Kolleen: Hey y’all! Sorry we stink and haven’t been updating. TIMES ARE BUSY/ TOUGH/ etc. But luckily, Degrassi is ALWAYS there for us. So I’m gonna tell you what you want, what you really really want: I am going to review this Spice Girls’ homage of an episode, Wannabe, just for you.
We open with Liberty interviewing Hazel and Paige about their new school sanctioned club! How EXCITING! It’s a cheerleading club (or team or whatever). Libs wants to know what they would say to someone who thinks cheerleading is ‘sexist’ (is this ‘someone’ YOU, Liberty?) and Hazel only has one thing to say: GET OVER IT! Also interviewed is some kid we have never seen before who looks kind of like a bizarro version of my friend Ryan.
Who are you, exactly?
When the interview is over– and before anyone can breathe a relaxing, cleansing sigh of relief that Liberty is gone– Manny shows up wanting in on this cheerleading gig. Paige asks her what she can do, and Manny does an impressive double cartwheel. I could never cartwheel so I am instantly jelly. You hear some off- screen voice say “Wow, look what she can do!” so this is obviously the most exciting thing to ever happen in Degrassi’s hallways. Emma feels like cheerleading is a step backwards for the young feminists of Degrassi, She says she doubts that the men on the squad will be wearing tight shirts and short skirts (to which Manny gasps, “I hope not!” Not cool Manny. Not cool). Manny insists cheerleading is fun and Emma almost throws up all over her. She says she’s “SURPRISED”. Has she been paying attention to Manny at all, ever? She’s a quintessential cheerleader!
Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, Toby and JT are mowing down on Pringles (or some brand that is supposed to be Pringles. I can’t catch the brand name). They are trying to win a contest, as evidenced from this picture:
I love Pringles. I wish I had some.
They’re trying to win some ~*krunk financialz*~ and to do that they need the Ace of Spades and Ace of Clubs but they’re in search for the Clubs, dammit! So they harass Liberty for her “chip” can, and she calls them pathetic. For once, I agree with her. This is lame. Of course Liberty’s can has the Ace of Clubs printed inside, and of COURSE Toby does a terrible job of concealing this. So now they have to share the wealth. Toby, you fool!
Emma and Manny are trying to find a seat when Paige interrupts asking Manny to do the cartwheel again. Of course you hear that same disembodied voice: “Wow! She’s still amazing!” No shit! She didn’t forget how to cartwheel in half an afternoon. Emma is disgusted. Just disgusted. She’s the only one who hates cheerleading and she wants everyone to conform to her stupid opinion. Manny just wants the subject dropped.
Liberty is working hard to convince JT and Toby that they need her, so they’ll have to split the pot 50/50– or as Spinner interjects, 45/45 (which doesn’t even make sense!). See, Spinner has been eavesdropping! Oh but wait, he only wants 10%– for “protection”. They for some reason all agree this is a good idea. They’re rich! 1 million smackers!
Outside, Paige and Hazel ask Manny what’s wrong, and like a girl desperate to fit in, she throws Emma right under the feminism bus! Some friend. In an obvious attempt to sway Manny from Emma’s grasp, they ask her if she wants some “girl time” and they all walk away arm in arm, three horribly dressed wenches.
Manny’s pants literally go up to right below her boobs.
At Manny’s they all dish on who’s hot and who’s not. Just as they start making fun of Emma, she calls, like some stalker with a sixth sense. Manny gives her the ole “I’m sick, please don’t embarrass my new friends with your feminist rhetoric” spiel. Of course Paige opens her big mouth and Emma figures out that Manny has ditched her for cooler chicks.
Oh yeah, and JT can’t find that Pringles container. Idiot.
At cheerleading practice the next day, Hazel demonstrates a terrible toe- touch and Paige says she bets Manny can do it better, which she does, of course, then adds a split for extra gusto. Hazel is not happy. In the hall, Emma looks on, dejected and sad. And a little creepy. And if I know Emma, she is going to go back on her promise not to write about how sexist cheerleading is, all because she feels rejected by her friend.
