Airhead Sue Ann - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Lorimar Television · 01-27-2019, 11:56 PM

After watching TGS backdoor pilot I got to thinking, do you think if they kept Sue Ann as the air headed blond of the group her character might have survived? The dumb characters on sitcoms do tend to be pretty popular. Personally I like FOL Sue Ann but I have to wonder. Sure Blair sorta was ditzy at times but wasn't totally dumb.

RetroGuy2000 · 01-28-2019, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

After watching TGS backdoor pilot I got to thinking, do you think if they kept Sue Ann as the air headed blond of the group her character might have survived? The dumb characters on sitcoms do tend to be pretty popular. Personally I like FOL Sue Ann but I have to wonder. Sure Blair sorta was ditzy at times but wasn't totally dumb.

Wow, that's a really good question, Lorimar!

I don't really like having a dumb character on sitcoms; the Dumb Jackie years on Roseanne, for example, were terrible. So I'm glad Sue Ann wasn't left a ditz.

Making Sue Ann ditzy might have saved Julie Pie's job, but would the Sue Ann character have been saved? Certainly not the Sue Ann character we know and love: not the Sue Ann who helps Nancy study in "IQ", or the Sue Ann who schemes up plans. Not the Sue Ann who covers for Blair in "Flash Flood" and "The Facts of Love". Not the Sue Ann who is determined to be a vice president of her company in "The Little Chill".

I'm glad they didn't go the 'dumb' route with Sue Ann.

Lorimar Television · 01-28-2019, 12:14 AM

I meant if they stuck with her original character in the first place could it have made her more popular?

RetroGuy2000 · 01-28-2019, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I meant if they stuck with her original character in the first place could it have made her more popular?

Maybe. Chrissy Snow became more popular as her character was dumbed down. Jackie Harris became less popular as she was dumbed down.

Lorimar Television · 01-28-2019, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Maybe. Chrissy Snow became more popular as her character was dumbed down. Jackie Harris became less popular as she was dumbed down.

Which seasons was she dumbed downed?

RetroGuy2000 · 01-28-2019, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Which seasons was she dumbed downed?

Jackie? The later seasons of the original series: 7-9. Originally, Jackie was a character who was unlucky in love, but who was intelligent. By the end of Season 8, she was a Gilligan clone. She even had Gilligan's mannerisms.

Lorimar Television · 01-28-2019, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Jackie? The later seasons of the original series: 7-9. Originally, Jackie was a character who was unlucky in love, but who was intelligent. By the end of Season 8, she was a Gilligan clone. She even had Gilligan's mannerisms.

Haha well she did play Gilligan in Roseanne's dream

Heenan Fan · 02-05-2019, 04:24 AM

I liked dumb Sue Anne. Mostly because it gave her character some depth and made her stand out. Yeah it's a bad stereotype to make the Midwest pretty blonde girl the airhead, but airheads have a long history of working on sitcoms. Literally like 90% of every sitcom has at least one dummy comic relief character. FOL really didn't have one after Sue Anne until Beverly Ann years later.

Lorimar Television · 02-05-2019, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

I liked dumb Sue Anne. Mostly because it gave her character some depth and made her stand out. Yeah it's a bad stereotype to make the Midwest pretty blonde girl the airhead, but airheads have a long history of working on sitcoms. Literally like 90% of every sitcom has at least one dummy comic relief character. FOL really didn't have one after Sue Anne until Beverly Ann years later.

Yeah and Sue Ann wasn't even an air head on FOL proper, she was the smart one.

'80sSitcoms · 02-05-2019, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

I liked dumb Sue Anne.

Haha that sounds like "I.Q."-Molly!

Lorimar Television · 02-06-2019, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Haha that sounds like "I.Q."-Molly!

It does

Impressions · 02-08-2019, 11:23 PM

I loved the way Sue Ann was. Cindy I pictured more as the dumb blonde jock. She should've been the dumb one!

'80sSitcoms · 02-08-2019, 11:47 PM

No she shouldn't have, lol.

RetroGuy2000 · 02-09-2019, 04:37 AM

I can't imagine Cindy as dumb. A tomboy, absolutely. But dumb?

Lorimar Television · 02-09-2019, 04:51 AM

Yeah I don't think Cindy was ever dumb. The closest was Blair

01-27-2019, 11:56 PM	#1
Lorimar Television Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 06, 2007 Posts: 7,034	Airhead Sue Ann After watching TGS backdoor pilot I got to thinking, do you think if they kept Sue Ann as the air headed blond of the group her character might have survived? The dumb characters on sitcoms do tend to be pretty popular. Personally I like FOL Sue Ann but I have to wonder. Sure Blair sorta was ditzy at times but wasn't totally dumb.
	__________________ Some of my favorite theme songs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-e...89CsiJpV_irnNw

01-28-2019, 12:14 AM	#3
Lorimar Television Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 06, 2007 Posts: 7,034	I meant if they stuck with her original character in the first place could it have made her more popular?

02-05-2019, 04:24 AM	#8
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	I liked dumb Sue Anne. Mostly because it gave her character some depth and made her stand out. Yeah it's a bad stereotype to make the Midwest pretty blonde girl the airhead, but airheads have a long history of working on sitcoms. Literally like 90% of every sitcom has at least one dummy comic relief character. FOL really didn't have one after Sue Anne until Beverly Ann years later.

02-08-2019, 11:23 PM	#12
Impressions She died the way she lived Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 4,640	I loved the way Sue Ann was. Cindy I pictured more as the dumb blonde jock. She should've been the dumb one!

02-08-2019, 11:47 PM	#13
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	No she shouldn't have, lol.

02-09-2019, 04:37 AM	#14
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	I can't imagine Cindy as dumb. A tomboy, absolutely. But dumb?

02-09-2019, 04:51 AM	#15
Lorimar Television Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 06, 2007 Posts: 7,034	Yeah I don't think Cindy was ever dumb. The closest was Blair