Recently Caroline Sunshine was interviewed by American Cheerleader and had this to say about how she gets along with Bella and Zendaya:
My relationship with the girls compared to Tinka’s is night and day. The first day on set I literally hugged them and was like, “Hi, I’m Caroline and I think we could be great friends. Sorry I have to say some mean things to you in this scene.” It’s kind of funny because before takes we’ll be gabbing about our nails, chatting about girl stuff, but then when they call “action” we have to start playing our characters.
Obviously outside the show they're all amazing buddies! On set the chemistry of the cast drives the show's inner energy, time and time again.
But most of the time it's not so apparent:
I love playing characters that are a little offbeat and crazy. Tinka is so great because she’s not your typical mean girl-type. She’s really funny, says exactly what’s on her mind and is very driven to get what she wants. She’s not afraid to dress a little differently and express herself.
Listing every moment Tinka's ego or brashness appears on Shake It Up would be an endless exercise, really, though several key scenes come to mind (the ending of Throw It Up, the card game with Gunther in Break It Up). She's cutting but clever (the disguises in Auction It Up!) and rarely finds herself on the wrong end of any situation, looking for advantages where she and Gunther can (their lack of commitment in Show It Up as evidence).
Both Caroline and Kenton immerse themselves into their roles in order to generate their brand of accented snark, as she herself expounds on:
When I’m fully Tinka-fied I stand differently, walk differently and even smile differently.
After all, singing "I'm Getting a Goat for Christmas" probably requires shifting into character!
---
Even with her predominant edginess, Tinka does have a few moments where her persona is slightly overridden by that of Caroline's...nothing with the gravity of the serious spots CeCe and Rocky are called for, but still more insightful than the usual mixture of mirth and ambition.
Her and Gunther's involvement throughout Auction It Up serve as an easy example, where they somehow have the numerous greenbacks to toy with our leads in the first place, before finally relenting and handing over the thousands CeCe and Rocky need to save their old dance teacher's studio. Maybe they didn't get to that point through complete generosity (after all, they used the ploy as an excuse to pilfer the girls' concert tickets!)...but for a pair of exchange students in high school, in the end they still dropped serious coin to help their erstwhile rivals.
In "Three's A Crowd It Up" - really a character piece on all three gals in the cast - while self-interest reigns supreme as Tinka, CeCe, and Rocky pursue the same boy...they ultimately see the futility of their figurative sparring and decide to figure out the situation together. It's fair to argue here though that this doesn't really reflect on any one of them as individuals though.
Most notable would be the brief date Ty and Tinka had in Add It Up and their table tennis match in Camp It Up though. Sure, Tinka remains as quirky as ever during her adventure with Ty...but they end up sharing a poignant moment through dancing under a full moon, despite the differences she acknowledged at the end.
In the latter episode...Ty lets his pride get the better of him in his mistaken assumption that Tinka is not much of an opponent - a premise immediately shattered by her dominance in numerous ping-pong battles. When she finally does lose to him, she demands that Ty follow through with the end-of-game ritual of aiming the ping pong ball at the defeated party, despite his own reluctance.
It's a nice follow-up to the excessively competitive nature she demonstrated in Break It Up - sure, she has a fierce desire to succeed over anyone, even her own brother...but in a strange, easy-to-relate manner, she frames that intensity in the midst of the rules of the game.
Certainly not a traditional method of fairness...but is anything about Tinka traditional?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Imitation of life
One of Bella Thorne's many fans on Twitter asked her about her ability to tear up when called upon, to which she responded...
i have a lot of sadness that i can reflect on so that's how i cry on cue
Anyone who's read even a succinct biography of her (from this post) - or seen the video I linked to in my previous entry - can totally understand it. It's what transforms CeCe from an outward ditz into a character with real depth, emotion, and heartache - that the surface issues of behavior and grades aren't really reflective of who she is, while her real-life counterpart's insights and empathy eventually emerge.
In Add It Up, the most loosely biographical episode so far...the centerpiece scene occurs after CeCe runs out of the apartment, embarrassed by the revelation of her dyslexia. As Rocky reassures her that she has much more inner resolve than she realizes, and that "everyone has baggage," CeCe hears what Rocky feels is her own big secret getting revealed:
feet as large as her brother's.
...wait, what?
The first few times I've watched it, I always thought it was a silly response, not uncommon to the show. After all, the Break It Up prayer monologue contains some light-hearted moments plus a goofy resolution. Seems though that the sheer gravity of working through CeCe's dyslexic situation really dwarfed something as absolutely ridiculous as...yeah, shoe size.
More on that specific wrinkle in time later.
From the aforementioned biographical interview, Bella related that show creator Chris Thompson said...
When he saw me he just knew that I was CeCe, that there would be nobody else for that part because I was actually that character.
That being said...where does that leave Rocky? Is Rocky basically a fictional version of Zendaya...or something entirely else?