What a creep
And BAM. Faster than you can say “sore loser” Emma is in Lib’s office, asking her if she can submit a last minute article for the Grapevine. WHAT A BITCH. Of course Liberty is all aboard the anti- cheer campaign, probably because cheering requires perfect posture, and as you can see from this picture, Liberty is lacking in that department:
Ole pretzel- posture van Zandt
Emma’s piece is all about how cheerleaders are bimbos, by the way. It’s insanely slut- shaming and misogynistic so I suggest she take a Feminist Theory course. Liberty is ok with how harsh it is, but is a little confused as to why Emma is suddenly attacking Manny in a totally passive- aggressive way. Emma calls Manny a phony, then they talk about Liberty’s ugly red cowgirl boots for a bit.
If Craig doesn’t show up soon, I’m going to punch myself in the face.
This episode is so boring. Emma runs into ManPaiZel (my portmanteau for Manny, Paige, and Hazel– feel free to use it) in the hall where a string of not so cutting insults are exchanged: “Shouldn’t you be testing your makeup on ANIMALS?” “Shouldn’t you be hugging a TREE?” I mean listen, ladies, you’ll never make it in the real world if you can’t come up with some unprintable words to call each other. Manny reads Emma’s article and storms off in tears. Emma follows her into the bathroom and they have a fight about how Paige may or may not be using Manny. Emma calls Paige a WANNABE. I don’t know what she wants to be, but she’s a wannabe, dammit. Manny tells Emma that she’s so boring, she wants to scream. Butthurtedness commences.
JT has to admit to Toby that he lost the Ace of Spades can, and Toby FREAKS. They try desperately to retrace JTs steps. Spinner is even ready to beat him up! This is serious. He threatens to stuff JT in his locker– LIGHTBULB! It’s probably in his disease- ridden, hoarded to the hilt locker. He finds the can and guess what– THEY’RE BOTH ACE OF CLUBS. Locker stuffing ensues, and with good cause. 
In the hall, Manny sees Paige and Hazel stealing all the copies of the Grapevine. They go to task ripping the op-ed out of each issue. Manny is obviously conflicted but she needs to make this squad, dammit! The peer pressure is so high, it’s borderline hazing. So Manny joins in on the vandalism. Of course it is not long before Emma finds out, and Mr. Simpson has to confront the girls. Paige denies it vehemently (and poorly). Manny’s guilt is overwhelming. She is just about to confess when Paige throws Hazel under the bus!!! OMG. Simpson warns them that more incidents like this will result in activities being cancelled. Manny is so disgusted by Paige’s backstabbing, and she threatens to blame it all on Manny if she spills the beans. She even says “What is your damage?” which is a great insult that I may adopt into my everyday conversations. They have WORDS in the hall in front of everyone! Paige storms away in a huff– I don’t think Manny will be cheering this year.
Emma and Manny tenderly make up. Emma apologizes and Manny says she just wanted to have fun. You know what? She really DID just want to have fun, and because Emma is a childish weirdo she had to make things complicated. I mean it doesn’t help that Paige is such a two- faced jerk, but really, Emma started this chain of events by being really annoying about her ideologies. THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE EMMA. Somehow I don’t think she’s learned her lesson.
Whew. What a hard episode to cover, mostly because I know Craig is so close yet he seems so far. See you soon, everyone, and don’t forget to vote in our poll!
Letty: Jeez, with friends like this, who needs enemies? AMIRITE. I’m glad we have each other Kolleen. We can just sup on Arbor Mist and hold hands and be merry. Everyone look for my article in the Grapevine about how poetry is for losers. SIKE.
P.S. Can I just say how excited I am that we are back and that we are ONE STEP CLOSER TO CRAIG. I can almost taste him.
Thirty-SomeTeen 