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Teachers - General Discussion

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in Teachers

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kat165

kat165

I just watched the entire series 1 on demand today and the first ep of the new season. These ladies are amazing. And it's nice to see the "Toby" (principal) actor. I haven't seen him since Will & Grace and always liked him on that. The show is really funny. I'm sad that there's really no comments here. After watching I was looking forward to see what everyone else thinks about it.

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kat165

kat165

So, is no one liking this show? I don't watch if live (scheduling conflict) but I have been watching via On Demand. So far only the 1st ep of this season is up. I watched all of season 1 on demand in 2 days I think. I really liked it and have been looking forward to season 2.

I felt badly that the art teacher no longer has a classroom and glad the angry chick (still not sure of the characters' names, how embarrassing), seemingly the oldest of the group got a more flattering haircut. And this ep we get to meet her previously unseen husband. I wish more people were watching this. Or any one. :) Besides me.

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Slovenly Muse

Slovenly Muse

11 hours ago, kat165 said:

I wish more people were watching this. Or any one. :) Besides me.

Right there with you! I totally love this show. I can't explain it. I don't think it's FANTASTIC, but it really makes me happy. For one thing, I am a teacher, and when I saw a billboard for that sitcom "Vice Principals" awhile back, I felt really offended, because the majority of the cast on the poster was male. Education at the elementary level is an overwhelmingly female-dominated profession, and seeing that poster made me feel like this show was doing a workplace comedy, and sweeping under the rug the experiences of the people who actually WORK in that workplace, in order to focus on how this sort of job affects men. It really made me angry. If women's voices and perspectives aren't worth exploring in an elementary or middle school staff room, where ARE they worth exploring to these networks?

And then I found "Teachers." This show is so refreshing and delightful, and even though it isn't perfect, it's perfect to me. THIS is how you do a workplace comedy set in a female-dominated workplace! This show is written and performed by women, and it 100% embraces the female experience and female perspective. It just feels totally different from those other male-dominated workplace comedies, the style of humour, the pacing, the dynamics between characters, the avenues it takes through the story. At no point do I ever feel like the Katydids sat around the writers' room and said "Are men going to understand this? Is this going to be funny to men?" They just express what they want to express exactly how they want to express it, without compromising their vision for the sake of a male audience they may not even have (and seem not to care if they have). Not to say that men wouldn't enjoy it, just that if they do or don't, that's up to them. The show makes no deliberate efforts to court them. I just love how the stereotypes that are often used to demean or ridicule women are celebrated here, like the "Miss Perfect" who dedicates her life to the search for a man, or the self-involved ultra-vain fashionista, or the hippie who takes love and inclusivity a step further than the people around her are always comfortable with... Instead of reducing a female character to an archetype that makes her easy to dismiss or mock, they go the other way, and turn outrageous archetypes into real women whose existence is permitted. Like, if you're an actual woman who is super into fashion and beauty, or conservative and prudish, or way too hung-up on finding a man and getting married... that doesn't make you a joke, or mean you can't be taken seriously; it's okay to be that way, and here are some of the struggles you might face from being who you are. And what's noticeably absent is the "mean girls" stereotype, the idea that if you put a bunch of women together, they will naturally all undermine, manipulate, and backstab each other in deceptively polite ways to assert their dominance. These characters have conflicts, but they always end up on each others' side, or working together for the common good, they way I consistently see in my own female-dominated workplace.

All said, I'm so happy this show is back for season 2! Ms. Feldman is my spirit animal! I'm not totally convinced about Adler's new haircut... maybe it'll grow on me. But I LOVED Caroline's "romance" with her security doll! I was laughing so hard every time the music started, and saying "Why is this so funny?" because I really don't know why it made me laugh as hard as I did, and somehow that made it even funnier!

But the real takeaway is, of course, that "perverts are everywhere." Don't get Tucci'd!

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Slovenly Muse

Slovenly Muse

On 2016-02-26 at 2:56 PM, nameless slob said:

Now, the character, she is a nut job and I don't understand how can they keep her teaching. Seriously, where are the parents of those kids to demand changes in the school?

Ha! I think you could say that about ALL these characters! But Feldman is great. She really holds a special place in my heart. I absolutely love her laissez-faire style of teaching, her "shy kid whispering," and yeah, just her mannerisms are so funny. Feldman rules.

