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Post by peppermintraymaker on Jun 23, 2011 9:44:16 GMT -5
*Edited to add more detail to my picks :-)
Me and a friend were talking about how people choose their favorite characters, whether it be in books, movies or TV shows. I thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss here.
First, list your top three favorite characters from when you *first* read the BSC books:
My list: 1. Mallory: I liked how she enjoyed reading and writing and that she enjoyed horse books. I also enjoyed all of those things, though my love for horses drifted more toward the pastel-colored plastic ones with symbols on their butts. She was also closest to my age (well, her and Jessi both were). "Mallory and the Ghost Cat" was the first Mal book that I read, and I adore both cats and ghost stories.
2. Stacey: I was fascinated with the fact that she had diabetes. I read a lot of books around that time about kids that were dealing with chronic illnesses (I was a big Lurlene McDaniel fan) and since I knew nothing about it, I was very curious. I also tried to copy her style of handwriting and wanted to be as fashionable as her.
3. (I don't remember for sure, maybe Kristy or Dawn?) I had the doll of Kristy and I remember playing with that doll all the time. The time that Kristy and Stacey dolls interacted with my Barbies resulted in a long discussion with my dad (I, as Kristy, laid down the law with Bathtime Barbie and told her she was fired from the BSC and Dad didn't like the idea of the poor dolls getting fired.). I liked Dawn because the first BSC book I ever read was a Dawn book, and I definitely bought into the whole Chapter 2 description of her. I thought all Californians were just like Dawn, and so she seemed very exotic to me.
Now, list the top three characters that you and your lifestyle share common traits with (be honest!):
1. Mary Anne: I have a LOT in common with Mary Anne. We both had overprotected childhoods, both love cats, both are very sensitive and cry easily, both have struggled with depression and anxiety, and both were only children (well, at least MA was until the Spier/Schafer marriage). We even share the same middle and last name.
2. Mallory: My family background could not possibly be more different from Mal's, but a lot of other things are similar. All the stuff I mentioned above is there, plus more. We are similar in appearance (reddish, wavy hair and pale complexion) and, like her, I've often thought my looks didn't quite measure up to those of people around me. I was made fun of a lot growing up so the "Spaz Girl" storyline brought back a lot of old, unpleasant memories. I identified very strongly with her there. I even went to an all-female private school for college just like Mal's boarding school.
3. Claudia: Both of us are creative spirits, and I have definitely had the Claud mindset--especially in high school--of thinking "I'm going to wear whatever I like and think looks good, and if it doesn't look like everyone else, even better!" I used to eat candy bars and sweets for breakfast and think nothing of it. My system doesn't really like sugar early in the morning anymore, but I still have a weakness for Kit Kats and dark chocolate. With school, I identified much more strongly with Janine up until about 8th grade. I really started to struggle in math at that point and since I'd never really had to study before, I didn't know how to improve and really got discouraged. I set all my hopes on becoming a professional performing artist, and now I'm looking at having to go back to college to take more classes in order to do something more marketable.
The point that we tried to figure out was: do people generally like characters because they share things in common with them, or do they like characters that they wish they were more like.
Post your lists and tell what you think!
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Post by greer on Jun 23, 2011 11:12:06 GMT -5
1. Kristy - I was a tomboy as a kid and wanted to be athletic. 2. Dawn - I liked her supposed indepedent ways and her 2 earring holes. I also admired her vegetarianism. 3. Claudia - art! Funky clothes!
1. Stacey - Boys! Fashion! Urban living! Also, intelligent and her family situation kind of reminds me of my own, because my parents are divorced, my dad is a workaholic, and my stepmom is a fair amount younger than my dad. 2. Claudia - Her sense of humor is similar to mine and I am creative. 3. Sunny Winslow (in CD) - Actually, Sunny might be #2 instead of Claud... I am definitely a bit of a wild child/flirt. I also almost failed out of middle school.
I first read the BSC books 19 years ago, so obviously I've changed a lot. Stacey is my favorite now.
