The 1986-88 era of Facts of Life - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 08-20-2005, 09:02 PM

Do you think that once Kim Fields and Nancy Mckeon's characters became grown era during the 86-88 era, they should have been referred to as Dorothy and Joanne? I mean Jo was no longer a Tomboy and Tootie was no longer a preteen rolling around on skates so it would have been ok to refer to them by their REAL NAME? I watched a 86 ep of FOL tonight and it looked so weird for Natalie to be calling Kim Fileds character TOOTIE and she was a grown women. Anyone Agree?

Ireneparalegal · 08-21-2005, 12:07 AM

nope, I have a nickname that I still go by and even though I am a mother of three (an adult daughter, a teen daughter and a toddler) it doesn't bother me and if you are called a certain name by family/friends it just fits. As a matter of fact, the name I am called is.....get ready for this......I HAD THIS NAME WAYYYYYYYY BEFORE HAPPY DAYS EVER WAS EVEN THOUGHT OF........................Chachi!!!!!!!! Yep, that is my nickname. Crazy, but true. Did I ever think anything when the character was given that name? Yeah, I wondered when was I so close to a writer of Happy Days that they heard someone call me that and then said, "That's it, that's the name of Fonzie's cousin!!"

Brian Damage · 08-21-2005, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroTVCollector

Do you think that once Kim Fields and Nancy Mckeon's characters became grown era during the 86-88 era, they should have been referred to as Dorothy and Joanne? I mean Jo was no longer a Tomboy and Tootie was no longer a preteen rolling around on skates so it would have been ok to refer to them by their REAL NAME? I watched a 86 ep of FOL tonight and it looked so weird for Natalie to be calling Kim Fileds character TOOTIE and she was a grown women. Anyone Agree?

Why call someone Dorothy or Joanne, when you've called them Tootie and Jo for years?

Latinoxtc · 08-21-2005, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Why call someone Dorothy or Joanne, when you've called them Tootie and Jo for years?

Exactly, the girls practically grew up together. Just like a family member, no matter how old they get you tend to call them by their childhood nickname forever.

TVFactFan · 08-21-2005, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Why call someone Dorothy or Joanne, when you've called them Tootie and Jo for years?

Because they were no longer little girls. It was just weird to see Natalie call her Tootie in 1988. Very Weird. I had a nickname from age 5 to 18 and lots of people wanted to call me by my real name Solomon because I had become a grown man and they felt odd calling me that little boy name.

Dean Winchester · 08-21-2005, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroTVCollector

Because they were no longer little girls. It was just weird to see Natalie call her Tootie in 1988. Very Weird. I had a nickname from age 5 to 18 and lots of people wanted to call me by my real name Solomon because I had become a grown man and they felt odd calling me that little boy name.

well, close friends and family can be different. Like my father has always been "Don" since I could remember, but members from his side of the family still call him "Donnie" that knew him since he was young.

Brian Damage · 08-21-2005, 01:20 AM

Another example is my uncle. Everybody calls him "Junior" and he is 60 years old!

Ireneparalegal · 08-21-2005, 01:23 AM

How cute!!!!! My late brother was called "Uncle BooBoo" by my kids and my sister's kids up until his death at the age of 46. He loved that nickname. We even put it in his obituary. I guess when names are given out of love, it doesn't matter how old you are.

Mr. Television · 08-21-2005, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Another example is my uncle. Everybody calls him "Junior" and he is 60 years old!

I had an Uncle named Junior too.

Dean Winchester · 08-21-2005, 01:37 AM

Tootie wasn't that old in seasons 8-9. Kim Fields was roughly the same age then that Lisa Whelchel was in seasons 2 and 3

Ireneparalegal · 08-21-2005, 01:39 AM

true, that's right Buffy.

Ags2000 · 08-22-2005, 01:14 AM

I have this guy I've known for years. He is 5 years younger then me. We grew up together and went through some hard times together. I called him Mikey then and I still call him Mikey now. I'm one of the few people who are allowed to. He's in the marines now and is a pretty tough cookie to people who don't know him, but he'll always be Mikey to me...no matter that everone else is calling Michael.

Nicknames are terms of endearment, one you get 'em you're stuck with 'em.

