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Post by morbiddadestiny on Jun 13, 2006 4:31:05 GMT -5
was anyone else COMPLETELY unsatisfied with the ending of this book? it just left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a lot of loose ends. i know that in real life, an ending like this might be realistic, but not in BSC-land. come on. and it didn't even have to be a cheesy, over the top ending, like mrs. lowell repenting and vowing to change her racist ways. even telling the woman off would have been enough for me. not just describing the lowell kids wistfully watching the "all the children" band concert in the newton's yard from afar.
and seriously, THIS is the book where the BSC decides "not to get involved"? almost direct quote from dawn: "[the lowells] are other peoples' children. not ours. they think they know what's best for them. and we have to go along with that." COME ON, DAWN. you confronted mrs. barrett. mallory confronted mrs. arnold. you people basically live to confront parents about how they're raising their kids. why did you back down NOW? WHY?? THIS KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT!!!!
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jun 13, 2006 4:39:23 GMT -5
^ I think the prospect some self-righteous 13 yr old girls of changing the firmly entrenched attitude of a racist woman is a bit too far fetched even for BSC land. I think the Lowells should've made a future appearance though.
Also slightly odd that the ultra-sensitive Jessi who accuses anyone who looks at her the wrong way of racism took a while to figure out why Mrs Lowell behaved the way she did.
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Post by morbiddadestiny on Jun 13, 2006 4:48:13 GMT -5
that's true, but i wish they would have at least told her off or something. i also like the fact that they used claudia in a book to deal with the racism topic instead of going with jessi.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on Jun 13, 2006 23:14:27 GMT -5
^ I thought it was kind of funny how MA thought that she was discriminated against for being a brunette instead of a blond.
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Post by hitzpink on Jun 15, 2006 23:20:34 GMT -5
Yeah, it bugged me too that this was the one book that never really got resolved. I just wanted the girls to do something. Not necessarily changing Mrs. Lowell's views, but something.
God, the "All The Children" band was so lame. Especially the part where Jackie came up with the name. He solemnly says that they should be called All The Children because, when you think about it, the group of kids is so diverse that they really DO represent all the children of the world! I mean, seriously? That, coming from a 7 year old?
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Post by greer on Jun 16, 2006 1:25:12 GMT -5
^And Stoneybrook is like, so diverse. It has an African-American family and a Greek family! And both an upper class neighborhood AND an upper middle class neighborhood!
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Post by lovelylemontree on Jun 16, 2006 1:41:01 GMT -5
And in a few more books, it'll have three Jews.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jun 16, 2006 4:14:37 GMT -5
^And Stoneybrook is like, so diverse. It has an African-American family and a Greek family! And both an upper class neighborhood AND an upper middle class neighborhood! Don't forget, there's also a few Asian families!
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fluffy
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 180
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Post by fluffy on Jun 18, 2006 4:16:18 GMT -5
Gotta love how as the 'minorities' of Stoneybrook seemed to multiply as the series progressed!
I can't help but wish that Kristy had actually made that 'bigot' comment to Mrs. Lowell! I agree with macca, the Lowells needed a 'comeback'.
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Jun 18, 2006 13:52:35 GMT -5
Yeah, I liked that the BSC didn't magically "cure" the Lowells of racism in this book, but I did think they should have confronted Mrs. Lowell in some way. First, it's out of character for them not to (especially Kristy), and second, Mrs. Lowell was such an obnoxious bigot that I'm pretty sure I would have confronted her in that situation. ^ I thought it was kind of funny how MA thought that she was discriminated against for being a brunette instead of a blond. I don't remember what the context of MA thinking that was, but it's technically true, isn't it, that Mrs. Lowell discriminated against her for being brunette rather than blonde? Mrs. Lowell did call requesting "the blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby-sitter," I guess because she wanted a pure Aryan looking after her kids.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jun 18, 2006 19:33:56 GMT -5
Idiot. But apparently the first time she met MA, after sizing her up for a moment to make sure she really was a pure white Caucasian, despite her brown hair and eyes, her face relaxed into a smile and she was very pleasant. The kids were also nice and well behaved with MA. Maybe Mrs Lowell would've preferred the blonde/blue babysitter, but she seemed to accept the brunette one, provided she wasn't remotely ethnic I wonder how she'd have reacted to Abby, the Jewish girl.
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Post by lovelylemontree on Jun 18, 2006 22:42:05 GMT -5
Then, doesn't Mrs. Lowell turn on Stacey and Dawn because their parents are divorced? D*mn, that woman was picky.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Jun 18, 2006 23:15:12 GMT -5
She would have liked Shannon, I guess.
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lisa
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 201
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Post by lisa on Jun 18, 2006 23:46:35 GMT -5
^ Shannon's parent's were on their way out, though, so she wouldn't have liked her for long.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on Jun 19, 2006 0:01:27 GMT -5
^ Personally, I never saw what was wrong with Mrs. Lowell's racism. Wanting "white, blonds" was just another preference by a client, just like how Rosie Wilder (Claudia & Genius on Elm Street) preferred Claudia. It's offensive, yes, but maybe that's our problem? Btw, I'm not racist (at least I don't think I am).
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