Nekoshoujo

I actually miss some of the balance the older seasons had. It made the "shock moments" have more of an impact.

And I completely agree about the niners. They have a real chance of bringing back some of the lightness of the early seasons. When you think about season 8 they did a good job of giving the niners light storylines without making them comic relief. That's something that's what bothered me about The Three Tenners last year. Some of their plots were simply frustrating- like the Wesley pogo stick plot because I didn't feel like there was any kind of point when it came down to it. When you look at the early seasons the majority of the plots are fairly undramatic but that doesn't mean they're pointless or boring. And even the funny episodes have a sense of purpose- that's something seriously lacking from the newer episodes.


I always giggle when I think about that scene now. If they only knew...

kaleidocat

I was a college freshman when I started watching Degrassi. My mom used to record episodes to send to me so she was one of the few that knew I watched. She said I watched it because I was so miserable in high school.

I think there is something about Degrassi that extends itself to an older audience. I can't get into the shows currently on Nick. They just don't have the heart that the old "Snick" shows had. I like to think that Roundhouse helped me on my way growing up.

Nekoshoujo

So I was thinking about some things and this was the result: Misfits and co., Double Standards: Notes on Degrassi’s Gender Politics


I’m a Degrassi fan. But I’m also a feminist and sometimes those two things don’t mix well. Despite the fact Degrassi’s main viewing demographic consists primarily of young women, the show hasn’t always been very conscious of feminist perspectives. As bad as that is, the fandom is even worse. I’m not sure if this is an influence of the show or if that’s just how teenage girls think. Either way the fact remains: this fandom makes excuses for “pretty boys” while simultaneously shaming and insulting the girls who do anything “against” them. Sometimes the judgments I read online actually break my heart. I take those kinds of comments personally. Not because I feel attached to characters who get hate, but because I’m a woman. I’ve been around long enough to see what woman and girls have to put up with every day just because they were born with breasts. So it worries me when I see girls tearing each other apart especially in defense of a boy- fictional or not. Have we learned nothing from Katie Matlin? I’ve held my tongue these past few seasons but I’m tired of seeing double standards promoted throughout the Degrassi fandom. So now I want to comment on it. Not for myself but for the young girls who make me wonder: Do they denounce their friends who have the courage to leave relationships that make them uncomfortable? Do they give into their boyfriends who pressure them for sex even after they’ve said no? Do they date boys who have sexually harassed them in the past? Do they live their lives by the double standards they promote online? Or is that just for fictional girls? And honestly this is why I’m making this post, to point out the double standards so that hopefully the fandom will be more conscious of the fact they exist.

Eli Goldsworthy and Craig Manning have something in common, and it isn’t their Bipolar diagnosis. It’s the way the Degrassi fandom views these characters that’s similar. I understand the appeal of these two fan favorites because both characters are favorites of mine as well. But they’re both examples of a kind of halo effect that equates being attractive and compelling for being right and good. That’s not to say these characters are loved simply for their looks. Eli and Craig have had some of the best storylines in Degrassi history. They’re also both played by exceptional actors. So now you might be inclined to say to me: “See Asya! They’re both awesome, so what’s the issue?” The issue is the way the women in both Eli and Craig’s lives have been treated- both in the show and in the fandom.

Let’s go back to season three for a moment and take a look at the original epic love triangle of D:TNG: Ashley/Craig/Manny. For those of you who didn’t watch the early seasons I’ll catch you up: Manny had a crush on Craig. But Craig thought she was too young. Craig actually liked Ashley who liked him back so they started dating. Manny decides she’s tired of being too young and so she adopts a flirtier attitude and goes after Craig. Craig cheats on Ashley with Manny. He promises Manny he’ll break things off with Ashley for her even though he doesn’t want to. Long story short both girls find out the truth and Craig ends up single for awhile. The entire situation was written off in the guise of a love triangle so ultimately both of the girls involved were trashed during the Cranny vs. Crash debate. Craig cheats on his girlfriend and somehow this “makes” Manny a **** and Ashley a bitchy prude. The reality of the situation is that no matter who you ship (and I am a hardcore Crash shipper saying this) Craig cheated and that makes him a cheater! Why do the girls involved get ten times the hate for what was ultimately Craig’s choice?

