S02.E19: Festival

[desertflower]

I love learning new things here! Had no idea Paramore was popular with a lot of Black people. I initially thought it was an odd reference for this show but now it makes sense. I only know a few of their songs but her voice is amazing.

I loved Mr. Johnson sweeping Leslie Odom off the stage. Lol.

 

[DearEvette]

Oh Lordt.  I just realized that during the end tag while Tariq was talking about his Anti-and-Pro Amazon songs, and his national Parks songs and trying to bring the Velociraptors back ... he is sitting in the dunk tank.  😂

[sistermagpie]

7 hours ago, RainbowBrite said:

Did he look different to anyone else? Maybe his face is just slimmer, but it caught me off guard for a second.

 

6 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Everyone is talking about how Tariq looks so cute (and I agree that the weight loss looks good on him), but I can't help but think that he's wasting away now that he doesn't have Janine to carry him.

Or just make him lunch.

I was so happy to see Amber again as the same person she was before. Also Erika.

[possibilities]

Where does one acquire a dunk tank?

 

[Empress1]

13 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

As you know we love to recommend music to each other! 😊

If you haven't tried these , try

- Ain't it Fun
- Crushcrushcrush
- Decode
- I Caught Myself
- Misery Business 
- That's What you Get 

I think you'll like them!  Their newest single is "This is Why", but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet....

Ain’t It Fun really is fun, and I like That’s What You Get too.

[vibeology]

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

Where does one acquire a dunk tank?

 

You rent them. Party supply companies often have them to rent.

[lovinbob]

I have a theory -- complete speculation -- that Gregory and Janine are actually together but they are hiding it from everyone including/especially the cameras. It should be much more awkward between those two misfit toys. They lean on each other without hesitation in a lot of circumstances. Even when Janine commended him ("You saved the school!") it was just so normal. 

[peachmangosteen]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:44 AM, possibilities said:

Janine had the winning ideas this week, and didn't get credit for any of them.

Gregory telling her not to call Tariq (because of jealousy) and then doing it himself and getting all the credit, even from Janine, annoyed the hell outta me. I’m kinda back on not caring much for Gregory tbh. 

17 hours ago, 4merBachAddict said:

Don't know if I missed it,but did anyone mention hearing Tariq (at the end) looking for a ride back to NY? And then BACK to Philly after he packs his stuff? Did anyone else hear that or am I losing it?  

I hope it means he’ll be in more episodes. I love him!

In spite of being a bit annoyed with Gregory, I absolutely loved this episode. I was worried in the first half of the season that maybe the show had lost something for me but it’s been great lately. Although, I am growing very tired of Gregory/Janine and I really loved them in season 1. 

[amarante]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:14 AM, Blakeston said:

It was a reference to the movie Lee Daniels' The Butler. (Which to be fair was only named that because they couldn't get the rights to the title The Butler.)

I can buy that Jacob wouldn't know who Jazmin Sullivan is, but Lee Daniels? He seems way too fascinated with African-American culture to never have heard of him.

The good news is, Barbara got a celebrity's name right!

I know who Lee Daniels was but I didn't get the "joke" in terms of the full titles until I just read it.

I had assumed that it was just a general reference to Hollywood production companies because movies generally have a slew of vanity cards in the beginning for every company that was involved in producing or developing or distribution.

[Lois Sandborne]

My biggest laugh in an episode full of laughs was Mr. Johnson getting his Sandman Simms on sweeping Draemond off the stage.

This show is a master at getting characters to do a lot with a little. Erica's probably had ten minutes of screen time this whole season and she's done as much to move the Gregory and Janine romance forward as they have. We barely see Tariq, but he was the perfect lancer to sneak in and cut down the charter school plot. It's so impressive.

Also, if we will be seeing Tariq more I'm with it.

I didn't know Jazmine Sullivan was from Philadelphia. I'm a milennial but my reference for a Philly artist is still Boyz II Men lol. 

[mojito]

I laughed when Mr. Johnson used the curling iron to wand people entering the festival. 

