S03.E25: Senior Poll

[SoupThrower]

I would have loved if Dylan went from Brenda to Kelly to Andrea.  Though Andrea just doesn't have Kelly's flare for drama, so Dylan would probably get bored with her pretty quickly. 

 

Brenda to Kelly to Andrea to Donna. 

 

Now that would be funny. 

[AndySmith]

He'd have been the male version of Valerie.

[FozzyBear]

We did the same thing, except our school had male and female cheerleaders who auditioned. I feel like I'm missing something though. What's wrong with having the potential cheerleaders audition? At our school, after the auditions, ballots were handed out and we voted.

I would have loved if Dylan went from Brenda to Kelly to Andrea. Though Andrea just doesn't have Kelly's flare for drama, so Dylan would probably get bored with her pretty quickly.

At my high school ( in the mid 1990s) cheerleading was considered a sport so people went through try-outs in front of the coaching staff. The first time I ever heard of a student body voting on cheerleaders was that made for TV movie about the Texas cheerleading murder mom. I thought it was weird, sort of along the lines of having the student body vote on who could be on the football team. I guess that's because I thought of cheerleading as a sport and not a club or activity like student council or yearbook. At my HS it was very much a sport with JV and varsity. Cheerleaders even got their own letters and letterman jackets.

[Lisin]

We did the same thing, except our school had male and female cheerleaders who auditioned.  I feel like I'm missing something though.  What's wrong with having the potential cheerleaders audition?  At our school, after the auditions, ballots were handed out and we voted.

At my high school (in the mid 1990s) cheerleading was considered a sport so people went through try-outs in front of the coaching staff. The first time I ever heard of a student body voting on cheerleaders was that made for TV movie about the Texas cheerleading murder mom. I thought it was weird, sort of along the lines of having the student body vote on who could be on the football team. I guess that's because I thought of cheerleading as a sport and not a club or activity like student council or yearbook. At my HS it was very much a sport with JV and varsity. Cheerleaders even got their own letters and letterman jackets.

What FozzyBear said is the issue (in my opinion) when they did the auditions in front of the whole school at an assembly and then let everyone vote it turned it into a popularity contest that had little to do with the merit of the performance and more to do with "Oh, well Kelly's cool so lets vote for her" or whatever. Which makes no sense when it comes to Texas Cheerleading which takes itself very seriously, as evidenced by the whole murder thing. I went to my last 2 years of HS in Texas but I was in Virginia for my first two years so it was a huge culture shock to have a sport turned into a popularity contest.

 

I still can't believe we have 5 episodes left of this season and that we also have to deal with Kelly and Dylan actively hating each other but refusing to break up for all of them. I never realized how fast they went down hill before (and back when this was on Soap Net I basically watched 90210 as a rewatch on a loop).  

[CurlyATX]

Isn't the male version of Valerie really David Silver? That guy had a LOT of girls... didn't they mention all of them at his bachelor party? Even a 3 way right? WTF!!

Also, great analysis on the Kelly-Dylan deception rush="love". However, one of the many things I hated in the only season of 90210 that I watched is that Kelly retcons the triangle to be that Brenda is the cheater. I always keep my fantasy that Dylan just stayed in "Europe" with Brenda forever.

[AndySmith]

Isn't the male version of Valerie really David Silver?

 

I meant it in the sense of Dylan hooking up with all the female cast members...Valerie did that with the guys more than David did with the women, I believe. Valerie hooks up with Dylan, Steve, Ray, David, and Noah, and almost hooked up with Brandon. David only hooked up with Donna, Claire, Valerie, and Gina. In both cases, I'm referring just to hook ups with characters who appeared in the opening credits.

Edited March 30, 2016 by AndySmith

[DonitsYum]

We had a guy who worshipped...and I mean cultlike...Eddie Van Halen. He was voted Most Musical and did his senior yearbook photo posed with his electric guitar. At our last reunion, he tried to foist his band on us all. Since you can't dance to guitar noodling, they declined.

[Petunia13]

A good portion of the student body doesn't give a fuck about the cheerleaders or has more important things to do so its selfish to make the entire student body vote on it.

Furthermore, it shows faulty values like "oh all you guys vote on this very important extracurricular...but every other one like forensics or AV club you don't vote on since you probably don't give a damn or find it relevant."

.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Petunia13

[Panda Bear]

I graduated high school in 2001 and there was a Patti in my class. Pattis (and Pattys) still happen. (Or they did in the late twentieth century, at least.)