---
Some characters are pretty obviously not representative of their actors' real lives, most exemplified by the Hessenheffer siblings and their faux-Old World accents. (I'm always amused when I read of fans being shocked that Kenton and Caroline have voices more reminiscent of the average Californian!)
Some are a little bit more derivative of real life. Beyond the continuous parallels between CeCe and Bella...I think of the video game scenes in Add It Up and compare it to Davis Cleveland's own on-set gaming time (which he's gotten Zendaya into!).
Certainly the fashion aspect of the show provides some clues - apparently Bella's wardrobe matches that of CeCe, while Zendaya's off-seat look contrasts from her attire in character as Rocky.
Yeah, differences for once. I'm not sure if it's a conscious contrast to the taken-from-Bella's-life-story CeCe Jones, or an attempt to match that energy with wit and sarcasm, but certainly the simplistic takes on her character as "generous, helpful, and friendly" (as seen in the character list on Wikipedia) overlook so much of the moment-to-moment redirection of motives that often occur.
Sure, Rocky says she "wants to be liked" by the crotchety senior in Give It Up, but is she really trying to be kind here? (CeCe seems to see through the pretenses.)
CeCe predicts Rocky's lack of grace in responding to the unfavorable Andy Burns commentary in Review it Up, even before the meltdown actually happens.
For all of Rocky's protestations in Shrink It Up that CeCe pressures her into trouble-creating situations...doesn't she choose to participate, ultimately? She's shown her independence from CeCe after all, i.e. in Kick It Up, and she herself has made irresponsible decisions on her own (the entire plot of Wild It Up) with her friend suddenly becoming the more reasonable one.
The intellect may lead to a heavier book bag and more impressive grades, but it sure isn't always a direct correlation for maturity - while adorable, I can't help but find Rocky's behavior at the very end of Glitz It Up a tad hypocritical (if played for laughs).
Why do I mention all of these foibles of Rocky? Because it's so important to contrast that with the real Zendaya - a stepping stone to then examine how much the character does show hints of Zendaya's off-set personality.
---
Caroline recently brought up Z's boot collection in a recent video blurb. So that's where the whole shoe-size discussion comes from in Add It Up!
Beyond that trifling detail, the overall direction of that episode - and that of Start It Up, CeCe's very first watery-eye appearance - involves Rocky taking the role of the big sister with an open ear and a mixture of compassion and encouragement.
Easy to say that that simply is a reflection of how the characters are supposed to be, after all. A little bit more than a mere notion, though...when it's reflective of the bond between Zendaya and Bella, as the latter has tweeted and expounded on.
Zendaya herself is so much about being positive and making the most of her experiences - evidenced here and here. And when she and Kenton brightened Bella's day recently with a goofy video...I think that she is just as much of a cheerful, energetic, quirky persona too.
If anything, the varying approaches to the two leads highlights slightly different acting approaches at work:
- Bella Thorne basically method-acts as herself when walking around as CeCe Jones. The serious moments she has in the show tend to draw very much from personal experience. And between the Reunion It Up flash-forward and the entirety of Meatball It Up, maybe the goofy scenes do, too!
Given her lack of comedic acting experience prior to the show, I often wonder how much of it is a truly liberating position for Bella, in that her offstage silliness is just as much of her role as her ability to deadpan and to get serious in a hurry.
- Zendaya's not entirely playing against type as Rocky - her vulnerability in Break It Up and her "big sister" moments elsewhere speak to this - but in the role, even while she questions CeCe's motives at times (such as the first ten minutes of Up Up And Away, or the entirety of Shrink It Up)...she's not unwilling to sometimes think of herself first, particularly at the end of Glitz It Up, and the competitive atmosphere of Show It Up.
Even with her from-the-heart moments in the series, much of her ability mirrors that of Caroline and Kenton having to essentially play heel on the show, when they're equally just as likable off-set.
And sometimes you see elements of both: her willingness (compared to CeCe) to get vindictive towards Tinka and Gunther in the cupcake-sale scene from Auction It Up mixes a little bit of sass with her own loyalty to her best friend!
Rocky isn't characterized anywhere as antagonistic as the Hessenheffers but she's not a direct representation of Zendaya at all. I'd speculate that comes out of trying to provide contrast between the CeCe and Rocky roles, of adding a tad more grit and conflict in their friendship.
CeCe may have the big personality and loud mouth (I'm thinking of the brash, hilarious first portion of Break It Up, where she admonishes Rocky for her excessive focus on academia during summer vacation!) but Rocky can match those things when needed. The Shrink It Up episode would have been entirely impossible without this tension, and does much to highlight the paradoxes of Rocky's persona, especially when compared to real life Zendaya.
In short:
It's not so much the individual quirks and actions of CeCe and Rocky that anchor the show, so much as it is how often they are able to make up their (relatively minor) differences and remain best friends, through so many ups and downs. If they simply got along 100% of the time, those realizations of how important their bond is would be so much less.