[Black Knight]

I think Gregory being all “You’re already dating someone when we just broke up??” with Amber rules out the theory that he and Janine are seeing each other. I rolled my eyes at Gregory as it was, considering he kissed Janine hours after the breakup, but if he were also secretly seeing her he’d be doubly ridiculous to be complaining about Amber having a boyfriend. It would also be disrespectful of and hurtful to current girlfriend Janine. So I don’t think they’re seeing each other right now. Janine would never be able to keep that secret anyway.

[Racj82]

On 3/16/2023 at 12:14 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm old so I don't follow the new music, whether black or white artists.  I will hear new music if the artists are on TV, like on SNL or one of the talk shows.   I used to hear more new music before the pandemic, as they would play it in stores and the gym. 

When I was a kid we would know what was popular by listening to regular radio, both top 40 and FM.  This is a dumb question, but how do people know what's popular now?  YouTube?  Instagram?

Neither Jazmin or Paramore are new. That's the funny thing. But, it has Nothing to do with age. You need to be super mainstream or relevant for most people to know who you are as a artist these days. Past that, its just about who you gravitate towards.

4 hours ago, Black Knight said:

I think Gregory being all “You’re already dating someone when we just broke up??” with Amber rules out the theory that he and Janine are seeing each other. I rolled my eyes at Gregory as it was, considering he kissed Janine hours after the breakup, but if he were also secretly seeing her he’d be doubly ridiculous to be complaining about Amber having a boyfriend. It would also be disrespectful of and hurtful to current girlfriend Janine. So I don’t think they’re seeing each other right now. Janine would never be able to keep that secret anyway.

The man got butthurt for a minute. Its not that big of a deal. He was just caught off guard. I'm sure he also thought she was super invested in the relationship when in reality, neither one of them were.

[possibilities]

I got curious enough to look it up. It costs $275 to rent a dunk tank in Philly

https://www.tlcbounce.com/dunk-tank.html

Edited March 19, 2023 by possibilities

[ItCouldBeWorse]

13 hours ago, Black Knight said:

I think Gregory being all “You’re already dating someone when we just broke up??” with Amber rules out the theory that he and Janine are seeing each other. I rolled my eyes at Gregory as it was, considering he kissed Janine hours after the breakup, but if he were also secretly seeing her he’d be doubly ridiculous to be complaining about Amber having a boyfriend. It would also be disrespectful of and hurtful to current girlfriend Janine. So I don’t think they’re seeing each other right now. Janine would never be able to keep that secret anyway.

That, but mostly that Erica would also know, and she clearly doesn't.

[txhorns79]

On 3/16/2023 at 7:50 PM, peridot said:

I do like it when they bring in more characters from the school,

I appreciate when they actually show there are other teachers aside from the core group.  Sometimes you'd think this school only had five classes worth of students. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:40 AM, possibilities said:

Where does one acquire a dunk tank?

 

Mr. Johnson found it in the basement!

[sugarbaker design]

On 3/17/2023 at 9:12 PM, mojito said:

I laughed when Mr. Johnson used the curling iron to wand people entering the festival. 

With his own sound effects!

[Bookish Jen]

I was so worried when Tariq came back, the final scene would be him and Janine making out in her classroom. But thank goodness that didn't happen.

My sister and I were talking about Abbott Elementary and why we love it so much. My niece and nephew went a public grade school and high school in an urban environment. Far too often, public schools, especially in the city, are portrayed in a negative light-dugs, gang violence, teachers just there for a paycheck, students who don't care about their education, and parents who aren't involved in a positive way. But Abbott Elementary defies those stereotypes, and shows how teachers, students, and parents can work together to make a school thrive. 

 

[Joimiaroxeu]

Jacob getting embarrassed for asking Siri who Lee Daniels is. Did he think he was on a Bluetooth headphone or something?

Extra Petite Bitch clothing line.

Erika being messy all up in Greg's business. She's a good friend to Janine.

Loved Ava's black suit dress. The whole outfit was fabulous. Want.

