A Moment with Kim: Freaked Out Mexicans, College Clichés, Closets
You guys are hilarious (and that assessment is based on your comments alone -- I can't even imagine what it'd be like to get drunk together and perform dramatic reenactments of Important Fights in BSC History). Let's be friends forever, like the BSC spinoff series featuring ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS on the book covers (I hope the orginal series' illustrator was fired for being so annoyingly inconsistent). I was done with Stoneybrook by the time the whole Friends Forever series started, but I do remember gaping at the books all 'what the hell is going on here, Martin?'* They did a decent job casting Claudia, I guess. I mean, check it out! She's on a disaster date! Been there, lady.
Anyway, commenter Stace raised an important point. Stick this in your peace pipe and smoke it:
Why did [Dawn] always have to be cool anyway? Like if a guy in a sombrero came running into a BSC meeting shooting at them, everyone would go into hysterics but Dawn, who would just sit there munching celery saying "A freaked out Mexican? Who hasn't seen one?"
I would've read that Super Special HARD.
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For someone who is so deeply entrenched in Hipster Studies (read: sometimes I go to Urban Outfitters and tally up all the Minnetonka-wearing customers), you'd think I'd be an avid McSweeney's reader. But I am merely a casual McSweeney's reader, so let's thank Scarlett for tweeting me the link to the greatest McSweeney's list of all time: Titles From The Baby-Sitters Club: The College Years Series.
They're great**. And I feel like that list could go on forever. My suggestions:
- Mary Anne and the Missed Period
- Abby and the Sex Ed Improv Group
- Stacey McGill, Sororstitute
- Dawn Hits the Bong
- Kristy and the Group Project From Hell
- Claudia's Shoplifting Secret
Again: I would read those books hard. Shit, I would write those books hard. Scholastic! Call me! I like to drop f-bombs and use the word awesome to describe just about everything!
In other words, I am supremely qualified.
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Sometimes people think its a good idea to let me talk about my clothes on the internet. Lemondrop.com's Closet Fever series features fashion bloggers talking about their favorite items of clothing. And I am one of those bloggers! Neat!
Things to note: Frye Carmen side zip boots I spent way too much on, Paris Hilton pose, vague semblance of a smile (I tried, really I did), shelving unit stocked with skinny jeans, Laine-approved amounts of black and grey closet items, tacky ring (as seen on greasy mobster stereotypes).
Check out the rest of the feature here. Julie: thanks for giving me another opportunity to wax poetic about Frye shoes.
In the interest of full shopping habit disclosure: I bought shoes recently. I know, I've been making all these claims about how I'm not shopping anymore because I need to look into this whole 'future' thing. But it's totally fine because these puppies are extremely practical. Okay, whatever, they're not.
* Once I was waiting at Goodwill for my boyfriend to finish his shift and I ended up reading Claudia Gets Her Guy to pass the time. I don't remember much about the story, but I do remember being pleasantly surprised by the lack of annoying child-centric subplots.
** Although the image of Claudia in those wretched VS PINK sweatpants that college chicks seem to love makes me die a little inside.
I've retained a troubling amount of information about books I read during my childhood.
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27 comments
Stacey would wear those sweatpants. Not Claudia, unless she tie-dyed the pants and then sewed her own words onto the butt. (Like "I <3 Candy"? I don't know.)
by Andrea on 1:02 PM. #
I read some of the F.F.. I found them when my little sister was old enough to read the books, and I was trying to push my agenda on her. It's worth at least reading the last one. Cry a little. Watch them finally effing graduate eighth grade. It's worth the few bucks and the hour it takes to read it.
by Amy on 2:41 PM. #
I can picture Stacy being that girl at every beer pong party who ends up saying, "Oh my God, why are you BEING like this? Are you MAD at me?"
by Rachael on 3:05 PM. #
Ha @ the McSweeney's list. Oh the possibilities.
Now you've got me wondering what actually did happen to the illustrator after the FF series started. His look definitely evolved over the years (and not for the better, really) I wonder if he had a ghost-painter?
by hungryandfrozen on 3:21 PM. #
Oh Man, MA would be that passive-aggressive college flatmate that leaves polite little notes like, "Stacey, I know you said you were going to do the dishes yesterday, so you must have been really busy with class since you didn't do them. In case you're wondering where they are, I cleaned them for you." (Kristy would solve her flatmate-related issues by picking up all their mess and dumping it in their bed, in the time-honoured tradition).
by HelenB on 6:02 PM. #
I like the McSweeney's list, but come on, Stacey would never be bulimic. Everyone knows she hates vomiting.
by notemily on 6:56 PM. #
those boots are so remarkably hot I can't handle it. want.
by grace on 8:39 PM. #
I love this blog! Would love to re-enact fights in BSC history. That Claudia in the photo is looking very Eurasian (maybe she is adopted after all? Or Mrs Kishi had a dalliance with the milkman?)