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kat165

kat165

I am not a teacher, but I have a friend who is an aid in the system
and I enjoy her tales of school and the things that go on there.
Especially as she is a lower income person working in an upper
income environment which makes for interesting stories/themes.

I've never heard of Vice Principals but can understand your anger.
Teachers around here are mostly female also. Typically this is not
a show I would watch but the few commercials I'd seen for it made
it look very fresh and very funny so I had to check it out. I'm glad
I did.

I especially like how each "Kate" gets to shine, usually, in every episode.
Suprisingly, to me, I find myself really liking the mousey little Christian
(a stereotype I'm prone to dislike intensely) teacher and her relationship
with the "smutty" teacher. (Still not remembering names).

I don't think the Katies even consider if this is funny to men. Their focus
seems to be is this funny? No focus on male or female.

"I just love how the stereotypes that are often used to demean or ridicule
women are celebrated here" - Yes!

I do like Mrs. Adler (thank you for the name) haircut only because she looked
so frightening in the first season. But I can see how maybe it might not work
for the character.

I loved the whole security doll bit. I laughed outloud when the hippie teacher
returned him and he had long hair and was all grubby. This could have been
an awful cliche in the hands of another show but here it was refreshing &
funny.

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kat165

kat165

Finally this wk's episode was on demand. Another good one. Btw, is Damien the I See Dead People Kid? (I'd go to imdb but my old pc has a seizure whenever I try to load that site) It cracked me up that those 2 teachers (sorry, hopefully will learn all their names eventually. So far I've got Adler and Damien. :) bought those hideous earrings, but very surprised that it took them that long to realize that they were made of junk/trash. How won saw a sucked on lifesaver or cough drop on the other's earring was pretty funny. I love this show. So sad that it doesn't seem to be getting much of a following.

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Slovenly Muse

Slovenly Muse

2 hours ago, kat165 said:

hopefully will learn all their names eventually. So far I've got Adler and Damien. :)

Yeah, the names are really hard to pick up and remember! I went to start talking about this show, and realized that even though I had a really clear picture of who everyone was, I could only pull one name (Feldman). I had to go to IMDB to look them up in order to talk about the show without having to resort to adjectives to talk about characters! For easy reference, they are:

AJ Feldman - the slacker/stoner brunette, weiner-truck driver

Chelsea Snap - the overgrown millennial, now saddled with "hell class"

Mary Louise Bennigan - the uptight religious conservative, crushing on "Hot Dad!"

Cecelia Cannon - the hippy art teacher, union organizer

Caroline Watson - the romantic blonde, dating a security doll

Deb Adler - the badass redhead, "perverts are everywhere!"

I think what makes it tough is that sometimes they are referred to by first name ("Mary Louise") and sometimes by last name ("Ms. Bennigan"), which makes it hard. I work in a school and I have the EXACT same problem in the staff room. I'll be introduced to a new teacher as "Jane" and all staff room conversations with or about her will be "Jane," and then I'll hear kids talking a lot about what they're doing in "Ms. Smith's class," and it can take literally MONTHS to figure out they're the same person, especially if they're not someone I see or have contact with very often. Plus I'm naturally not good with names. But really, this show does a great job of making every character totally distinct and vibrant, and it can really escape your notice that you don't actually know their names!

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Crankybroad

Crankybroad

I love the show. Last year I stopped watching because they just seemed to take things too far. It was so absurd and often mean-spirited that I deleted the series without watching. I'm Ioving it this season! I watched all three episodes multiple times. For  some reason, them holding up the awful earrings so they wouldn't hurt their ears cracked me up. I also loved Feldman learning about Where the Red Fern Grows.  

TeaTV

TeaTV

On 2/15/2017 at 8:34 PM, DB in CMH said:

So Ryan Hansen is some who has gotten better looking as they aged. I had to look him up - couldn't believe it was the same goofy looking guy that was on Veronica Mars. Wow!

 

On 2/15/2017 at 9:39 PM, 17wheatthins said:

Ooooooof, the car wash scene!!

 

On 2/16/2017 at 10:27 PM, DB in CMH said:

I may have rewound that once or thrice, I do admit.

 

On 2/16/2017 at 11:04 PM, kat165 said:

Seeing Ryan all cleaned up with the short haircut and running for office made me feel old. I loved him on Veronica Mars. Dick. hehe.

If you like Ryan Hansen, check out the series Burning Love which is a parody on The Bachelor. That's where I found him and yes I love him too!

