What does it say about our young people when the way Kelly and Brenda talk to each other doesn't seem to have changed in 14 years? (And what else needs to be said about 20-somethings playing teenagers? Or acting in general?)

One hears the loose, causal style of talking among children, tweens, and teens--apparently many never grow out of it. (I don't think it can be identified completely with the way Californian teenagers talk.) I wish I had a technical vocabulary to explain what I meant. Inflection is part of it, but it's not all.

Some may say that it is more expressive (of emotion, or state of mind)--and that while some cultures prefer to use the words themselves as the primary means of expression (if at all), others like to use tone and pitch, pronunciation, and body language as well. I suppose fuddy-duddies would not be complaining if what was being said had some depth to it. Instead, we have a lot of vocal performance, but not much [acquired] intelligence behind it. Hence the complaint, it just sounds juvenile.