While CeCe is a much closer representation of Bella Thorne herself than Rocky is of Zendaya...both characters are simply a shade too complex to classify that at face value, and their skill at translating their off-set personal chemistry into on-set magic ultimately is the heartbeat behind Shake It Up.
i have a lot of sadness that i can reflect on so that's how i cry on cue
Anyone who's read even a succinct biography of her (from this post) - or seen the video I linked to in my previous entry - can totally understand it. It's what transforms CeCe from an outward ditz into a character with real depth, emotion, and heartache - that the surface issues of behavior and grades aren't really reflective of who she is, while her real-life counterpart's insights and empathy eventually emerge.
In Add It Up, the most loosely biographical episode so far...the centerpiece scene occurs after CeCe runs out of the apartment, embarrassed by the revelation of her dyslexia. As Rocky reassures her that she has much more inner resolve than she realizes, and that "everyone has baggage," CeCe hears what Rocky feels is her own big secret getting revealed:
feet as large as her brother's.
...wait, what?
The first few times I've watched it, I always thought it was a silly response, not uncommon to the show. After all, the Break It Up prayer monologue contains some light-hearted moments plus a goofy resolution. Seems though that the sheer gravity of working through CeCe's dyslexic situation really dwarfed something as absolutely ridiculous as...yeah, shoe size.
More on that specific wrinkle in time later.
From the aforementioned biographical interview, Bella related that show creator Chris Thompson said...
When he saw me he just knew that I was CeCe, that there would be nobody else for that part because I was actually that character.
That being said...where does that leave Rocky? Is Rocky basically a fictional version of Zendaya...or something entirely else?
---
Some characters are pretty obviously not representative of their actors' real lives, most exemplified by the Hessenheffer siblings and their faux-Old World accents. (I'm always amused when I read of fans being shocked that Kenton and Caroline have voices more reminiscent of the average Californian!)
Some are a little bit more derivative of real life. Beyond the continuous parallels between CeCe and Bella...I think of the video game scenes in Add It Up and compare it to Davis Cleveland's own on-set gaming time (which he's gotten Zendaya into!).
Certainly the fashion aspect of the show provides some clues - apparently Bella's wardrobe matches that of CeCe, while Zendaya's off-seat look contrasts from her attire in character as Rocky.
Yeah, differences for once. I'm not sure if it's a conscious contrast to the taken-from-Bella's-life-story CeCe Jones, or an attempt to match that energy with wit and sarcasm, but certainly the simplistic takes on her character as "generous, helpful, and friendly" (as seen in the character list on Wikipedia) overlook so much of the moment-to-moment redirection of motives that often occur.
Sure, Rocky says she "wants to be liked" by the crotchety senior in Give It Up, but is she really trying to be kind here? (CeCe seems to see through the pretenses.)
CeCe predicts Rocky's lack of grace in responding to the unfavorable Andy Burns commentary in Review it Up, even before the meltdown actually happens.
For all of Rocky's protestations in Shrink It Up that CeCe pressures her into trouble-creating situations...doesn't she choose to participate, ultimately? She's shown her independence from CeCe after all, i.e. in Kick It Up, and she herself has made irresponsible decisions on her own (the entire plot of Wild It Up) with her friend suddenly becoming the more reasonable one.
The intellect may lead to a heavier book bag and more impressive grades, but it sure isn't always a direct correlation for maturity - while adorable, I can't help but find Rocky's behavior at the very end of Glitz It Up a tad hypocritical (if played for laughs).
Why do I mention all of these foibles of Rocky? Because it's so important to contrast that with the real Zendaya - a stepping stone to then examine how much the character does show hints of Zendaya's off-set personality.
---
Caroline recently brought up Z's boot collection in a recent video blurb. So that's where the whole shoe-size discussion comes from in Add It Up!
Beyond that trifling detail, the overall direction of that episode - and that of Start It Up, CeCe's very first watery-eye appearance - involves Rocky taking the role of the big sister with an open ear and a mixture of compassion and encouragement.
Easy to say that that simply is a reflection of how the characters are supposed to be, after all. A little bit more than a mere notion, though...when it's reflective of the bond between Zendaya and Bella, as the latter has tweeted and expounded on.
Zendaya herself is so much about being positive and making the most of her experiences - evidenced here and here. And when she and Kenton brightened Bella's day recently with a goofy video...I think that she is just as much of a cheerful, energetic, quirky persona too.
If anything, the varying approaches to the two leads highlights slightly different acting approaches at work:
- Bella Thorne basically method-acts as herself when walking around as CeCe Jones. The serious moments she has in the show tend to draw very much from personal experience. And between the Reunion It Up flash-forward and the entirety of Meatball It Up, maybe the goofy scenes do, too!