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Post by zoar3 on Jun 23, 2011 11:12:12 GMT -5
Cool topic, Peppermint. I honestly don't remember much about my initial days of reading the BSC so that's going to be somewhat of a guess. First1. Kristy. The BSC was her idea and her love for Louie reminded me of my own for Champ--when he came into my life in '89. 2. Mary Anne. Before I became "educated" by these boards, I had bought into the "MA is the sweet, sensitive one, who people can always rely on." Even though that description, especially the latter, caused me some turmoil. A lot of people viewed me as "oh she's so strong, she can't possibly ever need a listening ear or time to wade through uncertainty." 3. I have no clue. Maybe Dawn, just because she was from SoCal like me? Now (#'s 2-3 can be switched depending on book) 1. Kristy, I still believe the above two things about her. Now, my memories of Champ along with wishing he were still here and healthy are probably similar to how she feels about Louie. I also have come to truly admire her love for and dedication to the charges and creating her own "family" of friends, kids, etc. She may not always "show" or "speak" her emotions but they're there. I admit to not always being too good about telling someone how I feel. It's easier for me to write/show it. I hope to be in a position one day to adopt at least one dog and child. 2. Mallory. "Poor, Mallory." She really had a rotten break BSC-wise. I think she could have been the most interesting too, if her family had been better developed. I relate to liking her, yes because of how horrible AMM & Co. were to her, but also because I love the idea of a big, close-knit (at heart) loving family like the Pikes. I still hope to (sooner than later) meet my Mr. Right and create our own loving family. Like Mal, I enjoy writing and reading. 3. Claudia, is/was harder for me to pick. Food has always been an issue for me, though in darker way than for Claudia. For me, food literally was something I could control. There were other parts to this as well. By 8th grade or earlier (to be honest) I began to not care about school based on my experiences (I was overall a good student, earlier in life a very good one or in most cases a "good enough one) and life happenings. By the time high school was finishing I truly was so "done." I also like Claudia for the times she diffused BSC tension with "let's have a treat." I think what she was hinting at was "this 'fight' is petty. We are friends." She did a good job of that. Like Claudia, my own grandma meant everything to me. And, of course, like Claudia, I wish she (and my Grandpa) were still happily alive and healthy.
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Post by peppermintraymaker on Jun 23, 2011 12:18:23 GMT -5
Zoar, I really loved all the detail you put into your response...I edited my above post to show my reasoning as well :-)
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Post by anzuhana on Jun 23, 2011 12:46:42 GMT -5
1. Mallory. I loved that she enjoys writing since I do, too. 2. Mary Anne. I liked it when she read from guide books, etc. since I liked reading about the history and information about the places they were visiting. 3. Abby. I liked how independent she was.
1. Dawn since we're both interested in the supernatural and we're both about protecting the environment (though hopefully I'm not as pushy and obnoxious as she is). 2. Claudia in that we love junk food, though I like candy and sweets more than the other junk food. While I don't care for fashion, I do like playing those fashion games, where you dress the character in various outfits. 3. I'm not sure on this one. Mary Anne, maybe.
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Post by zoar3 on Jun 23, 2011 16:11:50 GMT -5
Thank you, Peppermint (and Greer) for adding more detail to your replies. This is fun.
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Post by wiggir13 on Jun 23, 2011 20:08:22 GMT -5
1. Kristy - I really loved her spunk! I think that she was really hurt by her dad leaving and tried her best to surround herself with people who were great friends to her to make up for that. I loved her great ideas and that she was such a go getter - and ditto on zoar about Louie. I loved dogs so much when I was little that her story with Louie really hit home for me. 2. Stacey - I loved how sophisticated she was and that she was more than just a fashion and pretty face. I thought she was so smart too! I loved her friendship with Claudia and I think that made me like her more. I did like how she had this disease but still really held herself together through that and her parents divorce. 3. Claudia - see above about friendship with Stacey. The two girls early on made me love their friendship and them. I liked that she had an incredible art talent and was envious of that. I did like that she never gave up at school even though she sometimes sucked at it. 1. Kristy - I was very lost in my adolescent life without a father and I don't think I realized just how much so. I really related to Kristy in that way. I am also full of ideas and a huge go getter at work. I loved sports when I was younger and really wasn't much into boys so I could relate! I wish my mom married a millionaire though....... 2. Mallory - I think Mallory did so much for so many other people until one day she realized she didn't ever do anything for her and I have had many of those moments. I love to read and write and I felt very dorky as a teenager especially with my nerdy glasses! 3. Mary Anne - ugh it's true - I love my cats more than people most of the time. I am sure that people get annoyed by my kitty language - I was very sensitive to other people and friends when I was younger and still tend to pick up on what people need me to do for them (as in listen, advice, etc)
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Post by zoar3 on Jun 23, 2011 22:09:22 GMT -5
^Wiggirl, I think you summed up Mal wonderfully.
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polaris
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Post by polaris on Jun 24, 2011 5:48:15 GMT -5
1. Stacey- I thought she was interesting, she was boy crazy but she wasn't some blonde bimbo, she was smart and independent. She also dealt with a difficult home life and her diabetes. 2. Mallory-I liked her aspirations to be a writer and her big family 3. Claudia- I liked her clothes, her art, her relationship with her family particularly Janine and Mimi.
