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Post by greer on Aug 2, 2006 14:40:46 GMT -5
The mention of Jessi's parents not springing for a "fancy" patterned bathing suit made me think of another topic in BSC land that is very weird: money.
Maybe it's just me, but despite the fact that everyone's parents had high-powered, white-collar jobs--Mr. Kishi was an investment banker, Mr. McGill had some sort of Very Important Job where he could afford to pay for Mrs. McGill's multi-thousand dollar Tiffanys bills, Mr. Pike and Mr. Spier were lawyers, Mrs. Ramsey was an advertising executive, etc.--only Kristy was mentioned as rich, and that was only because her stepdad was a zomg!Real Live Millionaire. And everyone always had to pay 1/2 for everything, and Stacey totally had to get a real job in the summer--at thirteen! Plus a big deal was made about Kristy not being a typical rich girl.
Plus, wouldn't Shannon and Abby and the Papadakises and the Hsus have to be at least comparable with the Brewers' wealth? Abby and Shannon were never described as being super rich. Plus, Mary Anne's dad was A PARTNER IN A LAW FIRM, which is a moneymaker if I ever heard one. Shannon's dad was also a lawyer, and yet Mary Anne lived in "middle class" Stoneybrook while Shannon lived in "ritzy" Stoneybrook.
Let's also not forget the BSC having to outsource to Stamford to find someone poor enough to sponsor for Secret Santa.
So basically everyone in BSC and Stoneybrook were well-off, yet they made a lot of noise of how not rich they were. Huh? I mean, Stacey had a limitless designer wardrobe. It's just very odd to me.
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Post by spazgirl on Aug 2, 2006 14:58:43 GMT -5
I wonder if all the blue collar workers commuted from Stamford too, or maybe NYC. The Kilbournes never seemed rich to me, except for the fact that they lived in Kristy's neighborhood and went to private school. Neither did the Stevensons, but Abby's mom appearently had some high paying job at a publishing company. And I always figured they got some big money when Mr. Stevenson died. Their lack of extravagance might have to do with the fact that Mrs. S was barely ever home.
The Delaneys were the only ones that did rich right. Too bad they moved away.
I've mentioned in the Stacey thread about how I think she is actually pretty well off. Everyone else does seem to have high paying big time jobs. Maybe Stoneybrook is so high class and white collar that there becomes such a thing as a middle class partner in a law firm, or an investment banker who has to put guests in his den.
The Johansans are another good example. Mom was a busy doctor and dad was an engineer, but they lived in a normal house on the non-rich side of town. I wish they just would've made someones dad a garbage man or something.
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Post by greer on Aug 2, 2006 15:12:09 GMT -5
Neither did the Stevensons, but Abby's mom appearently had some high paying job at a publishing company. And I always figured they got some big money when Mr. Stevenson died. Their lack of extravagance might have to do with the fact that Mrs. S was barely ever home. It was never mentioned that the Stevensons were rich, yet when they moved a)their house was mentioned as being as big as Kristy's b)they redid the whole thing inside and out and hired a professional decorator c)they got all-new furniture. Plus d)Abby easily bought Anna an all-new wardrobe in Abby's Twin without even thinking about it. She couldn't have made that much money baby-sitting.
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Post by supernatural babe on Aug 2, 2006 15:44:51 GMT -5
Mr McGill was practically rolling in it. He's a vice chairman of a massive company in NY...And working in big cities = big money.
Wasn't Claudia's daddy a partner in an investment firm in stamford? Sigh!
I reckon there's the 'well off' and 'very, very rich' in Stoneybrook. There just doesn't seem to be any poor families. ATall!
I understand why they have to pay half of most things...It's the whole not wanting to spoil their kids...to learn the value of a dollar.
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Post by greer on Aug 2, 2006 15:50:03 GMT -5
But of course, the oft-mentioned "Karen must pay for half of a bike she's grown out of even though she's only six or maybe seven" takes it to the extreme.
I can understand paying for half once you're old enough to actually be employed, but paying for half when not even McDonalds will hire you (I think you have to be 14?) always seemed weird to me. Although they did spend their whole lives baby-sitting.