Given her lack of comedic acting experience prior to the show, I often wonder how much of it is a truly liberating position for Bella, in that her offstage silliness is just as much of her role as her ability to deadpan and to get serious in a hurry.
- Zendaya's not entirely playing against type as Rocky - her vulnerability in Break It Up and her "big sister" moments elsewhere speak to this - but in the role, even while she questions CeCe's motives at times (such as the first ten minutes of Up Up And Away, or the entirety of Shrink It Up)...she's not unwilling to sometimes think of herself first, particularly at the end of Glitz It Up, and the competitive atmosphere of Show It Up.
Even with her from-the-heart moments in the series, much of her ability mirrors that of Caroline and Kenton having to essentially play heel on the show, when they're equally just as likable off-set.
And sometimes you see elements of both: her willingness (compared to CeCe) to get vindictive towards Tinka and Gunther in the cupcake-sale scene from Auction It Up mixes a little bit of sass with her own loyalty to her best friend!
Rocky isn't characterized anywhere as antagonistic as the Hessenheffers but she's not a direct representation of Zendaya at all. I'd speculate that comes out of trying to provide contrast between the CeCe and Rocky roles, of adding a tad more grit and conflict in their friendship.
CeCe may have the big personality and loud mouth (I'm thinking of the brash, hilarious first portion of Break It Up, where she admonishes Rocky for her excessive focus on academia during summer vacation!) but Rocky can match those things when needed. The Shrink It Up episode would have been entirely impossible without this tension, and does much to highlight the paradoxes of Rocky's persona, especially when compared to real life Zendaya.
In short:
It's not so much the individual quirks and actions of CeCe and Rocky that anchor the show, so much as it is how often they are able to make up their (relatively minor) differences and remain best friends, through so many ups and downs. If they simply got along 100% of the time, those realizations of how important their bond is would be so much less.
While CeCe is a much closer representation of Bella Thorne herself than Rocky is of Zendaya...both characters are simply a shade too complex to classify that at face value, and their skill at translating their off-set personal chemistry into on-set magic ultimately is the heartbeat behind Shake It Up.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Words between the lines of age
I've been meaning to write about this for quite some time - one of my recurring thoughts on Shake It Up that inspired the blog in the first place - and saw a tweeted image (from "Wild It Up") that worked beautifully as a starting point.
The "CeCe has issues with her Spanish grades" running gag appears in quite a few other places on the series as seen below:
Break It Up - As CeCe's mom tells her about the hospital staff will "do the best they can" for Rocky, she once again anxiously laments the situation, flailing about while retorting, "They'll do the best they can? I thought I was doing the best I could in Spanish and I got a C minus!"
Three's A Crowd It Up - The new kid in town that Rocky, Tinka, and CeCe all pine over for that episode's duration introduces himself en Espanol, to which CeCe continually convinces herself that "his name is 'me llamo'" somehow.
Heat It Up - CeCe's mom is convinced that her daughter and Flynn trying to act all gracious and kind is one giant act, and CeCe spills it all after a brief query, admitting she "failed Spanish, broke a vase, and lied about passing Spanish."
On its own, the in-joke is pretty amusing, and overall fits with the general perception of the CeCe character as somewhat less than bright.
There's an underlying subtext though outside the realm of the show that entirely changes the focus of this recurring topic. In a previous entry, I noted how Bella Thorne's own strong faith beautifully incorporated itself into Break It Up. I also have noticed (though haven't yet blogged on it) the biographical nature of Add It Up, where CeCe reveals she has dyslexia - which Bella has had to deal with her entire life.
During her heartfelt video from this summer talking about her experience being bullied in grade school, she mentions two factors in her outcast status growing up: her dyslexia making it hard to catch up in classes...and her Cuban heritage with her only knowing Spanish much of her early life, only to unlearn it in order to fit in with the other English-speaking kids. She's since responded by tirelessly helping out StompOutBullying and raising awareness both on the Internet and in person.
With that background, suddenly the constant "not doing well in Spanish" references for CeCe take on a whole new shade: as hints to the struggle Bella had trying to cope with unkind peers not accepting her, either personally or culturally.
I also think of it as a small sign of perseverance and courage too: that it's something she's willing to bring up over and over, through those scenes. Maybe it's a reminder of how badly she does want to relearn her mother tongue and recapture that aspect of who she is and where she's from.
Maybe it's also a measure of how much Bella's been able to overcome a real obstacle in her life and can look back at it with so much confidence and hope.
The "CeCe has issues with her Spanish grades" running gag appears in quite a few other places on the series as seen below:
Break It Up - As CeCe's mom tells her about the hospital staff will "do the best they can" for Rocky, she once again anxiously laments the situation, flailing about while retorting, "They'll do the best they can? I thought I was doing the best I could in Spanish and I got a C minus!"