[kell710]

As horrible as it is to say, I think if Andrea were to be played by an actress who was a little more, youthful looking, she could have had more viable love interests in the main cast. Say Jennifer Grant were to be Andrea instead of Celeste, they would have actually pulled the trigger on Brandon/Andrea or went with Steve/Andrea and if she stayed on I could see Dylan/Andrea since they seem to get each other on a intellectual level and have a mutual respect. I did like their interaction in this episode and the platonic friendship Dylan could have with a woman though.

[txhorns79]

As horrible as it is to say, I think if Andrea were to be played by an actress who was a little more, youthful looking, she could have had more viable love interests in the main cast.

 

I did think one of the biggest mistakes the show made was having her character become pregnant and get married during the fourth season.  I know GC was pregnant in real life, but it made no sense for the character and only served to isolate her from everyone else during her last season. 

[FozzyBear]

As horrible as it is to say, I think if Andrea were to be played by an actress who was a little more, youthful looking, she could have had more viable love interests in the main cast. Say Jennifer Grant were to be Andrea instead of Celeste, they would have actually pulled the trigger on Brandon/Andrea or went with Steve/Andrea and if she stayed on I could see Dylan/Andrea since they seem to get each other on a intellectual level and have a mutual respect. I did like their interaction in this episode and the platonic friendship Dylan could have with a woman though.

I will always ship Steve/Andrea, but yeah. Andrea could have been a really interesting character to put into all the coupling/uncoupling if they had cast a different actress. And this is where I've got to lay some of the blame on GC. Yes, she just wasn't someone who looked young for her age at all and whatever was going on in her personal life you can start to see her showing her age physically pretty quickly around seasons 3 and 4 (she really looks like she aged 10 years between the pilot and S4), but she's also not a very good actress. She's just got a very limited range of what she can play. Everyone on the show does, but unfortunately for GC playing "young" is really, really, really not in her bag of tricks. I would argue that IZ doesn't actually look any younger, but he plays young better. Also, GC is oddly bad at sexual chemistry with other actors. She never had any sparks with her "love interests". It's not just Brandon. I never really bought she was into anyone she was supposed to be dating. With a different actress I totally agree that Andrea pairings would have opened up some interesting storylines. Andrea/Steve could have explored both of their insecurities (not pretty enough/not smart enough) and jealousies over opposite sex friendships (Brandon/Kelly). Andrea/Dylan could have been an interesting way to explore class tensions within the group and it would have been kind of fun to see Zen And The Art Of Being Dylan try to navigate a romance with Tracy Flick 90210. Alas, we only get Jessie who can't be "He be gone. He be out of her" soon enough.

[FozzyBear]

I did think one of the biggest mistakes the show made was having her character become pregnant and get married during the fourth season. I know GC was pregnant in real life, but it made no sense for the character and only served to isolate her from everyone else during her last season.

So my secret plan, if I could go back in time, of dealing with GC pregnancy would be to give the going away to school plot line to Andrea instead of Brenda and have it last until after her pregnancy. Send Andrea to Yale and have her spend her first semester miserable. You could film her on phone calls with the gang showing how much she misses CA. Plus since it would have been an isolated story you could have shot all of it at once before she started to show. Then you have her deciding she hates Yale and transfers to CU at Christmas or the end of the year.

[AndySmith]

My idea was similar, but since GC's pregnancy was showing much more during the spring semester of freshman year, that's when she should have taken a break from being onscreen. Have here apply to some prestigious internship for that semester instead, have her baby in real life, and then come back.

[lottiedottie]

I spent the evening at my BFF's house, going through her very large containers of high school memorabilia. I came across our school newspaper with the list of senior superlatives. It was fun to read. The only objectionable-ish one was 'shyest'...I figure shy people probably don't love having that pointed out to them. There was  a 'best legs' category but I think that was done in good fun.

 

We also went through her scrapbook, which featured many pictures of us in very 90s clothing.

 

Last but not least, she saved every note/letter I ever sent her and in one them, I kid you not! I mentioned having missed 45 minutes of the latest 90210 episode. That cracked me up. 

 

It was a very 90s evening, and much of the stuff we were looking at made me think of this show and the podcast!

[heshy]

The newspaper staff did all the regular superlatives and then opened the field to a wide range of other categories. Sadly, the advisor had to cut them from the paper because "I don't want to get sued in case this comes true."

He was referring to " Most Likely to Climb the Clock Tower with a High-Powered Rife" and the quiet horse girl won that one.

[psychoticstate]

In my HS we had the senior polls too - - best looking, funniest, most athletic, smartest, friendliest, etc.  Only the popular kids won so it was nothing more than yet another popularity contest with the popular kids' egos being stroked.  

