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* AdaptationDyeJob: For some reason, the Jem doll always had blond hair – even when other similar looking characters had pink hair. The realistic-style promotional art (such as [[http://www.loony-archivist.com/jem/primer/images/article/jem_cast.jpg this]]) gave her pink hair with blonde bangs.
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* AdaptationDyeJob: For some reason, the Jem doll always had blond hair – even when other similar looking characters had pink hair. The realistic-style promotional art (such as [[http://www.loony-archivist.com/jem/primer/images/article/jem_cast.[[http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lAbJd1nxp6c/0.jpg this]]) gave her pink hair with blonde bangs.
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house fire
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* HouseFire: In the pilot episode from its days on ''SuperSunday'', the segment "Disaster" sees one of Eric's henchmen break into the Starlight House; the fire starts after the Holograms confront him. Everyone evacuates safely, but the house burns to the ground.
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** Every episode is now available on Netflix.
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* EightiesHair: Pretty much everyone. Most of the main characters have hair larger than their own heads. Notably the Misfits, Jem, and most of the Holograms.
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* EightiesHair: Pretty much everyone. Most of the main characters have hair larger than their own heads.
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'''Jem''' was a 1980s SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon (eventually) about the adventures of a rock star, Jem, and her band, the Holograms. Jem (not to be confused with the real pop star of the same name), the [[RoseHairedGirl pink-haired]], outrageous but kind-hearted rock star, was in reality Jerrica Benton, a young career woman. Jerrica is in charge of Starlight Music, a music label, the Starlight Foundation, a charitable organization, and Starlight House, a home for orphaned and foster girls that the foundation provides funding for, all founded by her deceased parents.
to:
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dewikifying Blue Eyes (it is a disambiguation page that has been turned into six distinct tropes. If one of those tropes fit, add them in)
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** Aja, Stormer and her brother have both BlueEyes and blue hair.
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** Aja, Stormer and her brother have both BlueEyes blue eyes and blue hair.
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* VillainessesWantHeroes: Inverted with Riot trying to seduce Jem.
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* ConvectionSchmonvection: the episode where they go to Hawaii, Kimber gets tied up and left in an erupting volcano by Zipper, being that close to lava, falling in would be the least of her worries, not to mention rescuing her would have been next to impossible without specialized heat suits.
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* NamesTheSame: The "[[Music/Misfits Misfits]]" is the name of a real life rock band (albeit punk rock, completely different from the show, plus they're an all-male group) formerly led by Glenn Danzig (that spot belongs to Jerry Only now). One of the Misfits' (show) songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example (and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released).
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* NamesTheSame: The "[[Music/Misfits "[[TheMisfits Misfits]]" is the name of a real life rock band (albeit punk rock, completely different from the show, plus they're an all-male group) formerly led by Glenn Danzig (that spot belongs to Jerry Only now). One of the Misfits' (show) songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example (and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released).
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* NamesTheSame: "The Misfits" is the name of a real life rock band (albeit of a different genre of music, plus they're an all-male group) led by Glenn Danzig. One of the show's Misfits' songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example (and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released).
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* NamesTheSame: "The Misfits" The "[[Music/Misfits Misfits]]" is the name of a real life rock band (albeit of a punk rock, completely different genre of music, from the show, plus they're an all-male group) formerly led by Glenn Danzig. Danzig (that spot belongs to Jerry Only now). One of the show's Misfits' (show) songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example (and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released).
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* BrotherChuck: In the initial few episodes, there was shown to be an older woman who seemed to maintain the Starlight house for Jerrica. But almost immediately she vanishes completely without mention and the holograms are shown to be running the place completely alone.
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* RecycledSoundtrack: By the time the second season starts, the show starts reusing songs with new music videos, to the point where there are entire episodes without a single new song.
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* AprilFoolsDay: From 2012, [[TheMerch WeLoveFine]]'s [[http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/04/01/welovefine-introduces-my-little-pony-hooves-and-hologram-proje/ projecting earrings]]. Trying to add them to your cart rewarded you with a 15% off code that lasted until Monday April 2nd 11:59pm.
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* AprilFoolsDay: From 2012, [[TheMerch WeLoveFine]]'s WeLoveFine's]] [[http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/04/01/welovefine-introduces-my-little-pony-hooves-and-hologram-proje/ projecting earrings]]. Trying to add them to your cart rewarded you with a 15% off code that lasted until Monday April 2nd 11:59pm.
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* BadBadActing: She can sing, but Pizzazz can '''not''' act.
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* BadBadActing: She can sing, but Pizzazz can '''not''' act.
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** Aja, Stormer and her brother have both {{blue eyes}} and blue hair.
** Pizzazz has {{green eyes}} and green hair.
** Pizzazz has {{green eyes}} and green hair.
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** Aja, Stormer and her brother have both {{blue eyes}} BlueEyes and blue hair.
** Pizzazz has{{green eyes}} GreenEyes and green hair.
** Pizzazz has
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* DramaticIrony: Regarding Video and Clash. Video has mentioned that maintaining her career as a filmmaker is difficult work, and that she has to make each film top the other. Clash refuses to believe the Misfits don't care about her and performed a HeelFaceDoorSlam of her own doing in ''Video Wars''. The one person Video has to outdo is herself, and Clash is her own worst enemy. Despite they're bickering, they're NotSoDifferent.
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* DramaticIrony: Regarding Video and Clash. Video has mentioned that maintaining her career as a filmmaker is difficult work, and that she has to make each film top the other. Clash refuses to believe the Misfits don't care about her and performed a HeelFaceDoorSlam of her own doing in ''Video Wars''. The one person Video has to outdo is herself, and Clash is her own worst enemy. Despite they're bickering, they're NotSoDifferent.
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* FiveManBand: The Holograms
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* FiveManBand: The Holograms Holograms
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* {{Gaslighting}}: An unintentional example in-universe. The Misfits get paid by a rich fan of Jem to find out who she is, so they get a bunch of actresses to pass themselves off as Jem's friends and family in order to get her to admit who she really is. The whole experience completely disorients Jem, especially when she's presented with video footage of her supposed "childhood" (that is, as Jem, not Jerrica Benton). The stress of seeing all her friends act like they don't really know her, pestering her to tell them who she really is, and then actually ''seeing'' Jerrica Benton (an actress who was late) almost causes Jem to have a total breakdown.
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* {{Gaslighting}}: An unintentional example in-universe. The Misfits get paid by a rich fan of Jem to find out who she is, so they get a bunch of actresses to pass themselves off as Jem's friends and family in order to get her to admit who she really is. The whole experience completely disorients Jem, especially when she's presented with video footage of her supposed "childhood" (that is, as Jem, not Jerrica Benton). The stress of seeing all her friends act like they don't really know her, pestering her to tell them who she really is, and then actually ''seeing'' Jerrica Benton (an actress who was late) almost causes Jem to have a total breakdown.
