What was MTV'S FAKING IT? (Very bi and biphobic at the same time)

What was MTV'S FAKING IT? | Today we go on a trip down memory lane that I NEVER INTENDED TO TAKE!!! Even with all my critiques this show still means so much to me and I really hope you enjoy me picking it apart and explaining its all over the place plot
COMMENTARY PLAYLIST
• Commentary
Link to ‪@nikkicarreon‬'s Hunger Games Parody movies vid I mentioned! Check it out it's really good!
• These Hunger Games Par...
0:00 Intro: yes I was a fan ok???
1:19 How the show starts / first episode rundown
8:59 Tumblr break
9:53 Season 1 overview
15:29 Season 2 part 1
21:28 Season 2 part 2
24:36 Season 3 overview
27:12 My experience as a viewer
28:31 Problematic moments
30:03 The Karmy ship is BAD / the OFFICIAL ending (if it wasn’t cancelled)
33:01 the importance of critiquing media you enjoy / conclusion
Channel member link for access to weekly livestreams and chaotic emojis if you're into that sort of thing
/ @athenapofficial
TAGS what was mtv's faking it,faking it,mtv faking it,karmy,karmy ship,faking it karmy,faking it amy and karma,faking it commentary,faking it review,rita volk,katie stevens,Athena P,Athena P commentary,nostalgia,nostalgic mtv,mtv nostalgia,faking it ending

[@AthenaPOfficial]

DISCOOOOORD IM HOWLING AT THE MOON discord.gg/9kRMpXBnNK

[@madnessarcade7447]

I been wondering when u we’re gonna make a discord

[@clemclemclemclemcl]

LETMEINLETMEINLETMEIN!!!!

[@XENOWOLFI]

AND SLEEPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A SUMMER AFTERNOON

[@RikkiLove0317]

@@XENOWOLFIDISCORD WHATEVER DID WE DO TO MAKE YOU TAKE OUR WORLD AWAAAAAYYYYYY

[@Light29732]

YOOO

[@leafeon8956]

Shane: "Guys can't be bi" Me, a bi guy: 👁️👄👁️

[@freakytostadacartoon]

You have dissapeared.

[@leafeon8956]

@@freakytostadacartoon oh no

[@BigSteve9713]

@@leafeon8956 me pops out wearing a Kool - Aid costume - screams O YEAH

[@kkuudandere]

and are the "bi guys" here in the room with us right now?🤨wait, what do you mean you've been sitting here the whole tim-

[@genericname2747]

I'm sorry, you lost your sexuality privileges. Our lord and saviour Shane demands it.

[@chayse1225]

I’m glad somebody is talking about this show, I binged it one week when I was a teen and never watched it again lmao

[@queenrayna]

LMAOOOOOOO me too 😂

[@Hornheart22]

Lol same, I forgot I was a Karmy shipper for a week or two until I saw this video

[@user-to5ns7qt3b]

Me too😂😂😂

[@silentluvr]

i binged it when i was 8 and then had to frantically look for a way to delete the watch history on hulu before my mom got home (still came out to her later tho)

[@spacedoutsprout]

OMFG me too 😂 I was a baby lesbian back then and was loosing my mind at the fact that a show like that was on MTV

[@maxwellgrimsley]

I will never not refer to that British actor as “The guy who played Mason in Wizards of Waverly place, the pillow lips one.” I don’t think I’ll ever be capable of registering and logging his name into my brain.

[@PinkyR]

THATS WHERE HE’S FROM! I was trying to remember where he looked familiar

[@maxwellgrimsley]

@@PinkyR that character had a hold on little me’s heart istg 😭🤚

[@neasulavuori4955]

Aaahhh, i thought he looked familiar...

[@chicknugs]

I also call him Mason still. He was good in that one Avalon High movie too

[@XDheyXD123]

i forgot his name as soon as she said it but i’ll NEVER forget mason from wizards of waverly place

[@lisemagic208]

I think the “them dating ruined the friendship” thing was just a popular tween/teen tv thing in the 2010s. Girl Meets World, Austin and Ally, and the Vampire Diaries all tried to play with this trope too. Makes a good excuse for a multi-season on again off again relationship, or a reason for a show to refuse to experiment with a pairing at all. Still doesn’t make any sense as a trope though

[@morbidsearch]

I stopped watching Austin and Ally after they got together. Trish and Dez should have been the main couple.