Three's A Crowd It Up - The new kid in town that Rocky, Tinka, and CeCe all pine over for that episode's duration introduces himself en Espanol, to which CeCe continually convinces herself that "his name is 'me llamo'" somehow.
Heat It Up - CeCe's mom is convinced that her daughter and Flynn trying to act all gracious and kind is one giant act, and CeCe spills it all after a brief query, admitting she "failed Spanish, broke a vase, and lied about passing Spanish."
On its own, the in-joke is pretty amusing, and overall fits with the general perception of the CeCe character as somewhat less than bright.
There's an underlying subtext though outside the realm of the show that entirely changes the focus of this recurring topic. In a previous entry, I noted how Bella Thorne's own strong faith beautifully incorporated itself into Break It Up. I also have noticed (though haven't yet blogged on it) the biographical nature of Add It Up, where CeCe reveals she has dyslexia - which Bella has had to deal with her entire life.
During her heartfelt video from this summer talking about her experience being bullied in grade school, she mentions two factors in her outcast status growing up: her dyslexia making it hard to catch up in classes...and her Cuban heritage with her only knowing Spanish much of her early life, only to unlearn it in order to fit in with the other English-speaking kids. She's since responded by tirelessly helping out StompOutBullying and raising awareness both on the Internet and in person.
With that background, suddenly the constant "not doing well in Spanish" references for CeCe take on a whole new shade: as hints to the struggle Bella had trying to cope with unkind peers not accepting her, either personally or culturally.
I also think of it as a small sign of perseverance and courage too: that it's something she's willing to bring up over and over, through those scenes. Maybe it's a reminder of how badly she does want to relearn her mother tongue and recapture that aspect of who she is and where she's from.
Maybe it's also a measure of how much Bella's been able to overcome a real obstacle in her life and can look back at it with so much confidence and hope.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The unforgettable fire
A few days ago, I saw this tweet:
On Shake it up, Cece and Rocky are just back up dancers, but they are treated like the stars.
It's a concept I come back to time and time again whenever I watch the show - the inherent paradox that bolsters, not belies, the very premise.
In real life...Bella Thorne and Zendaya are now recognized on the street by fans, followed by thousands on Twitter, and even have their photos at Target for the Rocky and CeCe clothing line.
On the show itself? Entirely different story. In contrast to the Wikipedia article on the series, which notes...
It also chronicles their misadventures on- and off-set, and their troubles and rising social status at school.
I often ask myself, "what rising social status?"
Time and time again the girls end up in situations where it's clear they're not exactly destined to become prom princesses at school...
- In the very first episode, Start It Up...the El station dance scene, where the gals dance to an audience too frugal to even offer them a single dollar in tips, speaks for itself. There's CeCe's devastatingly blunt self-analysis, "I walk around thinking I'm so cool...but in real life, I'm a loser."
It's a precursor not only to the duality of in-show universe outcast/real-life superstars that we have here, but to the serious monologues CeCe later will bring to the fore in Add It Up and Break It Up (and to a lesser extent in Kick It Up and Shrink It Up).
- Kick It Up, the "Rocky goes off to karate class while CeCe tries to imagine life without her best friend" edition of SIU...provides more evidence of where the girls really fit in: CeCe's "Let's go crazy" phonecall, which ends up being to her grandmother, leads to quite a few questions. For one, after that scene it's remarkably clear how little she has beyond Rocky and those that have known the two of them...but it also brings up the idea that even on a familial basis, she's kinda slipped through the cracks.
And the sheer awkwardness of Rocky and CeCe's behavior at the movies can't be forgotten either.
The early and mid-episode banana split "switch" scenes speak to CeCe's own dependence on the bond she has with Rocky...not in a negative way at all, but more of a "two of us against the whole world" environment that they've maintained from the start.
- Rocky's takeover of CeCe's apartment for a mischievous party in Wild It Up speaks to another point of contention with a Wiki article (the character list) -
She's extremely popular, and is friendly to everybody.
The latter assertion - that Rocky's inherently friendly - I'll scrutinize later on. But extremely popular?
If so, then why is it we never see her with anyone her age, but her small core of friends beyond the apartment gathering? Whatever happened to the people she met at the karate class?
Theoretically, popular kids wouldn't feel the pressure to change their image the way Rocky ends up going about in this episode. It's as if her real reason for "not being a goody two-shoes" isn't even simply a reaction to reputation, but to experience actually having more than 3 or 4 people know who you are.
Slightly later in the season, in Show It Up, Rocky's supposed popularity never asserts itself, through her continual 2nd place finishes (in just about everything) to Candy Cho. Other than CeCe's blatant (but heartfelt) cheerleading for her best friend...the other kids seem to be apathetic to Rocky's grandstanding, and ultimately Gunther and Tinka get two-faced after originally committing to help her win the talent show.
- The texting mishap in Age It Up suggests that CeCe does have a lot of folks' phone numbers at school...but the same query that Wild It Up offers for Rocky appears here: where are all these people beyond this one episode?