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** An early band of Riot's (shown in flashbacks) is called Nirvana.
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** An early band of Riot's (shown in flashbacks) is called Nirvana.
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* ShoutOut: During The Misfits' "I Am a Giant" number in part one of ''The Music Awards'', Pizzazz does an impression of KingKong, with black and white (except for her) footage, and attacking biplanes.
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* ShoutOut: During The Misfits' "I Am a Giant" number in part one of ''The Music Awards'', Pizzazz does an impression of KingKong, Film/KingKong, with black and white (except for her) footage, and attacking biplanes.
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* TheLawOfConservationOfDetail: A lot of the first season episodes play out like there are only two bands in the entire world. If there's a contest and The Holograms lose, The Misfits win by default.
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Hottip fixing.
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'''Jem''' was a 1980s [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon 65 episode]][[hottip:*: eventually]] [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon cartoon]] about the adventures of a rock star, Jem, and her band, the Holograms. Jem (not to be confused with the real pop star of the same name), the [[RoseHairedGirl pink-haired]], outrageous but kind-hearted rock star, was in reality Jerrica Benton, a young career woman. Jerrica is in charge of Starlight Music, a music label, the Starlight Foundation, a charitable organization, and Starlight House, a home for orphaned and foster girls that the foundation provides funding for, all founded by her deceased parents.
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'''Jem''' was a 1980s [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon 65 episode]][[hottip:*: eventually]] [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon cartoon]] SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon (eventually) about the adventures of a rock star, Jem, and her band, the Holograms. Jem (not to be confused with the real pop star of the same name), the [[RoseHairedGirl pink-haired]], outrageous but kind-hearted rock star, was in reality Jerrica Benton, a young career woman. Jerrica is in charge of Starlight Music, a music label, the Starlight Foundation, a charitable organization, and Starlight House, a home for orphaned and foster girls that the foundation provides funding for, all founded by her deceased parents.
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-->'''Pizazz:''' We can't wear these sissy colors! ''(to seamstress[[hottip:*: Actually Jem in disguise)]]'' You, take these and dye 'em black!
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-->'''Pizazz:''' We can't wear these sissy colors! ''(to seamstress[[hottip:*: Actually seamstress who is Jem in disguise)]]'' disguise)'' You, take these and dye 'em black!
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* NamesTheSame: "The Misfits" is the name of MarilynMonroe's final film. Closer to home, it's also the name of a real life rock band (albeit of a different genre of music, plus they're an all-male group) led by Glenn Danzig. One of the show's Misfits' songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example[[hottip:*: and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released]].
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* NamesTheSame: "The Misfits" is the name of MarilynMonroe's final film. Closer to home, it's also the name of a real life rock band (albeit of a different genre of music, plus they're an all-male group) led by Glenn Danzig. One of the show's Misfits' songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example[[hottip:*: and example (and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released]].released).
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* NonSingingVoice: Jem / Jerrica had a speaking voice provided by Samantha Newark, but a singing voice provided by Britta Philips.[[hottip:*: Samantha Newark IS a singer, however.]]
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* NonSingingVoice: Jem / Jerrica had a speaking voice provided by Samantha Newark, who is a singer, but a the singing voice is provided by Britta Philips.[[hottip:*: Samantha Newark IS a singer, however.]]
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* PinkMeansFeminine: So much pink.
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** The point Synergy was making was that Rio fell in love with Jem and the third person because ''they were all Jerrica''. Even though he didn't know they were Jerrica, he naturally connected to them because they were his girlfriend.
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** This is somewhat justified. When Jem first started airing in the USA Network it was a girl's show playing in between two cartoons geared towards boys. So to test the waters of the cartoon, the first few episodes of Jem were actually bits and pieces of ten-minute segments they would air at the end of cartoons. The cliffhanger's would happen because that was technically the end of the segment, and it was a way to bring kids back to want to see what happened next. They'd also initially tried to appeal Jem to both boys and girls to broaden their target audience. But when they realized only girls were interested in Jem.
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** This is somewhat justified. When Jem first started airing in the USA Network it was a girl's show playing in between two cartoons geared towards boys. So to test the waters of the cartoon, cartoon to see if it could pass in such a timeslot, the first few episodes of Jem were actually bits and pieces of ten-minute segments they would air at the end of cartoons. The cliffhanger's would happen because that was technically the end of the segment, and it was a way to bring kids back to want to see what happened next. They'd also initially tried to appeal Jem to both boys and girls to broaden their target audience. But when they realized only girls were interested in Jem.Jem they focused on their female audience.
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** This is somewhat justified. When Jem first started airing in the USA Network it was a girl's show playing in between two cartoons geared towards boys. So to test the waters of the cartoon, the first few episodes of Jem were actually bits and pieces of ten-minute segments they would air at the end of cartoons. The cliffhanger's would happen because that was technically the end of the segment, and it was a way to bring kids back to want to see what happened next. They'd also initially tried to appeal Jem to both boys and girls to broaden their target audience. But when they realized only girls were interested in Jem.
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* DaddysGirl: Pizzazz...sort of. Her father substitutes money for genuine affection. He eventually cuts her off.
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* CutLexLuthorACheck: It's repeatedly shown that the Misfits are genuinely popular and successful musicians in their own right. If they weren't so fixated on one-upping Jem and the Holograms, they'd save themselves endless frustration and humiliation and would really have nothing to complain about.
* DaddysGirl: Pizzazz... sort of. Her father substitutes money for genuine affection. He eventually cuts her off.
* DaddysGirl: Pizzazz... sort of. Her father substitutes money for genuine affection. He eventually cuts her off.
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** Lyn-Z shares her name with the bassist for the band Mindless Self Indulgence.
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** Lyn-Z shares her name with the bassist for the band Mindless Self Indulgence. Indulgence.
** An early band of Riot's (shown in flashbacks) is called Nirvana.
** An early band of Riot's (shown in flashbacks) is called Nirvana.
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* TheFoil: Kimber and Stormer, Clash and Video, Rapture and Astral.
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* TheHeart: [[PlayingWithTropes Played with]]. In regards to the Misfits, there is no clear-cut example of a Heart. Every time a band member has left (''The Bands Break Up'', ''Roxy Rumbles'', ''The Stingers Hit Town'') the Misfits aren't able to perform properly.
** In regards to the Holograms, Jem or Kimber could be considered the Heart. In ''The Bands Break Up'', the group learns that they depended on Kimber a lot more than they thought, as she provided a number of cues the girls needed. In ''The Day The Music Died'', we aren't able to see how the Holograms could perform without Jem, as they were immediately folded into the Misfits.
** In regards to the Holograms, Jem or Kimber could be considered the Heart. In ''The Bands Break Up'', the group learns that they depended on Kimber a lot more than they thought, as she provided a number of cues the girls needed. In ''The Day The Music Died'', we aren't able to see how the Holograms could perform without Jem, as they were immediately folded into the Misfits.