Of course the Hillsters practically swept the awards.  Funny how Donna mentioned that she wrote David's name in for most handsome because David was not a senior.  Don't even get me started on how he can decide halfway thru Donna's senior year that he's going to take extra classes so he can graduate with her.  Like, how does that work?  Maybe if he had decided that the year before, he could have taken summer classes but I'm pretty sure that would be an almost impossible feat with only 3-4 months left of school.  At least they gave Tony Miller the award for most athletic.  Clearly because none of the Hillsters are athletes.  Who has time?  David has to DJ his way into prepping for addiction and berets, Donna has to draw her size negative six clothing, Brenda is studying REM, Brandon has to judge, Ohhhhhndrea is shopping for blazers, Steve is trying to get laid and steal keys and Kelly and Dylan should be trying to find an oven to put their heads in.

Speaking of, this episode proved beyond any doubt that Kelly and Dylan were shit together.  Was Kelly this moody and bitchy before Dylan?  Could Dylan possibly get any more emo and gloomy?  Ugh.  Are either of them that good in bed that the "relationship" would be worth this crap?  I mean, they've been together for something like twenty minutes and Kelly is being bitchy and moody and suggesting that Dylan sleep with Ohhhhhhhndrea.  

Maybe the cheese stands alone on this but it severely bugged me that Dylan dedicated his book or whatever to St. Kelly. And talked about how she inspired him or saved him or some other retcon bullshit.  Because why?  They've been "dating" a hot minute?  It's like he's totally forgotten everything Brenda (and the Walshes) did for him. What has Kelly done?  Insisted he wear some stupid tuxedo for stupid senior class poll pictures?   

Honestly, Kelly was the worst girlfriend ever.  She screws over her supposed friend Brenda.  Then she screws over Dylan after spending time with Brandon in D.C.   She throws over Mall Attorney Matt for Dylan.  

I obviously spend way too much time thinking about this stuff.

[CurlyATX]

On ‎7‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 2:25 PM, psychoticstate said:

Honestly, Kelly was the worst girlfriend ever.  She screws over her supposed friend Brenda.  Then she screws over Dylan after spending time with Brandon in D.C.   She throws over Mall Attorney Matt for Dylan.  

I obviously spend way too much time thinking about this stuff.

She is the worst- maybe that is why she was single for the first two seasons.  She's insufferable with Brandon later on, but even then cheats on him with Dylan.  We will get some classic Kelly gems like "I choose me", "there is a disease that kills lovers?!" and "I've only slept with people I love".   I can only imagine the podcast recaps.

[psychoticstate]

11 minutes ago, CurlyATX said:

She is the worst- maybe that is why she was single for the first two seasons.  She's insufferable with Brandon later on, but even then cheats on him with Dylan.  We will get some classic Kelly gems like "I choose me", "there is a disease that kills lovers?!" and "I've only slept with people I love".   I can only imagine the podcast recaps.

"I've only slept with people I love" is some serious revisionist history the show is pulling.  Kind of like making Donna sweet and innocent when we clearly saw her in the pilot throwing a party while her parents were gone, rubbing up against some guy, smoking and drinking.  Yeah, we see you, show.

I love the podcasts more than my luggage (any Steel Magnolias fans?)  I'm listening to them now and they make me want to have margaritas with @Tara Ariano and @Sarah D. Bunting.  So freaking funny and they make me appreciate the show even more (who knew it was possible?)

I think Glarkware needs some "I Choose Me" t-shirts or something.

[CurlyATX]

8 hours ago, psychoticstate said:

"I love the podcasts more than my luggage (any Steel Magnolias fans?)  I'm listening to them now and they make me want to have margaritas with @Tara Ariano and @Sarah D. Bunting.  So freaking funny and they make me appreciate the show even more (who knew it was possible?)

I think Glarkware needs some "I Choose Me" t-shirts or something.

I would buy that shirt!! 

[psychoticstate]

22 minutes ago, CurlyATX said:

I would buy that shirt!! 

Me too!  Obviously, because I Choose Me!!  (TM Kelly Taylor)

[Petunia13]

I have a feeling the "I choose me" shirt would go viral or sell a million copies or something with a bunch of people wearing it for selfies not knowing the reference. 

Because of social media and it's one up ship and the fact it's an election year.  

[carrier76]

My friend and I laughed super, duper hard over, "I can't believe there's an incurable disease that kills lovers!" for YEARS. That episode was godawful.

[SoupThrower]

On 7/7/2016 at 5:25 AM, psychoticstate said:

 

Honestly, Kelly was the worst girlfriend ever.  She screws over her supposed friend Brenda.  Then she screws over Dylan after spending time with Brandon in D.C.   She throws over Mall Attorney Matt for Dylan.  

I obviously spend way too much time thinking about this stuff.

Yeah Kelly basically burns a lot of people.