- Between Hook It Up, Reunion It Up, and Throw It Up...the girls' place on the dance show's hierarchy seems rather low, with the constant need to bribe Gary into granting them more face time on Shake It Up Chicago. What that also implies: the sheer unimportance of their own skills and accomplishments as some form of advancement. One could even look at the flash-forwards in Reunion It Up as confirmation of it, that despite the "it" factor spoken of in the first episode...either Rocky or CeCe could easily end up trapped in a world in which local television is their greatest accomplishment.
- Beam It Up's awkward double-date concludes with CeCe being told by the guy she's with that "she's weird" - the point that Rocky had not-so-subtly shoved in her face all episode long, but expressed more bluntly from the less eccentric brother.
Here the dissonance between the real-life and in-universe perceptions rears itself once more: from the perspective of the many nameless kids in the hallway (and the generic overachievers like Candy Cho), yeah, CeCe's hyperactivity and snark are unusual...but for us viewers who've experienced the show almost entirely through her and Rocky, they're absolutely not strange to us.
I've found that moment to be a little hard to digest, not because it doesn't make sense in context with the episode's plot, but in thinking...CeCe's exceedingly loyal, funny, and has a lot of personal style...and that's considered atypical and almost negative, at least to that guy?
Therein lies the essence of the Shake It Up dichotomy: maybe it's only true for some of the viewing audience, but the girls clearly are in an environment in which uniqueness isn't always appreciated...and for those who have been outcasts in the real world, the show's empathy to that plight is one of its strongest points.
Certainly SIU isn't the only Disney production to talk up self-empowerment and authenticity (Lemonade Mouth is another). What makes it stand out to me is that those positive messages reveal themselves from what, on the surface, could almost be considered a typical laugh-track sitcom...but for its heart.
On Shake it up, Cece and Rocky are just back up dancers, but they are treated like the stars.
It's a concept I come back to time and time again whenever I watch the show - the inherent paradox that bolsters, not belies, the very premise.
In real life...Bella Thorne and Zendaya are now recognized on the street by fans, followed by thousands on Twitter, and even have their photos at Target for the Rocky and CeCe clothing line.
On the show itself? Entirely different story. In contrast to the Wikipedia article on the series, which notes...
It also chronicles their misadventures on- and off-set, and their troubles and rising social status at school.
I often ask myself, "what rising social status?"
Time and time again the girls end up in situations where it's clear they're not exactly destined to become prom princesses at school...
- In the very first episode, Start It Up...the El station dance scene, where the gals dance to an audience too frugal to even offer them a single dollar in tips, speaks for itself. There's CeCe's devastatingly blunt self-analysis, "I walk around thinking I'm so cool...but in real life, I'm a loser."
It's a precursor not only to the duality of in-show universe outcast/real-life superstars that we have here, but to the serious monologues CeCe later will bring to the fore in Add It Up and Break It Up (and to a lesser extent in Kick It Up and Shrink It Up).
- Kick It Up, the "Rocky goes off to karate class while CeCe tries to imagine life without her best friend" edition of SIU...provides more evidence of where the girls really fit in: CeCe's "Let's go crazy" phonecall, which ends up being to her grandmother, leads to quite a few questions. For one, after that scene it's remarkably clear how little she has beyond Rocky and those that have known the two of them...but it also brings up the idea that even on a familial basis, she's kinda slipped through the cracks.
And the sheer awkwardness of Rocky and CeCe's behavior at the movies can't be forgotten either.
The early and mid-episode banana split "switch" scenes speak to CeCe's own dependence on the bond she has with Rocky...not in a negative way at all, but more of a "two of us against the whole world" environment that they've maintained from the start.
- Rocky's takeover of CeCe's apartment for a mischievous party in Wild It Up speaks to another point of contention with a Wiki article (the character list) -
She's extremely popular, and is friendly to everybody.
The latter assertion - that Rocky's inherently friendly - I'll scrutinize later on. But extremely popular?
If so, then why is it we never see her with anyone her age, but her small core of friends beyond the apartment gathering? Whatever happened to the people she met at the karate class?
Theoretically, popular kids wouldn't feel the pressure to change their image the way Rocky ends up going about in this episode. It's as if her real reason for "not being a goody two-shoes" isn't even simply a reaction to reputation, but to experience actually having more than 3 or 4 people know who you are.
Slightly later in the season, in Show It Up, Rocky's supposed popularity never asserts itself, through her continual 2nd place finishes (in just about everything) to Candy Cho. Other than CeCe's blatant (but heartfelt) cheerleading for her best friend...the other kids seem to be apathetic to Rocky's grandstanding, and ultimately Gunther and Tinka get two-faced after originally committing to help her win the talent show.
- The texting mishap in Age It Up suggests that CeCe does have a lot of folks' phone numbers at school...but the same query that Wild It Up offers for Rocky appears here: where are all these people beyond this one episode?