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* DarkReprise: ''Take It Or Leave It'', when first used in ''The Stingers Hit Town'', is meant to demonstrate that the Stingers have no problem being callous and selfish. When used in ''Riot's Hope'', it's to show that Riot's father unashamedly disappointed in him despite his success, and that he'll probably never accept him for who he is.
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* DarkReprise: ''Take It Or Leave It'', when first used in ''The Stingers Hit Town'', is meant to demonstrate that the Stingers have no problem being callous and selfish. When used in ''Riot's Hope'', it's to show that Riot's father is unashamedly disappointed in him despite his success, and that he'll probably never accept him for who he is.
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* DramaticIrony: Regarding Video and Clash. Video has mentioned that maintaining her career as a filmmaker is difficult work, and that she has to make each film top the other. Clash refuses to believe the Misfits don't care about her and performed a HeelFaceDoorSlam of her own doing in ''Video Wars''. The one person Video has to outdo is herself, and Clash is her own worst enemy. Despite they're bickering, they're NotSoDifferent.
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* CommercialBreakCliffhanger: Was used more often than not.
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* RoseHairedGirl: Jerrica in her Jem identity. Lampshaded in one episode by Pizzazz in her usual mean-spirited style.
-->'''Pizzazz''': Well, well. If it isn't little miss pink-hair and the singalongs!
-->'''Pizzazz''': Well, well. If it isn't little miss pink-hair and the singalongs!
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* DarkReprise: ''Take It Or Leave It'', when first used in ''The Stingers Hit Town'', is meant to demonstrate that the Stingers have no problem being callous and selfish. When used in ''Riot's Hope'', it's to show that Riot's father unashamedly disappointed in him despite his success, and that he'll probably never accept him for who he is.
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* MoralityPet: Three of them, all parents. Pizzazz and Clash both have one in their respective fathers, and Riot has his mother.
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-->--'''Jerrica 'Jem' Benton'''
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->"Showtime, Synergy!"\\
-- '''Jerrica 'Jem' Benton'''
-- '''Jerrica 'Jem' Benton'''
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-- '''Jerrica
-->--'''Jerrica 'Jem' Benton'''
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jemandtheholograms.jpg
[[caption-width:300:Jem and the Holograms on stage.]]
[[caption-width:300:Jem and the Holograms on stage.]]
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[[caption-width:300:Jem
[[caption-width-right:300:Jem and the Holograms on stage.]]
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One can\'t be both credited and not credited, nor can something be rising while at its height.
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* DudeWheresMyRespect: Stormer is the one who composes most of the Misfits music, and is credited as the overall creative force of the group. Do her band mates actually give her the credit? Nope.
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* DudeWheresMyRespect: Stormer is the one who composes most of the Misfits music, and is credited as the overall creative force of the group. Do her band mates actually give her the credit? Nope.
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* FashionDissonance: Let's just say that there is no way for anyone to ''not'' know this show was made in the 80s. On the upside, since the show was actually set in the music industry at the height of {{MTV}}'s then-rising popularity, it's actually frighteningly accurate for the type of characters it portrays.
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* FashionDissonance: Let's just say that there is no way for anyone to ''not'' know this show was made in the 80s. On the upside, since the show was actually set in the music industry at the height of {{MTV}}'s then-rising popularity, it's actually frighteningly accurate for the type of characters it portrays.
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jemandtheholograms.jpg
[[caption-width:300:Jem and the Holograms on stage.]]
->"Showtime, Synergy!"\\
-- '''Jerrica 'Jem' Benton'''
'''Jem''' was a 1980s [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon 65 episode]][[hottip:*: eventually]] [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon cartoon]] about the adventures of a rock star, Jem, and her band, the Holograms. Jem (not to be confused with the real pop star of the same name), the [[RoseHairedGirl pink-haired]], outrageous but kind-hearted rock star, was in reality Jerrica Benton, a young career woman. Jerrica is in charge of Starlight Music, a music label, the Starlight Foundation, a charitable organization, and Starlight House, a home for orphaned and foster girls that the foundation provides funding for, all founded by her deceased parents.
Jerrica learns that shortly before her father's death, he created a computer system called "Synergy," which has the power to create {{Hologram}}s and other illusions. Jerrica uses Synergy and a pair of [[AppliedPhlebotinum hologram projecting earrings]] to turn into Jem. The only other people who know Jerrica and Jem are the same person are the members of her band, the Holograms, which consists of her younger sister, Kimber (keyboards), and their two adopted sisters Aja (lead guitar) and Shana (originally drums, then bass guitar). Later, the band gains a new member, Raya, who took over for Shana on drums.
Most of the trouble the group faces comes in the form of Eric Raymond, a power-hungry CorruptCorporateExecutive who was Mr. Benton's former partner in the record company. His "discovery," a band called the Misfits (not to be confused with the real band) consisting of Pizzazz (guitar/vocals), Roxy (bass) and Stormer (keytar), is a group of self-described "bad girls from the wrong side of the tracks," who are constantly causing trouble to get attention and/or trying to ruin Jem. Reacting to the publicity that the Holograms get from adding Raya, they also pick up a new member, Jetta (saxophone). (Ironically, the Misfits were better received by RealLife critics than the Holograms.)
The third season switched things up by adding a new rival band, The Stingers. This band consisted of charismatic Riot (vocals), conniving Rapture (bass), and the seductive Minx (synthesizer). Riot was the only ''male'' lead singer, and his interest in Jem (and only Jem) led to even more drama for the Holograms, as did Minx's insistence on chasing Rio. Pizzazz of the Misfits was interested in him too, but his lack of reciprocating deepened their rivalry with the Holograms as well.
[[MerchandiseDriven Originally, the series was created for a line of dolls made by Hasbro.]] The series combined music, adventure, fashion, and SoapOpera-esque drama which gave the show its own appeal.
Compare ''KiddVideo'', another show centered on 80s music; ''HannahMontana'', another show based on a pop star with a secret identity; and ChristinaAguilera, who would come along many years after the show and look ''eerily'' like Jem.
'''TheHub''' has started to play episodes of this series as of May 28, 2011, and a new DVD release (this time, the ''complete'' series) came out in October 2011.
----
!!This show provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: Jem, the Holograms, and the Misfits.
* AdaptationDyeJob: For some reason, the Jem doll always had blond hair – even when other similar looking characters had pink hair. The realistic-style promotional art (such as [[http://www.loony-archivist.com/jem/primer/images/article/jem_cast.jpg this]]) gave her pink hair with blonde bangs.
** Pizzazz was always depicted in doll and animated form with bright green hair. The R1 Rhino DVD masters inexplicably changed her hair color to a dull olive blond – and also redid the green parts of her costume and make-up to match this.
