Dear Nickelodeon,
Last night while channel-surfing before I love the 80s: 3D was coming on [hey, I like shows where D-list celebrities wax nostalgic and snark about my childhood, ok?] I came across your show Zoey 101. During the bits I saw, Zoey and her brunette friend were upset about their new roommate, a "freak" who they were plotting to kick out. They eventually said something like "She can be normal or she can move back to Weirdsville!"
I really have to wonder about the message this was sending to the preteen girls watching your show. So little goth girls can't hang out with "normal" girls in their halter tops and tight jeans? It's conform or get out? I was fully expecting Zoey and her friend to discover the little goth girl was acutally sweet and intelligent under her cotton-candy-pink hair and eyeliner and realize that understanding each other's differences would make them better people. But instead, it is revealed that the "freak" is actually an actress PRETENDING to be a freak! Problem solved! Soon she is in trendy clothes (and I'm sure the Fug Blog would have something to say about her belt over dress over jeans ensemble) along with her new friends.
Seriously--what the hell, Nickelodeon?? Who writes this show, ultraconservative PTA moms? "Dress differently and you'll be an outcast"--that is NOT a positive message by any stretch of the imagination, and it's certainly not funny. I find this attitude especially odd considering that one of the main characters on your show Danny Phantom is Sam, a little goth girl who eschews conforming with the popular kids, and still remains the titular hero's best friend and love interest. I strongly suggest you remove this episode of Zoey 101 from your rotation and show Danny Phantom intead.
Sincerely,
Alicia Korenman (not a goth)
PS--Avatar: The Last Airbender is an awesome show! Please show it more, and on a more regular schedule. Having shows start at 7:52 is very confusing. If I had a TIVO I'd probably be pretty annoyed about your weird tv schedules.
You know, it always steamed me that in The Breakfast Club everyone got to be themselves or learn their worth but Ally Sheedy who had to clean up nice to be accepted. I liked her the way she was.
ReplyDeleteYou Can't Do That On Television taught a whole generation of young people that you should never admit that you don't know some thing. If you do--SLIMED!
that was my favorite part of i love the 80s: 3D--when they slimed alyson hannigan and she said with a laugh, "i always wanted to get slimed! . . . now, i'm not really sure why."
ReplyDeletei think i would feel exactly the same way.
nickelodeon shows were totally awesome in the 80s! now they start britney spears' little sister as a teenage bitchy bully/style enforcer.
ps--good point about the breakfast club. actually last year i decided this year i would get a group together to be the breakfast club for halloween, and i was going to be ally sheedy. i don't really have the hair for it now, though, and i'm not planning on doing the costume thing anyway. the point of this extended ramble: ally sheedy rules!
ReplyDeletemore about ally sheedy. her character in "war games" is one of my all-time cinematic crushes, up there with hepburn in "bringing up baby," goddard in "modern times," and helena bonham carter as an equal-rights monkey in "planet of the apes."
ReplyDeletejordon
jordon likes monkey girls! jordon likes monkey girls!
ReplyDeletefor real though, war games is awesome.
Would you like to play a game?
ReplyDeletewow, are you trying to sound creepy, anonymous commenter from san francisco? are you some sort of weird new spam bot?
ReplyDeleteThis is just like in cry_wolf, the shitty movie that Robert, Finn, 'ric and I saw when we couldn't go to the beach. Watch out, Bon Jovi didn't do it!
ReplyDeletecheesy horror rules!
ReplyDeleteIf the anonymous comment from San Fran was the one about the game, I think they should have asked if you would like a nice game of chess... then it's be more obviously a War Games quote... (MIke)
ReplyDeleteI've seen that episode and indeed it is totally demeaing and unecessary. Goths are actually normal humans too you know! Better than being a cloned bimbo. So what's wrong with wearing black clothes, having piercings and wanting to commune with the dead? What's stupid about this episode is that the 'gothic' girl ends up fake acting and is actually a clone bimbo too. Fools.
ReplyDelete