D

Gemini_89 · 04-03-2016, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Do you think that once Kim Fields and Nancy Mckeon's characters became grown era during the 86-88 era, they should have been referred to as Dorothy and Joanne? I mean Jo was no longer a Tomboy and Tootie was no longer a preteen rolling around on skates so it would have been ok to refer to them by their REAL NAME? I watched a 86 ep of FOL tonight and it looked so weird for Natalie to be calling Kim Fileds character TOOTIE and she was a grown women. Anyone Agree?

She may have mellowed out some in the later seasons but Jo will ALWAYS be a Tomboy, that's just part of who she is.

'80sSitcoms · 04-04-2016, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Do you think that once Kim Fields and Nancy Mckeon's characters became grown era during the 86-88 era, they should have been referred to as Dorothy and Joanne?

No, because that was not Jo's real name. It was Joanna, not Joanne.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Tootie was no longer a preteen rolling around on skates so it would have been ok to refer to them by their REAL NAME?

Did everyone who ever posted in this thread forget that there was an episode where Tootie proclaimed she wanted to be called Dorothy from now on? But Mrs. Garrett told her "You wanted us to do that last year and we tried it, but you never answered!" lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean Winchester

Tootie wasn't that old in seasons 8-9. Kim Fields was roughly the same age then that Lisa Whelchel was in seasons 2 and 3

Not quite; Blair was about 16/17 in seasons 2 and 3. Tootie was about 18/19 in seasons 8 and 9.

MiracleHand · 04-18-2016, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Not quite; Blair was about 16/17 in seasons 2 and 3. Tootie was about 18/19 in seasons 8 and 9.

Actually, the poster was correct. Lisa Whelchel was born in May 1963, Kim Fields was born in May 1969.... Lisa was the same age in season 3 (she would be 19 in season 4) as Kim was in season 9 (as Kim turned 19 just a week after the series finale aired).

08-20-2005, 09:02 PM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,065	The 1986-88 era of Facts of Life Do you think that once Kim Fields and Nancy Mckeon's characters became grown era during the 86-88 era, they should have been referred to as Dorothy and Joanne? I mean Jo was no longer a Tomboy and Tootie was no longer a preteen rolling around on skates so it would have been ok to refer to them by their REAL NAME? I watched a 86 ep of FOL tonight and it looked so weird for Natalie to be calling Kim Fileds character TOOTIE and she was a grown women. Anyone Agree?

08-21-2005, 12:07 AM	#2
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	nope, I have a nickname that I still go by and even though I am a mother of three (an adult daughter, a teen daughter and a toddler) it doesn't bother me and if you are called a certain name by family/friends it just fits. As a matter of fact, the name I am called is.....get ready for this......I HAD THIS NAME WAYYYYYYYY BEFORE HAPPY DAYS EVER WAS EVEN THOUGHT OF........................Chachi!!!!!!!! Yep, that is my nickname. Crazy, but true. Did I ever think anything when the character was given that name? Yeah, I wondered when was I so close to a writer of Happy Days that they heard someone call me that and then said, "That's it, that's the name of Fonzie's cousin!!"
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!

08-22-2005, 01:14 AM	#12
Ags2000 Red 2/13/90 -1/5/06 Forum Veteran Join Date: May 02, 2001 Location: Candyland Posts: 5,544	I have this guy I've known for years. He is 5 years younger then me. We grew up together and went through some hard times together. I called him Mikey then and I still call him Mikey now. I'm one of the few people who are allowed to. He's in the marines now and is a pretty tough cookie to people who don't know him, but he'll always be Mikey to me...no matter that everone else is calling Michael. Nicknames are terms of endearment, one you get 'em you're stuck with 'em. D
	__________________ RIP Captain Lyle "Fish Stix" Gordon U.S. Marine Corps So this is how Liberty dies, with thunderous applause. -Senator Padme Amidala Can't wait until the 2016 change.

08-21-2005, 01:20 AM	#7
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Another example is my uncle. Everybody calls him "Junior" and he is 60 years old!

08-21-2005, 01:23 AM	#8
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	How cute!!!!! My late brother was called "Uncle BooBoo" by my kids and my sister's kids up until his death at the age of 46. He loved that nickname. We even put it in his obituary. I guess when names are given out of love, it doesn't matter how old you are.

08-21-2005, 01:37 AM	#10
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	Tootie wasn't that old in seasons 8-9. Kim Fields was roughly the same age then that Lisa Whelchel was in seasons 2 and 3

08-21-2005, 01:39 AM	#11
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	true, that's right Buffy.