* AirVentPassageway: Used more than once.
* AnAesop: Practically any episode centered on the Starlight Girls, but Jem and the Holograms themselves also occasionally learned lessons.
* {{Animesque}}: Done by Toei Animation though it's more related to the over-the-top nature of the 80s rock business.
* AerithAndBob: The Benton sisters are named Jerrica and...Kimberly. Helped somewhat by Kimberly's much cooler sounding nickname, Kimber.
* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: The "Doing the right thing makes you a superstar" segments.
* AnimationBump: Music videos often have very high-quality animation.
* AprilFoolsDay: From 2012, [[TheMerch WeLoveFine]]'s [[http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/04/01/welovefine-introduces-my-little-pony-hooves-and-hologram-proje/ projecting earrings]]. Trying to add them to your cart rewarded you with a 15% off code that lasted until Monday April 2nd 11:59pm.
* AssumedWin: "Hollywood Jem: Part 2 – And The Winner Is". Obviously.
* BadBadActing: She can sing, but Pizzazz can '''not''' act.
* BerserkButton: Don't ever call Pizzazz by her real name, Phyllis.
* BigBad: Eric Raymond.
* BlackShirt: Clash, the obsessive Misfits groupie that dreams of becoming a Misfit herself. Since she can't sing or perform, the Misfits just keep her around to cause havoc.
* BlatantLies: After Jetta's lies about being British royalty are found out, she makes up ANOTHER lie about being the twin sister of a British lord and they were separated at birth. Pizzazz promptly tells her to shut up.
* BlondGuysAreEvil / BlondesAreEvil: The Stingers, Riot in particular. Rapture and Minx have their moments of humanity and are driven by ambition and fame, but Riot is clearly all about scheming and trying to make money. That is, until we learn his past...
* BreakingTheFourthWall: A non-comedic example. Done by several characters in "The Day the Music Died", the only episode in the entire series to do this. At one point Jem [[{{Lampshaded}} asks Riot]] who was he talking to.
* BreakTheHaughty: In ''Straight From The Heart'', the Holograms are introduced to a young new designer, Regine Cesaire. She's a nice girl, and talented, but the problem is that she's young, emotional, and inexperienced at working with other professionals. She designs some new clothes for an upcoming concert, but the Holograms tell her that, while they do like it, they don't feel as if they're appropriate for the concert. Regine, of course, feels insulted, and believes that Shana is actually jealous of her talent. Countess DuVoisin even explains to her that "sometimes our favorite designs are not always appropriate". The Stingers convince Regine to design for them, but once her "novelty" wears off they decide to keep her around just to screw with her head. Regine returns to the Holograms in tears, but they show no hard feelings towards her, and wear the outfits she designed in a show dedicated to her style.
* ButtMonkey: Stormer to the Misfits. Any time she says or does something that does not agree with Pizzazz, Roxy, or Jetta, they'll act like they just swallowed poison.
* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Jerrica's catchphrase, "Showtime, Synergy!" is the command to turn her into Jem. She reverts back to Jerrica by saying "Show's over, Synergy."
* CassandraTruth: In "The Princess and the Singer," Jem attempts to reveal Regent Lexa's kidnapping plot by exposing her in public. The Regent simply laughs at her and nobody believes her.
* CatchPhrase: "Showtime Synergy!" for Jerrica, "Outrageous!" for Kimber.
* TheCelebrityLie: Jetta, who is British and from a poor family, is constantly lying about being aristocratic and knowing the Queen.
* ChineseGirl: Aja has some of these characteristics, but her background is rarely mentioned since she's clearly American born.
** Though it is mentioned in one episode that she knows Mandarin.
* ClarkKenting: Eric and the Misfits' failed attempts at trying to find out who Jem really is despite the fact she clearly looks and sounds like Jerrica. Of course, Jerrica can pull this off because Synergy can (and does) show Jem and Jerrica in the same place at the same time.
* ClarkesLawForGirlsToys: Exception because of Synergy.
* ClearMyName: In "One Jem Too Many" when Clash impersonates Jem and causes trouble.
* ClearTheirName: a few episodes have Jem and the Holograms doing this and one episode has [[spoiler:Starlight Girl Ashley and Stormer (in disguise)]] clearing Jem's name when she's accused of robbing a casino.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Jerrica "Jem" Benton, who is actually jealous of ''herself'' because she made a few mistakes and turned Rio on to Jem. And has to actually admit to it a few times.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: The episode "One Jem Too Many" has this happen when Jerrica says she saw Jem at another show. Kimber turns on the TV and they see the other Jem.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Pastels, even neon versions of them, are good, but primary colors are evil.
** This is even Lampshaded in the episode ''In Stitches'' when the Misfits are going through the Hologram's clothes:
-->'''Pizazz:''' We can't wear these sissy colors! ''(to seamstress[[hottip:*: Actually Jem in disguise)]]'' You, take these and dye 'em black!
* ConMan: Or rather, woman, as is the case with Rapture.
* CoolBigSis: Jerrica to Kimber and the foster girls.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Eric Raymond can pretty much buy his way out of anything - something he flat out says after he avoids jail time during the pilot for some of the blatantly illegal acts he commits.
-->"It's amazing what lawyers can do...when you pay them enough."
* CurtainsMatchTheWindow:
** Aja, Stormer and her brother have both {{blue eyes}} and blue hair.
** Pizzazz has {{green eyes}} and green hair.
* DaddysGirl: Pizzazz...sort of. Her father substitutes money for genuine affection. He eventually cuts her off.
* DownerEnding: Video Wars; Clash has a chance at a new life when she pretends to be a different person in order to make an embarrassing tour video of Jem, in hopes of getting made a full-on member of the Misfits. The plot fails and the Misfits reject her. Despite being pissed off at her, Jem offers to give Clash a second chance by pointing out how the Misfits don't care about her and only let her hang around them so she can do their dirty work. Clash rejects Jem's olive branch and denounces Jem/proclaims that the Misfits ARE her friends. Only to find the Misfits are in their van and driving away, with Pizzazz outright telling her to get lost when she begs her to stop so that she can leave with them. Add to the fact that this is the last (speaking) appearance of Clash in the series, creates a mega downer ending for the character (basically rejected by her idols and having purposely re-burnt her bridges with Jem after Jem stuck her neck out and forgave her).
** ''Father's Day'' and ''A Change of Heart'' are also depressing episodes, especially when you consider that Pizzazz and Minx are both screwed over by the Holograms and their self-righteousness and, whether deserved or not, it's pretty sad.
* DrugsAreBad: CURSE YOU BOBBY BRADDICK, CURSE YOU!
-->'''Jerrica:''' ''(to Laura)'' You are addicted to the drugs!
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Stormer is the one who composes most of the Misfits music, and is credited as the overall creative force of the group. Do her band mates actually give her the credit? Nope.