The girls in Eli’s life are in a very similar situation. I admit I wasn’t thrilled with the way the Eclare breakup was handled in Drop The World. But ultimately I’m proud of Clare for leaving a relationship that made her uncomfortable. It didn’t matter that she loved him, the fact was Clare needed some space and Eli was not willing to give that to her. The basic foundation of a relationship hinges on both parties being able to meet each other’s needs. Yet Clare gets hate because Eli couldn’t do that? Clare still loves Eli, she’s hurting too yet in this fandom all people seemed concerned with is the fact Eli’s heart was broken. Despite whatever feelings might be between the two, the fact still remains Clare felt uncomfortable and she had every right to break things off with Eli because of that. That does not make her a bad person. Nor does it mean she is suddenly ineligible to feel bad about the situation.

Let’s look at a simpler comparison between the fandom’s contrasting opinions Eli and Clare. In the episode Love Game, Clare uses Jake to try and make Eli jealous. At the end of the episode she apologizes to Eli for her behavior. After this episode aired Clare faced a lot of criticism from the fandom. Some people even thought this would be considered manipulation. I’m not saying I approve of what she did but I certainly noticed that no such allegations were made against Eli in the episode Should Have Said No when he blatantly uses Imogen to make Clare jealous by flirting with Imogen in front of Clare. Eli does not apologize for any specific action instead he makes two pseudo-apologies for all of his actions. The first when Clare tells Eli she read his play. The audience understands just as Clare does that Eli means this new ending to be for her, to make up for the things he has done that pained her. The second apology occurs during the actual performance of Love Roulette. This time the apology is meant for Clare, Imogen, and the other people Eli has wronged along the way. Both of these moments are nothing less than beautiful, hands down two of my favorite scenes from season 11. However, the nature of these apologies disturbs me. For Clare apologizing to Eli is something of a requirement. We saw this in her apology in Love Game, and her earlier apology on twitter for the dinner gone wrong in Love Lockdown. Yet when Eli apologizes it is seen as 1) a romantic gesture 2) a personal revelation. The second scene, during the play, is the most telling. Eli need not apologize for the benefit of those he has wronged, but so he can move forward. His attempted to apologize to Jake in Don’t Panic is the same. He actually admits he feels the need to be forgiven in order to get better. I’m not downplaying this step in his therapy or the fact Eli is taking personal responsibility. Eli feeling sorry is immediately presented as inconsequential. I simply want to point out the way his apologies are viewed as opposed to Clare’s genuine apologies which are both not highlighted in the show and largely ignored in the fandom.

This is not that different from Craig’s apology to Ashley in Rock and Roll High School. After many a half hearted “I’m Sorry,” Craig gives a genuine apology in his song “Dust.” He is then rewarded not only with Ashley’s forgiveness, but with praise for his song, and a recording deal. Eli’s apology during Love Roulette is also met with praise from his audience (both in show and off), and a glowing review in the Degrassi Daily. What is the message here? Women should simply be expected to atone for their every mistake while an apology from a man should not only be met with forgiveness but with abundant praise? Just another double standard being popularized by Degrassi!

One might even extend this principle to the Anya/Owen storyline. In season 10, Anya stood up against Owen’s sexual harassment. The season ended with Owen clearly not learning why his behavior was threatening and inappropriate and Anya wanting nothing to do with him. In season 11, we do not see Owen proving he understands Anya’s discomfort from last semester. Instead he makes a move while she’s emotionally vulnerable and then flaunts his sexual conquest online. Anya ultimately decides to pursue a relationship with him when she feels degraded by her friends. To clarify, they actually start dating because Anya feels like a floozy and Owen’s all she deserves. What I don’t understand about this storyline is the lack of apology on Owen’s part. It’s like the writers believe we should forgive Owen automatically because of his other likable qualities. It doesn’t matter how “good” the Owen/Anya relationship is. The fact we’ve yet to see Owen acknowledge the sexual harassment means the writers view it as trivial. And maybe that’s why girls will continue to let this behavior slide in real life instead of addressing it like Anya did last season. I truly feel like the writers don’t even think this is something Owen should have to own up to, and from the popularity of the Owen/Anya relationship maybe the fandom doesn’t either.