- Between Hook It Up, Reunion It Up, and Throw It Up...the girls' place on the dance show's hierarchy seems rather low, with the constant need to bribe Gary into granting them more face time on Shake It Up Chicago. What that also implies: the sheer unimportance of their own skills and accomplishments as some form of advancement. One could even look at the flash-forwards in Reunion It Up as confirmation of it, that despite the "it" factor spoken of in the first episode...either Rocky or CeCe could easily end up trapped in a world in which local television is their greatest accomplishment.
- Beam It Up's awkward double-date concludes with CeCe being told by the guy she's with that "she's weird" - the point that Rocky had not-so-subtly shoved in her face all episode long, but expressed more bluntly from the less eccentric brother.
Here the dissonance between the real-life and in-universe perceptions rears itself once more: from the perspective of the many nameless kids in the hallway (and the generic overachievers like Candy Cho), yeah, CeCe's hyperactivity and snark are unusual...but for us viewers who've experienced the show almost entirely through her and Rocky, they're absolutely not strange to us.
I've found that moment to be a little hard to digest, not because it doesn't make sense in context with the episode's plot, but in thinking...CeCe's exceedingly loyal, funny, and has a lot of personal style...and that's considered atypical and almost negative, at least to that guy?
Therein lies the essence of the Shake It Up dichotomy: maybe it's only true for some of the viewing audience, but the girls clearly are in an environment in which uniqueness isn't always appreciated...and for those who have been outcasts in the real world, the show's empathy to that plight is one of its strongest points.
Certainly SIU isn't the only Disney production to talk up self-empowerment and authenticity (Lemonade Mouth is another). What makes it stand out to me is that those positive messages reveal themselves from what, on the surface, could almost be considered a typical laugh-track sitcom...but for its heart.
Monday, November 7, 2011
a summer of FUN
The obvious centerpiece of "Break It Up" - the second to last episode of Season One - is CeCe's prayer monologue at the hospital, when she prays to God for Rocky to be healed, on the condition that she herself instead go back to the night before and take on her best friend's injury.
Ranking as probably the most serious moment on the show (with the Add It Up stair scene not far behind), CeCe's mix of vulnerability and silliness to me represents the series' core right there: a mixture of boundless, optimistic energy...and an understanding of the insecurities and longing that come with getting older.
And in its own way, this nod to Bella Thorne's Christianity is way more daring than it purports itself to be. It's honest. It's poignant. Moreover, it's one of several times on SIU where I do wonder if it's not so much acting on Bella's part...as it is thinly veiled recollection and biography, a reframing of real experiences and faith that add much heft.
(Another of those moments occurs minutes earlier in the episode, when CeCe's mom attempts to reassure her daughter that Rocky's surgery will not be too difficult...but that's for another post!)
I absolutely treasure that scene and never get tired of seeing it when it airs, I've reconnected to my faith in the last year so it's a source of much inspiration.
Beyond that, the other appeal of Break It Up appears in a way that may not be noticed by most...as its reference point comes not from 21st century television, but from a 90s classic that predates some of those in the cast!
---
As CeCe concluded her hospital scene, cast and all...before thanking "the big guy" for answering her prayer, she repeats the recurring motif of Break It Up to Rocky:
"Summer of fun, eh?"
On its own it's funny enough, after the trials everyone's been through in the "remote" world of no cell phone reception (but clearly some sort of traditional wall phone - how would Rocky have ordered a pizza otherwise?!).
It's a nod though to a classic penultimate-season episode of Seinfeld, "The Summer of George." The similarities between the two cannot be denied, as I realized while watching Break It Up with a friend (two days after watching that particular Seinfeld)
- most obviously, CeCe hashing out "summer of fun" as she looks forward to the rural adventure she and her friends are about to experience...like Costanza's excitement for the "summer of George" after his severance from the Yankees.
- needless to say, what's planned and what actually occurs end up being vastly different, as the Truth or Dare at the camp goes wrong for the kids (and the initial dreams of cell phone access give way to an unwanted Gunter and Tinka visit!), while Costanza falls into a slothful lifestyle.
- although spurred on for different reasons, both end up with leg breaks due to hasty goofiness: Costanza tripping on the invitations that Jerry had him pass out at their building, compared to CeCe falling at the hospital room after seeing Rocky made it out of surgery okay.
- That "summer of" line then reappears once our respective lead characters are stuck on a stretcher.
- Snarky apathy serves as the close-of-episode punchline, though not executed exactly the same: the Shake It Up kids basically ignore Deuce's health after he falls in a quest for elusive cell phone reception, while Jerry and Elaine and Cosmo show no concern for their immobilized friend.
I don't view Break It Up as a derivative of the more famous comedy's episode, bur rather, highly inspired by it...and reinterpreting its basic gag for a younger generation, resulting in the perfect mixture of thoughtfulness and laughs!