[@harlowanuman49]

i loved this show the intersex storyline was a cute try definitely ahead of its time

[@avr7120]

as bad as this show (esp about sexuality), it was also my first time hearing about intersex people, which made me google it to find out if it was even real and to this day i remember reading that its approx. 1% of the population, which is a huge number! made it even weirder that noone was talking about it. i even watched a short documentary after that so ironically i was left a little less ignorant after watching an (at times) ignorant show lol

[@qngff]

Absolutely love this and I think that this could be turned into a series parallel to the Lore Video You can call it Camp or Cringe (or Both)

[@AthenaPOfficial]

OoooOoO!!!! Wait I love that

[@glasscardproductions4736]

​@@AthenaPOfficial You're on the road to being a game show host! :3

[@spaceangelexe]

Lol camp cringe

[@Mediocre_Coffee_sucks]

Cringe camp

[@Numbabu]

@@AthenaPOfficial I love queer media analysis!!!

[@Miscellaneous_Minx]

Athena is such an amazing ally!! So supportive!! Totally not Bi though, oh no just an amazing and supportive queen 😇

[@OhNoBohNo]

12:00 "Pretend to be sick to get out of the threesome" [Forges a doctor's note to get out of my polyamorous sexual encounter] this isnt queerbaiting this is *QUEER BIG BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT*

[@fatgothartist]

You obviously have left an impact on me because When you said that you hate when a show says that they're really good but they suck at singing, all I could think about was Violet from WordGirl

[@negligible_reality]

glad i wasn't the only one lol 😂

[@redfoxinsmellysocks2770]

I actually put out my hand to hold Athena's. It was very calming, thank you Edit: Wow it's gotten 251 likes. Thanks guys! 😄

[@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072]

?

[@SwizzleMix]

same

[@gabrielle4821]

Same.

[@Oak_Eggar]

Same

[@abi_cat28]

Me too

[@nyoaeuikhoudu]

Athena is a walking bi flag and i am here for it

[@bumbleyum7781]

I used to watch faking it at least once a year; the drama, cringe, and characters were peak guilty pleasure. Side note: Felix was my absolute favorite character, as I remember it he was the most grounded character out of the whole cast.

[@ThePickleUpYourNose]

Yes!! I fucking loved the cringe and drama. Guilty pleasure material 1000%

[@ampersketch]

Never watched Faking It but I immediately recognized Gregg Sulkin only because he was Mason in Wizards of Waverly Place.

[@Dave102693]

Ikr?

[@Evan_L_Rodriguez]

I’m personally offended this show didn’t feature Mason Wizards of Waverly Place kissing boys but instead featured Mason Wizards of Waverly Place as a chaser

[@By_Ash_Away]

As a young teen I was SO about this show but Karma made me SO angry. We had so few options in those days, I was eating the scraps up

[@caitlingill]

I’m still convinced Karma is on the queer spectrum (probably bi with a lean to guys) but refuses to admit it, I mean why else would she WANT to keep kissing Amy?

[@renjiai]

i was so pissed when they had amy sleep with liam. Up until that point the show had heavily implied she was a lesbian. They really decided to go with the 'lesbians will sleep with guys' route. obviously i had to hate-watch it for the train wreck it was. but they could not come up with a more unsatisfying ending. they know their audience was rooting for karma/amy as that was the crux of the show and then they just find replacement karma to put amy in a relationship with because i guess making karma bi was too much??? even though that's what they were building up to?

[@caitlingill]

I’m still convinced Karma is on the queer spectrum (probably bi with a lean to guys) but refuses to admit it, I mean why else would she WANT to keep kissing Amy?

[@Fallen_Angel_AA]

I watched this as a kid, and even back then the show made me really uncomfortable with the way they treated bisexuality, and all the adults dating teenagers, still, I couldn't stop watching, the drama really kept me interested, and I liked seeing gay people like me for a chance, thanks for the video.