* EightiesHair: Pretty much everyone. Most of the main characters have hair larger than their own heads.
* [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Even Bad Girls Love Their Daddies]]: Pizzazz's attention grabbing is usually an attempt to get affection from her father. After her mother abandoned her, her dad didn't know how to give her the love she needed, so he spoiled her, and is sadly aware that he's somewhat responsible for the way she is now. And Clash is genuinely adored by her father, and vice versa, although he's almost as big a jerk as she is (to other people). Pizzazz originally believed that "no dad adores their kid", until she saw Clash and her dad together and was visibly shocked.
* EvilGloating: The Misfits' song "Trapped" is definitely this trope.
* FakeBand: The Holograms, the Misfits and, later, the Stingers.
* FashionDissonance: Let's just say that there is no way for anyone to ''not'' know this show was made in the 80s. On the upside, since the show was actually set in the music industry at the height of {{MTV}}'s then-rising popularity, it's actually frighteningly accurate for the type of characters it portrays.
* FashionShow: At least once or twice throughout the series.
* FemmeFatalons: Both the Misfits and Holograms, as well as a few other characters.
* FiveEpisodePilot: "Totally Outrageous", though the original airing began as fifteen five-minute segments that were sandwiched between five-minute segments of several other action-oriented "boys" cartoons, all on a show called "Super Sunday" (or "Super Saturday" depending on the station/market). Amazingly, the show caught on. Christy Marx was then asked to add short bits of material to the five-minute segments in order to expand three segments at a time into half-hour shows. The original fifteen five-minute segments were turned into the five-part opening episodes of the 65 half-hour series.
* FiveManBand: The Holograms
** TheHero - Jem
** TheLancer - Aja
** TheSmartGuy - Shana
** TheChick - Kimber
** [[TheSixthRanger The Fifth Ranger]] - Raya
* ForTheEvulz: The Stingers demonstrate moments where they screw around with someone's head just for their own amusement. The most blatant examples of this is how Rapture strung Pizzazz along into thinking she was helping her win Riot, and Rapture scaring one of the Starlight Girls into thinking she's a werewolf for no apparent reason other than [[ItAmusedMe it amused her]].
* GagDub: The ''{{Jiz}}'' series.
* {{Gaslighting}}: An unintentional example in-universe. The Misfits get paid by a rich fan of Jem to find out who she is, so they get a bunch of actresses to pass themselves off as Jem's friends and family in order to get her to admit who she really is. The whole experience completely disorients Jem, especially when she's presented with video footage of her supposed "childhood" (that is, as Jem, not Jerrica Benton). The stress of seeing all her friends act like they don't really know her, pestering her to tell them who she really is, and then actually ''seeing'' Jerrica Benton (an actress who was late) almost causes Jem to have a total breakdown.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The writers of a cartoon meant to promote a line of dolls snuck in a band called "The Limp Lizards". That took balls.
** "Who is he kissing? Is it me? Or is he ''making love'' to a fantasy?" Granted, they could have been using the older version of the phrase, and Rio and Jerrica do nothing beyond French kissing on screen- but by the 80s, the phrase had acquired the current meaning!
* GoodIsNotNice: Certain episodes appear to demonstrate that Jem and the rest of the Holograms could be annoyingly self-righteous and smug, but [[KarmaHoudini never get called on it]]. Whether this was intentional or not, it provided a contrast to the moments where the Misfits and the Stingers broke apart from their stereotypical cartoon villain behavior and demonstrated moments of humanity. Based on this idea, this would serve to prove that rather than being two-dimensional heroes, the Holograms are just good people who have their flaws like anyone else.
* HairColors: Again, it was the Eighties. Though rather strangely, the pastel hair colors of Aja and Shana seem to be natural since they already have blue and purple hair (respectively) when the Bentons adopted them as children. Stormer's might be natural too: her brother has the same hair color as she does.
* HalloweenEpisode: "Trick or Techrat".
* [[HeartwarmingOrphan Heartwarming Foster Girls]]: The Starlight Girls, so much so that [[spoiler:the final episode focuses on Ba Nee finding her father at last and closes with a farewell party where the Stingers and even ''the Misfits'' show up to see them off.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Britta Phillips from the indie band Luna is Jem's singing voice.
* HiddenDepths: A staple in the show's structure. Count on episodes frequently exploring softer sides of the antagonists, save for Eric Raymond.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Hanger-on Clash keeps hoping the Misfits will let her join the group, but because she follows this trope to a "T", they just keep her around to cause trouble for the Holograms.
* {{Hologram}}s
* HotScoop: Lindsey Pierce, a.k.a Lin-Z, is a reporter whom has frequent dealings with the Holograms and the Misfits. Despite appearing to be neutral she usually sides with the Holograms because the Misfits never control themselves on her show. Pizzazz actually slapped Lindsey after they barged in on her show and she kicked them out.
* IdolSinger: Or at least the American equivalent.
* IllGirl: In the three-part "Starbright" storyline, the Holograms keep on going with a movie shoot the Misfits have bought themselves into because they need money for an operation to save Starlight Girl Ba Nee's sight. Ultimately the production splits into rival films, and when the Holograms' is a hit, the money is raised and Ba Nee's sight is saved.
* ItGotWorse: After Jem, the Holograms, and most of the production staff quit the "Starbright" movie because of Eric Raymond and the Misfits. The Misfits decide to have the entire movie redone so it's all about them, while the Holograms start filming the original "Starbright" script. Then MORE staff members quit due to Pizzazz's whining and constant demands, until numerous union heads have the production shut down because of Eric's multiple violations. The Misfits decide to stop anyway, tired of all the work, and claim that "they have enough scenes". When the movie is released it's, naturally, a total bomb, while "Starbright" is a smash hit.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Stormer of the Misfits is an aversion (or at least she averts the "Jerk" part), because she was never really a jerk in the first place, unlike her bandmates. Roxy, however, plays it straight.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: '''Eric Raymond'''.
* JustEatGilligan: 99% of Jerrica's problems would be over if she'd just do the ''sensible'' thing and press charges against the Misfits for theft, vandalism, and recklessly endangering the lives of the Holograms and the Starlight Girls. The show addressed this a grand total of once, in which Eric implied that lawyers can do ''anything'' if you're rich. Nonetheless, this would only work for so long and isn't really going to be much good at, say, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/tv/Jem/One_Jem_Too_Many.aspx getting you off for]] [[http://www.agonybooth.com/tv/Jem/One_Jem_Too_Many.aspx?Page=2 the attempted murder of your rivals.]] Pizzazz's father is also wealthy, but the show also established early on that he pretty much cut her off for being out of control.
** TurnTheOtherCheek
** And on the flipside, the Misfits (who are just as popular and successful as Jem and the Holograms) would probably be better off if they would just ignore Jem and stop trying to upstage their rivals. Multiple episodes show them as being insanely popular, respected as musicians, and widely regarded in the industry as just as good as Jem and the Holograms, even beating them for a major industry award. Feuding with Jem just leads to more frustration and humiliation.
