Probs w/ Tonight's Ep - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

lesliem14 · 04-19-2001, 10:06 PM

I've thought about this before when I saw this episode, but why is Jo portrayed as the only one who knows how to act in a city when all four of them are from a big city? Nat's from NYC. I think Blair is from there also and Tootie from DC. I spent last semester in DC and believe me I did not just lay my coat and money down on the subway. How stupid can you get? I loved living in DC, but there were just some things that you did not do, as with any major city. If you're going to have the characters from major cities then have them act like it when they are in one. I'm sure they did this for storyline purposes to have Jo as the only one with any sense, but that just really bothers me. And it's not that Jo's from the Bronx either, I'm from Frankfort, KY a bustling metropolis of 30,000 and I understand what you do and what you don't do in a city. I admit that I have traveled extensively in many major cities, but that really bugs me. If Tootie, Nat, and Blair were from the same small town that my one friend is from I could buy it more easily, because I remember the first time we were in a major city together and it was interesting. And I quote her, sadly I am not making it up, "There were hardly any white people in that gas station." My Minneapolis friend and I proceeded to roll our eyes. I feel better now!! Sorry this was so long!

[This message has been edited by lesliem14 (edited 04-19-2001).]

callmetootie · 04-19-2001, 10:08 PM

Blair is from Texas on the show. I think that Jo knows more about the city, because she spent more time there, as the other girls were sent to the girls school earilier.

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Andrew Carden

04-19-2001, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by callmetootie:
Blair is from Texas on the show. I think that Jo knows more about the city, because she spent more time there, as the other girls were sent to the girls school earilier.

No, Blair is from NYC. Lisa Whelchel is from Texas.

callmetootie · 04-19-2001, 10:13 PM

But in the E! True Hollywood Story, Lisa Whelchel says "Blair was supposed to be a fast-talking girl from Texas".

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Andrew Carden

TVaddict · 04-19-2001, 10:21 PM

If you listened more carefully, you would've heard her say that ORIGINALLY Blair was supposed to be a "fast-talking girl from Texas." She then said that she read some line sort of snotty and they liked that better, so they changed her character to the spoiled rich girl from Manhattan.

callmetootie · 04-19-2001, 10:22 PM

Oh, I didn't catch that one. Sorry.

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Andrew Carden

Devon King · 04-19-2001, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by callmetootie:
But in the E! True Hollywood Story, Lisa Whelchel says "Blair was supposed to be a fast-talking girl from Texas".

True! However, when Whelchel auditioned she delivered some of her lines in a snooty, stuck-up fashion and producers liked her twist on things so well that the character was re-written to become the Blair we know -- a rich kid from Manhattan.

Devon King · 04-19-2001, 10:27 PM

Whoops! Sorry, guys, I took too long to type my reply and you beat me to the punch! <grin>

NancyMcKeonRules · 04-20-2001, 02:17 AM

This thing about where Blair is from is kinda confusing. I didn't know whether she was from NY or TX. Her dad has a farm in Texas and he has a Texan accent. But Blair always talks about Bloomingdale's or whatever and seems more like a New Yorker.

And about them not knowing how to act in a city, I think it's cuz, like Andrew said, they were sent to the girl school earlier. Also, they were all from upper middle class families (in Blair's case, upper class

) and they were probably never in the streets of a city like that. Jo knew how to handle it cuz that's the type of neighborhood she grew up in. (duh, u already knew that

) She wasn't from some upper class family and she was also in a gang be4. I know she was in a gang cuz in the ep "Help From Home," her aunt says, "I always knew you were smart. Even when you were a bum with that gang."

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~Kristen

Jo Rules!