[@kkuudandere]

as absolutely horrible as Karma was, she unfortunately looks like one of the Types of girl i inevitably always develop crushes on also, as the kind of person whose toxic trait is falling in love with their friends🤠, this is the terrible representation i deserve!

[@jocelynsandoval9385]

Amy core

[@kkuudandere]

@@jocelynsandoval9385 unfortunately I am a bit Amy coded

[@jocelynsandoval9385]

@@kkuudandere you poor, damned soul... I wish you have better luck in your taste in women o7

[@kkuudandere]

@@jocelynsandoval9385 thank u comrade o7

[@hotskaterchic9993]

yes.

[@tommytomikawa332]

Dude, this show was buck wild and I remember I only watched it cause it felt like the movie GBF as a TV show

[@madnessarcade7447]

There is a GBF show

[@leonfertich3933]

You just triggered my memory of this show and I would rather forget💀

[@jakelevinson7802]

Athena, thank you so much for being such a great ally

[@noonewashere6458]

I remember initially tuning in to Faking It to hate watch, thinking "fake gay? let's tear it apart." I was probably around 15 and shocked that I really connected with Amy as a character, and that it was really some of the first unfiltered represention I'd seen in teen dramas. There were occasionally queer characters on other shows, but not multiple, and everyone with unique attractions, where it was okay to be in the grey or without a label. Don't get me wrong, it was also *extremely* problematic, but they did try to do something I didn't feel like anyone else was doing: give queer and questioning kids some messy drama storylines like all the mostly-straight shows got. It was a serious guilty pleasure for teenage me

[@Mskittenlover12]

It is so comforting to know you were going through your sexual identity crisis at the exact time as me. Because Faking It was one of my defining moments as well. Although the real realization came while watching Scream: The Tv Series. I will not be elaborating. If you know anything about that show, you can put the pieces together. 🙃

[@Katranga]

Ok but SAME with me for MTV Scream, was literally just thinking about that during this video. You are so incredibly valid

[@oreos.6735]

girl you are me!! I was so obsessed with this show and with scream mtv and little queer me was just trying to put all the pieces together back then lol

[@kaleidoscopekayley]

I watched this show shortly before having my own sexuality crisis, so this hits DEEP for me.

[@motsasinthegummies6789]

you think the writers of this show thought what some of the characters said would be celebratory? 😀

[@novaisales]

I’m a lesbian and my friends do call me the most lesbian lesbian to ever lesbian

[@cherrypanda2800]

32:53 I agree, I’ve started referring to these shows and movies as “brain junk food” it’s good, they’re fun to watch, but I’m gonna acknowledge that IRL I don’t want these type of relationships and that they’re unhealthy

[@BearJoyner00]

I'm not a fan of drama shows, but I like hearing other people breaking them down.

[@cowgirl6591]

I like the target bi shirt

[@AthenaPOfficial]

Back when they didn’t back out 😤

[@Julia-sleeps]

When you mentioned that Karma is actually a good singer, I thought I should mention that I vividly remember Katie Stevens being my favorite on American Idol when I was 8, a completely normal obsession for a straight young girl to have.

[@lillard831]

😂😂

[@Lboogie0711]

Omg I remember faking it! Karma wasn’t the best friend to Amy. Amy was a hopeless romantic, Liam got with karma and amy (yet nobody talks about that!) and shane was never funny. Also karma trying to be popular is overrated like girl it won’t matter.

[@DayanaraDays]

"Vagatarian" is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time.

[@seaurchinted]

this is actually one of very few youtube channels that makes me feel like i have a busted lung after any video. i’m not sure if i just have a jank sense of humor but the organized chaos that emanates from these videos rattles my brain in a good way. thanks Athena for making me laugh until my chest hurts

[@AthenaPOfficial]

omg thank you so so much!!! I'm so glad I can make you laugh!! 🥲🥲

[@spookyho5994]

Bro, this was one of the shows middle school me was watching late at night on MTV (or when nickelodeon switched to nick at night). I recently rewatched Faking it, and omg, "progressive and problematic" is kind of the best way to describe this show.

