Honestly, I don't like her. Her character was the same, no evolution or development. Nothing against Geri Jewell or her disability but, did we really need her? I feel bad saying this but i think it's true

Well, to be fair, her character was only in a handful of episodes, and most of those were as a supporting player.

But yes, it was groundbreaking having a person with a disability on a sitcom.

I like her. My favorite Geri appearance is her 3rd appearance, but the second "Cousin Geri" episode (about her, that is), "Cousin Geri Returns" (which I think is an odd title since she already returned for a previous episode, but anyway). CGR is the one where she dates Mr. Palmer the French teacher at the school. There was definitely development there, and I like that one a lot. :)

I'm with '80s on this. I liked Geri, and I think it was important that someone on television acknowledge that disabled people should appear on television. At the time she appeared, it was groundbreaking. Having a semi-regular with a disability had never been done on US television before.

Geri dating Mr. Palmer was a nice way of developing the character. They should have done more of that type of thing.

Geri dating Mr. Palmer was a nice way of developing the character. They should have done more of that type of thing.

I agree. :wave:

And you just spurred me onto another thought---stories where the Lost Girls could have interacted with Cousin Geri! Geri with an athlete, an activist, a conservative, and ...a phone hog? :lol: Well, the other 3 certainly make for terrific opportunities for story and development on both sides (Geri's, and the Lost Girls').

I agree. :wave:

And you just spurred me onto another thought---stories where the Lost Girls could have interacted with Cousin Geri! Geri with an athlete, an activist, a conservative, and ...a phone hog? :lol:

:lol:

Well, the other 3 certainly make for terrific opportunities for story and development on both sides (Geri's, and the Lost Girls').

I'd watch! popcorn:

Here are some scenarios:

Geri convinces Sue Ann and Cindy to compete in the cerebral palsy marathon in downtown Peekskill, but everyone's plans change when Blair schedules the Fall Gala on the same night.

Geri comes to Peekskill to perform at a local comedy club. However, things get crazy when Geri mistakenly believes Nancy's boyfriend Roger has fallen for her.

Geri and Molly stage a protest at Eastland when it's discovered a special needs student has not been admitted to the school.

I used the wrong words. I don't hate her (Kelly is the only character I hate), I wish she was used better, not being just there, because Geri (the actress) is so talented. Facts was great on this, the only show at the time with a cerebral palsy character and actress. I really apprecciate the message on Cousin Geri ("Questions don't hurt, ignorance does"). It was the writers fault, they never gave her an interesting story (except her first appearences). I don't appreciate the message from the episode All by Herself, where Geri organizes a (disastrous) event. It seems the writers want to say that a disabled person can't do anything well. I hope I explained better than before

Geri convinces Sue Ann and Cindy to compete in the cerebral palsy marathon in downtown Peekskill, but everyone's plans change when Blair schedules the Fall Gala on the same night.

Geri comes to Peekskill to perform at a local comedy club. However, things get crazy when Geri mistakenly believes Nancy's boyfriend Roger has fallen for her.

Geri and Molly stage a protest at Eastland when it's discovered a special needs student has not been admitted to the school.

Nice!

I was thinking Cindy and Cousin Geri could be forming a friendship, only Cindy notices that Geri seems down and sad when Cindy talks about her practices and upcoming games. After some considerate gentle prodding, Cindy finally gets Geri to admit that, even though she likes who she is and accepts her differences, she still gets sad when she misses out on some things, like sports. Then Cindy could bring Geri along with her to a practice and tell the girls that Geri's a friend of hers who wants to play along and get the experience of being an athlete. ("Come on, Geri. The girls on my team are great! You'll be an athlete before you know it!") They welcome her aboard and schedule a game specifically where Geri can play.

Maybe Sue Ann could get on her high (Kansas City, Kansas) horse over some conservative issue, insisting she's right about this, but Geri challenges her by saying "the norm" isn't always right; "Just look at me, Sue Ann. I'm not what most people call normal, but I have rights just like anybody else. How can you be so sure that your opinion is the only one?"