Soupy macaroni and cheese? No thanks.

Yeah, for a guy with a Black boyfriend and who graduated from Oberlin, Jacob is surprisingly ignorant of the culture. How could he not know who Nikki Giovanni is?

Draemond sounded to me like he was running for some minor local office. A lot of multisyllabic words trying to seem important but not really saying much. Oh well, he chose to be a jackass.

🎶 Abbott on Abbott on Abbott 🎶 It had a good beat and you could dance to it. 😏

Tariq coming back to Philly will likely bring some drama between Janine and Greg. Can't wait.

Kind of a pat ending to the charter school storyline. I hope this really is the end of it though.

[Badsamaritan]

I don't think the charter school storyline is over. This is a setback for Draemond but he seems to be pretty determined so I'm not counting him out yet. I'm guessing his next move will be to the school board, since the parents shot him down. 

Everyone was really on their A game, including all the recurring actors. And Erica. Gurl. She heard the pause, Gregory! Don't even play! 😂

[LydiaMoon1]

The thing that really struck me about Draymond's grandstanding at AVA Fest was the fact that the only improvement he promised for Abbott Elementary was his promise to make the school look better. That's it. There was no promise of a better curriculum, of making student's lives better, of making the neighborhood better, nothing. The only changes he offered were shallow and superficial. I'm glad the parents shut him down. 

Also, I don't think this episode was the end of the charter school storyline either. Draymond's not finished yet. 

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by LydiaMoon1

[Ilovepie]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:02 PM, meep.meep said:

She's dating Andre Iguodala who plays for the Golden State Warriors in California. Not likely to show up on a moment's notice.

Thank you! This was my first thought - Ava already knows someone famous - why does she not call her boyfriend?!??? Or use her awesome social media skills to call attention to the problem? Also, I don't understand why this school cannot disseminate information about a major upcoming change to the school other than flailing about in front of the building. Anytime my kids school district has an announcement I am inundated with robo-calls, emails, texts, and usually a formal letter mailed to the house of some momentous meeting or ruling about to happen should I want to be there. This seems like one of the cases where a school wide meeting should be called. How do they not have a way to notify the parents? I guess that would be too easy.......

On another note, let me add a shout out to Paramore's "Still Into You", an ode to old(er) love, as well as "Airplanes" by B.o.b featuring Hayley Williams - "Can we pretend like airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now, wish right now...."

[ribboninthesky1]

14 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

The only changes he offered was shallow and superficial. I'm glad the parents shut him down.

I was surprised that he wasn't better prepared to field such questions and concerns, especially since he popped up unannounced to presumably derail things. 

I've been playing Paramore and Jazmine Sullivan for several days while (mostly) working from home, thanks to all for the reminder of great music.  I can be loud and off key without disturbing others! 

[LydiaMoon1]

On 3/21/2023 at 9:30 PM, ribboninthesky1 said:

I've been playing Paramore and Jazmine Sullivan for several days while (mostly) working from home, thanks to all for the reminder of great music.  I can be loud and off key without disturbing others! 

Have you seen her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert yet on Youtube? It's magnificent.

Edited March 23, 2023 by LydiaMoon1

[HappyBerry]

On 3/15/2023 at 9:08 PM, callie lee 29 said:

Can I just say how really glad I am they didn't take the typical way or and make Tariq an asshole? Sure, he's definitely got some issues and was NOT a good boyfriend, but he's not really a bad guy, you know? The fact that he showed up to help, has done it in the past, and really hyped the parents up, he's got layers. I like that.

It's such a great contrast to the common trope of women om tv (and in real life) staying with guys like that because "he's a good guy"; you don't need a 'bad guy' for a relationship to just not work. I hope it becomes more common.

 

The only other example I can think of off the top of my head is Ryan in Shrill. Nice guy, clearly loved Annie...and was also really immature and needed to get his shit together.

[incandescent]

On 3/16/2023 at 5:09 PM, LydiaMoon1 said:

Everyone is talking about how Tariq looks so cute (and I agree that the weight loss looks good on him), but I can't help but think that he's wasting away now that he doesn't have Janine to carry him.