[@Paradox_Incognito]

32:06 I agree with that! My partner and I were friends for years, and we ended up becoming a couple (going on 2 years strong after being friends since 4th grade). I kept hearing things like "Dating your friends only makes drama!" and "You're going to drive a wedge between you two and your other friends!" (we had another strong mutual friend at the time), but I find that it just takes communication and healthy boundaries. We still go out to tea places and hang out and make crafts just like we used to when we were just friends, but now there are sleepy cuddles involved as well :]

[@its-hannaH]

The number of gif-sets i reblogged of them kissing was unreal 😂

[@MrShadowhaven]

I remember wanting to get into this show cause I kept seeing gifs of Shane and the mma guy all over tumblr and I thought it was really cute, but I couldn’t get through the first few episodes so I dropped it lol Thanks for the video! It’s nice to learn about what this show was about after all these years 😊

[@berryjunmill9029]

I've been waiting for someone to talk about this show!! I remember loving it (and still do) yeah it's not the best show but it was my gay awakening and will always have me in a choke hold along with awkward

[@Zxykary]

Queer people deserve to have mediocre Shows just as much as CisHet people do! I remember Tumblr having back-and-forths over if this Show deserved to be ‘cancelled’ or not but like.. not all Queer Media has to be perfection! We should celebrate that a trainwreck like this got so many Seasons and put new Queer storylines out into culture for better Shows and Movies to pick up and do better.

[@Aster_Risk]

​@@ZxykaryExactly. Part of being accepted as a regular person is seeing all aspects of a personality including the toxic ones. Shows with flawed cis het white male characters win Emmys. We need more examples of not perfect LGBTQ+, non-white and female characters so it can actually become normalized.

[@squidgyuwu5829]

This show awoke so much in me as a kid. I related to everything you said lmao. Don't even get me started on awkward, finding carter, and teen wolf lol

[@hatethebates]

I am so happy that you share the karma hate, rip to my coworker that got me into this show and had to listen to me talk about rewriting it.

[@jey_byrd]

My high school was the gay school in my town and it was way more accepting than theirs

[@Mario_Angel_Medina]

Athena: "and Amy drops the L word" Me: "the L word? Lesbian" Amy: "I love you" Me to myself: "come on man! You read the _Scott Pilgrim_ comics, you should know that the L Word is 'love' not 'lesbian'! ... whait, did Scott got confussed because he associated the expression 'the L word' with the CW's queer tv show _The L Word?_ ... this somehow makes me feel even more stupid"

[@thehootinator7158]

Same.

[@intergalactic-loser]

i was truly gagged and speechless when you said "can you believe this all happened in 20 minutes" I THOUGHT YOU WERE SPEED RUNNING THE SEASON WHAT IS THIS SHOW

[@warmsoda9712]

You just showing that little thumbnail of "Awkward" brought back so many memories 🤣 I used to get so much crap for my friends for watching it because toxic masculinity lol

[@Infindox]

First video of yours that I didn't see the show, I stayed far away from MTV tbh lol. Feels like a show that I would be cussing out some people, can't stand school settings like this. But it's better when you're explaining it.

[@meddlesome-]

honestly, as someone going to a similarly "progressive" school, this doesn't seem that far off. (except for dating adults! most students are so opposed to age gaps that people are outcasted for dating a grade below themselves)

[@Evan_L_Rodriguez]

Athena‘s been pumping out banger after banger lately; this was such a good video.

[@silashurd3597]

First off; who, in this entire planet, names their child “Karma”????🤔🤨 That just doesn’t seem right

[@madnessarcade7447]

Her parents were also hippies also I respect that they tried something unique

[@kendelkx]

one of my bffs named her daughter karma lol

[@silashurd3597]

@@kendelkx WOAH!!😲😵

[@Cheese-Slime-Sheriff]

*I did not willingly remember this show* Me every time i visit this -cursed- amazing channel

[@ChillerThriller]

Anthena P, you should do electric company that aired on pbs kids because of the the show having musical esc songs and I feal like it would let our your thresher kid energy. ;)

[@krithi896]

i binged this show when i was 13 because i though it was a fake dating x childhood friends to lovers x sexuality awakening story... i was Not Prepared for whatever this show was 😭