One final thought: The dual readings of Break It Up, both at an immediate level, and on its underlying homage...it's a technique pioneered and perfected by Sesame Street, where parodies of TV for older people (Monsterpiece Theatre!) were intentional in getting parents to watch the show with kids. I'm not sure if that's what happened here, I just know it's brilliant writing.
Ranking as probably the most serious moment on the show (with the Add It Up stair scene not far behind), CeCe's mix of vulnerability and silliness to me represents the series' core right there: a mixture of boundless, optimistic energy...and an understanding of the insecurities and longing that come with getting older.
And in its own way, this nod to Bella Thorne's Christianity is way more daring than it purports itself to be. It's honest. It's poignant. Moreover, it's one of several times on SIU where I do wonder if it's not so much acting on Bella's part...as it is thinly veiled recollection and biography, a reframing of real experiences and faith that add much heft.
(Another of those moments occurs minutes earlier in the episode, when CeCe's mom attempts to reassure her daughter that Rocky's surgery will not be too difficult...but that's for another post!)
I absolutely treasure that scene and never get tired of seeing it when it airs, I've reconnected to my faith in the last year so it's a source of much inspiration.
Beyond that, the other appeal of Break It Up appears in a way that may not be noticed by most...as its reference point comes not from 21st century television, but from a 90s classic that predates some of those in the cast!
---
As CeCe concluded her hospital scene, cast and all...before thanking "the big guy" for answering her prayer, she repeats the recurring motif of Break It Up to Rocky:
"Summer of fun, eh?"
On its own it's funny enough, after the trials everyone's been through in the "remote" world of no cell phone reception (but clearly some sort of traditional wall phone - how would Rocky have ordered a pizza otherwise?!).
It's a nod though to a classic penultimate-season episode of Seinfeld, "The Summer of George." The similarities between the two cannot be denied, as I realized while watching Break It Up with a friend (two days after watching that particular Seinfeld)
- most obviously, CeCe hashing out "summer of fun" as she looks forward to the rural adventure she and her friends are about to experience...like Costanza's excitement for the "summer of George" after his severance from the Yankees.
- needless to say, what's planned and what actually occurs end up being vastly different, as the Truth or Dare at the camp goes wrong for the kids (and the initial dreams of cell phone access give way to an unwanted Gunter and Tinka visit!), while Costanza falls into a slothful lifestyle.
- although spurred on for different reasons, both end up with leg breaks due to hasty goofiness: Costanza tripping on the invitations that Jerry had him pass out at their building, compared to CeCe falling at the hospital room after seeing Rocky made it out of surgery okay.
- That "summer of" line then reappears once our respective lead characters are stuck on a stretcher.
- Snarky apathy serves as the close-of-episode punchline, though not executed exactly the same: the Shake It Up kids basically ignore Deuce's health after he falls in a quest for elusive cell phone reception, while Jerry and Elaine and Cosmo show no concern for their immobilized friend.
I don't view Break It Up as a derivative of the more famous comedy's episode, bur rather, highly inspired by it...and reinterpreting its basic gag for a younger generation, resulting in the perfect mixture of thoughtfulness and laughs!
One final thought: The dual readings of Break It Up, both at an immediate level, and on its underlying homage...it's a technique pioneered and perfected by Sesame Street, where parodies of TV for older people (Monsterpiece Theatre!) were intentional in getting parents to watch the show with kids. I'm not sure if that's what happened here, I just know it's brilliant writing.
A title not matching that of an operating system's serenade
One year ago today, my new favorite sitcom debuted on Disney Channel.
I wasn't on the bandwagon then, but several months, many episodes, and lots of laughs later, here we are.
I'm not a part of the usual demographic of the show - I'm older than the entire cast and have seen plenty of television before this, plenty of other forms of television comedy I've loved. Vintage Saturday Night Live. Cheers. older episodes of The Simpsons.
And yet something about this dance extravaganza has spoken to me. It's not the choreography, the sets, the attire...it's something entirely else: an undercurrent of struggle and perseverance; an abundance of determination and heart.
I don't know if I'll post on a regular schedule here, but I'll do my best to come up with something interesting often enough, and hope you all enjoy the ride. :)
I wasn't on the bandwagon then, but several months, many episodes, and lots of laughs later, here we are.
I'm not a part of the usual demographic of the show - I'm older than the entire cast and have seen plenty of television before this, plenty of other forms of television comedy I've loved. Vintage Saturday Night Live. Cheers. older episodes of The Simpsons.
And yet something about this dance extravaganza has spoken to me. It's not the choreography, the sets, the attire...it's something entirely else: an undercurrent of struggle and perseverance; an abundance of determination and heart.
I don't know if I'll post on a regular schedule here, but I'll do my best to come up with something interesting often enough, and hope you all enjoy the ride. :)
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