* KayfabeMusic: Jem is a holographic projection protecting Jerrica's identity.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: This show went in and out of print during the 80s, 90s, and even 00s. A brief release in the early 00s got up to two and a half seasons on DVD before Rhino lost the rights and they were swallowed up by Sony, leaving the entire third series out of print. However, in 2011, the series began airing on The Hub and a new complete series DVD release finally got a release date in October of 2011.
** The original five minute "mini-episodes" that were later expanded to five full length episodes are believed to have been lost or destroyed.
* LatexPerfection: Clash is quite guilty of this trope.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Many famous singers appear under different names. Like Lena Lerner (Tina Tuner) and Luna Dark (Cyndi Lauper.) However, it's also averted as some like {{Madonna}} are mentioned by name.
* LimitedAnimation: The animation here is ''dreadful'', with stiff movements, a garish color palette, and incredibly bland and/or hilarious character designs.
** Oddly enough, the opening sequence animation is far better, in addition to some of the music videos.
* ALittleSomethingWeCallRockAndRoll: Averted in "Journey Through Time".
* LonelyRichKid: Pizzazz is what happens when this kid grows up very wrong.
* LongLostUncleAesop: "Alone Again" introduced Laura Holloway as a new Starlight Girl that played the guitar and got into drugs. Notably, Laura was not based on any of the dolls in the toy line. So it should come as little surprise that she never appeared outside that single episode.
** While this is true, it's also Justified because when the social worker brings Laura to Starlight Mansion, she tells Jerrica that Laura's placement there would be temporary as she was waiting for an opening at a more appropriate facility.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Rare male examples:
** Rio dates Jerrica and waffles with affection for Jem because he doesn't know they're the same person.
*** Or as [[http://www.agonybooth.com/tv/Jem/One_Jem_Too_Many.aspx the Agony Booth]] puts it, Rio "says goodbye to his girlfriend, already planning to cheat on her with his second girlfriend, who by the way is his girlfriend. I'm sorry, I'll never get over that."
** Riot from the third season likes Jem and not Jerrica and has no idea why Jem keeps blowing him off.
* LoveDodecahedron: All the more complicated because two of the members are the same person.
* MagicalGirl: A literal magician. Maeve Eldritch, a.k.a. Astral, a professional magician and psychic investigator whose teacher studied under Harry Houdini. She appears in ''That Old Houdini Magic'' as part of a charity event, and helps the Holograms expose Rapture's latest con at pretending to channel the spirit of Harry Houdini.
* MagicIdolSinger: A rare western example.
* TheMerch: Shirts and other merchandise are available from [[http://www.welovefine.com/nby.php?c=2#/inst&id_lang=1&q=148&c=2,3,5,12,8,9,10,11&o=n&p=1 WeLoveFine]] and/or [[http://search.80stees.com/?category=80s+Cartoons&theme=Jem+and+the+Holograms 80sTees.com]].
* MerchandiseDriven: This show was made to promote the toyline.
* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Stormer from "The Misfits" is always the first to stop her friends from being truly evil, the first to tip off the good guys, and the first to ''make friends'' with the good guys. She's mainly in the Misfits because she's a total pushover.
* MissingMom: The only mothers we see on this show are Raya's, Jetta's, and Jerrica/Kimber's. Out of all of those only Jerrica and Kimber's mom is actually kind and supportive. We only see her in flashbacks, unfortunately.
* NaiveEverygirl: Carmen "Raya" Alonso plays this role when she shows up later in the series.
* NamesTheSame: "The Misfits" is the name of MarilynMonroe's final film. Closer to home, it's also the name of a real life rock band (albeit of a different genre of music, plus they're an all-male group) led by Glenn Danzig. One of the show's Misfits' songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example[[hottip:*: and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released]].
** Lyn-Z shares her name with the bassist for the band Mindless Self Indulgence.
* NeverLearnedToRead: "Roxy Rumbles" revealed that Roxy has this problem.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: ''Father's Day'' and ''A Change of Heart'' both feature this, as the Holograms mess up things for Pizzazz and Minx, sending them back to their old selfish ways.
* NonSingingVoice: Jem / Jerrica had a speaking voice provided by Samantha Newark, but a singing voice provided by Britta Philips.[[hottip:*: Samantha Newark IS a singer, however.]]
** Rival Pizzazz was voiced by Patricia Albrecht when speaking, and Ellen Bernfeld (aka disco singer Menage) when singing.
*** Ellen Bernfeld also did backing vocals for The Holograms and The Misfits, and was the singing voice of Roxy in her only solo song. Roxy's speaking voice actress was Bobbie Block.
** Riot of The Stingers spoke with the voice of Townsend Coleman and sang with the voice of Gordon Grody (who went on to become Lady Gaga's voice coach).
*** The other two Stingers were also dubbed for singing. When speaking, Minx was Kath Soucie and Rapture was Ellen Gerstell. For singing, both of them were usually dubbed by Diva Grey, but for Rapture's two solo lines in the song "Destiny", she was dubbed by Vicki Sue Robinson, the disco singer of "Turn the Beat Around" fame!
** When Kimber and Stormer sang a duet, they were dubbed over by Florence Warner and Lani Grover respectively, though Cathianne Blore and Susan Blu perform their speaking lines. Interestingly enough, their singing voices don't match their speaking voices at all.
* NotableOriginalMusic: The [[http://www.coucoucircus.org/da/generique.php?id=609 Opening theme]] (and all the shows other songs, for that matter).
* NothingCanStopUsNow: Used at least four times by Eric Raymond, "The Misfits", and "The Stingers".
* NotMeThisTime: Eric claims this when a pirate broadcast is done supposedly by the Misfits. It turns out '''another'' CorruptCorporateExecutive tricked them into think they just doing a normal broadcast for him. Jerica believes him immediately:
-->'''Jerrica:''' Not even '''you''' are dumb enough to do a pirate broadcast.
* NotNowKiddo: Jerrica towards Starlight Girl Deirdre in ''The Music Awards''. When Deirdre gets the same treatment from Jem, this leads Deirdre to become:
** TheRunaway
** Another episode, ''Hot Time in Hawaii'' has Jem doing this to a fan who she thought was hounding her for an autograph. Jem only stops to listen when the little girl tells her that Kimber had been kidnapped.
* OnceAnEpisode: The show breaks into song three times per episode and segues into a faux music video, even giving the name of the song and the band (or singer) performing it. Sometimes awkward when there's a character singing who is not actually in a band or is a singer.
* OnlySixFaces: The girls pretty much have the same face save for differences in hair and makeup, though sometimes this is more related to OffModel issues.
* OffModel: There is an instant disappearing Kimber in the video for the Misfits' "Takin' It All".