[@didi4376]

i think it'd be fun to see some octonauts, the loud house, or arthur lore :)

[@jadedoni6447]

I will admit, I reflexively reached my hand out when Athen offered hers to the camera and I feel a bit silly 😭

[@Gravel_TheCart]

This is so silly :]

[@FooPanda]

​@@Gravel_TheCart We stan people being a bit silly :)

[@Bogus_hibiscus]

Congrats on the bisexual lighting :)👍

[@crimsonreed4006]

I'm two minutes in and YOU KNOW ABOUT DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH?! I am ugly crying I've never felt so seen! 😭😭😭😭

[@purgatoryproductions310]

my favourite part of the video is when you said you'd hold the viewer's hand and actually followed through and kept it there. it made me feel safe. or maybe i'm touch starved.

[@bunnyfrosting1744]

Watching this the night before attending my first Pride Parade is gonna make me so powerful

[@kkuudandere]

I hope you had a nice and powerful time!

[@perelandrawaddle]

I hate how this was like the only lesbian representation I had airing on tv as a teenager. We deserved so much better.

[@ICat00987]

SLAY ATHENAAAAA good god u just KEEP MAKING BANGERSSSS the nostalgia yet analyzation is just so peak keep slaying mama

[@theoistrying9904]

This video is a masterpiece. My favorite line was “you’re g - g-g-gay all d-d-d-day”

[@bunnyfabuloso6948]

I liked holding hands, i wish more youtubers did that 😃

[@thisisavivistanaccount7866]

seeing images/clips made me remember this show. This show taught me about intersex people. You should for sure cover Awkward!!

[@thisurldoesnotexist]

This sounds like a show I would read the entire Wikipedia page of instead of watching Thank you for the recap so i don't have to do that

[@Lionfire42]

I would love to see Athena's take on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

[@vonknee]

this!!

[@oliverking2525]

honestly this commentary video one of your best and i loved your hand hold moment help me through the awkward

[@pratkier]

I love how you actually kept your hand out for us to "hold hands"

[@michelcomenta]

I'm so glad someone made a video about this show because let me tell you, me and my friends were obsessed with this in high school because I'm a gay man who had two girlfriends and they were starting to have feelings for each other and then they kissed and the other kissed a boy... it was like we were living in our very own teen drama and then this show happened at the same time ☺idc if it is bad, I have a lot of great memories watching it and shipping Karma with Amy and loving Shane. 💙

[@owca1000aj]

Just started the video but I love today's makeup

[@catelynh1020]

"Two people in love with the same person, hurt by the same person, do it. Does it make sense?" Well, teenagers don't make sense. Because something similar-ish happened to me. And i still think what they did remarkably stupid. *Flashback 10th or 11th grade* I was asked to prom by a guy "as friends". I said sure. We were in some clubs together and in one act plays (as lights/sound/stagehands) so i'd say we were decently close. He made the gods-awful decision to tell me he likes me at 6am at the start of a 2 hour busride to a one act performance. I told him i didn't feel the same, but that i wasn't going to not go to prom with him as friends for his asking. Cut to prom. Another friend of mine comes up to me and is all upset that she told a guy she liked him and he...said he liked me (bear in mind i'd spoken to this person maybe twice). By the end of the night, when the guy who liked me and the girl who got rejected by a guy who liked me had comforted each others' broken hearts...they started dating. That night. It did not go well and he apparently kept pressuring her into sex and she would come to me upset but then call him to join us while we were hanging out. In the end i had to drop them both completely out of my life Compared to my telling a guy i liked him: i said i had to tell him so i'd feel better but i knew he was gay and obviously would not feel the same. We stayed friends and even when we haven't seen each other for nearly a decade, we got along very well when we did meet up.

[@caitlinabbott7895]

12:47 Ben: "Y'know, Athena P is stinky and smelly. But you gotta admit, she makes good KZbin videos"

[@okiedoketm4463]

Horrifying to hear this show exists! It feels like the writers were trying to dance in a minefield for views but they triggered multiple mines and then kept dancing with missing limbs. I understand why young people questioning their sexuality would be fascinated because if my parents didn't keep the TV permanently on fox news I probably would have been obsessed too.

