Royalty is no longer a characteristic that belongs only to a monarch. In The Prince, Machiavelli targets the prince and all other members of royalty, but today his work can be used as a social critique of upper class society. So a popular TV show depicting Manhattan's elite being ruled by social media outbursts is no coincidence. It's obvious that the creators of the popular TV show Gossip Girl had Machiavelli in mind. Machiavelli and Gossip Girl as a whole complement each other in their focus on the man's lack of morality and their ability to create paranoia and persuade others to follow their lead. Human nature is greedy and self-interested. At least that's what Machiavelli could have said. The television series Gossip Girl plays on this human imperfection, revealing the scandals of New York royalty. “This is Gossip Girl, your one and only source for information on the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite” (“Pilot” 1.1). Each character is only interested in their actions and the Gossip Girl character feeds off all of their drama. The characters rarely care who they have to manipulate to get what they want, which ultimately shows an overwhelming amount of immoral behavior. Making others see the flaws of Manhattan's elite through this immoral behavior evokes feelings of vanity. This elevates commoners by making them feel like they have a higher level of integrity than this elite group. There is always a scandal that the elite participates and this would never even apply to commoners, which would make the fall of the elite even heavier: "It's one thing to be on top of the world, it gives you a long, long way to fall” (“In the Kingdom of the Low” 2.14). On the other hand, competition is created in the world of elites,...... middle of paper ......s to be a beloved and powerful piece today. At the end of The Prince, Machiavelli might as well have signed, you know you love me xoxo Machiavelli. Machiavelli and Gossip Girl as a whole complement each other in their focus on the man's lack of morality and their ability to create paranoia and persuade others to follow their lead. Thinking about Machiavelli in a modern context has given me a better understanding of his relevance today. However, I certainly had difficulty piecing this assignment together, and it was only after completing my article that I understood Machiavelli in a new light. Defending my thesis made me draw new links between Gossip Girl and The Prince. Now when I watch any of my favorite TV shows, I see Machiavelli in every episode, whether in the princely characters like Blair or as Gossip.