Sunday, February 8, 2015

But Seriously Though, How Great Was Saved By The Bell?

So if you've been on social media at all for the last week or so, you've probably seen this clip. And, of course, if you watched TV in the early 1990s (or reruns at 7 AM in the early 2000s), it was a nostalgic sucker punch. If there's one thing anyone over the age of 20 likes, it's a reunion of the characters of their favorite shows or movies or anything. And Saved By The Bell was definitely one of our favorites.
Before I go on, here's the clip. If you haven't watched it already, there will be spoilers below:
This clip is great. They got the makeup and outfits right, the musical vibe was there. On a related note, as my good friend and band mate Loren pointed out, apparently rolling up one's sleeves (in a non-proverbial sense) went out of style a long time ago and no one told us. It's okay, though - we're bringing it back. 

As usual, I digress. The inside jokes (for lack of a better phrase) in this clip are my favorite part. References to Tiffani Thiessen (who is still just as gorgeous today, even pregnant) and her post-SBTB run on "Beverly Hills, 90210," flashbacks to Mario Lopez's spandex-clad dance ability, and Elizabeth Berkley's brief stint as a fictional stripper in Showgirls. There was also a reference to Jessie Spano's most iconic moment in the show. She's made a couple of flashback references to the SBTB ladies' rendition of the Pointer Sisters' classic hit, "I'm So Excited." Her run on Dancing With the Stars (which I don't watch, but again, social media brought it to my attention) was remarkable for a flippant nod to that moment leading into one of her dances with her partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy. Everyone laughs at the reference, as they should, the same way they did when she did it in the Jimmy Fallon sketch. I laughed at it, too, but it was uneasy laughter.

Saved By The Bell, like most high school-set sitcoms, was known for its occasional "special episodes" where a more serious issue would be raised in the course of the show. One of those is the episode where Jessie gets addicted to caffeine pills while trying to balance forming a musical girl group with Kelly and Lisa (whose lead single is a cover of The Pointer Sisters song) and maintaining her grades to get into Stanford University, which culminates in her realizing her addiction ("I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so...scared!") and collapsing in Zack Morris's arms.

15 years down the road, I fully acknowledge that this is a pretty laughable portrayal, but for me, as a fairly naive 11-year-old kid watching Saved By The Bell reruns, Jessie's breakdown was kind of a scary moment in the show. Everyone at that age knows not to do drugs, but that was the first time I'd been shown the emotional toll of drug addiction (you know, in a still-innocent high school way). At age 11, I had known for 6 years already that I wanted to be a doctor (yeah, I was that kid), and so I viewed this with the same desire to help that I intended to apply to all of my future patients.

I've seen other fictional characters get into much worse situations because of their addictions, ranging from Mason in Dead Like Me feeling sick when a bag of cocaine bursts in his rectum, to Dr. House's visual hallucinations and complete lack of control when the Vicodin becomes too much, to every character in Requiem for a Dream when they succumb to the effects of their drugs of choice.

I have met real people (mostly patients) addicted to drugs (far worse than mere caffeine pills) and I know people who use caffeine pills and other supplements on a regular but non-addicted basis. Heck, I get headaches when I don't drink at least one cup of coffee per day. But I still remember how I felt when I saw Jessie crying, because I was picturing how Zack must have felt when he encountered her. I didn't have the benefit of knowledge and experience to help me deflect the emotions there. And it still gives me a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I'm not saying it's wrong to laugh at these humorous references - like I said, I laughed myself. I'm sure Elizabeth Berkley shakes her head at herself when she thinks about it. But there's that moment of hesitation there when I remember that poignant moment, that's stuck with me through the years.
And then I wonder if I'm taking myself and a 1990s sitcom too seriously. In fact, I'm certain I am. Even back then, the very next scene is of Kelly and Lisa performing a live version of the song, with Screech hilariously filling in for Jessie (Season 3 episode 9 if you want to watch it on Netflix). And all is well again.

But I think of it this way: While I am busy memorizing all of the signs of addiction to various drugs, as well as their withdrawal symptoms, it's easy to forget that there are real patients behind those test questions. And until I get into the real world of treating patients as a doctor (which will hopefully be pretty soon, as I graduate in May), I can always use a reminder of that human component. In this case, that's where Jessie Spano comes in. So I will always be thankful to SBTB for that.

And, on a less serious note, for moments like this. Very few shows can pull off a rapping portrayal of Snow White.


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