[@justis_xoxo]

Core memory unlocked 😂💛

[@verybestandmilkyestcow4623]

OMG THANK I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY CAUSE NO ONE AROUND ME REMEMBERED THISSS THAT SHOW IS WILDDDD😭😭😭😭

[@LunmairanRoyals]

Athena: *pulls hand away* My autistic ass: Wait come back plz wait 😣

[@twixandothertrixes]

I literally never seen the show a day in my life and I was super invested in this video. Love every video you make, please make more. ❤

[@b33tlegoose]

found this on hulu when i was like 13 and never thought about it again until YOU brought it up 😭

[@deepy_is_sleepy]

I wish I found ur channel sooner, this is awesome! It's just boatloads of nostalgia

[@hollowlee1356]

For the EpiPen thing ,i give mine to who i trust most so i can see why the pain is there

[@Gravel_TheCart]

I'm desperate for more Athena P videos so watching this video really did quench my thirst for more videos from Athena Thank you.

[@idolevin8795]

Yoooo I LOVE your makeup. Amazing video as always!

[@Lucia0361]

Damn !! Love the ally makeup in this video !

[@clumsybugg]

I was just talking about 'Faking It' with my mom the other day. I remember it so well because I was obsessed with it since it came out when I had realized I was LGBTQ. It was the only show I have ever watched every episode of as they were aired on TV because I was that obsessed.

[@RagingThroughSpace]

Can't believe no one remembers that the Shane/trans guy character (Elliot Fletcher) relationship involved in the second to last ep Shane running around asking everyone if it's okay if he's always liked "candy cane" but now he likes "peppermint bark". Forever imprinted in my poor little trans brain lmao.

[@poptartravioli5874]

I never watched this show but as someone that had a toxic best friendship in 9th grade that turned into a queer mess this is the representation I needed

[@gweniverebrown699]

I always know it’s a Saturday when Athena p posts. 😊

[@Animatedmarvin]

You GOTTA do Daniel tigers neighborhood

[@kellyanncoveny8425]

Honestly this is one of my favorite videos you’ve done so far, excellent commentary ❤❤❤

[@meghanjoscott]

can relate w the “this is very ally of me” 💕💜💙

[@plsdontcancelme]

I USED TO LOVE THIS SHOW AND WOULD LITERALLY WATCH IT EVERY TUESDAY WHEN IT AIRED. I totally forgot about this show and am slapping my forehead because of it. This was such an Era with The Inbetweeners, Skins, and does anybody remember that show about Hunter? Dammit I've been watching your channel for a few days because of your Doodle Bops video and I hate that I love how you've unlocked all the childhood nostalgia I've forgotten about!

[@oliviarose8914]

I love your work & your videos bring a ton of joy to a lot of people ❤️ Keep up the silliness!!!!

[@melodye14]

I liked this show too and also learned about intersex people from Lauren's character.

[@micahcheck]

this has been the best way to satisfy my curiosity about a show i only ever saw ads for

[@nicolasnamed]

I think you're officially my comfort channel. Love you Athena

[@krystallynx]

I have never heard of this show, but holy carp have you peaked my interest Also love your "ally" look

[@Au_n1]

Man, idk how you don't have more subs. You're for sure my favorite content creators

[@elitettelbach4247]

I feel like I occasionally saw gifsets of this show but I never actually watched it. Am also bi so loved the bi makeup! Yay for bi (and intersex!) representation in media, but boooo for blatant biphobia (not to mention all of the other problematic aspects you touched on). I know Gregg Sulkin from Wizards of Waverly Place (and also Pass the Plate lmao), but was the actor who played Shane the main guy in GBF?? If so, him being the character that outs so many people becomes much more layered lol. (And if it’s not him then whoops disregard this point). I enjoy your commentary just as much as your lore! Even if I don’t have firsthand experience with the subject. Also would love to hear your take on Awkward. because that show had a hold on me back in the day!

[@TSDTalks22]

This video was a rollercoaster from start to finish

[@Tu_ta_lu]

Not me forgetting about this show and now reliving it lol your reaction is exactly how i think i would think about it now. Could not rewatch. Thank you for the summary