Monica Warner Bias?

[LoveMrsG]

Hey everyone.

I've been thinking. I for one have never been able to stand Blair's parents, and I always hated the popularity the Monica Warner character got a lot of the time, especially in the later seasons. I've been thinking about the history of Monica Warner throughout the series, and I think there's a strange bias, even from Mrs. Garrett's standpoint, towards Monica Warner against Blair.

You guys may think I'm crazy, but stick with me here for a moment.

In the first episode featuring Blair's mother, "Like Mother, Like Daughter," it always irritated me that Mrs. Garrett actually lectured Blair about loving and accepting her mother the way that she was, actually taking Monica Warner's side over Blair's, especially after Monica hit Blair. Now I can understand parents needing to slap their kids' behinds occasionally when they're little to get their attention although I've never been a big fan of corporal punishment personally, but I don't think it's ever right or acceptable for a parent to hit their child. It really angered me that Mrs. G. of all people took Monica's side over Blair's after that happened. It also really angered me that all the other characters, Mr. Bradley especially (although he's a man, of course) just kept going on and on about how beautiful Monica was even after everybody learned about Monica's character and that she was clearly making plans to have an affair with a married man. Why the hell didn't Mrs. Garrett lecture MONICA instead, not just about hitting her daughter but about having the type of lifestyle that was clearly breaking her young daughter's heart??? After Monica hit Blair and started messing around with a married man, will somebody please explain to me why in the world BLAIR had to apologize to MONICA??? It clearly should've been the other way around!!!

I reiterate (sp.??) in "A Friend In Deed," the first time we see the Marj Dusay version of Monica Warner. I mean, I understand Blair needing to learn to grow up a little bit and be there for her mother when her mother's having a medical crisis, but it still irritates me to see Mrs. Garrett pushing Blair to be there for her mother but you never see Mrs. Garrett pushing Monica to stop shopping, globe-trotting, and romancing long enough to take an active interest in her daughter's life. Why doesn't anybody ever get on MONICA'S rear to be a responsible parent and be there for Blair? Why does Blair always have to be there for Monica and be the adult of the two?

In the beginning of season 7, Blair's actually the one who talks Monica out of aborting Bailey and who offers to take care of the baby so that Monica can continue being a baby herself. Yet even after Blair does such an incredibly generous thing and later on takes an active role in her sister's birth, when Bailey is born, you see the other characters actually make fun of Blair and make Monica out to be this wonderful person for "putting up with Blair," so to speak. Even the smart-alecky nurse makes fun of Blair, telling Monica, "I sure hope this one's a boy" when all Blair was trying to do was make sure that Monica would be receiving the best possible medical care, like any loving and concerned daughter would.

Is it just me, or are the other characters somehow biased for Monica Warner against Blair, for absolutely no good reason whatsoever???

[pfeifferobsessed]

i always liked monica (the marj dusay version)...but i can see where youre coming from! it always bothered me when they made fun of blair for helping with monicas pregnancy!

[Jude The Obscure]

Loved Marj Dusay as Monica. The first season Monica looked like she could have been Blair's older sister, not her mother. And that Monica was a skank!

[painmakeyourway]

I definitely agree with you LoveMrsG, I thought it was really weird that they always forced Blair to be the mature one of the two. Although Marj Dusay was absolute perfection as Monica Warner!

[Jude The Obscure]

Perhaps being the child of multiple divorces of both parents--Blair had to grow up and mature faster than expected. Therefore, as a result of being at Eastland and having to actually WORK to pay off her debts/crime, she gained new perspective, which in retrospect, made her seem more mature than either parent.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Jude86

Loved Marj Dusay as Monica. The first season Monica looked like she could have been Blair's older sister, not her mother. And that Monica was a skank!

Marj Dusay was and is a terrific actress...I was surprised to learn she was not the original Monica Warner until I rented the first season DVD. Marj Dusay made a name for herself in daytime and is still playing Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light. Anyone know whatever happened to the original Monica? (I agree, she looked way too young to be Lisa Whelchel's mother.)

[LoveMrsG]

I'm not all that into soaps anymore, but I always preferred Marj Dusay too, even though I think the first Monica Warner resembled Lisa Whelchel a little better with the blonde hair and everything. I never really thought about it, but you guys are right...the first actress playing Monica Warner could've been more like Lisa Whelchel's older sister instead of her mother.