Is Owen the first Degrassi guy to take advantage of an emotionally vulnerable girl with no backlash? Nope. Last season’s Love Lockdown became the most debated episode of the season when Degrassi attempted to cover “regretted sex.” The episode actually turned out to be another classic example of The Pretty Boy Can Do No Wrong syndrome. Ultimately this episode is the perfect example of the issue I’m talking about in this post: An attractive guy getting a free pass in the fandom (and on the show). This episode was so badly handled that I’m not going to judge anyone who sees the Holly J/Declan sex scene as consensual. I however saw the situation as a boy taking advantage of a girl who has feelings for him by pressuring her to have sex with him. This episode was so grey and the debate so heated that this is the first time I’ve actually stated my feelings on the matter on tumblr. To me it seemed as though Holly J felt so bad about making things rough for Declan that she calls the act consensual after the fact. It was a hard thing for me to watch especially when Declan’s own sister was uncomfortable with the situation. I often wonder if Fiona still believes Declan forced Holly J. Regardless I bring it up because had Declan not been such a fan favorite, such a charming character, or Landon such a talented actor, I don’t think as many people would have sided with Declan. I suppose we’ll never know for sure.

For me what’s even more disturbing is when the fandom gives male characters a free pass while crucifying girls who commit the same “crimes.” In Extrodinary Machine, Eli plots to set Jake up for a drug bust. It’s a pretty ingenious (and villainous) plan- Eli’s specialty. But while Eli’s plans are praised for their cunning nature, Imogen’s pill switch triggered an onslaught of hate. Remember what I said earlier about the women in Eli’s life? Applies just as much to Imogen as it does to Clare. While Eli’s plan and Imogen’s plan are essentially the same, the fandom’s reactions could not be any more different. It’s hard to write this one off as anything but a double standard.

Sometimes a different double standard applies to the girls of Degrassi: it’s not what they do to a boy, it’s which boy they do it to. While Clare faced extreme backlash for her treatment of Eli during taco night in Love Lockdown, no one in the fandom batted an eyelash at Anya trying to make Owen look bad in front of her mom. I’m not saying I thought what Clare did was okay- I found the scene entertaining sure- but it was a shabby thing to do to Eli. What I am saying is that I question the reasoning behind Clare’s backlash. Was it really all because of her actions? Or did it stem from the fact it was Eli she had wronged?

I’m not saying that Degrassi is purposefully an anti-feminist show. Or even that what I’ve presented here is the whole story. Honestly I love most the characters and couples I talked about here. But I don’t let that love blind me to the double standards in this fandom and on this show. Women have spent too much time making excuses for men and even more time putting down other women. Knock it off!

hot_vanilla

mellifluouscloud

If I had a gif of Imogen's "slow clap" moment, I would post it right now. That is one beautiful essay.

Goddamn, you are a genius for pointing out this parallel storyline.

Their relationship is so messed up, I can't even articulate how much it bothers me. But you took the words out of my mouth.

Exactly. He's too hot to be a rapist. The fangirls proclaiming "Declan can rape me anytime he wants" on Twitter, like it's all some big joke. Like rape is something that women secretly desire. Like it's okay.

Thank you for posting this, Asya. The widespread internalized misogyny in the Degrassi fandom is so upsetting to me too. I think this is the #1 reason why I'm not part of the DTC. (Based on my observations, it seems most rampant there. But maybe I'm passing judgment.)

I think when you truly love something, you have to be able to recognize its flaws. We have to criticize Degrassi because we love it. We have to rant about what bothers us and hope things change.

Nekoshoujo

Thanks for taking the time to read that guys, I know it was long.

This is probably what bothers me the most about the storyline. That suddenly rape is a joke. Forget making it look okay, it makes it look down right laughable. I don't even want to think about how the girls who have been raped deal with seeing those kinds of comments. Or worse I can only imagine the girls who will someday be a similar situation- what will they think? Will they see themselves as a joke or accept the same fate HJ did? That's why LL was a let down. For those girls.

No you're not wrong. It's really what prompted me to post that there in first place. I seriously debated because I know people would hate me for it but it needed to be said. One little post against the 100s that mock the girls I mentioned.

This is so true for Degrassi though, such a flawed show, but yet so wonderful regardless.

shance

I would say that misogyny in Degrassi fandom is, more or less, just a way to show how many teenage girls think of themselves, men, and each other in the real world.