The college titles are hilarious - I prefer yours over the McSweeney's list - clearly whoever wrote it wasn't a true BSC fan.
by cerebral e on 7:39 AM. #
Do you happen to watch the show "So You Think You Can Dance?" If not it doesn't matter, please just find images of the choreographer Sonja Tayeh and tell me she is not channeling the Kishi with her look.
by Katrina on 9:36 AM. #
If you write Dawn Hits The Bong, I will for sure read it.
by Isabel on 11:42 AM. #
Have you read the California Diaries series? Those things need a good hard-core annotating.
by Rachael on 12:31 PM. #
ooo love those shoes you just bought. Who are they by?
by Betty on 5:58 PM. #
The best part about the original illustrator is that his name is Hodges Soileau.
If Claudia sewed her own words on the pants, it would say "I <3 Kandi"
by Caroline on 10:38 PM. #
Ugh! Your readers are funnier than I am! I hate when that happens!
Boy Crazy Stacey = Sororstitute.
Makes sense.
by So@24 on 3:59 PM. #
nice jeans- cute cut -your blog is really quirky and cute, I'd really appreciate if you would check out my blog and become a follower -http://cocobutterlipbalmx.blogspot.com/
by .cocobutterlipbalm on 3:06 AM. #
I think we all know Stacy wouldn't last in college with all the shameful, sick mornings brought on by binge drinking combined with diabeet-us.
Claudia would probably do fine if she found an art program with very little emphasis on literacy.
by hoodnurse on 12:42 PM. #
Whoa. From that picture, I have to say that oddly enough, you look like what I always imagined Dawn looked like.
On to the BSC college books!
There is NO WAY Claud would wear sweatpants with something written on the seat. Ever.
Also, I don't think Mary Anne would be the one to have a pregnancy scare. She seems too conscientious and too chaste for that. Personally, I think "Mallory and the Morning-After Pill" is more of a fit. Poor Mallory always the worst fucking luck, so of course she'd be the one to have the pregnancy scare. Or multiple scares, actually.
Other titles:
Stacey Sleeps With Her Professor (Hey, "Stacey's Big Crush" came pretty close, right?)
Mary Anne, Super-RA (she and Kristy would be co-RA's: Kristy would be the cool one but Mary Anne would be the one who was sweet to your face but always ready to bust you for something behind your back)
Kristy's First (And Second and Third) Lesbian Experience
Dawn Saves Tibet
Jessi Gets Really Tired of Having to Be a Part of Her Dorm's "Diversity Week"
Claudia and the Art School Orgy
The last one is my favorite, because Claudia's totally an art school student. Stacey is NYU material all the way (and I say this begrudgingly, as an NYU alum myself.) Kristy and Mary Anne are at one of those five colleges in Amherst or one of the Seven Sisters. Dawn would go to UC Santa Cruz, Mallory would go to Yale, and Jessi would be in some dance school in a big city.
Oh, and Abby would go to Brandeis.
by Unknown on 2:24 PM. #
OOOFa I just read that synopsis of claudia gets her guy and now i'm blind. what's up, red background???
by Unknown on 4:36 PM. #
I'm absolutely in love with your blog. I read Babysitter's Club for so long when I was little (as well as the Little Sister spinoff series). Reading your blog is like taking a fantastic journey through my childhood again. I liked Claudia but I have to admit, I was a big fan of Stacey.
by Heather Taylor on 6:54 PM. #
What I want to know is: Who writes the book descriptions for the Friends Forever series? Cause I'm PRETTY SURE you and I could do better. CALL ME, SCHOLASTIC.
by Laurie Stark on 5:37 PM. #
haha mary anne would be the one with the missed period.
by My Turn on 6:40 PM. #
"Dawn Hits the Bong"
Why hasn't this been written already and reviewed in High Times?
by denise on 11:31 AM. #
omg don't forget it's claudia's birthday this saturday...i think a dramatic reading session is in order.
by megan on 10:15 PM. #
I bet Dawn wear Uggs as part of her "California Casual" shtick. Claudia wouldn't wear those horrendous sweatpants though, Stacey would. For sure. No, Stacey would prance around in leggings 24/7, because she's soooo sophisticated.
by Sondra on 9:39 PM. #
Hi there! Lovely blog you got!
by Kat on 10:20 AM. #
Oh my lord. You wouldn't believe how excited I was to see that I got a special mention in your blog! Cheers :)
Anyways, getting drunk and acting out BSC fights?! I'm there!! Bags being Claud, since no-one else has.
Also, you have an unbelievably organised wardrobe! You can be Richard Spier ;)
by Stace on 1:29 PM. #
hi
by ryan on 5:32 PM. #