1. Claudia- I am quite similar to Claudia family wise, I have one older sister and while I never really struggled at school, I did feel a bit inferior to my sister who won some awards and made friends easily. When we were younger we didn't get along sometimes but now that we are older we are a lot closer. Like Claudia I am often the peacemaker between my friends. I am a little bit artistic, I like to sketch for fun and I am also fond of my junk food. 2. Mary Anne- I am quite shy when meeting people first, I also like to be neat and organised. 2. Mallory- Not in terms of family but in looks I had braces and the nerdy glasses when I was younger, I also like to read and write.
It's funny because until I thought about it, I didn't realise how much in common with Claudia!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2011 12:49:34 GMT -5
Hi I'm new to the board! When I first read the books my top three favorite characters were: 1. Kristy. She reminded me of my own best friend at the time and I loved that she was so outspoken. 2. Mallory. I felt bad for her that she always seemed to not have things turn out well for her. Also when I was little, I was very into people with large families and oddly, red hair. 3. Don't remember probably either Mary Anne because she was my twin sister's favorite or Dawn since looking back I have mostly Dawn books. The characters most like me are: 1. Mary Anne. I'm shy and I also like reading. 2. Abby. I have a twin sister, our father died when we were little, and we were raised by a workaholic single mother. 3. Mallory/Jessi. I like to write and I was awkward as a teenager. Since Jessi's only character trait is that she's black she counts too because I am also black lol.
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Post by anzuhana on Jun 28, 2011 14:06:00 GMT -5
Welcome to the boards, prairiedances.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2011 11:30:19 GMT -5
My faves: Mary Anne - I think Mary Anne was my first favourite. Her portrait collection was the first one I ever owned, and I think I have more of her books than anyone else's. I loved how she was supposed to be the sweet, shy baby-sitter yet she was the one to have a boyfriend for the longest amount of time (and a cute boyfriend to). It showed that nice girls don't always finish last (as the saying goes). And I really liked the long-standing friendship that she had with Kristy. I wonder if they would still be friends in this day and age? Kristy - Kristy was always another one of my favourites. I really liked that she was so dedicated to baseball/softball. And she seemed (to me) to be the one who most liked to baby-sit. I like that she's loud and determined (which I'm sure is just a polite way to say stubborn ). She's full of ideas and she usually manages to pull them off. Again, I really like her relationship with Mary Anne and how she would stick up for her when they were little. I also felt bad for her because her father basically abandoned them because I feel that's important to have a father figure and not just a mother. I really liked her relationship with Watson as the series progressed. Abby - Abby replaced Dawn in my list of favourites as soon as she was introduced. Like Kristy and Mary Anne, it's hard not to feel sorry for her. I like Abby because she's funny and has a sense of humour. To me, Abby seemed to be the baby-sitter who cared the least about other's thought. (which was how they used to describe Dawn, but she wasn't usually portrayed as that). A loved her portrait collection, and my favourite chapter would have to where she starts school. I think I can find similarities between me and most of the baby-sitter's. But if I look at things I think the one's I have the most in common with are my favourites. Abby - I think I have the most in common with Abby. We are both the youngest of twins (although my sister and I aren't identical). We have the same birthday (Oct. 15). We both have a sense of humour and like to make jokes. We both have asthma and allergies (although neither of mine is a bad as Abby's). I also like playing sports (my choice was basketball though). And I can really relate to Abby's feelings in portrait collections when she starts school and nobody (teachers nor classmates) bother to tell Abby and Anna apart. I'm not even identical and my teachers and some class mates couldn't tell us apart. It makes one feel as if they're not an individual and are part of a package. Mary Anne - I think my personality is closest to Mary Anne's. I can definitely be desribed as shy and quiet. Especially around new people. (Once I get to know people then I don't mind cracking jokes). Like Mary Anne, I don't like being the center of attention at all and I get embarassed easily. But, (like Mary Anne), there does come the occassion where I just 'snap' and lose my temper with people. (Mary Anne tends to do this with Dawn). And I believe that Mary Anne always did very well in school, which I did to. Kristy - I feel that Kristy and I both have a passion for children. Kristy's loves baby-sitting and I love being a girl guide leader because we both care a lot about children. Kristy and I both like sports (my sport was basketball, but I always enjoy throwing around a softball). And if you were to ask someone to desribe how I looked they'd probably say: brown hair, always in a ponytail, short, jeans, t-shirt, sneakers.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jul 10, 2011 1:07:36 GMT -5
As you mentioned, zoar, that was an interesting description of Mallory. Never thought like that before -- even though, in a way, I knew it all along -- and you're right!
I have to think about an answer to this some more (in terms of my relatibility).
Mary Anne was my favourite, hands down, growing up.
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