Burned Brenda for Dylan. Then burns Dylan for John Sears, then burns Dylan for Brandon, then Dylan for Brandon again, then Brandon for Dylan, and then Brandon for Dylan again. Then something something Matt Attorney of Law for Dylan. 

[Jax7917]

what amazes me is that everyone always made it seem like valerie was the slut of beverly hills and the group... yet kelly was the one who literally got with everyone in the group, outside the group, and betrayed everyone that came in distance of her

[AllyB]

Just on the visual aids photo of Jim's pleated jeans. Re-watching some of this series is giving me a lot of questions about how Jim and Cindy dressed. Was it normal for parents in their early-mid 40s, as the characters were, to dress in such a fusty fashion? I'm a parent in my late thirties and I wear the same hairstyle and style of clothing as plenty of teenagers and college students, as do nearly all of my peers. Have times changed so much? Did 90s parents really dress in this matronly/stuffy uniform at complete odds with the trends their kids were following? Or are Jim and Cindy dressed and styled in this way to show that they are a bit out of touch mid-Western? I can't say I remember my parents ever being so unfashionable.

[thesupremediva1]

Does anyone have Pop and watch the marathons on Fridays? They show 5 eps every Friday, and this ep is on right now. I forgot how much I love it! I'd love to have a place to revisit and discuss the greatness that was season 3. :)

[alegtostandon]

On 3/29/2016 at 3:08 PM, CurlyATX said:

So, true story, my husband went to HS for one year with Jennie Garth, before she left to CA to pursue acting. He did say the first day she came in, she was beyond the most gorgeous girl anyone had every seen. The popular girls hated her for a few hours then realized they needed to befriend her.

Now, given that she's in LA with kids who may all have parents who are models/actors/etc, I don't see how she'd be voted most beautiful. I mean, Suds was gorgeous. But on the show, the senior poll and all senior activities only revolve around the Gang.

oh- I did have a boss who was about 5 years older than me (I'm Tara's age), and she was a Patti (with an I).

Just came here to post something about the college years & started reading some of these older posts...Curlyatx, I know JG went to 2 high schools in the Phoenix area before moving to LA,, one being the HS I went to, Apollo.  Which school did your hubby go to?

[CurlyATX]

On ‎11‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 9:37 PM, alegtostandon said:

Just came here to post something about the college years & started reading some of these older posts...Curlyatx, I know JG went to 2 high schools in the Phoenix area before moving to LA,, one being the HS I went to, Apollo.  Which school did your hubby go to?

He's the same! Apollo.  I think it said it was his junior year but I'm not sure.

[Dr.OO7]

On 7/6/2016 at 3:25 PM, psychoticstate said:

Speaking of, this episode proved beyond any doubt that Kelly and Dylan were shit together.  Was Kelly this moody and bitchy before Dylan?  Could Dylan possibly get any more emo and gloomy?  Ugh.  Are either of them that good in bed that the "relationship" would be worth this crap?  I mean, they've been together for something like t

I HATED them together. Aside from how they started out with betraying Brenda, they just made each other miserable all the time.

[CeeBeeGee]

Had never seen this episode before--Kelly is beyond slappable in this! Good God! How could anyone, much less Dylan, put up with this shriekfest? How did he not run screaming back to Brenda after enduring Kelly's diatribes here? Jackie is stuck with her, Dylan, but you can still save yourself! I can't get over her petulance at not seeing Dylan's manuscript. JFC, Kelly. AGAIN, his dad died. He died young. He died horribly. And Dylan witnessed it. Can you just calm the fuck down and let him figure some things out without taking it personally that he doesn't immediately share everything with you? WTH is her problem?

We called them Senior Superlatives--why didn't they have Class Couple or Most Dramatic? Brenda might've won the latter (although for someone who wants to be an actress, she never seemed involved in any class plays at WB).

[Sara2009]

On 3/28/2016 at 9:40 AM, Tooch said:

Brandon winning "most likely to succeed" bugs the shit out of me with his B+ average (as we learned in the college application episode). A B+ average would park him squarely in what...the top 25% of his class? Maybe top 10% if there's a lot of dopes. Andrea was the valedictorian and a known overachiever so her winning makes sense--but aside from working on the Blaze what has Brandon done at this point to earn such admiration from his classmates? Fuck all, as far as I can tell. And then gives Bren, who cared about winning something but didn't, a hard time? What a dick.

 

Also, Brenda is going through a bad hair/makeup phase right now, but she is demonstrably way more beautiful than Kelly, who is merely cute. And her winning the award alongside Dylan would have been AMAZING--dropped ball, writers. 

This bugs me too. I think even top 25% might be a reach. I had an A+ average and was still only in the top 13%. And my high school was just a regular public school and not fancy like West Beverly supposedly was.