And we were on the same track with a Molly story. I too was thinking of something about discrimination against disabilities, and Molly would lead the charge bringing Geri with her! "Come on, Geri. We'll show those scrawny nerfbags that if they try to mess with anybody with a disability, they'll having nothing but a fight on their hands!"

Nice!

I was thinking Cindy and Cousin Geri could be forming a friendship, only Cindy notices that Geri seems down and sad when Cindy talks about her practices and upcoming games. After some considerate gentle prodding, Cindy finally gets Geri to admit that, even though she likes who she is and accepts her differences, she still gets sad when she misses out on some things, like sports. Then Cindy could bring Geri along with her to a practice and tell the girls that Geri's a friend of hers who wants to play along and get the experience of being an athlete.They welcome her aboard and schedule a game specifically where Geri can play.

Maybe Sue Ann could get on her high (Kansas City, Kansas) horse over some conservative issue, insisting she's right about this, but Geri challenges her by saying "the norm" isn't always right; "Just look at me, Sue Ann. I'm not what most people call normal, but I have rights just like anybody else. How can you be so sure that your opinion is the only one?"

And we were on the same track with a Molly story. I too was thinking of something about discrimination against disabilities, and Molly would lead the charge bringing Geri with her! "Come on, Geri. We'll show those scrawny nerfbags that if they try to mess with anybody with a disability, they'll having nothing but a fight on their hands!"

Oh man. Again, I think you should have written for the show. Where's that time machine when we need it?

I don't hate her (Kelly is the only character I hate)

:rofl:

I don't appreciate the message from the episode All by Herself, where Geri organizes a (disastrous) event. It seems the writers want to say that a disabled person can't do anything well. I hope I explained better than before

Yeah, it is sad that her final appearance is about her failing. :( But I think it's supposed to be on her as an inexperienced person about it, not necessarily disabled (but I see what you mean).

:rofl:



Yeah, it is sad that her final appearance is about her failing. :( But I think it's supposed to be on her as an inexperienced person about it, not necessarily disabled (but I see what you mean).

I'm glad!



About Kelly, I can't stand her, even Brenda was more funny and entertaining than her

I too despise Kelly.

Honestly, I don't like her. Her character was the same, no evolution or development. Nothing against Geri Jewell or her disability but, did we really need her? I feel bad saying this but i think it's true

I don't dislike her but I don't like her either. I feel like she was put there to make a statement instead of being a necessary addition to the cast. Kind of like stunt casting, although I wouldn't go that far to call it that.

Oh man. Again, I think you should have written for the show. Where's that time machine when we need it?

You would have written some good stories too, keeping all the original girls together. There were so many opportunities...

You would have written some good stories too, keeping all the original girls together. There were so many opportunities...

Thanks. I just don't believe that writing for seven students was all that challenging. Many other shows even in that era managed it.

I definitely didn't like her.

I hated ANDY, GEORGE, KEVIN and BEVERLY ANN a lot more!
At least KELLY was funny (when she wasn't being mean to BLAIR, or stealing from MRS G) and cracked me up the way she talked: "my mistake, my brother looks like a ham!" (on the 'Halloween' episode) ha ha ha!

I didn't like or hate Geri. I think her character was just underutilized. As mentioned, when she dated Mr. Palmer that was a start to veer away from the "special episode" feel every time she appeared and I wish it was more shown and developed.

I think it was unfortunate that the writers chose to always zero in on her disability as the main storytelling when involving her. Today, things would be so much different, so in that aspect her appearing in that sitcom alone paved the way and was groundbreaking.

So for that time, I guess she was used as much as the writers thought possible. I'm sure writers today wouldn't box her character in to just being the CP character all the time. But watching the episodes in 2020, I really wish we could have seen Geri having episodes that focused on her dating, going through problems etc and not just her CP because it did get old after a while. (Again, this is watching it through 2020 eyes.)

However, she was just a supporting character kind of like the girl's parents were, so I think a couple episodes a season would have been enough anyway, and I would've liked to have seen her stay through the end of the series.

I too despise Kelly.

Kelly was the worst. Pippa was also pretty bad, and I didn't care for the George Clooney character.