Anyway, like I said, I've never been able to stand either one of Blair's parents. Being rich doesn't make it okay for you not to take an active, responsible role in your child's life. Look at Mr. Drummond. He was a multi-millionaire, yet he couldn't have been a more involved dad. He sent Kimberly to Eastland too, but he didn't make her live there. He wanted to see his daughter at the end of the day, not ship her off somewhere. Seeing Monica and David Warner with Blair just makes me sad. Monica isn't as bad about it as David is, but still...it's just so obvious that Blair is second place to money, and that really hurts her, even though she doesn't always show it. I guess the reason why Mrs. Garrett always tried to push Blair to accept her parents for who they were, Monica especially, is because she knew there wasn't anything she or Blair could do to change their attitudes so it was better for Blair to just accept it and move on. Maybe that's why Mrs. Garrett puts up with Blair's snobbishness all the time...maybe she feels sorry for her, in addition to her being an incredibly generous person.

[Jude The Obscure]

And perhaps this is why Blair felt especially close to Mrs. G--because Mrs G was more of a mother to her than Monica was!

[Nighthawk76]

Originally Posted by Jude86

And perhaps this is why Blair felt especially close to Mrs. G--because Mrs G was more of a mother to her than Monica was!

I think so too. I think without the Mrs. G influence Blair would have been nothing but a spoiled rich girl.

[Nighthawk76]

Even though the actress playing Blair's mother in "Like Mother, Like Daughter" was way to young to be Lisa's mother, I still really like the episode. I think it shows, as others have pointed out, that Blair really was more mature than her mom. We see that again in "A Friend In Deed" and "A New Life". I love the scene in "Like Mother, Like Daughter" where Mr. Bradley is sitting on the couch, smoking a pipe. That was a great Mr. Bradley moment.

[LoveMrsG]

Originally Posted by Crazy for Blair

I think so too. I think without the Mrs. G influence Blair would have been nothing but a spoiled rich girl.

Oh, me too...definitely!!! Hey listen, if any of you guys hang out on the Facts Fanfiction board, I'm working on a story there about Blair and Mrs. Garrett, but I've got to warn you that it's a tear-jerker. I've always been much better at writing drama than comedy. It's called "12 Hours" if anybody wants to check it out. Don't know if I'll keep posting though, because it really seems to be flopping on the board right now. Nobody's replying or discussing it, so it might not be that good. But still, if anybody here likes fanfics, check it out. You might enjoy it.

[candycandy]

This is a very interesting posting i m reading & i have a few things to say:
1. I don t think MONICA from season 1 looked to young to play BLAIR s mom (ok so she looked younger than the MONICA who played on later seasons), remember at the time BLAIR was barely 15 years old + 1st MONICA was maybe 35 years old? (old enough to be her mom).
2. MRS. G never felt sorry for BLAIR: she just loved her & so did BLAIR!
3. BLAIR & MRS. G had indeed a mother daughter relationship (she gave her the nurturing MONICA never could) which is why they bonded so well!
4. MRS. G wouldn t take any crap from BLAIR so she occasionaly put her in her place or lectured her (what MONICA probably never did)
5. I think MONICA from season 1 was gorgeous but i found MONICA from later seasons more fun!
6. BLAIR did a lot of growing while having to work in the kitchen with the other girls: she became humble (although she never lost her vanity), caring, sensitive, helpful & a good friend to JO.
Any comments?

[AnnaMarie]

That is so right...I mean about Blair being pushed to be the grown-up and all. Even Jo, with her jailed dad, was still able to be a kid with her parents.

Maybe Blair was the one Mrs. G had control over, and the one Mrs. G cared about, not Monica. Hence the "bias". But really, Blair is at time the most vulnerable character ever. Nowadays, a blond rich girl is just a plastic doll on every sitcom; they never even think of her being warm, caring and even pitiable as consistently as Blair was.

[Gemini_89]

I never cared for either of Blair's parents. I think Jo had the coolest parent (her dad) and Tootie had the coolest mom.

[Lorimar Television]

I actually preferred the original Monica. Yeah she was young but she's rich so she probably had a lot of skin treatments and stuff done