BSC: Logan Likes Mary Anne extras

[wisdomeagle]

So I just read Logan Likes Mary Anne and was deeply ashamed of myself for 'shipping Mary Anne/Logan despite it being a) canon, b) het and c) pastede on unyay. Still, Mary Anne is cute when she's in love. Although Logan speaks in exposition and is more in touch with and open about his feelings than any male person I've met ever. "Oh, I'm glad you called, Mary Anne. It means you feel comfortable with me. You've never called me before, so I worried that you were too shy for me. Oh well. I'm glad you called." OMGWTF?

On the other hand, there's this section in the back (this is one of your newer books, so it's got the newstyle extras) that has some questions about how YOU PERSONALLY relate to this story, so of course they ask who you've had a crush on. Only they make sure to do it very, very non-gender-specifically. "Mary Anne has a crush on Logan. I now have a crush on someone named _____. This person is _____ years old and has ____ (color) eyes and _____ (color) hair. I like this person a lot because________." Etc. So is the non-gender-specificness for a) the three boys who read the series or b) the fifteen hundred future lesbians who did so? [Though, okay, at the age when most kids read the BSC, I guess their sexuality isn't exactly set in stone and "it's okay to have crushes on girls or even on female teachers! That DOES NOT mean you're a lesbian. Oh no it doesn't! You're far too young to know for sure." /bitter.

But okay, on the third hand? This picture is giving me problems:




Because, it's a very nice family portrait of the Spier-Schafers, right? And Mary Anne and Dawn are looking quite pretty (though NONE of the illustrators ever figured out what "white-blonde hair down to her waist" means, and she's usually pictured with honey-gold hair down slightly past her shoulders, but oh well!) and snuggly, and Richard is... not quite how I picture him (there's an illustration in Mary Anne's Book that fits my mental image much better), but quite cute and dorky looking and clearly very happy. And since Richard = w00bie, that is of the good.

But Sharon! WHY does Sharon look like she's gritting her teeth and would rather be elsewhere? I mean, she looks totally unhappy. Really, like, miserable. And this is supposed to just be a happy family portrait. Why isn't she smiling? You know, like you do when you are with your husband and daughter and son and step-daughter, all of whom you love very much?

Mary Anne and Dawn, though. Too cute. (Although none of the illustrators quite captured my mental image of those two, either... *pouts*)

Do you think Sharon is grimacing because she just found out what Mary Anne and Dawn have been doing after hours?

Comments

[rhi-silverflame.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly sure my younger cousin was one of the three boys who read the books, since he was the crack dealer who opened my eyes to the addictiveness that is the BSC.

[scrollgirl.livejournal.com]

My older guy cousin introduced me to BSC, though not so much "introduce" as "I stole his copy of the BSC Super Special and fell in love like whoa." It was Super Special #1, but it doesn't have the #1 on it because on first printing there was only the one SS. I don't think there were any extras in the back though. *g*

[skipmcgee.livejournal.com]

mwahaha I remember this series, I think I still have dozens of the books at my dad's house. Wow this brings back some memories.

And Mary Anne and Dawn are awfully close...

[glimmergirl.livejournal.com]

*gasp*

This is a totally useless comment - but! I think I read the book you're talking about! I mean, I read a lot of the BSC books, but about twenty years ago, so I don't really remember too much about them. (I read a lot of SVH, too, and would totally go back and read some for teh girl lovin', but we got rid of all those books years ago.)

Um. Yes. Just thought I'd share.

[ladybeth.livejournal.com]

Ironically, just a few days ago I found a pile of old BSC books. I think they belonged to my cousin once upon a time. I remembered when I used to read them all the time. I was torn between wanting to be Kristy or Dawn but Claudia was my favorite character.

I forget who the one guy was that Kristy almost-dated but I always liked him with her.

[jadedcynic.livejournal.com]

His name was Bart. I think he coached/volunteered for a kids' softball team, too, and that's how he and Kristy met.

But I could be totally wrong. Even though it's never ever happened before. :D

[ladybeth.livejournal.com]

Ah, Bart. I liked Bart.

See I know his name started with a B but I could never remember the rest of it. Thanks for telling me.

[wisdomeagle]

Nope, you're right. Bart Taylor. He coached the Bashers, and he and Kristy have teh_UST. It's, um, unique. *is not so much a fan of het!Kristy*

[sk8eeyore.livejournal.com]

So is the non-gender-specificness for a) the three boys who read the series or b) the fifteen hundred future lesbians who did so?

Hmmm! I'd have to go with a) sadly; I remember that when I belonged to the official BSC Fan Club and read the BSC features on Prodigy (old school internet service) in the early 90s (omg, am old!), there were often questions in the "Ask Ann" advice-type columns from boys whose friends teased them about reading the BSC. So I'll bet they became increasingly sensitive to that in the newstyle books (which I hated, btw; the original illustrations are SO much better).

Do you think Sharon is grimacing because she just found out what Mary Anne and Dawn have been doing after hours?


Yeah, probably.

[wisdomeagle]

Huh! Interesting!

I have strong opinions about all the illustrations, and actually like some of the newstyle ones better -- there was one cover artist for the originals of whom I am not fond. I am finding lots of oldstyle covers I do want to scan, though -- like Hello, Mallory and The Ghost at Dawn's House. They are teh_pretty.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm glad you called, Mary Anne. It means you feel comfortable with me. You've never called me before, so I worried that you were too shy for me. Oh well. I'm glad you called."

That actually sounds much like the incredibly earnest gay boy i met a few years ago.

[wisdomeagle]

Hee. Gay!Logan solves so many problems.

[ladylakira.livejournal.com]

Again, I am struck by how much older than 13 Mary Anne and Dawn look in that pic. Mind you, maybe I'm biased. I was one of those small kids who never wore anything that was in fashion (not by choice, might I add... even my T-shirts looked ugly) and didn't actually look my age until I was 16.

[wisdomeagle]

I knowwww! Actually, in the oldstyle!pics, they mostly look much younger than I imagine them; I like them better looking sliightly older for, uh, obvious reasons.

And I too totally subscribe to the Kristy Thomas school of fashion.

[thousandpages.livejournal.com]

Hi.

My name is Meg and I Overidentify With Mary Anne. I've been a Mary Anne Overidentifier for over ten years now.

Although now that I think of it, I totally get why I was SOOOO upset when the Mary Anne/Logan arc came up. Not that I didn't like 'ship. I just couldn't stand there being a BOY in my girl!world.

I mean, here we have this beautiful place of girls and more girls and girls that are friends and girlfriends and friend girls and then they stick in this *BOY* in there and GET YOUR DAMN Y CHROMOSOME OUTTA MY BOOK.

Sorry.

I have years of repressed BSC fangirling to make up for.

:)

[wisdomeagle]

*g*

I am not fond of the MA/L, I admit. Exceedingly unfond, at times. But fortunately he seems hardly to register on Mary Anne's radar. And I'm just what, thirty books away from them breaking up? *excited*

I am more affronted by Bart Taylor, Kristy's object-of-affection, because much as I queer Mary Anne? I queer Kirsty EVEN MORE.

Feel free to fangirl freely. We all love the BSC here. :p