Laguna Beach Creator Liz Gateley Pushes Back on

Liz Gateley, the creator of the MTV show *Laguna Beach*, has answered a long-running complaint. Some people say the teenage cast was too young to be on reality TV. Gateley says she does not agree.

What she said

Gateley spoke on E!'s *The Greatest Year in Pop Culture*, which started on October 5. She said she does not think the show was irresponsible. She explained that all of the cast were 18 when filming began, except for Kristin Cavallari. Other reports say the cast were between 17 and 18 years old when filming started.

She said the team wanted to follow the senior year of high school. In her view, that is a time when young people start making grown-up choices, like picking a college and voting.

"We protected them"

Gateley said the crew took care of the young stars. She also said the romance on the show was very mild. Only a couple of kisses were shown, and she believes this made fans imagine even more about what might be happening.

She also said the producers wanted the cast to keep their normal lives away from the cameras. One report adds that cameras were not allowed on the school campus.

A show for parents and teens

Gateley said the goal was to show real teenagers doing real things. She also hoped the show would help families talk. She said parents of an 18-year-old should not assume these things never happen, and the show could start a conversation. In her view, many parents who watched with their kids found that helpful.

About Kristin Cavallari

Gateley also explained why Cavallari became such a big part of the show. Her large role came from the drama of the love triangle with Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti. That story became one of the most famous parts of the series.

About the show

*Laguna Beach* first aired on MTV in 2004 and ran for three seasons. It made stars out of Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari, and it led to the spin-off *The Hills*. Gateley also worked on other popular shows, including *Teen Mom* and *Teen Wolf*.

Why people still talk about it

Today, many people look at old reality shows with new eyes. They ask whether young people were treated well and how much of what we saw was real. Reports also point out that some parts of *Laguna Beach* were set up for TV. The final scene of the show, where the cameras pull back to reveal a film set, showed that.

Gateley's answer is clear. She feels the show was made with care. Fans and critics can still decide for themselves what they think.