S03.E11: A Presumption Of Innocence

[TaibasJones]

I totally get making Donna the MVP, but I have to give pushy Oooondrea some props too. It's so PSA-y and stagy per usual, but I was glad she had a line about not blaming the victim. I think she set some of the groundwork for Sue not feeling like she was completely isolated. I cringe to think that I thought Brenda's "BACK OFF MY FRIEND'S MAAAAN" slutshaming was justifiable back in the day and Andrea and the eventual reveal snapped me out of that (man I was so young when this came out). It is embarrassing to admit I learned some things from this show, but I guess it's good something was getting through my naive skull.

My daughter comes home from high school with tales of girls who are making very bad Sue Scanlonesque choices and I can only go "Oh honey please be a little compassionate, they are possibly having a very hard time at home."

[TaibasJones]

I must be taking crazy pills, because I feel like they are finally making Carteris look a bit younger somehow. Maybe it's the no glasses and the softer hair. The early 90s were challenging because it seems like there was not much between the mini business lady look and chiffon body suit things. I rejected both so I wore a lot of band shirts but that was before "girl cut" tees came in. I was happy when I didn't have to look like a cereal box anymore.

Also I have to comment on the super random bongo poster. That struck a really deep buried memory, actually. This is so anecdata but I remember this resurgence in 60s fashion and slang around this time, at least in my part of the US (which was so backwater I KNOW it didn't begin there). Sassy mag was pushing this look pretty hard iirc. Environmentalism was trendy again (which we have seen a few times in 90210 now with the beach pollution commentary). I was flat ironing my hair, ha. My friends and I would hit Salvation Army and get polyester 60s dresses and there were a bunch of wild tights, patterns, granny glasses and peace signs in Claire's. The wild patterns come out on 90210 but they are definitely more of the true 90s interpretation (Chess King/Contempo Casuals) than true 60s. And then in 94 Woodstock happened again and my friends and I lost our minds about that because we were too young and broke to go (thank god). Sooo somehow that bongo poster seems spot on.

[Halo]

About the boom mic - I think that has more to do with framing and aspect ratio than with the skill of the boom mic operator. At least with movies, if the projectionist hasn't framed the film correctly, then you will see the mics. May have something to do with HD tvs having a different aspect ratio than the old ones on which the show was originally viewed. Here's a little discussion on it: https://www.datalounge.com/thread/10362338-thanks-to-hd-i-m-seeing-boom-mics-in-old-tv-shows

Nope, those boom mike shots were visible on first airing. In the old Mediarama recaps and boards it was a source of much amusement. 

[Sarah D. Bunting]

...Aw, Mediarama. 

[kite-wombat]

I think it's in an upcoming episode (spoiler alert! ;) ) where he joins the class late. I feel like it is Ohhhhhdrea who helps convince him to get into the class.

 

 

 

CONFIRMED: Dylan goes from "I don't wanna go to college" to "I wanna go to Berkeley!". Also, he goes from "I've read all these books because I'm mad, bad and dangerous to know" to "I'm gonna write my own book because I'm mad, bad and dangerous to know". 

 

 

Re: an earlier poster's query on Donna's birthday.... Maybe she was relieved when we didn't notice them all doing Junior year for the second time. Because that really was the second time. Or third time. Or forty-third time. Hell, Donna voted for JFK okay?

[mostlylurking]

And I have to say it again - Brenda's hair!! This was peak hair time for her. I was envious of it then and still am.

[STOPSHOUTING]

I'm pretty sure that the shorts Gil is wearing on the beach, are a match for the shirt he was wearing around the house earlier. Do you think they're Granimals?

Also, hey, 90210 costume department, maybe don't put Grandma Carteris, world's oldest "teenager," in a Hilary Clinton pantsuit for homeroom. Just sayin'.

Edited February 5, 2016 by STOPSHOUTING

[STOPSHOUTING]

In middle school I had a male teacher that was old, ugly, married and never inappropriate ... That I knew of, and I was one of his student aides. He was arrested when I was in high school for molesting boys. Apparently he preyed on the old order Mennonite boys (most would call them Amish), because he knew they wouldn't talk. When one finally did, it came out he'd been doing this for years and years. He was eventually charged with 50 counts. Hideous.

Just recently, someone I had interviewed multiple times and worked with at least semi-regularly without an inkling of impropriety -- he was a very successful coach -- was accused of molestation of a young girl, and found with hundreds of thousands of kiddie porn pics hidden in multiple locations at his home and business. Despite this evidence, there were more than a few parents who absolutely defended this monster, saying he was the "real victim" and the accuser was simply a messed up, jealous little girl, sad she was not as talented as their precious babies. They were swearing publicly that they'd leave their daughters alone with this coach again as soon as his name was cleared. Spoiler alert: he committed suicide in jail and some of these twisted freaks actually left his accuser's family creepy voicemails blaming them for "murdering" an "innocent man."

Basically, my point is that there is very little "wrongful accusation" going on when it comes to sexual abuse and/or rape. I definitely don't think that every teacher, coach or youth paster is a creepazoid and agree that people's perception may be off, but actually "ruining someone's life" with a false accusation is, statistically, not a thing.

Sorry to get all soapbox-y, but I hate that TV, even today, continues to perpetuate the stereotype that "messed up" young girls are accusing men of abuse willy nilly, just because they can. It really does effect how society looks at these sorts of things and helps allow these bottom feeding, low-life scum balls to continue to exist.

Edited February 5, 2016 by STOPSHOUTING

[SoupThrower]

This whole Brandon can't dance is a lie. I didn't know Jason was in a Britney Spears' video clip until I was flicking through TV stations. BRANDON CAN DANCE!!!

 

My belief in life has changed. 

[Onfire444]

A. Wow, Tori Spelling can dance! i think she looks good! (this comment based on Pigskin Prom visual aids)

B. I kinda like the two ugly sweaters worn by Andrea and Brenda in the last visual aid. I would totally wear them.

[CeeBeeGee]

 

On 2/1/2016 at 4:13 PM, Lindsey said:

And I know it was 20+ years ago, but I can't believe a male high school teacher at the time wouldn't have been told not to be alone with a female student and not to have any unnecessary physical contact with students.  Even elementary teachers are discouraged from doing that.  That was one of the first things we were told at my job orientation when I started teaching.

I was a substitute teacher in the mid-late '90s and we were told not even to let the kids hug you, just in case. (This proved impossible when teaching very young children--I had one little girl who saw me in the room, marched right over and threw her arms around me.)

On 2/1/2016 at 5:27 PM, Petunia13 said:

Why does Gil even go to the Peach Pit? I'm not a teacher but won't be caught dead where anyone I work with could find me.

As many have said, Gil has boundary issues and makes some stupid decisions. The Peach Pit is like Trix--it's for kids. They don't want to see a teacher there, that's their hangout. Go make some adult friends, Gil.