At least KELLY was funny (when she wasn't being mean to BLAIR, or stealing from MRS G) and cracked me up the way she talked: "my mistake, my brother looks like a ham!" (on the 'Halloween' episode) ha ha ha!

Ack! Someone likes Kelly!!

There's a Loki among us. :lookaroun

;)

Ack! Someone likes Kelly!!

There's a Loki among us. :lookaroun

;)

I'm going to take a wild guess that "Loki" has something to do with the season 1 Lost Girls? The jokes I don't get here usually do. :lol:

I'm going to take a wild guess that "Loki" has something to do with the season 1 Lost Girls? The jokes I don't get here usually do. :lol:

Loki was a trickster god in Norse mythology. I'm not sure what it has to do with the Lost Girls.

I didn't like or hate Geri. I think her character was just underutilized. As mentioned, when she dated Mr. Palmer that was a start to veer away from the "special episode" feel every time she appeared and I wish it was more shown and developed.

I think it was unfortunate that the writers chose to always zero in on her disability as the main storytelling when involving her. Today, things would be so much different, so in that aspect her appearing in that sitcom alone paved the way and was groundbreaking.

So for that time, I guess she was used as much as the writers thought possible. I'm sure writers today wouldn't box her character in to just being the CP character all the time. But watching the episodes in 2020, I really wish we could have seen Geri having episodes that focused on her dating, going through problems etc and not just her CP because it did get old after a while. (Again, this is watching it through 2020 eyes.)

However, she was just a supporting character kind of like the girl's parents were, so I think a couple episodes a season would have been enough anyway, and I would've liked to have seen her stay through the end of the series.

I see what you're saying. There were a few times she wasn't in an episode to bring awareness to CP, and those are among her best episodes. "The Sound of Silence" and the episode where she dated a teacher are, IMO, among her strongest.

I'm very glad Norman Lear brought her onto the show, because without that, would we have even had recurring disabled people on television in the 1980s? Geri pre-dates Kathy on DS (1981) and Maya on Degrassi Junior High (1987). The actress who played Maya wasn't even really disabled.

Loki was a trickster god in Norse mythology. I'm not sure what it has to do with the Lost Girls.

Dang it, I couldn't respond this evening and I knew you were gonna tell him that when I saw you were the most recent poster here. I wanted to tell him! :mad:

lol, now, pretending I didn't see that ;) :


I'm going to take a wild guess that "Loki" has something to do with the season 1 Lost Girls? The jokes I don't get here usually do.

:lol: No cfr, Loki has nothing to do with the Lost Girls, lol. But he does have something to do with Norse mythology. ;) :read:

You see, Loki was the untrustworthy trickster among the gods in Norse myth. And, to condense my point down, there was a fellow Norse god named Baldur, whom all the gods were fond of; generous, joyful, and gladdened the hearts of all around him. An omen told he would meet misfortune and end up in the world of the dead, so his mother desperately went to every corner of the world and made every single thing, living and nonliving (?!), swear an oath not to harm her son. Only she didn't bother obtaining an oath from the mistletoe, for what harm could a mistletoe do? (you see where this is going, lol)

Well, after this the gods threw a party and threw weapons at Baldur, all merry that nothing could harm him. But Loki tricked another fellow god into accidentally killing Baldur (via mistletoe [!]). And the only way Hel (the ruler over the dead) would let Baldur return to the living was if "every thing in the cosmos" mourned him.

So the gods sent messenger all over the world asking every thing to weep for Baldur. And every single thing did mourn for him, save one: a giantess who was Loki in disguise. Since she (he) refused to weep, Hel kept Balder in the underworld.

So you see, cfr, it seems most every single person active at this board despises the character of Kelly, save one who has said she makes them laugh. And that will just have to be a "fact of life". ;)

I see what you're saying. There were a few times she wasn't in an episode to bring awareness to CP, and those are among her best episodes. "The Sound of Silence" and the episode where she dated a teacher are, IMO, among her strongest.

