The ultimate meltdown

If I had been Mrs. Garrett, I would have told her to calm the fuck down. If that didn’t work I would have asked Jo to beat the shit out of her.

Kim Fields should have won an Emmy for this performance.

What makes more embarrassing is that it's over Jermaine Jackson.

Mrs. Garrett always creeped me out.

She looks evil.

I honestly don't know why I feel that way, but she just has a creepy vibe.

And her reaction to Tootie's meltdown was bizarre. Almost robotic.

I like how Jermaine Jackson took pity on Tootie during the episode when she was getting trampled. He spoke to her in that baby whisper coo Jackson voice.

R4 she was used to Tootie’s shit after living with the bitch for over 3 years at that point. I liked Mrs. G.

I believe Tootie would have fucked and sucked a goat to go to that shitty concert

It is that mushroom haircut that makes women crazy!

Mrs. Garrett went to the Miss Warwick School of Slapping, she should have slapped the little bitch out of her shoes.

Mrs. Garrett is a bit macabre actually. Maybe it’s because she was in The Worst Witch.

Molly would've NEVER freaked out over Jermaine Jackson.

Blair should have thrown some Warner shade at Tootiie…. “Jermaine Jackson!?? Um, don’t you mean MICHAEL? I have his new album - Thriller and I think it’s simply brilliant”!!

[quote] I believe Tootie would have fucked and sucked a goat to go to that shitty concert

How do you know that she hasn't?

That bitch is desperate.

What’s her problem?

OP, seriously, you've never dealt with teenagers before? the over the top panic when they're denied something they believe is apex of their life?

and if we look at Tootie's overall arc... her parents were stuffy and pretty much tiger parents, they wouldn't have allowed her to go even without the prior commitment... especially given this plays into her desire to become a celebrity, an actress herself, which all along they were against and all this was her rebellious streak coming from thru a very sheltered (and privileged) life. . . upper class (well, be it old money or earned through reputable work) african american families also typically did their best to stay away from the 'urban' culture of the mainstream - the mindset that it held back the community - the ghetto'fication of the american black identity. so, in essence, she didn't know how to rebel, . . . other than becoming melodramatic as she watches all dreams and opportunities to escape the preplanned life her parents wanted for her crash and burn. And she's always been a socially awkward character, the perpetual little sister surrounded by older, more 'mature' girls, physically anyway, while she remained looking like a child. . . that's trauma enough for anyone. let alone tossing in that being on being one of the few a minorities at eastland or at least one with very little exposure to other black girls.

but also take into perspective, films of the 70s/early 80s on the psychosexual development of teen girls for a proto glimpse at the teen attitudes of the era.

In a deleted scene, Mrs. Garrett is seen off-camera using the n-word at Tootie.

Missed the Jermaine Jackson concert, did we, R15?

R15 I wanna read the rest of your Facts of Life thesis

I remember some closeted fashion photographer whizzed into Eastland the year before Tootie’s colossal meltdown, dressed her up to look like Peaches from Peaches & Herb, and declared Tootie to be the next “big thing”.

In all reality she turned out to be the biggest disappointment to hit the streets since the AMC Pacer.

I thought this was a weird episode. Jermaine and his entourage came out looking bad. Not at all what Tootie expected. They ignored her for the most part, and they destroyed her gift to him; the sculpture she made. In the end, she realized she was just another fan to him and she meant nothing to him.

She was so wrecked on Atlanta. Delusional, poor, gay husband, ugly girl syndrome no style or looks. But also smug while looking like a white elephant. She was just a mess and Kenya got her all the way together.

R20 that “sculpture” was the equivalent of a piece of shit.

Was Tootie friends with the Huxtable girls?

That clip is completely and annoyingly ruined by the smallscreen embedded clip of Dan Aykroyd laughing.

Obviously he's not laughing at her, since his clip is from the 1970s, and the larger one with Tootie and Mrs. Garrett is from the mid 1980s.

Lol R21.

Here's a perfect example of what you are talking about.

r18

well, in short, I think Tootie is an 'updated' fictional representation of Eartha Kitt. . . and the struggle in both defining and living as an example of the black identity.

for this episode, it being such a big deal wasn't that it was Jermaine Jackson but it was her access point to the popular culture of african americans and how the mainstream public, especially her peers that may not have a lot of social access to other african americans may consciously or subconsciously view her.

or the classic problems of the diaspora - code switching - experience

until this moment, she, herself, might not ever thought of herself as black.

yes, of course, consciously knowing she was but not the sociocultural identity of being a black girl.

so, the Jermaine concert represents so much more than him alone. . . it's the opening to the lifestyle she desires for herself, it's possible also the puberty push of becoming a woman while still being a child, and also, the broader, popular representation of the cultural, 'cool', identity of blackness. . . contrasted to the pressures of black excellence that her family supports.

There was an episode where Tootie embraced her black identity by wearing caftans.

Toootie should have been institutionalized right then and there.

On Facts of Life, they *all* overacted like that, including Mrs. Garrett. It was awful. The only positive comment is that they all had their lines down pat.

I did watch the season of RHOA that featured Kim (Tootie). Her husband did seem gay. She did have a bad attitude about being on RHOA (felt it was beneath her). It's true she had no style and, IIRC, was overweight. That "party" at R25 was supposed to be a no-makeup party. Kim's idea, of course. Kenya was jealous of Kim, though, b/c Kim actually had an acting career.

What makes the episode so insane is if you try to figure out what possible benefit Jermaine Jackson thought he would gain from it. He comes across as such a loser.

Hard to believe, but back in those days (post-Jackson 5), Jermaine had potential for a career. Thriller was what put Michael on the map. Before that, Michael's career could have been lost at sea.

No off the wall was a big hit album for Michael. Not a thriller but what else was?

The original script called for Michael Jackson but surprise, surprise, Michael wouldn't do it so they had to settle for Jermaine.

She should have been expelled or called on her bluff that she’d hitch hike if she had to

I-I-I-I think, I think they should have made it a fictional pop star instead of Jermaine Jackson, .

If Jermaine had said no, would they have had to go a step even further down and have asked Tito?

I always wondered why Jermaine participated in the show too. He came across poorly.

He could barely be heard because of that shitty whisper coo voice/curse the Jackson’s have.

I've said it before, but NOBODY is that excited for Jermaine. Jermaine's wife is not THAT excited for Jermaine.

She is lucky that Mrs. Garret didn't whip out the iron and iron her back.

My favorite episode of Tootsie’s was when she was discovered by the fashion photographer. She looked so cute. But the next season, her weight gain was an unfortunate fact of life. 😜

She learned that at home.