The fact that teenage girls love Twilight despite it representing a world where hot men are incapable of abusing people (and are ALWAYS in the right), a girl with dirt-low self-esteem who constantly whines is desired by every cute guy in school, every girl in school except the main character (i.e. you) is shallow, and dropping out of school at 17 to get married and have a baby is the most amazingly beautiful thing a young woman can do with her life should paint a very clear picture of how many girls (and women) think.

There are thousands of videos on Youtube of girls ganging up on other girls to beat them up and send them home afraid and crying, all over differing opinions on some guy. And videos like these are met with thousands of views and "like"s.

Another problem for some of us in Degrassi fandom could be that we're older and have the life experience to know how real-life romantic/sexual relationships really are, while the younger crowd doesn't have that kind of experience.

shance

Does anyone have a list of music from every episode of seasons 1-9?

The closest I'm finding is on Muchmusic's site, and only for 10-11.

CTV's site had it once upon a time.

NocturnalCouchPotato

I found it using the Wayback website. It's only for the first 6 seasons, though.
Link.

Nekoshoujo

This is totally random but I guess that's what this thread is for, right? I was rereading 's first Sellie thread and a lot of the discussion in that first thread is about how they felt a little rushed. Part of the reason being Sean dated three girls in one season: Emma, Amy, and then Ellie and the reason being they hooked up before ever really talking all in one episode. It's just so funny to me because in comparison to the new cast that's hardly rushed and basically common.

It it reminded me quite a bit of Katie and Drew this season. It also helped me realize what bothered me about them. Katie was involved with three guys before she even had her own plot: she went on a date with Jake, Adam crushed on her, and then she hooked up with Drew in the first episode they interacted in. Clearly this is a problem effecting the whole cast but it just stood out to me because Katie's description said she was awkward around relationship stuff but clearly she's not hurting for attention from the opposite sex. It's not that I think that's such a problem, I can see why people like Katie. But honestly I was really looking forward to having a character who was awkward with relationships. It seemed like Terri was the only girl who had a problem getting a date and it's been a long time since she was on the show. Clearly, Katie is not going to be like that. I'm kinda disappointed.

I guess this was two unrelated thoughts but whatever.


I agree with all of this. I guess it's just hard to be an older fan and watching this.

kaleidocat

Ah Ha! I remembered what I was going to say in here. Not that it's a very elaborate thought but I was just thinking about everyone heading back to school. What season premiere episode do you think best captures that feeling of going back to high school?

My first thought was When Doves Cry. We had class introductions, Ms. Kwan telling the students what books they would be reading, and locker assignments. And there were a lot of scenes that had that end of summer sunny days feel to them, ya know?

nj2013

Okay so I looked at the fall special again to see who was all there and who was not. The mostly likely scenario is that this is Jake's cabin, but the people there seem misplaced. So I looked at everyone's twitters to see who was busy, who was free, and who is hanging out with who. I came up with this:

So it makes sense why no seniors are there (they left), but some people only seem to be there cause of what's been going on. Marisol/Katie/Drew/Bianca were basically the biggest plots of Now or Never. These guys are all Juniors (I know Jake is one too, but he is mostly paired with the Grade 10s) and really have no reason to be there. I think this should have been a Grade 10 only outing unless they adding more connected characters like Adam, Dave, or KC. Adam definitely should have been there since he has been shown interacting with almost every character at least once. Everyone whose storylines were resolved (not completely) aren't there. This whole episode is relationship based and shows who will be starring in the plots the rest of the season. Degrassi!!! You have other characters than Eclare and Drew! Try using them!

JustMe2000

It turns out that fall special is an actual episode (or two 1130/31) called Nowhere to Run. I swear Stohn and company do this stuff just to confuse me.

TeenNick has updated their Which Degrassi character are you? quiz.

I got Jake. So let's take a little closer look at that.


Okay, but I'm keeping my shirt on.

No, I don't I think I actually own one.

Umm.....not really, although the throwing frogs at people doesn't sound too bad...

More like it makes me tear out what little hair I have left.

Okay, yeah, that's probably true.....

I don't know, it would make for a kind of boring show, don't ya think?

That sounds really uncomfortable.

mellifluouscloud

Yeah, well... SOMEHOW, I'm Eli.

Maybe my responses were too all over the place? How does this happen!

kaleidocat

I got Eli too. His description was hilarious. We're in so much pain! I just stubbed my toe while making the bed and fought with my cat over the clean sheets so I guess I get where he's coming from.