Tweencom Girls by Oppliger Patrice A.;

Author:Oppliger, Patrice A.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Rejection of Popular

The main girl is often portrayed in the role of what Wiseman (2009) labeled a floater, someone who does not care about status and flows between groups. This is in line with the socially central concept. Bonacich (1987) defined social centrality as an individual who spans different groups rather than one clique and gains popularity through her associations. While some shows use the trope of the popular on a superficial level, other shows teach about the importance of not following the pack. For example, Phil (Phil of the Future ) stands and loudly announces that the groups are free to intermingle at lunch (“Future Tutor”). Everyone looks shocked at the suggestion, including Keely and Tia. Keely eventually rejects Tia’s rules about where students sit and becomes friends with less popular Phil. Tia changes as well, and her desire to remain friends with Keely appears stronger than her fear of losing social status.

While some characters in tweencoms appear automatically popular because of their looks and wealth, Telly from Salute Your Shorts rejects Dina’s presumed popularity (“Michael Comes to Camp”). Telly, who comes from a less wealthy family, is not considered trendy. Dina exclaims, “Fashion alert, fashion alert! Are you really going to wear those glasses in public?” Dina tells Telly to check her priorities. Telly puts Dina in her place telling her, “Look. If I had a zillion bucks like you then I’d get something better. Until then, I’m stuck with these.” The lesson is that popularity is only possible if afforded by others. At first Telly is simply resigned to the fact that her family is not as wealthy and powerful as Dina’s family. Later, she becomes more aggressive and pushes back against Dina’s sense of entitlement.

There is often a back and forth of popularity in girl world. Somedays she is up and other days she is down, only to rebound and return on top the next day. In the case of How to Rock, Kacey chooses not to reclaim her popularity. After her fall from the Perfs, she asked to join Gravity 5, a band made up of less popular kids whom Kacey tormented in the past. When Kacey returns to her glamorous self after she declines to wear her glasses and opts for a nightly retainer instead of braces, Molly, the new head of the Perfs, invites her back into clique (“Braces and Glasses”). Kacey rejects her old life and stays with her new friends in the band. Molly does not take rejection well and vows to take Kacey down. While Kacey is still portrayed as superficial, she has been redeemed and now is in the position of the main girl rather than the mean girl in comparison to Molly.

In the case of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn, Dawn must make a choice to join the mean girls or show loyalty to her siblings. As a fifth-grader, Dawn has made the sixth grade soccer team (“I Got Your Back”). However, Ang, one of the older girls on the team, tells her, “You may have made the team but you haven’t made ‘the team.

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