"Cousin Geri Returns" is the Mr. Palmer one. Definitely my favorite Geri show. I love how she even gets in trouble with Mrs. Garrett, just like any of Mrs. Garrett's charges would---and she wasn't even in charge of Geri! Very nice detailing there.

Dang it, I couldn't respond this evening and I knew you were gonna tell him that when I saw you were the most recent poster here. I wanted to tell him! :mad:

lol, now, pretending I didn't see that ;) :




:lol: No cfr, Loki has nothing to do with the Lost Girls, lol. But he does have something to do with Norse mythology. ;) :read:

You see, Loki was the untrustworthy trickster among the gods in Norse myth. And, to condense my point down, there was a fellow Norse god named Baldur, whom all the gods were fond of; generous, joyful, and gladdened the hearts of all around him. An omen told he would meet misfortune and end up in the world of the dead, so his mother desperately went to every corner of the world and made every single thing, living and nonliving (?!), swear an oath not to harm her son. Only she didn't bother obtaining an oath from the mistletoe, for what harm could a mistletoe do? (you see where this is going, lol)

Well, after this the gods threw a party and threw weapons at Baldur, all merry that nothing could harm him. But Loki tricked another fellow god into accidentally killing Baldur (via mistletoe [!]). And the only way Hel (the ruler over the dead) would let Baldur return to the living was if "every thing in the cosmos" mourned him.

So the gods sent messenger all over the world asking every thing to weep for Baldur. And every single thing did mourn for him, save one: a giantess who was Loki in disguise. Since she (he) refused to weep, Hel kept Balder in the underworld.

So you see, cfr, it seems most every single person active at this board despises the character of Kelly, save one who has said she makes them laugh. And that will just have to be a "fact of life". ;)


That's an interesting story! I've never heard of it. But why the heck did Loki hate Baldur? Jealousy? Or just because he was a trickster and this was his fun?

Maybe valentina warner is Pamela Segall in disguise. I can't imagine ANYONE liking that character except the actress herself and maybe her relatives. :lol:

I liked the episode they showed on Antenna today with Geri failing at the banquet. I feel that the episode made her seem more real and more human. You don't want the disabled character to be a perfect saint, either. This episode showed she has strengths and weaknesses and faults like everyone else. Mrs. Garrett got mad at her in this episode, too, and treated her like one of her girls, with kind words and guidance.

If you wrote her as one hundred percent capable all the time, it would be similar to the same way that women and minorities were written prior to the 70s - one dimensional. Real human characters have flaws and feelings, and they make mistakes. For that reason, I enjoyed the banquet episode. Geri became more than a walking PSA.

I liked the episode they showed on Antenna today with Geri failing at the banquet. I feel that the episode made her seem more real and more human. You don't want the disabled character to be a perfect saint, either. This episode showed she has strengths and weaknesses and faults like everyone else. Mrs. Garrett got mad at her in this episode, too, and treated her like one of her girls, with kind words and guidance.

If you wrote her as one hundred percent capable all the time, it would be similar to the same way that women and minorities were written prior to the 70s - one dimensional. Real human characters have flaws and feelings, and they make mistakes. For that reason, I enjoyed the banquet episode. Geri became more than a walking PSA.

I agree that disabled people shouldn't be presented as perfect. Wasn't that episode Geri's last? The producers only offered her one episode the following season, and she turned them down, hurt at the slight. She was unable to pay her rent, and had to go back to being on Disability.

I agree that disabled people shouldn't be presented as perfect. Wasn't that episode Geri's last? The producers only offered her one episode the following season, and she turned them down, hurt at the slight. She was unable to pay her rent, and had to go back to being on Disability.

I believe one of the documentaries (or maybe more than one) say Geri's agent convinced her to quit "Facts". It said he was insulted she was only offered one episode, and he advised her not to do it.

(by the way, that "furious" emoji earlier looks way too furious. They don't have, like, a "not that furious" emoji, lol...and anyway, now you see the connection I made :))

I believe one of the documentaries (or maybe more than one) say Geri's agent convinced her to quit "Facts". It said he was insulted she was only offered one episode, and he advised her not to do it.

