Was Jo Too Masculine? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Glennboy · 08-08-2013, 09:35 PM

Nancy McKeon is a beautiful actress, but I noticed IMO that no matter how femenine they tried to make the character of Jo, she still came off as "masculine". She didn't ever really look good in a dress....in one episode she even looked like a line backer in a dress with her shoulders showing off like that. I know Jo was supposed to be the exact opposite of Blair, and indeed she was.

I thought Jo became a little boring in the later seasons, though. She was best when she was a tomboy

Wawwie · 08-08-2013, 09:55 PM

The reason that Jo still came off as masculine even in a feminine dress is because of her posture and mannerisms. The only way she could come off as feminine is if you took a still photograph of her. Because when she's moving and in action, it is not lady like at all......no matter what she's wearing or how her make up is done.

Impressions · 08-08-2013, 10:04 PM

I'm not sure why they tried to clean up her and tame her in the later seasons, because it seemed like a different Jo than what we knew of. She still was a foil to Blair and was insulting, but she just wasn't the same in the post-"Over Our Heads" years. She looked pretty good in a wedding dress ("'Til Death Do We Part"), but any other dress they put her in (ahem, "Let's Face the Music") was just out of character. I knew she was always butch and tomboyish, but they should of just kept her that way.

DarkDante · 08-26-2013, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennboy

Nancy McKeon is a beautiful actress, but I noticed IMO that no matter how femenine they tried to make the character of Jo, she still came off as "masculine". She didn't ever really look good in a dress....in one episode she even looked like a line backer in a dress with her shoulders showing off like that. I know Jo was supposed to be the exact opposite of Blair, and indeed she was.

I thought Jo became a little boring in the later seasons, though. She was best when she was a tomboy

Yes I mentioned this before but in terms of mannerisms and how her character was portrayed, she reminded me of Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) off of "Welcome Back Kotter". Nancy McKeon was an attractive girl but the character of Jo was extremely masculine to the point of again reminding me of Travolta's character off of Kotter.

Coffee Florence · 08-30-2013, 03:03 AM

LOL @ Vinnie Barbarino. Nancy had little in the way of role models for that role, so I don't blame her if she did look to Vinnie for inspiration.

PartyOfOne · 10-22-2013, 09:09 PM

]I think NBC was getting complaints about Jo being a lesbian, thus changes were made to her character. They were not believable. She would have been better as a lesbian.[/SIZE]

ThomasE · 10-27-2013, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PartyOfOne

]I think NBC was getting complaints about Jo being a lesbian, thus changes were made to her character. They were not believable. She would have been better as a lesbian.[/SIZE]

I really don't think that was the case at all.

I loved here in the last two seasons. I loved with her with those skirts and long, curly mullet hair. She was cute.

FOL85NatandMrsGRock · 10-27-2013, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

I really don't think that was the case at all.

I loved here in the last two seasons. I loved with her with those skirts and long, curly mullet hair. She was cute.

I agree, in the later seasons because of her hair mostly, I thought she was very pretty and feminine looking. I just recently watched big apple blues and she had on a black skirt outfit and I thought, wow! Jo is actually pretty looking for once!

I don't think the whole lesbian thing came up until later (more recent years) now that it's a big new thing. I think a lot of lesbians or gays are looking for characters to identify with and Jo is one. I'm very tom boyish and am definitely not a lesbian. I like to be out getting dirty four wheeling, boating, fishing. but I have a softer side, like Jo, and I like to dress up too. Sometimes Jo came off quite masculine, but it's just what the show needed with all the girlie girls!

Gemini_89 · 02-03-2016, 09:54 PM

Yes she was masculine but that's what made her character.....her.

JoPol_wannabe · 02-05-2016, 07:35 PM

I feel that they tamed her down to show that since she came and attended Eastland all those years has changed her a little bit. I mean she was still kind of tomboyish and a little bit of a rebel but not as much as when she first came there. Also living with the girls and Mrs. Garrett all those years I feel the writers wanted to show how that influenced the way she acted and dressed in the later years.

08-08-2013, 09:35 PM	#1
Glennboy Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Jan 22, 2004 Location: Cartersville,GA Posts: 4	Was Jo Too Masculine? Nancy McKeon is a beautiful actress, but I noticed IMO that no matter how femenine they tried to make the character of Jo, she still came off as "masculine". She didn't ever really look good in a dress....in one episode she even looked like a line backer in a dress with her shoulders showing off like that. I know Jo was supposed to be the exact opposite of Blair, and indeed she was. I thought Jo became a little boring in the later seasons, though. She was best when she was a tomboy

08-08-2013, 09:55 PM	#2
Wawwie Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 26, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 14,376	The reason that Jo still came off as masculine even in a feminine dress is because of her posture and mannerisms. The only way she could come off as feminine is if you took a still photograph of her. Because when she's moving and in action, it is not lady like at all......no matter what she's wearing or how her make up is done.

08-08-2013, 10:04 PM	#3
Impressions She died the way she lived Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 4,640	I'm not sure why they tried to clean up her and tame her in the later seasons, because it seemed like a different Jo than what we knew of. She still was a foil to Blair and was insulting, but she just wasn't the same in the post-"Over Our Heads" years. She looked pretty good in a wedding dress ("'Til Death Do We Part"), but any other dress they put her in (ahem, "Let's Face the Music") was just out of character. I knew she was always butch and tomboyish, but they should of just kept her that way.

08-30-2013, 03:03 AM	#5
Coffee Florence Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 04, 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 22	LOL @ Vinnie Barbarino. Nancy had little in the way of role models for that role, so I don't blame her if she did look to Vinnie for inspiration.

10-22-2013, 09:09 PM	#6
PartyOfOne Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 24, 2005 Posts: 162	]I think NBC was getting complaints about Jo being a lesbian, thus changes were made to her character. They were not believable. She would have been better as a lesbian.[/SIZE]

02-03-2016, 09:54 PM	#9
Gemini_89 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 09, 2009 Location: Unknown Posts: 1,294	Yes she was masculine but that's what made her character.....her.

02-05-2016, 07:35 PM	#10
JoPol_wannabe Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 11, 2001 Location: Nebraska Posts: 3,036	I feel that they tamed her down to show that since she came and attended Eastland all those years has changed her a little bit. I mean she was still kind of tomboyish and a little bit of a rebel but not as much as when she first came there. Also living with the girls and Mrs. Garrett all those years I feel the writers wanted to show how that influenced the way she acted and dressed in the later years.