Tariq strikes me as the kind of guy who can get himself a free lunch.

On 3/16/2023 at 12:14 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

When I was a kid we would know what was popular by listening to regular radio, both top 40 and FM.  This is a dumb question, but how do people know what's popular now?  YouTube?  Instagram?

Nowadays nothing gets the global popularity and ubiquity of a pop radio hit from the 90's-00's. That said, Billboard is still the metric for people who like to follow charts, and Spotify playlists are probably the most common way for people to find new, popular music in their preferred genre (and TikTok is where the biggest hits build momentum)

On 3/18/2023 at 9:06 PM, possibilities said:

I got curious enough to look it up. It costs $275 to rent a dunk tank in Philly

https://www.tlcbounce.com/dunk-tank.html

The school found the dunk tank in the basement.

 

My first thought when Melissa mentioning that she was gonna staple the information was that my mom would have been pissed at someone poking holes into my jacket, so glad a parent immediately yelled a her for it. I loved all the parents this episode, they were sharp and extremely quick on the uptake.

I hope one of Tariq's harebrained ideas works out for him. He's such a loser but so charming despite it. Hire him, Amazon (or Anti-Amazon)!

[kwnyc]

On 3/16/2023 at 7:14 AM, Blakeston said:

I can buy that Jacob wouldn't know who Jazmin Sullivan is, but Lee Daniels? He seems way too fascinated with African-American culture to never have heard of him.

Yes. I thought that, too!

[kathyk24]

7 hours ago, HappyBerry said:

It's such a great contrast to the common trope of women om tv (and in real life) staying with guys like that because "he's a good guy"; you don't need a 'bad guy' for a relationship to just not work. I hope it becomes more common.

 

The only other example I can think of off the top of my head is Ryan in Shrill. Nice guy, clearly loved Annie...and was also really immature and needed to get his shit together.

Tariq is a bad guy. He's lazy and self centered he's the male Peggy Bundy.

[qtpye]

On 3/15/2023 at 11:08 PM, callie lee 29 said:

Can I just say how really glad I am they didn't take the typical way or and make Tariq an asshole? Sure, he's definitely got some issues and was NOT a good boyfriend, but he's not really a bad guy, you know? The fact that he showed up to help, has done it in the past, and really hyped the parents up, he's got layers. I like that.

I love the way that you totally understand why Janine dated Tariq and why she is much better off without him. Which makes Janine look sympathetic and not stupid for wasting her time with this fool

Most sitcoms do not have this type of amazing nuanced writing.

It helps that Tariq is quite cute but in a different way than Gregory.

[qtpye]

On 3/16/2023 at 7:04 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

As you know we love to recommend music to each other! 😊

If you haven't tried these , try

- Ain't it Fun
- Crushcrushcrush
- Decode
- I Caught Myself
- Misery Business 
- That's What you Get 

I think you'll like them!  Their newest single is "This is Why", but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet....

Ain't it Fun was my jam back in the day.

[HappyBerry]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:51 PM, kathyk24 said:

Tariq is a bad guy. He's lazy and self centered he's the male Peggy Bundy.

He's lazy and self-centered and also is willing to show up and help. And he's charismatic and good with kids. He's not perfect, but he's not "bad guy" either.

He's the guy that in most other shows the female star would end up with because "he's got his flaws but he's got a good heart". Everyone would talk about how lucky she is because be likes kids or sometimes tries to do nice things. Instead these shoes are starting to show that "nah, women deserve better than 'a good heart'".

[mostlylurking]

On 3/16/2023 at 11:15 AM, Crashcourse said:

hear ya.  I have no idea what's popular nowadays. 

Same.  My pop culture knowledge basically stops in the mid 90’s/early. 2000’s.  I don’t give a shit about that stuff anymore.  I did know who Lee Daniels was.  I’ve heard of paramour but wouldn’t be able to recognize them or their songs.  No idea who Jazmin was.