to 46)

Overview

This meme jokes about the long-standing common trope in teen/coming-of-age TV dramas where teenage high school characters are almost always played by actors that are significantly older than the characters they portray. The top text jokes about a new HBO coming-of-age drama that follows a friend group of 16-year-olds, clarifying the actual ages of the actors are between 19 and 46. The image below shows five people of varying actual ages from late teens to middle age posing together for a bathroom mirror selfie, visually illustrating the joke about the wide age range of actors cast as teens.

Origin notes

This meme originates from Reddit, as noted by the source information, and circulates as a relatable joke mocking the common entertainment industry practice of casting much older actors to play teenagers in teen-focused shows and movies. It is a popular observation frequently joked about online by media critics and audiences.

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