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Post by spazgirl on Aug 2, 2006 15:52:10 GMT -5
It was never mentioned that the Stevensons were rich, yet when they moved a)their house was mentioned as being as big as Kristy's b)they redid the whole thing inside and out and hired a professional decorator c)they got all-new furniture. Plus d)Abby easily bought Anna an all-new wardrobe in Abby's Twin without even thinking about it. She couldn't have made that much money baby-sitting. Hmm maybe her mom's job wasn't said to be "high paying", more like "time consuming" or something like that. I'll just assume they got a settlement from her dad's accident and insurance... And it took them 5 years to collect any of the money (streeeetch I know). When they lived in Long Island I think Abby and Anna might've even shared a room though. I used to have Abby's bio, and her house wasn't ever described as big. They were not living in any of Long Island's ritzy areas.
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Post by greer on Aug 2, 2006 16:06:07 GMT -5
Her mom got a huge raise and that's why they were able to move to Stoneybrook. and if you look at house values on long island or connecticut, even small houses cost a lot of money.
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Post by fairy3lf2 on Aug 2, 2006 18:21:52 GMT -5
I always thought Shannon's family was rich: the mansion, the private schools, the purebred Bernese Mountain Dog which are supposed to be very expensive), plus she acts like a typical stuck-up rich girl in Kristy And The Snobs. I think that book (some book at least) says that the Papadakis's are just as rich as everybody else in the neighbourhood but they aren't as showy about it. As for the lawyer thing, doesn't how much you make really depend on what cases you take, how much you work, etc...?
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Post by greer on Aug 2, 2006 20:48:26 GMT -5
mr. spier is a partner in a law firm according to whichever book it is where they have the barbecue with Dawn's grandparents, which is kind of the equivalent of being a ceo or some other high-powered executive. it means you're on the board of the firm and stuff.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Aug 3, 2006 1:51:58 GMT -5
Sweet Valley had the same problem. Mr Wakefield was a high-powered lawyer (don't know if he was partner or not) and Mrs Wakefield was a successful interior designer, yet Jessica and Elizabeth were in constant awe of Lila Fowler's wealth.
It's true that there is a difference between "well off" and RICH, but everyone in Stoneybrook was at least upper class, even if Kristy was the only one constantly portrayed as the Rich Girl. They never made a big deal of it, but I find it hard to believe that Mr McGill wasn't also a REAL! LIVE! MILLIONAIRE!
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Post by greer on Aug 3, 2006 2:10:16 GMT -5
I think Mr. McGill could have equaled or even surpassed Watson's wealth. Watson never even seemed to work that much. I don't know any high powered executives who have the time to garden all the time and cook dinner for their families every night.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Aug 3, 2006 5:29:22 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure that Shannon and Abby were both equal to Kristy in terms of wealth, or at least fairly close to it. I mean, they all live on the same street! I remember Shannon (in one of her POV stories) saying that her family was well off financially, but emotionally not that great. And like greer already mentioned, Mrs Stevenson got a massive raise, so they could afford to buy a big house and brand new furniture.
Another interesting point that adds to what everyone's saying about Watson being the only one portrayed as being uber-rich: in Claudia and the Mystery at the Museum, when the BSC were discussing the party for Don Newman, someone mentioned that only really rich people who donated lots of money to the museum would receive invitations. And the girls all looked at Kristy, because Watson was the only really rich person that they knew. Hmm.
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Post by aln1982 on Aug 3, 2006 7:53:53 GMT -5
I think Mr. McGill could have equaled or even surpassed Watson's wealth. Watson never even seemed to work that much. I don't know any high powered executives who have the time to garden all the time and cook dinner for their families every night. I always think of Watson as "old money" since Ben Brewer was the original owner of the house. Maybe the others in the neighborhood and Mr. McGill have higher paying jobs or make more but I think Watson might be better off since he has inheritance behind him. Wish I had some
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Post by fairy3lf2 on Aug 3, 2006 18:58:43 GMT -5
Sweet Valley had the same problem. Mr Wakefield was a high-powered lawyer (don't know if he was partner or not) and Mrs Wakefield was a successful interior designer, yet Jessica and Elizabeth were in constant awe of Lila Fowler's wealth. Lila Fowler was supposed to be super rich. They often mention that the Fowlers and the Patmans are two of the richest families in southern California, which I think is a bit extreme considering how rich people are there. There may not seem to us like there's a big difference between two wealthy people but there is to them.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Aug 3, 2006 19:33:46 GMT -5
^That's really weird, considering both families sent their kids to public school.
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