A Review of the First Season of Degrassi Junior High
A Review by Nick Peron
Degrassi Junior High Episode 01 - Kiss Me, Steph:
The Characters:
Stephanie Kaye: The popular girl, horrible dresser, apparently the hottest girl at Degrassi Junior High, and a total slut. Stephanie wants to be school president because she thinks it's sexist that the school announcement for school presidential elections said "Good luck guys" (nobody thought to think that the term "guys" was a general and sexless term in regards to the announcement). The irony is that she resorts to being a total cock-tease to combat political sexism.
Vula Grivogiannis: The appointed unattractive best friend. Likes ugly dresses, being smart, and having a conservative attitude towards people dressing like trash. Has high friendship values, however is easily manipulated into doing work for other people on the pretence that they are friends, and gets no recognition. Hey don't feel bad for her, she isn't popular, so who cares?
Joey "Gorgon" Jeremiah: All around cool guy and master of all trades, at least he says so. According to this episode he's the student welcoming party, Playboy (wanna play?), and Speech Writer (Start off with a joke like "Good evening ladies and germs, and then follow with another".) Also coined the school-yard taunt "Broom-Head". Not very bright, not very slick, but (to no surprise because the stupid ones always are) the ladies man.
Arthur "Astro Dog" Kobalewscuy: Annoying little brother of Stephanie Kaye. Enjoys making strange facial expressions, clipping pens to the collar of his shirt. Thinks Junior high is nothing like grade 6, confusing, and strange. Often finds himself locked in broom closets or stuffed in lockers. Best friend of Yick Yu (See below) often finds himself in sector 1-A of the school (If you don't know where that is check the map.)
Yick "Microchip" Yu: Designated Asian kid of Degrassi High, for that extra bit of cultural diversity. Yick enjoys being unorganized and confused most of the time. Also tolerates being giving codename's that suggest that he comes from a technologically industrious nation. Yick also excelled at being laughed at by his fellow students.
The Plot:
This is the milestone first episode of Degrassi Junior High, so you know that it is quite possibly one of the best ones... HONEST!.. Okay perhaps not, keep in mind that prior to this, probably the most ambitious Canadian television production was more than likely The Littlest Hobo
So the first part of the episode is essentially "Let's try to introduce as many characters in the first episode as humanly possible." even if that means reducing them to a level where people walk past and say hello to the central focus of the episode, or, in the case of poor Nancy, being stuck in background cast hell for an entire season. Our central focus in this episode however are on the characters mentioned above.
We start with Stephanie Kaye starting her first day of 8th grade where she tells her brother, Arthur, a new arrival to Degrassi Junior High, that because he is in the 7th grade that he is an embarrassment and should never talk to her. In the bathroom later, Stephanie meets with her best friend Vula, who is shocked when Stephanie changes from her clean and proper clothes into the must slutty outfit only a teenager with no brains could come up with, with a full coat of whore-style make-up. When they overhear an announcement for the school presidency, they decide that it's sexist that it says "Good luck guys" and Stephanie decides to run for the presidency and Vula tags along to be her speech writer and over-all working mule.
Classes soon begin, and Stephanie and Vula begin contemplating what to do for the election campaign. As the campaigning begins, Stephanie uses some low-ball tactics to win votes from the male voters. Essentially dressing up like a total skank and letting the boys kiss her to win votes, which disgust the Degrassi girls who deem it sexist and demeaning (These are free thinking 12 & 13 year olds, who have a firm grip on important social issues of course.)
Later, things escalate when Stephanie is making a speech and when mentioning co-ed swimming the boys delve into their fantasies of seeing girls in bikinis... No Stephanie in a bikini... no Stephanie without a bikini.. Then chants and jeers for Stephanie to strip right then and there. Stephanie interrupts this startling development by thanking Joey Jeremiah for helping her out in the campaign but not Vula who storms off for not being recognized for writing all her speeches and making posters.
Stephanie ends up winning the election, but loses Vula as her friend. Stephanie realizes that she has no fucking clue how to do the job she just won and has to rely on her brother Arthur to help her out at the end of the episode.
The Sub-Plot:
The sub-plot in the course of this episode follows the adventures of Arthur and Yick meeting and becoming friends, and the rigors of being new to Junior high. The confusing layout of a two story building, being locked in the janitors closet and stuffed in lockers by Joey Jeremiah and his cronies. At one point, the boys get into their head that they are going to get back at Joey for locking them in the broom closet, however, I don't think any sort of plan was formulated, even though they came up with "Cool" code names and were talking to each other via radio searching for Joey. Arthur through the course of the episode makes weird faces whenever something happens that he doesn't get, or he's dealing with the fact that his sister is a total tramp.
My Opinion:
On the subject of politics, the episode seems to suggest that in order to get ahead appearances are everything, and having to kiss/getting kissed by the people is something you have to do to win, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you. I find it interesting that now a days, politics is much like this. The fact that politicians try to glam themselves up (okay, maybe looks aren't their strong points, its usually their investment portfolio and war history. But I digress.) and make outlandish (although they have to be at least a bit believable) promises all the while skirting any sort of talk about the practicalities of politics and strategy. Remember it's a popularity contest, just make yourself look good. That and it's good to exploit someone else's talents to write speeches or put up posters... just remember to give them some sort of recognition (Not a public one, give 'em money. You'd look like an idiot for thanking someone for writing your own speeches for you.)
On the issue of sexism, I find it increasingly ironic that for Stephanie Kaye, being so outraged by the fact that the school politics were apparently only being offered to the boys, that she resort to acting like a total skank to win men's votes. I think where this episode really fails on the whole sexism message, is that they show the outrage and how uncomfortable/disgusted the female characters are about the whole thing that nobody seems to speak up about it -- nor do the teachers even notice it's going on or say anything about it.
At least these days in most civilized systems of education they have anti-sexism & sexual harassment policies, this sort of crap would not wash these days, however, I have to point out that teenagers are fucking stupid and most of them would be too scared to report anything like that for fear of being a snitch.
This point is further defined by the torment of Yick & Arthur at the hands of Joey Jeremiah, rather than speaking to a figure of authority, ie their teachers and/or principal, they cook up this half-baked revenge scheme that involves walkie-talkies and a map.... and not much else. The scorn and humiliation of freshmen in the school system are clearly illustrated in this episode, and this horrible horrible practice is continued to this day... But hey, they're new, it's funny, let's go dunk their heads in the toilet and then make them eat dog shit.
Nancy Alert:
Oh Nancy, where art thou? For those of you who were not paying attention to the main page, the Nancy alert points out how often Nancy appears in the background in each episode of the first season of Degrassi Junior High. Through the course of the first season, Nancy has almost no speaking roles, or much interaction with the main cast. In fact she never has any significant roles (except perhaps on her belly) until the second season. The plight of Degrassi's only fat kid is made apparent by frequent background shots. Some people might think my singling out of Nancy's character is cruel and mean, and that there are plenty of other characters who only had background appearances until much later, (like Liz).. But Nancy is truly an unsung hero, a torch bearer to a class of people who are too chunky to hold back tears that are created by us non-chunk people who laugh at their fattitude. God Speed Nancy, may you fill up the backgrounds of every scene until the directors finally give you some substantial lines! Oh by the way, the Nancy Alert count for this episode is a total of 23 (Each count is determined by each shot that Nancy appears in -- essential every time the camera changes angels --, partial appearances of Nancy, like her arm or ass cheek being in a shot are all totaled up into one consecutive shot.) For those who care, Nancy's appearances in the episode involve her looking at Stephanie Kaye in an offended/disgusted matter and walking in and out of class, and sitting at her desk. Fine acting.