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TeaTV

TeaTV

On 2/2/2017 at 11:03 PM, Slovenly Muse said:
On 2/2/2017 at 11:03 PM, Slovenly Muse said:

AJ Feldman - the slacker/stoner brunette, weiner-truck driver

Chelsea Snap - the overgrown millennial, now saddled with "hell class"

Mary Louise Bennigan - the uptight religious conservative, crushing on "Hot Dad!"

Cecelia Cannon - the hippy art teacher, union organizer

Caroline Watson - the romantic blonde, dating a security doll

Deb Adler - the badass redhead, "perverts are everywhere!"

 

Loved those definitions and here are the ones that float around in my head and yes, it IS confusing figuring out the names!

AJ Feldman - the slacker/stoner overall unpredictable weirdo reminiscent of Alley Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club

Chelsea Snap - the superficial, promiscuous one similar to Samantha in Sex in the City

Mary Louise Bennigan - the uptight religious conservative,  Millie Kentner from Freaks and Geeks 

Cecelia Cannon - the hippy dippy, vegan, free-spirited, activist. Phoebe from Friends

Caroline Watson - the overly romantic girl obsessed with finding her soul mate, getting married, and never having to work again. Charlotte from Sex in the City

Deb Adler - the "former" goth girl who wears lots of black (including her makeup) and probably cut more than classes during high school. Lydia From Beetlejuice

 

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TeaTV

TeaTV

On 1/29/2017 at 0:05 AM, kat165 said:

I wish more people were watching this. Or any one. :) Besides me.

 

On 1/29/2017 at 0:22 PM, Slovenly Muse said:

Right there with you! I totally love this show.

Count me in! Been in love with this show from the start. Also, the Katydids are really active on social media and even like and comment on comments from fans.

Also, Ms Feldman reminds me of one of my "friends" from high school who was super mean and a bully even a decade after we'd graduated (I eventually cut her off) so it's healing (and surprising) for me to see someone on TV who is super funny and nice who looks like her. She's def my favorite even though they're literally ALL my faves--especially the interactions between Snap and Bennigan and ALL of their interactions with the principal.

Also, also wanted to mention Vice Principals which I've also seen in its entirety. It's interesting but kind of "too dark" for me even though I couldn't stop watching and will probably watch again when it returns.

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waving feather

waving feather

TVLand is killing it with their comedies. Wrecked is pretty good, too.

I loved the musical episode. Poor Ms. Cannon. No one bothers about her. Principal Pearson and Mrs. Adler's numbers had be roaring with laughter. And of course, Caroline is always amazing. She is my favorite because the actress is so good.

Hot dad is really hot.

spankydoll

spankydoll

On 11/13/2017 at 6:49 AM, msrachelj said:

is no one watching this? i love it!

I'm watching! I think that more activity is directed to this site for people who want to be snarky and judgmental and talk trash. That's why I am on the 90 Day Fiance 3.45 hours a day. This show is delightful and the only criticism that I have is that I don't like the musical episodes.

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Maharincess

Maharincess

I watch this show every week but I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Sometimes as I'm watching, I'll think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen, the next scene I'll think it's the stupidest thing I've ever seen.  I just don't know.  I love Feldman, she and her love of weed are my favorites.  

I guess I'll keep watching and maybe one day I'll figure out if I like it or hate it. 

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msrachelj

msrachelj

i love it. was sad about the library. the library is a wondrous place. this just made me feel bad for children growing up in this age. noting like the feel of a book, the pictures, the colors, the smells, the excitement.  a smart phone or tablet is nowhere near the same.

this is a really good show. not the same ol same ol that continues to be shown on tv.

the women are fabulous. anyone know where else they can be seen?

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Maharincess

Maharincess

(edited)
9 hours ago, msrachelj said:

i love it. was sad about the library. the library is a wondrous place. this just made me feel bad for children growing up in this age. noting like the feel of a book, the pictures, the colors, the smells, the excitement.  a smart phone or tablet is nowhere near the same.

this is a really good show. not the same ol same ol that continues to be shown on tv.

the women are fabulous. anyone know where else they can be seen?

They're a group called The Katydids. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://thekatydids.com/&ved=0ahUKEwi1-KagsPHXAhUW32MKHcmiCCYQFggeMAA&usg=AOvVaw0pbLXJ1DDUGoTMAPZpn4oS

Edited by Maharincess
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