* PartySchedulingGambit: "Starbright: Part 3 – Rising Star".
* PetTheDog: ''Riot's Hope'' is one gigantic PTD for both Riot and the Stingers. It explains Riot's relationship with his parents and how his decision to become a musician led to a falling out between him and his father, who wanted him to join the military. It also shows that, unlike both the Holograms and the Misfits, the Stingers had no money when they began and had to work from the ground up, starting off with street shows and touring Europe until they became famous enough to head to America. As Riot is explaining his life story to Jem, not once does he try to hit on her or make a move, demonstrating that his mother's ailing health was more important.
* PhonyPsychic: Rapture's M.O..
* PlotHole: Two episodes, ''Father's Day'' and ''Out of the Past'', involve Jerrica and Kimber reminiscing about their parents thanks to certain belongings they find in the attic of Starlight House, such as old home movies and their dad's journal. Then you remember that the original Starlight House burned down in the FiveEpisodePilot.
** [[FridgeLogic What's to say they weren't saved just before the fire got too big?]]
* PurpleEyes: In her Jem form, Jerrica's eyes are either colored this way or as deep blue.
* PositiveDiscrimination: When Christy Marx was told that they'd be adding a new Misfit, she asked to have a black misfit in order to have some diversity, but that was rejected for being offensive. She was told that American, British or Australian white villains were acceptable, hence Jetta becoming British. It wasn't an issue when she wrote bad-girl Minx as being of German origin.
* PostCyberpunk: Synergy, is based around this aesthetic.
* TalkingToHimself: Charlie Adler voiced Eric Raymond, Zipper, and Techrat.
* ThePowerOfRock: There is ''nothing'' that cannot be solved by singing. Except an overcomplicated love life.
* PragmaticVillainy: Eric Raymond prefers schemes that hurt peoples ''pockets'' not the ''people'' as he's in it for profit (nonetheless, the people end up getting hurt, anyway...) This could be a case of EvenEvilHasStandards, but it's more likely he just doesn't want to be sued.
* PrinceAndPauper: The plot of "The Princess and the Singer", in which Kimber and Princess Adriana of Morvania are dead ringers and get switched during an attempt to assassinate Adriana.
* [[ProjectedMan Projected Woman]]: Synergy, the AI of the hologram computer, is herself a projected holographic AI.
* ReformedButRejected: Minx in "A Change of Heart"; after nearly drowning, Minx decides to renounce her evil self-absorbed ways and be a good girl. Needless to say, despite her best efforts, Jem and the Holograms and Rio pretty much reject her and drive her back to her selfish ways.
* RichBitch: Deconstructed with Pizzazz; while she is insanely rich, she hid it from her bandmates until the "Starbright" three-parter, when her past was revealed and Pizzazz is quite open with the fact that (thanks to her FreudianExcuse) that she is more obsessed with being famous and adored by the masses than she does care about being rich.
* SassyBlackWoman: Refreshingly averted with Shana, who was very shy and sympathetic.
* SaveTheVillain: Done in "Shangri-La".
* ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic: The Misfits definitely looked the part of glam-punkers, but their sound was more new wave. Riot of the Stingers also, as he was made to look like a metal singer.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Jem and the Holograms quit the "Starbright" movie twice because of Eric Raymond and the Misfits. They came back after they quit the first time because they needed the money for Ba Nee's operation, and even after Jem almost lost her life performing a stunt on her own she wouldn't quit. It was after Kimber was nearly killed thanks to Roxy and Clash messing with the special effects did the Holograms quit for good. The second time, they were joined by Rio and most of the production staff, fed up with Raymond and the Misfits.
* SecretDiary: Kimber's diary that gets leaked to a tabloid called "Cool Trash".
* SecretIdentityIdentity: Jerrica goes through this a ''lot''. Synergy doesn't help either – a rather BrokenAesop episode had Jerrica take on a ''third'' identity through Synergy's subtle manipulation, and come to the conclusion that Rio really loved her because...he fell in love with her a third time. Even though ''she was a completely different person''.
* SelfDeprecation: "The Misfits in Hawaii" has shades of this.
* ShoutOut: During The Misfits' "I Am a Giant" number in part one of ''The Music Awards'', Pizzazz does an impression of KingKong, with black and white (except for her) footage, and attacking biplanes.
* ShyBlueHairedGirl: Stormer, but not Aja.
* ASimplePlan: Played straight in ''numerous'' episodes. Subverted in "Broadway Magic" when the Misfits attempt to lock Jem in the Statue of Liberty and she uses the holograms from her earrings to escape.
* SmugSnake: Eric Raymond, a man so smug that CharlieAdler must have been paid by the sneer.
* SoreLoser: In "Glitter and Gold", the Holograms and The Misfits compete in a record sales competition and The Holograms win by one record. Despite the fact that, as [[TokenGoodTeammate Stormer]] points out, The Misfits sold half a million records, Pizzazz still throws a major tantrum over losing to The Holograms.
* StatusQuoIsGod: "The Bands Break up" and "A Change of Heart", to name a few, though subtle shifts occur when Raya and Jetta join the Holograms and the Misfits (respectively) and when the Misfits are slowly written out of the show in series 3. Otherwise, this trope is averted most of the time.
* StoryArc: The movie contract the FiveEpisodePilot mentions as one of the prizes in the Battle of the Bands competition is the basis for one. The three-parter "Starbright", the first post-pilot episodes, chronicles the film's making and release. The "Hollywood Jem" two-parter that closes "season two" (by TheOtherWiki's listing) picks it up again when Jem is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. There's also a running subplot in the latter two stories about Kimber being romanced by two men. Another running storyline is Ba Nee's search for her father.
* SwissCheeseSecurity: ''Nobody'' in this show is capable of keeping anything secure. The Misfits can pretty much waltz into ''anything'' to cause mayhem.
* TheEighties
* TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation
* TitleThemeTune: Which pretty much any girl from the 80s will sing to you on cue.
* TeamRocketWins: "The Day the Music Died" has Pizzazz and the Misfits co-opting the Holograms ''and'' the Stingers after Riot and Jem leave for an island vacation. It doesn't stick, but for awhile the Misfits are at the top of the charts.
* TerribleTrio: The Misfits, well until they recruit Jetta...
** Also the Stingers.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Ba Nee probably wouldn't have been so willing to label the next person she sees who closely resembles her father (based on the few details she knows) if she had someone to talk to. She's one of the few Starlight Girls who has not become accepted to the fact that she's an orphan, which actually plays out for the better when the Holograms find her actual dad.
** Averted in ''Alone Again'' when Laura is brought to a support group of similarly-aged drug addicts.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Inverted with Stormer, who is the TokenGoodTeammate of the Misfits, albeit a pushover. Also inverted with Minx for a while after her near death-experience.
