so-called suburbia vs real suburbia

In watching the wasted opportunity known as The Stepford Wives the other night, I remembered one of the reasons why I always enjoyed My So-Called Life so much. A current throughout the series, never bashed in your face but always sitting there waiting to be noticed, was the depiction of suburbia as a place where the deepest issues can be explored, where the human condition is paid attention to, where parents and children and spouses can work on their souls.