Hi,
I am driving myself crazy trying to remember if there was an episode (besides Who Am I) where Tootie is crying hysterically for some reason. I thought she had that chili bowl type hair when it happened but I could be completely wrong... is it the one where she gets drunk or did this not even happen?
thanks

Oh yeah...you must be thinking of one of Tootie's most famous episodes, "Starstruck", when she's obsessed with going to Jermaine Jackson's NYC concert. She totally FREAKS OUT on Mrs. Garrett about how she HAS to go!

Man, that was wild to see as a kid! :eek:

ohh yeah! i thought about that one but didn't remember that scene! haha thanks! now i can go to sleep....seriously..... lol this was bugging the crap out of me.

I remember seeing that episode and just felt so bad that Tootie was crying I felt guilty that she was acting that way. God why do I feel guilty for other people?
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LovelyWendie (http://www.lovelywendie99.com/)

yea, that was crazy crazy... i dunno if somebody would absolutely be THAT obsessed with a celebrity!

lol i think there are unfortunately people out there that are THAT obsessed..

I believe there is a video clip on The Facts of Life Site showing that clip of Tootie throwing a fit and crying on the episode Starstruck. goto www.televisionhits.com/factsoflife/ click on the video library page and it's near the bottom.

I hate Starstruck I just really felt like slapping Tootie accros the face!

yea, that was crazy crazy... i dunno if somebody would absolutely be THAT obsessed with a celebrity!

Yeah, especially when it was JERMAINE JACKSON! :lol:

Yeah, especially when it was JERMAINE JACKSON! :lol:
God, I hated that stupid crying...it seemed so fake. I think what made me cringe is the fact that Kim and her mother are long time family friends of the Jacksons, so for Kim to act "gaga" over Jermaine was kinda creepy to me. Kinda like he is her older brother...ewwwwwwwwww:eek:

I don't think I would even go that crazy for The Facts of Life much less Jermaine Jackson as Tootie did in this episode. I've never seen anyone have the hiccups and cry at the same time, she was hypervenilating so much she could've blew the walls of Eastland down like the 'big bad wolf' for all I care. I think Fields overdramitized herself in that episode to the point where it went past annoying, it was psychotic. Too bad they didn't have a follow-up episode where she was taken to rehab after meeting Jermaine Jackson.

Why Jermaine Jackson? I know he did a couple of 80s hits like "Dynomite", but what about MJ.....he was a bigger star than Jermaine. Except for the court cases, MJ had a huge hit record back in '79 and '80.

you know i made a whole thread about this ep a few years back and ive said it before and i will say it again i dont care what mrs g told the other girls it was a tantrum she was throwing plain and simple i liked the ep but i did think it was a little farfeteched

My guess is that Michael Jackson was too big of a star for the show to get so they figured any Jackson would do. They just probably went with what they could get.

But I do agree Tootie was just throwing a tantrum so I'm not sure why Mrs. G was so scared and let Tootie go anyway after flaking off her previous commitments. I know the point was for Tootie to learn a lesson about "celebrities" but it was sort of like Mrs. G. rewarded Tootie for acting like a brat.

But Jermaine Jackson going solo only had three hits, "Let's Get Serious" in 1980, "Dynomite" in 1984, and "When The Rain Begins To Fall", which was a duet with Pia Zadora in 1986. That's all the hits I can remember...plus, he was not that great a singer or dancer.

Why Jermaine Jackson? I know he did a couple of 80s hits like "Dynomite", but what about MJ.....he was a bigger star than Jermaine. Except for the court cases, MJ had a huge hit record back in '79 and '80.
"Let's Get Serious" was a BIG HIT...an awesome jam. I still love that song to this day. Here is a link to a greatest hits album and some info on him. Back at that time, he was huge. He set himself apart from his brother MJ. This was before videos were a big thing.

http://www.answers.com/topic/greatest-hits-rare-classics-rhythm-blues-album

I still don't think it made sense for Tootie to be all "gaga" over him. Maybe if the singer had been a younger person.

One thing that struck me about this episode is how bad it made Jermaine look. The way his people messed up her present to him and there was more than one "#1 fan". Why would anyone want to be involved in this show if it makes them look this bad?

I felt so bad for her after the episode. She scared me with her obsession.

I don't think the episode portrayed Jermaine in a bad light. Despite the craziness that was going on around him, they still kept him nice and approachable--and rather sweet to Tootie.

I think they painted the entertainment industry and the people around Jermaine in a bad light. A lot of the time the artists themselves don't have much involvement with the fan clubs and the publicists and what have you.

I really do not know what Jermaine is like as a person. But if Kim Fields is a close friend to one of the Jackson family, more power to her. It is just that episode was a little pointless. It almost Tootie a bit unlikeable and unsympathetic.

I know the moral: to show what a celebrity goes through the public eye and how hard it is stay on that surface, etc.

Well, this episode did make Tootie pretty unsympathetic but I think all the girls had episodes where they were less than sympathetic which I suppose makes them pretty real too since they had their bratty moments.

Natalie when she took a course at Langley when she was still in HS and dissed everyone else. Jo when she became a Langley Regent and went off the deep end. Blair when, well...it's Blair and as cool as she is there are episodes where she's rather full of herself.

I guess you are right then..

I felt so bad for her after the episode. She scared me with her obsession.

Thank you. It was definitely obsession and not just a "tantrum". If it were merely a tantrum, Mrs. Garrett wouldn't have let her go. It seemed clear to me Tootie's mental state was getting irrational during her fit, and Mrs. Garrett obviously knew that she had to take Tootie or else Lord knows what that girl would've done to get to Jermaine. :eek:

Of course I'm biased because I saw this as a little boy and she was scaring me, but still, lol ;)

There were a few episodes where she kind of freaks out and cries or whatever, like Sound of Silence... she freaks out about not wanting to go to the dr and how she doesn't want to be going deaf and she doesn't want to be handicap... well she actually says the last thing to geri and then in her crying voice she says sorry to her but she doesn't want to be handicap.

There were a few episodes where she kind of freaks out and cries or whatever, like Sound of Silence... she freaks out about not wanting to go to the dr and how she doesn't want to be going deaf and she doesn't want to be handicap... well she actually says the last thing to geri and then in her crying voice she says sorry to her but she doesn't want to be handicap.
Oh yeah. Good example. Seriously, she was overdramatic.

All the girls yelled and got unreasonable and bratty at times, but Tootie was the most dramatic about it.

She also had a mini freakout in "Who Am I" when she was talking to Mrs Garrett. I just remember her yelling something along the lines of "Nobody cares that one day I'm going to wake up and not know who I am!"

Tootie in the early years seemed to alternate between freak outs and being a tad on the whiny side in her efforts to prove herself grown up.

Then again, I suppose it's normal for a teenager but she would definitely be the "drama queen" of the group.

The freak out on "Who Am I" is understandable though. Put yourself in her position. It's hard to form an identity when you have no one like yourself to model after.

"Starstruck" was something else. :X

Oh, I'm not saying that sometimes Tootie didn't have valid points in her freak outs or real issues to deal with. I get that. It was more so her manner of expressing them. But like I said, that's also what teenagers do so ther Jermain incident aside it's probably pretty realistic.

Seriously, she was overdramatic.

But that's the point. She was hysterical. She had to come across as on the edge of some mental unstability for the storyline.

All I know is that Kim Fields did do a great job of crying in that ep because she scared the heck out of me. LOL.

But that's the point. She was hysterical. She had to come across as on the edge of some mental unstability for the storyline.
maybe so, but the majority here thinks it was a tantrum. And so for her throwing a tantrum, she was overly dramatic. I didn't consider her to be an obsessive fan.

All I know is that Kim Fields did do a great job of crying in that ep because she scared the heck out of me. LOL.

Lol, she scared me too! I remember when I was younger and saw that it was so disconcerting to see...she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

maybe so, but the majority here thinks it was a tantrum. And so for her throwing a tantrum, she was overly dramatic. I didn't consider her to be an obsessive fan.

A couple of people mentioned that, but Mrs. Garrett explained why it was more than that.

Again, she was not "overly dramatic"---she was hysterical. On the verge of a breakdown, obviously obsessed. A tantrum is different.

A couple of people mentioned that, but Mrs. Garrett explained why it was more than that.

Again, she was not "overly dramatic"---she was hysterical. On the verge of a breakdown, obviously obsessed. A tantrum is different.

Everyone is not going to agree. Just because Mrs. G saw it one way doesn't necessarily mean it has to be that way. Mrs. G was a person judging the situation just like any of us. Some will see Tootie's behavior as a tantrum and to others it was more.

For me it probably falls somewhere in the middle. However, if I were Mrs. G. I would have been mean and not taken her to the concert since she had been shirking her responsibilities.

Everyone is not going to agree. Just because Mrs. G saw it one way doesn't necessarily mean it has to be that way. Mrs. G was a person judging the situation just like any of us. Some will see Tootie's behavior as a tantrum and to others it was more.

For me it probably falls somewhere in the middle. However, if I were Mrs. G. I would have been mean and not taken her to the concert since she had been shirking her responsibilities.
same here.

However, if I were Mrs. G. I would have been mean and not taken her to the concert since she had been shirking her responsibilities.

Then you would have to explain to Mr. Parker and the police why Tootie got into whatever mess of trouble she got into when she ran away to NY for the concert! :lol: ;)

Everyone is not going to agree. Just because Mrs. G saw it one way doesn't necessarily mean it has to be that way. Mrs. G was a person judging the situation just like any of us. Some will see Tootie's behavior as a tantrum and to others it was more.

I just think it's kind of an insult to the writers and Kim for people not to see what was trying to be portrayed (I'm sensitive to writing/script issues of shows and films since I'm a writer). But oh well, I guess some of us will just agree to disagree.

I just think it's kind of an insult to the writers and Kim for people not to see what was trying to be portrayed (I'm sensitive to writing/script issues of shows and films since I'm a writer). But oh well, I guess some of us will just agree to disagree.

I in no way see how it could be an insult towards Kim. She acted out what was in the script. She acted out the words put in her mouth while in the character of Tootie. I haven't seen anybody utter a bad word about Kim.

And writers are there to be critiqued. It's part of the deal. Screenwriting is hard. I've written scripts (not well), but you always have to be open to critique. It's part of the process. It's part of what makes you improve. I highly doubt any FOL writers are losing sleep over what we have to say about a show they wrote over 20 years ago. :lol:

As for Tootie running off to the concert anyway, well, if she hadn't have gone she woud have been at the Scholarship fair with Mrs. G and the other girls. How would she have run away while under Mrs. G's watchful eye? ;)

I in no way see how it could be an insult towards Kim. She acted out what was in the script. She acted out the words put in her mouth while in the character of Tootie. I haven't seen anybody utter a bad word about Kim.

At least once in this thread someone said Kim was way overdramatic. And I think the writers did a find job with the script, as usual. They got the their point across.


As for Tootie running off to the concert anyway, well, if she hadn't have gone she woud have been at the Scholarship fair with Mrs. G and the other girls. How would she have run away while under Mrs. G's watchful eye? ;)

I quote:

Mrs. Garret: "Oh she was gonna go to that concert. She was gonna go if she had to jump out the window and run all the way to NYC! :eek: "

;)

As crazed as Tootie was getting, I could picture her trying to get a bus or hitchhike, anything to get there.

Then something could have happened to her and we would have had another "very special 'Facts of Life'". :lol:

I thought people said Tootie was overdramatic, not Kim. Tootie was a naturally dramatic person. That was part of her character. Probably also why she wanted to become an actress.

I thought people said Tootie was overdramatic, not Kim. Tootie was a naturally dramatic person. That was part of her character. Probably also why she wanted to become an actress.
they are referring to me. I never said Kim's name. as a writer one should be careful what they read and how they pass on that info. I was referring to Tootie. When I said having a "tantrum" i was referring to Tootie also, so how could one interpret that I was saying Kim.:rolleyes:

Looking back, I think they did infer Tootie and not Kim, yes. I guess I was hyped up earlier, lol.

And I always thought it was interesting that Blair seemed to have aspirations to be an actress in season 1, but from season 3 on it was all Tootie (I don't recall any season 2 references of Tootie wanting to act).

they are referring to me. I never said Kim's name. as a writer one should be careful what they read and how they pass on that info. I was referring to Tootie. When I said having a "tantrum" i was referring to Tootie also, so how could one interpret that I was saying Kim

I was mentioning what I had recalled seeing for the discussion. Then when raya mentioned it I looked again and saw how it could be misinterpreted, as Kim Fields' name was mentioned in the previous post but not Tootie's name.

As for "passing on info" I didn't mention anyone's name, it was just for discussion sake; I'm a writer not a reporter. lol ;) :joke:

I remember Jo spitting on the paper and Tootie flipping out... I laughed but OMG I wanted to slap her... IDK why, Kim Fields just sorta annoyed me the older she got... I'm not sure whether it's the Tootie thing or just her attitude in general but she seems very... unkind, to put it into nice words, in real life. Especially when someone brings up Tootie to her (like on Star Dates)

I was mentioning what I had recalled seeing for the discussion. Then when raya mentioned it I looked again and saw how it could be misinterpreted, as Kim Fields' name was mentioned in the previous post but not Tootie's name.

As for "passing on info" I didn't mention anyone's name, it was just for discussion sake; I'm a writer not a reporter. lol ;) :joke:




hehe I like your avatar... this muppet... well, I always teased my mom that they looked alike LOL!

But Jermaine Jackson going solo only had three hits, "Let's Get Serious" in 1980, "Dynomite" in 1984, and "When The Rain Begins To Fall", which was a duet with Pia Zadora in 1986. That's all the hits I can remember...plus, he was not that great a singer or dancer.


You missed one, and in fact, it's the only Jermaine Jackson song I know: "Do What You Do" was a hit in December 1984/January 1985. Why can I be so specific? 'Cause I was a senior in HS, and you never forget the popular songs back then!

anytime I hear the name "Pia Zadora" I think of Jo & her blonde hair in "Let's Face the Music"

:smash: i thought that was a really good episode ... i hated it because my goodness can someone be that obsessed but in reality yes and for the FOL to portray that obsession was good realistic and a way to say to kis and adults alike thats real.

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