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Old 09-15-2009, 08:11 PM
  #3
kaleidocat
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Joined: Jul 2005
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Crash CD Project Sent Out To The Exec

THE LETTER:

Dear Stephen Stohn, Linda Schuyler, Jake Epstein, Melissa McIntyre, and all the other creative forces that bring us Degrassi: The Next Generation,

Greetings from the Angsty Artists of Fan Forum (some of Craig and Ashley’s biggest fans)! It’s taken us awhile to wrap up this project dedicated to the power couple “Crash,” but finally it’s finished and in your hands. Initially meant as bait to see Craig and Ashley one last time and now it exists more as a sort of scrapbook for you to remember the epic couple. They’ve touched us like no other television couple and I’m sure for a handful of us, we will remember them fondly in fifty years. They’ve become a part of our lives. So as a thank you, here is Craig and Ashley’s first CD; album art created by two dedicated fans and filled with memorable quotes that the fans have said over the years as the “lyrics.”

The pairing of Craig and Ashley has gathered a wide fan base from those as young as a teen who wears pins of the couple and gushes about them in the halls of her school to those as old as twenty-six who feel like the show’s pair makes them feel young again. Despite not being treated well on the show during the transition from season four to five and then onward, we cling to what they were and what we know they can be. The most hardcore fans are online at Fan Forum but the “Crash” love can also be seen elsewhere. They are by far the most popular Craig relationship in polls and it makes sense. “Cranny” was all about the physical chemistry while “Crellie” is a bond of friendship. “Crash” is the perfect combination of both; Craig and Ashley are physically attracted to one another and it shines onscreen. They also understand each other on a level that Craig and Ellie do not; they descend beyond the “we have emotional problems therefore we have a bond“ cliché. Craig himself has said the only person he has the slightest understand of is Ashley. They are an interesting pair with their dreamer (Craig) and realist (Ashley) dynamic.

Their intensity cannot be matched; Craig and Ashley push each other’s buttons but they also make one another strive to be better people. Craig reassures chameleon Ashley that it’s okay to question who she is and deep down he just wants her to be content with herself. Ashley is the one girl that has gotten the fickle boy to settle down and be faithful to one girl, all the while being there for him while he overcame the grief of his father’s death. She was also present and supporting during the rollercoaster of his bipolar disorder diagnosis and recovery. Ashley’s support of Craig is underrated on the show. She was there for him for more than a weekend of drama and “saw someone worth saving” as well. She was there during a realistic scenario as an ex-girlfriend scorned. She saw more than the cheater and seeing her learn to trust again was touching. She also dealt with Craig’s bipolar disorder with what experience she had as a sixteen year old, putting up with more drama for a longer period of time than what was seen in later Craig focused episodes such as “What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost.” We would love to see her credited for what she has done to help him as well as see Craig give himself a pat on the back for getting sober (Ellie prompted Joey to force him into treatment but Craig did all the hard, painful work alone without Ellie‘s support). Craig and Ashley don’t save each other over the course of several days. They realistically struggle and they are ultimately there for each other with whatever life throws at them.

At this point it’s hard to have hope for more “Crash” on our screens but the Angsty Artists of Fan Forum love to speculate. Prior to season 8, we hoped to see them post-tour with Craig still present as Ashley’s biggest supporter. Moving into season 9 we’ve discussed scenarios such as having the rock star duo return to Degrassi for a gig at prom (like what they did in “West End Girls” and the mini “What If Craig Married Ashley?”) or perhaps having their CD passed around the halls of Degrassi if Jake and Melissa are unable to physically appear in the show. Craig and Ashley will always have the bond of music, but we know they also have so much more. They are a lot like Tommy and Jude of Instant Star with their expression of their feelings through music even if they were not romantically involved.” For “Crash” it was the sole way of understanding a world they just didn't get. It was their safe place and it was so beautiful that they found someone else who had the exact same escape.

If the entertainment industry is ever revisited in another episode or movie, “Crash” would fit in perfectly. Ashley, always a bundle of nerves and questions about who she is and where she belongs, would have a difficult time settling into the ever unpredictable industry and its demands of who they want her to be. There are certain elements that she would experience, possibly degrading ones such as being treated as a sex symbol and groped at venues, that Craig would not. Meanwhile, we can see Craig being pressured into the partying lifestyle and as he struggles to keep a balance. Together they would realize what they are both capable of and what they want to be, all the while living out what they thought was the dream of being a musician. It would be nice to see Craig return to the guy who loved music but always had his heart in the right place and knew that some things were worth more than fame and money like in the episode Neutron Dance.

The “Crash” fans are still by far one of the most consistently active fan bases for a Degrassi romantic pairing and we hope to celebrate with the reunion of Craig and Ashley. Nicole and Jen have even said that if another premiere was held, they’d travel cross country to meet the fabulous duo of Jake Epstein and Melissa McIntyre. As a very loyal group, we will continue to root for them and hope that in the future you will do them the justice they deserve. We hope you will consider the package and all the reasons why Craig and Ashley’s story shouldn’t be closed.

Thank you for creating the power couple that is “Crash,”

The Angsty Artists of Fan Forum (all 157 of us!)



Enclosures: 2 page letter, 4 CD cases containing album art for Craig and Ashley’s first CD, 4 photos (3 taken at the Degrassi Goes Hollywood premiere by Joa of sel-online.net which inspired a similar shout out from my cat Cleo to Panther and Noggin. Yes this package is arriving from Nicole, who rocks.), 1 small handmade book for Jake Epstein.

THE PROJECT:







For more pictures of this, visit my journal (friends only entry because I think it's a bit too personal to have on a message board).

THE CD ALBUM ART:

Front Cover






































Back Cover
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Last edited by kaleidocat; 09-15-2009 at 11:41 PM
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