Yeah, in retrospect, she probably should have done the show. But hindsight is 20/20, as they say.


(by the way, that "furious" emoji earlier looks way too furious. They don't have, like, a "not that furious" emoji, lol...and anyway, now you see the connection I made :))

:lol: No worries.

Maybe valentina warner is Pamela Segall in disguise. I can't imagine ANYONE liking that character except the actress herself and maybe her relatives. :lol:

:lol: But Valentina lives in the UK!

That's an interesting story! I've never heard of it.

Yeah, I enjoy Norse mythology, though I'm much more schooled in Greek mythology. And that is one of the saddest myths there is, the useless damning of kind Baldur.


But why the heck did Loki hate Baldur? Jealousy? Or just because he was a trickster and this was his fun?

Basically, he was a real son of a...ahem...he could be a real menace. But this was the last straw. When it was revealed Loki was the giantess in disguise that sealed Baldur's fate, that was the last straw. Loki knew it and he hid, but the gods found him and imprisoned him in a cave. They hung a serpent above him so that its venom would drip down onto Loki's face. His wife took pity on him and remained forever at his side holding a bowl over his face to collect the venom so it wouldn't fall on him, but whenever the bowl was full, she had to turn away and empty it onto the ground. Each time she did this the serpent's venom dripped onto Loki's face and he screamed in agony. People believed the quakings of the earth were the caused of Loki's screaming writhes.


Maybe valentina warner is Pamela Segall in disguise. I can't imagine ANYONE liking that character except the actress herself and maybe her relatives. :lol:

:rofl:

:lol: But Valentina lives in the UK!

Maybe she was "dismissed" from the whole country too. :lol:

(sorry valentina i'm just kidding around!!) :)

^---I love your disdain of Kelly! Such great posting continuity! :rofl:

^---I love your disdain of Kelly! Such great posting continuity! :rofl:

It's because she's so useless and annoying. I'm convinced Jo's disdain for her wasn't just the character and Nancy McKeon really wanted to punch her in the face along with the rest of us.

The ep. where she held up the store and threatened Blair sealed it for me. There's just NO redemption with me after threatening Blair like that! :mad:

It's because she's so useless and annoying. I'm convinced Jo's disdain for her wasn't just the character and Nancy McKeon really wanted to punch her in the face along with the rest of us.

The ep. where she held up the store and threatened Blair sealed it for me. There's just NO redemption with me after threatening Blair like that! :mad:

Agree! Kelly is one of the few tv characters I really hate, followed by Maggie and Sam of DS

I believe one of the documentaries (or maybe more than one) say Geri's agent convinced her to quit "Facts". It said he was insulted she was only offered one episode, and he advised her not to do it.

(by the way, that "furious" emoji earlier looks way too furious. They don't have, like, a "not that furious" emoji, lol...and anyway, now you see the connection I made :))

I read on another documentary that she was waiting for a full time cast member promotion but her agent suggested to leave the show for good after they offered her only one episode

It's because she's so useless and annoying. I'm convinced Jo's disdain for her wasn't just the character and Nancy McKeon really wanted to punch her in the face along with the rest of us.

The ep. where she held up the store and threatened Blair sealed it for me. There's just NO redemption with me after threatening Blair like that! :mad:

No way.

Threatening Blair

AND vandalizing Mrs. Garrett's stock---WHICH she had to buy from her supplier

AND, on top of it all, FOR NO GOOD REASON---her parents had $$!!

:mad:

Agree! Kelly is one of the few tv characters I really hate, followed by Maggie and Sam of DS

Maggie & Sam are that mother and son who infiltrated the show in the final seasons? Dixie Carter was the mother and that annoying red headed kid the son?

Yeah....I hated them too. I don't think anyone liked them.

Maggie & Sam are that mother and son who infiltrated the show in the final seasons? Dixie Carter was the mother and that annoying red headed kid the son?

Yeah....I hated them too. I don't think anyone liked them.

Well, Miss Dixie introduced Maggie, but left that role when she wanted to get off of that show and took off running---and then Mary Ann Mobley took over Maggie.