"I have PMS and a gun, any questions?" -Jinny

Proud member of the "Rick Haters Club"

coily2 · 04-20-2001, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by NancyMcKeonRules:
And about them not knowing how to act in a city, I think it's cuz, like Andrew said, they were sent to the girl school earlier. Also, they were all from upper middle class families (in Blair's case, upper class ) and they were probably never in the streets of a city like that. Jo knew how to handle it cuz that's the type of neighborhood she grew up in. (duh, u already knew that ) She wasn't from some upper class family and she was also in a gang be4

Hmmm.... I don't know about that... I grew up in an upper middle class home in an affluent Chicago suburb and went to a private school, but I sure knew better than to leave my coat around on the subway when I was visiting the city. You learn those things even quicker in Manhattan. Trust me. I've lived there too, and not in a very nice neighborhood

I think they took a little dramatic license to paint Jo as "street-wise". But any of the NY episodes really bother me for this reason. It isn't accurate and they act like the other girls are from Iowa or something. Plus, for people who have never visited a place like NY, it paints an awful misconception of what life in the city is like. When I was living in NY, I could never convince my mother to come visit me because scenes like this had given her the wrong idea of what goes on.

Furthermore (last point, I promise), I know that Manhattan has cleaned up a whole bunch over the past 20 years, but there generally aren't divey little greasy spoons across the way from Broadway theaters.

04-19-2001, 10:06 PM	#1
lesliem14 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Frankfort, KY Posts: 650	Probs w/ Tonight's Ep I've thought about this before when I saw this episode, but why is Jo portrayed as the only one who knows how to act in a city when all four of them are from a big city? Nat's from NYC. I think Blair is from there also and Tootie from DC. I spent last semester in DC and believe me I did not just lay my coat and money down on the subway. How stupid can you get? I loved living in DC, but there were just some things that you did not do, as with any major city. If you're going to have the characters from major cities then have them act like it when they are in one. I'm sure they did this for storyline purposes to have Jo as the only one with any sense, but that just really bothers me. And it's not that Jo's from the Bronx either, I'm from Frankfort, KY a bustling metropolis of 30,000 and I understand what you do and what you don't do in a city. I admit that I have traveled extensively in many major cities, but that really bugs me. If Tootie, Nat, and Blair were from the same small town that my one friend is from I could buy it more easily, because I remember the first time we were in a major city together and it was interesting. And I quote her, sadly I am not making it up, "There were hardly any white people in that gas station." My Minneapolis friend and I proceeded to roll our eyes. I feel better now!! Sorry this was so long! [This message has been edited by lesliem14 (edited 04-19-2001).]

04-19-2001, 10:08 PM	#2
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	Blair is from Texas on the show. I think that Jo knows more about the city, because she spent more time there, as the other girls were sent to the girls school earilier. ------------------ Andrew Carden

04-19-2001, 10:13 PM	#4
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	But in the E! True Hollywood Story, Lisa Whelchel says "Blair was supposed to be a fast-talking girl from Texas". ------------------ Andrew Carden

04-19-2001, 10:21 PM	#5
TVaddict Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 30, 2000 Location: NH Posts: 562	If you listened more carefully, you would've heard her say that ORIGINALLY Blair was supposed to be a "fast-talking girl from Texas." She then said that she read some line sort of snotty and they liked that better, so they changed her character to the spoiled rich girl from Manhattan.

04-19-2001, 10:22 PM	#6
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	Oh, I didn't catch that one. Sorry. ------------------ Andrew Carden

04-19-2001, 10:27 PM	#8
Devon King Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 24, 2000 Posts: 204	Whoops! Sorry, guys, I took too long to type my reply and you beat me to the punch! <grin>

04-20-2001, 02:17 AM	#9
NancyMcKeonRules Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 11, 2001 Location: Buffalo,NY Posts: 54	This thing about where Blair is from is kinda confusing. I didn't know whether she was from NY or TX. Her dad has a farm in Texas and he has a Texan accent. But Blair always talks about Bloomingdale's or whatever and seems more like a New Yorker. And about them not knowing how to act in a city, I think it's cuz, like Andrew said, they were sent to the girl school earlier. Also, they were all from upper middle class families (in Blair's case, upper class ) and they were probably never in the streets of a city like that. Jo knew how to handle it cuz that's the type of neighborhood she grew up in. (duh, u already knew that ) She wasn't from some upper class family and she was also in a gang be4. I know she was in a gang cuz in the ep "Help From Home," her aunt says, "I always knew you were smart. Even when you were a bum with that gang." ------------------ ~Kristen Jo Rules! "I have PMS and a gun, any questions?" -Jinny Proud member of the "Rick Haters Club"