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Post by aln1982 on Jan 29, 2008 18:36:52 GMT -5
^ Who did the Tonight Show first?
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Post by greer on Jan 29, 2008 18:39:51 GMT -5
The book was published in 1992, and because it takes a while for a book to be published, it's conceivable that Carson was still hosting it when Ann wrote the book. Also, as we know from her biography and the multiple david letterman references, ann falls strongly on the "letterman" side of the great letterman v leno divide. ;D
aln: steve allen, then jack paar, then carson, then leno. carson actually wanted letterman to succeed him, but the network chose leno. Drama!
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 29, 2008 18:43:01 GMT -5
^ I guess I'm clueless about what we are talking about. ;D From what I can figure out, though, I would think it would make sense that Kristy would refer to a past host of a popular show and say "who does he think he is...." about someone who hosted something in the past. But again, I don't think I know what I'm talking about here so I'd better just be quiet about this one. ;D Feel free to explain the situation to me, though, because I am curious. ;D
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Post by greer on Jan 29, 2008 18:55:49 GMT -5
basically that carson (host before leno) was either hosting or just retired when this book was written, which is why kristy would refer to him instead of the current host of the tonight show, jay leno.
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Jan 29, 2008 19:01:04 GMT -5
^they should have picked letterman.
at least they didn't have kristy say something like "who does he think he is? Steve Allan?" I mean, who would even get that reference?
Anyway, I remember going over to my friends house and having her HOT brother sneak into the den to watch Arsenio Hall, which was all kinds of weird to my 7 year old self.
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Post by songheim on Jan 29, 2008 19:11:54 GMT -5
Maybe my memory is hazy, but maybe the kids were asking Mary Anne about the other different sitters and blond hair just happen to come up in a description, or something? BSC isn't exactly known for dealing with any social ill with so much of a wisp of subtlety (which makes for some delightfully campy moments of course) but a more realistic possibility could have been a family that was racist in a patronizing kind of way, like not recoiling in horror at the idea of Jessi baby-sitting but saying crap like "Well I must say Jessi, you are a true credit to your race!". Or they become all-too entranced by Claudia's "exoticness", like that one jerk she went out with in Claudia and the Perfect Boy. It seems like patronizing attitudes are far more common than the mustache-twirling racists of Stonybrook. In fact, if that place is so WASP-y, I wonder if Abby gets pestered about what country she's from? I ask cause I share very similar physical features, most notably curly black hair, and people will stop me on the street to ask what nationality I am!
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 29, 2008 20:23:18 GMT -5
^ Completely off topic, but Songheim, you do look like Abby? I'm asking because I totally picture you as your avatar. ;D
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Post by songheim on Jan 29, 2008 20:59:02 GMT -5
Very much so! I have more of an olive skin tone than Abby, though the way she's drawn on the British covers looks so much like me it's scary (I forgot the link that had all these British covers on them). But yeah, you're not off in picturing me as the avatar. I even have that slight look of panic a good portion of the day.
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Post by wenonah4th on Jan 29, 2008 21:49:51 GMT -5
I was going to answer, but Greer beat me to it!
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nothingtolose18
Sitting For The Johanssens
Mal / Sam / Price / Ben
Posts: 1,059
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Post by nothingtolose18 on Jan 29, 2008 23:21:51 GMT -5
Okay, question: The BSC always tells the person 'Oh, so and so will be sitting for you'. So I am assuming that whoever answered the phone told Mrs. Lowell 'Claudia Kishi will be babysitting for you.' Shouldn't the last name, Kishi, hinted at her ethnicity? Unless, whoever answered the phone just said 'Claudia,' though I doubt they would seeing as Mrs. Lowell is a new customer and all. I'm sure they would use Claudia's last name.
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Post by wenonah4th on Jan 29, 2008 23:28:12 GMT -5
^ You've got a point. A point which probably demonstrates our tendency as adults to overthink these things.
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nothingtolose18
Sitting For The Johanssens
Mal / Sam / Price / Ben
Posts: 1,059
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Post by nothingtolose18 on Jan 29, 2008 23:32:53 GMT -5
Haha, yes, for sure! I dunno if you'd technically call me an adult though, teehee. I'm not 19 yet and I definitely act younger than my age, lol. But, that's besides the point. You're right, we really are over analyzing this to death. But I think it's fun ^_^
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Post by wenonah4th on Jan 29, 2008 23:41:58 GMT -5
Absolutely! (and I feel a bit old, being close to 26...)
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2008 11:53:16 GMT -5
This is one of my favorite books in the series, but seesh, Mrs. Lowell was really a dim bulb. If she was dissatisfied to the point of asking not to have Claudia again and shutting her door in Jessi's face, why did she keep calling? So she didn't like 2 of the 4 sitters the club sent over. Who's going to keep using a service when they're unhappy with half the people who show up? And if I remember right the club was going to send Logan on one of the jobs, but Mrs. Lowell had some kind of problem with that. And yet she kept calling. And her racism was so over the top- calling the club and asking for the blond, blue-eyed sitter she'd heard about, like she'd call a bakery and ask for the scrumptious lemon cake with chocolate frosting she'd heard about. Guess brunettes, redheads, green eyes, and brown eyes are out. It's always bothered me how obvious that was. She might as well have hung a sign around her neck saying "I am racist". Didn't she realize how offensive this would be to the sitters who weren't blond and blue-eyed, or did she just not care? I wish the BSC had told her "Mrs. Lowell, we won't accept any more jobs with you because of the way you treated two of our members." Maybe that would have given her something to think about, but probably not.
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on May 10, 2008 20:44:11 GMT -5
^The did offer to send Logan, but she said something like "Boys don't baby-sit." So not only is she racist, but she's sexist.
The racism in this book doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It didn't seem to be rooted in fear, nor in power. If they were so horribly racist that all other races are inferior, then wouldn't they want for "the help" to be people of color? That would give them the legal ability to boss someone around. It would also give them a scapegoat for anything that might go wrong in their house. But I suppose they just think minorities are dirty, and don't want them in the house. Bitches.
Besides, aren't most racists much more subtle these days?
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