Maggie & Sam are that mother and son who infiltrated the show in the final seasons? Dixie Carter was the mother and that annoying red headed kid the son?

Yeah....I hated them too. I don't think anyone liked them.

Exactly! At the time they were introduced, DS was already in decline but they killed the show completely

Well, Miss Dixie introduced Maggie, but left that role when she wanted to get off of that show and took off running---and then Mary Ann Mobley took over Maggie.

NOW I remember! Yes! There were 2 Maggies. I think I hated the Mary Ann Mobley one because I never liked her. I'd see her on Match Game sometimes and she strikes me as a vapid, annoying imbecile.

I don't think I minded Dixie Carter, because I think she played Maggie more likable than Mobley did.

Maybe she was "dismissed" from the whole country too. :lol:

(sorry valentina i'm just kidding around!!) :)


I know you guys are kidding, but would you be kind enough to explain the meaning of LOCKI in that context? (not the mythology one lol!):confused:

I know you guys are kidding, but would you be kind enough to explain the meaning of LOCKI in that context? (not the mythology one lol!):confused:

I did at the very end of post 23. :wave: :p

I could not stand her and it honestly has nothing to do with her disability. I think it's great to have someone with her condition on the show and it shows diversity, but when she starts making jokes about herself, it's funny to some but I'm sure it hurts others who have the same condition. Years ago my dad and I were watching The Tonight Show and she was doing stand up and he changed the channel because he couldn't stand watching it. He commented on how tacky and unfunny she was.

I could not stand her and it honestly has nothing to do with her disability. I think it's great to have someone with her condition on the show and it shows diversity, but when she starts making jokes about herself, it's funny to some but I'm sure it hurts others who have the same condition. Years ago my dad and I were watching The Tonight Show and she was doing stand up and he changed the channel because he couldn't stand watching it. He commented on how tacky and unfunny she was.

It's definitely good to hear from a wider perspective.

As for her stand-up, at least her stand-up act in her first episode, I might find some of it cute (I'd have to watch it again, it's been a while), but just from the standpoint of "lol" comedy, some of it I just don't find funny. I find some of her character dialogue much more charming and witty/funny.

I was mostly indifferent to her.

I was mostly indifferent to her.


Well i certainly liked her more than: ANDY, GEORGE and BEVERLY ANN!:p:p:p

I’m kind of indifferent to her. I never found her funny and I felt like the writers really did her dirty even if she was portrayed in a positive light. While I appreciate that her character was visible on this show, and appreciate the need to show people with disabilities on TV, and realize her appearance was groundbreaking for the time, it’s how they portrayed her disability that was not well done. It seems like they always harped on her disability or the plot always came back to her disability and she just felt like more of a living and breathing PSA than an actual multidimensional human being. They should have done a storyline that developed her character more and did not even mention the words “disability” or “cerebral palsy.” I realize that’s a lot to ask for an ‘80s TV show, but it could have been better and that’s just my two cents.

^---well, to play devil's advocate, she appeared in several "cafeteria era" episodes as a supporting character, where she was just good ol' Cousin Geri, no mention of her disability.

I liked her first appearance episode (which is Lisa's favorite episode of all time), and my favorite Cousin Geri episode is "Cousin Geri Returns" where she dates Eastland's French teacher Mr. Palmer. I think for the '80s that was a good way of showing that people with disabilities can have romance just like anyone else.

^---well, to play devil's advocate, she appeared in several "cafeteria era" episodes as a supporting character, where she was just good ol' Cousin Geri, no mention of her disability.

I liked her first appearance episode (which is Lisa's favorite episode of all time), and my favorite Cousin Geri episode is "Cousin Geri Returns" where she dates Eastland's French teacher Mr. Palmer. I think for the '80s that was a good way of showing that people with disabilities can have romance just like anyone else.

I take back what I said in regards to how the show addressed her disability. I’ve been watching some season 5 episodes and her disability wasn’t always mentioned when she showed up. It was nice to see! I’m rewatching the series right now on DVD now that I have some downtime.

Somebody was asking about Loki, so

:2bump

Post 23 page 2! :lol: