» My So-Called Life Options

[Shorty186]

This is a weird question, but does anyone know what kind of boots Angela wore? I hated the red ones, but have become obsessed with her green ones.

Also, is it my imagination or do they never really explain why Jordan can't read in Why Jordan Can't Read? Was he dyslexic or was he just never taught?

This post has been edited by Shorty186: Jan 4, 2008 @ 12:33 pm.

[FourEyedNerd]

This is a weird question, but does anyone know what kind of boots Angela wore? I hated the red ones, but have become obsessed with her green ones.

This is just a guess, but they could have been Doc Martens, since those were (and still are) totally in with the "grunge" crowd. It's funny - I was thinking the same thing about the boots while I was watching the Christmas episode (around Christmas, natch), and I kept zoning in on the boots to see if they had the trademark Doc Marten stitching, and I could never tell one way or the other.

[Louisa]

I'd guess they were knock-off Dock Marten's (Mock Marten's?), as I get the impression the Chases weren't all that well off. Can't remember what ep it is, but it's the one where Angela's all happy, bouncing on her bed & dancing round the room, and she flings open her wardrobe and there can't be more than 10 items hanging up in it. Very realistic for a teenage girl living in the suburbs of a not particularly wealthy area. Also love that characters wear the same clothes/outfits from time to time. On The OC, it was realistic to have them never wear the same thing twice, as the characters were well off & must have had extensive wardrobes.
In a way I'm glad this show only had one season, as it was so perfect & the second season of any given show isn't usually as good or at least suffers in comparison to the 1st (Desperate Housewives & The OC come to mind-1st Season of both those shows is awe-some, but Season 2 is lacking in comparison.).

[regaljen]

Speaking of clothes on the show, I've been watching the old episodes online as abc adds them, and I can't believe how normal I used to think these outfits were. I was exactly the same age as Angela when the show aired and I loved all of her clothes. Today, it looks to me like she's wearing cut off pajama pants over leggings. It's realistic, that was how a lot of people dressed, including me to an extent, but it's just so bizarre how striking it is to see now.


The Substitute is up on the site, and after watching it, I have to wonder just why Racine zeroed in on Catalano so quickly. He kept referring to him as "smart", implying that he had more depth than he was showing and just hadn't been taught how to use his brains. But I'm thinking Jordan was just a big box of pretty, that even Vic couldn't resist.

All the upthread talk about why the show ended got me wondering (I'd never heard Claire Danes didn't want to do another season before), and according to wiki, she was the major cause of the series ending. I really think her career would have been better off if she'd stayed on the show. She really was so natural and great as Angela, it's crazy how unlikeable she's become.

[godot]

(I'd never heard Claire Danes didn't want to do another season before), and according to wiki, she was the major cause of the series ending.

From what I gathered from the interviews on the new boxed-set DVDs, that was part of it but only after a long and winding road.

According to everyone interviewed, ABC treated the show rather shabbily from the beginning, waiting a year after the pilot to order a season and then starting to run the episodes well after the traditional fall season had started and in the time-slot of doom. On the up side, because ABC virtually ignored the show, the creators didn't have to worry about interference and were able to get away with some wonderfully cutting-edge storylines. Once the season had ended, again according to those interviewed for the DVDs, ABC kept everyone hanging well into the summer about whether or not the series would be picked up and, if it would, for how many episodes. The general consensus from the various interviews with Winnie Holzman, et al was that ABC would commit to 4 episodes at a time and see how things went. Since everyone, including Claire Danes, was putting so much emotional energy into the show, they kind of resented that ABC was killing it by inches so the whole thing went *poof* and we poor sods are left wondering if Jordan got Angela back to Casa Chase by curfew.

[FourEyedNerd]

..we poor sods are left wondering if Jordan got Angela back to Casa Chase by curfew.

Hmmm..... Angela never did actually go into the house before she drove off with Jordan. So, she actually never talked to Patty; Jordan just told her that her mom said it was OK. For all we know he could have kidnapped her!
But really, in all seriousness, in retrospect that scene itself is a metaphor for fans of the show - Angela takes off into the sunset, and we are in the same boat as Brian, left to wonder what might have happened.

Speaking of clothes on the show, I've been watching the old episodes online as abc adds them, and I can't believe how normal I used to think these outfits were. I was exactly the same age as Angela when the show aired and I loved all of her clothes. Today, it looks to me like she's wearing cut off pajama pants over leggings. It's realistic, that was how a lot of people dressed, including me to an extent, but it's just so bizarre how striking it is to see now.

I was also the same age as Angela, and the the person whose style cracks me up the most is Sharon. I remember wearing plaid and also floral empire-waist jumpers (also worn by Delia Fisher, and probably sold in a Delia's clothing catalog - anyone else remember that catalog?). The dress Sharon wears at the World Happiness Dance is almost exactly like the dress I wore to my high-school ring ceremony. I freakin' owned Angela's Jansport backpack. (No L.L. Bean for me!) And I will never forget Rayanne's ankle-length plaid shirt. I guess that was pretty much just a bathrobe. Or maybe it was just a dress that she chose to wear over other clothes.

And I really can see a difference between the clothes worn in the pilot and the clothes worn in the rest of the eps. For example, Rayanne was still somewhat edgy, but she still looked kinda preppy in that leather bomber jacket she had that was all the rage in 1993.

Truthfully, out of all the younger characters, Brian's style, while still kinda dorky, really is the most timeless. You can't beat khakis and a button-down shirt. And Jordan's winter coat - courdaroy (spelling?) with the faux wool lining -a friend of my ex had a jacket like that around 2000, and after I made my ex watch the show, we couldn't stop calling it a Jordan Catalano jacket (and then my ex ended up getting one also).

Another thought related to clothing:
In the TwoP re-cap of Pressure (having sex - will they or won't they?), the recapper points out all the sexual metaphors in the episode and notes how Angela kinda looks like a little kid when she's at the doctor's office. Watching that ep the other day, I noticed that Angela wears those purple overalls when she and Jordan go on their date to the "sex house." I wonder if she subconcioulsy wore overalls because they gave her some sort of sense of protection. No zippers to unzip or whatnot. Let's just say she didn't make any sort of attempt to look sexy or give Jordan easy access. (IMO - overalls have to be one of the most difficult pieces of clothing to get in and out of, but maybe it's different if you're being helped by someone....)

This show portrayed teen sex sooo realistically. When teens do the deed on shows today (such as Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill), it just comes across as soft-core porn, IMHO. But maybe I'm just too old-fashioned....

[SlovakPrincess]

But really, in all seriousness, in retrospect that scene itself is a metaphor for fans of the show - Angela takes off into the sunset, and we are in the same boat as Brian, left to wonder what might have happened.

Ah, but Angela herself was left hanging, too . . . there were some serious mixed feelings on her part when she got in Jordan's car - and the way she looked at Brian . . . that still sticks in my memory.

This show portrayed teen sex sooo realistically.

That is so true. This show aired when I was in high school and, like Angela, I was just plain terrified of sex. It certainly does not help to have friends who act blase about it and a boyfriend you desire . . . but who wants to move faster when you have no idea what you're doing. I had a very similar experience - but without the trespassing in a creepy abandoned sex house and basically being called abnormal by the boyfriend, thank God!

[SpacePope]

I had a similar experience when I was 15/16. I liked Angela's line about the difference between girls who have had sex and girls who haven't, because that's exactly how I felt at the time: like there was an invisible line separating the haves from the have-nots. That was right on.

Oh, and Jordan pissed me off that episode. Basically telling Angela that she's abnormal because she was afraid to have sex? Asshole. But so true to life, and how guys act at that age.

[jackiecarr]

Truthfully, out of all the younger characters, Brian's style, while still kinda dorky, really is the most timeless. You can't beat khakis and a button-down shirt. And Jordan's winter coat - courdaroy (spelling?) with the faux wool lining -a friend of my ex had a jacket like that around 2000, and after I made my ex watch the show, we couldn't stop calling it a Jordan Catalano jacket (and then my ex ended up getting one also).

Even though they've been around forever, those jackets got sort of trendy two years ago when Brokeback Mountain came out. One of my gay friends and his boyfriend had a light and dark brown one at the time, so now I always think of them as "Brokeback jackets".

[MethodActor05]

The Jordan Catalano jacket does seem like it's entering into "timeless" territory. I still covet one. I know my friend has had one for awhile.

Bryan's khakis were fine, but man...I hate how he had it totally buttoned all the way up. I think he would have looked better if he had left a button or two open, or maybe rolled up the sleeves, left the front unbuttoned, and had a nice shirt from Urban Outfitters underneath. And maybe a beaded necklace or choker.

Can I admit that around 1998, I was trying to rock the flannel shirts passed down from older siblings because I really liked the way it looked on the show? It took several kids telling me that I look like a farmer before I finally got that wearing flannel was no longer "in"...lol. My sister is only 2 years older than Claire, so she hit the grunge scene pretty hard, and I definitely remember her Doc Martens.

[triggermarie]

I had Angela's red plaid shirt and wore it, constantly. Along with my Mock Martens, and if I was in the right mood, my overalls. Another reason I felt like Angela and I shared the same soul.

[Shoosh]

This strike has allowed me to catch up on shows that I missed during their run. First on the block was Firefly which I loved. Next was My So-Called Life. I was about 4-5 at the time so I was hardly aware of its existence, but over the years I've heard so many great things about it that I just had to check it out. I went through the whole series in about 3 days! I thought I went through Firefly fast and that took me about a week.

I was a huge fan of Once & Again so just knowing that same people were behind it was an added bonus, but what a show! There was so much about it that I loved, and I can't wait to get my own copy of the series so I can watch it all over again. Every time Jordan called Brian "Brain" I think I adored him even more. Was I the only one hoping for an eventual Brian/Sharon relationship? I know he was in love with Angela, but I could've sworn he had a little something for Sharon too.

When I started watching the show I was telling my mom about it and she asked me if someone died from AIDS at the end. After getting angry with her for possibly giving away a crucial storyline, I discovered that no one died at all, let alone from AIDS! Now I am curious as to what show she was thinking about because she was pretty certain it was this one.

I'm sure I'll have more to say once I go through the thread and remember things I wanted to discuss. But until then, I'm off to go watch those special features that I've been putting off because I don't want the fun to end.

This post has been edited by Shoosh: Jan 22, 2008 @ 4:24 pm.

[justaskme]

I've been watching the episodes on the ABC site. And I was Angela Chase, ok. I was the same age as the character during the original run and I blame the series for my annoying habit of narrating my life in my head. Strangers in My House (Sharon's dad's heart attack episode) and Why Jordan Can't Read are up now on the ABC site. Two of my classmates lost parents during that time, both of whom I was really close with during middle school, but no so much in high school. I remember being so scared and awkward about talking to them and beating myself up for thinking that if not for their parents dying I wouldn't have been talking to them. Even as an adult so many years later I could still understand how uncomfortable Angela was around Sharon and how she could feel both jealous and guilty at the same time.

After rewatching WJCR I think the title referred to Angela's semi-obsession with the reason Jordan couldn't read, not the fact that whatever his issue was would be revealed to the audience. I'd completely forgotten that the song "Red" was about his car, so the locker scene between Jordan and Ricky was new to me all over again. The online episodes are good, but I think I'll invest in the DVDs just for the special features.

Edited a week later because "whom" and "home" are two different words and I'm off to watch Halloween online. IIRC the episode was really creepy. I don't know if I'll be able to watch...

This post has been edited by justaskme: Jan 29, 2008 @ 5:51 pm.

[iMissEthan]

When I started watching the show I was telling my mom about it and she asked me if someone died from AIDS at the end. After getting angry with her for possibly giving away a crucial storyline, I discovered that no one died at all, let alone from AIDS! Now I am curious as to what show she was thinking about because she was pretty certain it was this one.

I'm guessing Life Goes On is the show your mother confused with MSCL.

[ElectricBoogalo]

This is a weird question, but does anyone know what kind of boots Angela wore? I hated the red ones, but have become obsessed with her green ones.

I had dark green Skechers very similar to the ones Angela had, but I know they weren't exactly the same. I remember when I saw Angela's, I thought that as much as I loved my boots already, they were that much awesomer.

Also, is it my imagination or do they never really explain why Jordan can't read in Why Jordan Can't Read? Was he dyslexic or was he just never taught?

No, it's not your imagination! Although Angela does suggest that maybe Jordan has dyslexia ("What, that backwards thing?") like her Uncle Neil, it's never explained in WJCR why Jordan can't read. Vic says to Graham that no one ever bothered to notice that Jordan never quite learned how to read. Jordan tells Angela that he can read, just "not that good." Later (In Dreams Begin Responsibilities), Jordan says that Brian used a manual to figure out that Jordan is a rudimentary reader with low literacy skills.