** Played straight with Jetta, who could be considered more evil than the other Misfits. She actually tried to con Pizzazz out of millions of her dad's money in the episode ''Britrock''.
* TokenMinority: Aja, Shana, and Raya, though the characters are better developed than this.
* TokenMinorityCouple: No sooner does Shana see a black man at a party than the other girls immediately shove her into talking to him. Surely enough, they become a recurring couple. Happens to Raya in a Mexico-themed episode as well.
** Subverted with Aja and Craig (but they both have blue hair), and possibly Jem and Rio.
* UnclePennybags: Jerrica is one of these. She actually gives the proceeds from Jem's lucrative career to the Starlight Foundation, hence she doesn't have much money to her own name. Howard Sands is a minor character with the same bent.
* TheUnFavorite: Something of a BrokenAesop in the show is that Pizzazz's father spoiled her because he was incapable of showing affection, and Pizzazz's nasty personality is partially related to her acting out to get genuine affection out of him. By the time he's ready for this, he can't stand the self-centered Prima Donna he's created and instead treats ''Kimber'' as a surrogate daughter.
* TheUnfairSex: The show takes a very lopsided approach to cheating. In one episode, "Midsummer Night Madness", Jem, in addition to having a relationship with Rio in both her Jem and Jerrica persona, creates a new identity to test him. He fails when he shows interest in "Jamie", causing her to doubt his faithfulness - though she's later convinced to be okay with it because he only keeps falling for ''her'' personalities. However, in later episodes – "Riot's Hope", for example – Jem flirts with and nearly kisses Riot.
* UniverseBible: There is, in fact, a "Jem Bible" that Christy Marx used to distribute to fans until a copyright complaint stopped her. Excerpts from it were included on the first DVD release.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The show's focus on then-current popular music, media, and fashion leads to the show feeling ''extremely'' dated several decades after its 1985 release.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: This ''is'' a MerchandiseDriven show, after all, though many characters have "trademark" outfits they wear regularly. The only character seen wearing the same thing virtually the entire time is Eric Raymond.
* VerySpecialEpisode: More than a few. While one of them featured a LongLostUncleAesop, there were notably a few episodes like this that used one of the main characters instead.
* VillainSong: Most of the songs the Misfits sing can be considered this, as they're usually inflating Pizzazz's ego, such as ''I Am A Giant'', ''Universal Appeal'', or ''Designing Woman'', or about her being a bitch, such as ''I Love A Scandal''.
** ''I Am A Giant'' can be taken as a female empowerment song (in spite of the video) and ''I'm Gonna Change'' and ''It Takes A Lot'' outright avoid the usual cliche of singing about how great they are.
** ''Mind Games'' for the Stingers, as it's essentually "ManipulativeBastard: The Song".
* VitriolicBestBuds: The Misfits can be seen this way. They may act like jerks to one another (or in Stormer's case, act likes jerks to her), but whenever a member leaves, the band isn't able to function properly. Their skills complement one another, as evidenced when Stormer and Roxy left the group at certain points. Although how they came back differed greatly.
** Roxy left because Pizzazz and Jetta made fun of her, and they only reason she came back was because Eric reminded her that she was under contract.
** Stormer left because she was tired of the others' never taking her thoughts into consideration. She's probably under contract with them as well, but the reason Eric hadn't brought this up was because she signed another contract with Kimber to produce an album. He was hoping the two wouldn't come through on their end of the bargain, and he would be able to acquire a share of Starlight Music. When the album came out and was a hit, the Misfits finally admitted that they needed Stormer without trying to bribe her. She agreed to come back, on the condition that they remember she is an equal member of the group and her thoughts would be taken into better consideration.
** The other Misfits were all shocked that Pizzazz chose being with Riot over them, and all showed concern when they realized Rapture was screwing her over.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: During season three, Hasbro scrapped the Jem toyline due to declining sales. Not only were several lines canned and the show canceled, but dolls for the new characters were never released, such as The Stingers. Furthermore, the fifth Misfit, Graphix was never introduced.
** Christy Marx even said there were plans for a Jem movie with a pair of sound-controlling psychic twins, as well as an evil counterpart to Synergy. This got scrapped after the failure of Sunbow's ''{{Transformers| The Movie}}'' film.
** She also wanted to do a follow up episode about Danny, a one off character Deirdre (a Starlight Girl) meets when she ran away in "The Music Awards". It would have dealt with Danny and his alcoholic father. However, Hasbro wouldn't have that; an uncommon case of ExecutiveMeddling having a positive effect.
* WeWillNotUseStageMakeUpInTheFuture: Jem's make-up and wardrobe is holographically projected onto her by Synergy.
* WhileYouWereInDiapers: One episode invokes this trope with Bobby Bailey's criticism of Jem and the Holograms' version of a song he did back in the TheFifties.
* WouldHitAGirl: Eric Raymond is so sore over losing Starlight Music, he ''hits Jerrica in the face'', as if he didn't KickTheDog enough for someone who's supposed to be in the public eye. Understandably, Rio [[KickTheSonOfABitch wasn't having any of it]].
* WordOfGod: Christy Marx, the head writer, interfaces frequently with the fans. This leads to a lot of information getting out on the storyline that never made the show.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair:
** Aja, Stormer, Stormer's brother, and Regine. This isn't even an anime!
** Raya's hair is pink, and flashbacks seem to indicate that it's been that way since childhood. So either she's been dying her hair since she was 7, or pink is a natural hair color in the Jemverse.
** Rio has ''purple'' hair, and Jerrica has a lovely purple hat that compliments it perfectly.
** Shana also has lavender hair and Pizzazz has green hair, both that show up in childhood flashbacks.
** Astral had blue and purple hair.
----
->''"Show's Over, Synergy"''
----
[[caption-width:300:Jem and the Holograms on stage.]]
->"Showtime, Synergy!"\\
-- '''Jerrica 'Jem' Benton'''
'''Jem''' was a 1980s [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon 65 episode]][[hottip:*: eventually]] [[SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon cartoon]] about the adventures of a rock star, Jem, and her band, the Holograms. Jem (not to be confused with the real pop star of the same name), the [[RoseHairedGirl pink-haired]], outrageous but kind-hearted rock star, was in reality Jerrica Benton, a young career woman. Jerrica is in charge of Starlight Music, a music label, the Starlight Foundation, a charitable organization, and Starlight House, a home for orphaned and foster girls that the foundation provides funding for, all founded by her deceased parents.
Jerrica learns that shortly before her father's death, he created a computer system called "Synergy," which has the power to create {{Hologram}}s and other illusions. Jerrica uses Synergy and a pair of [[AppliedPhlebotinum hologram projecting earrings]] to turn into Jem. The only other people who know Jerrica and Jem are the same person are the members of her band, the Holograms, which consists of her younger sister, Kimber (keyboards), and their two adopted sisters Aja (lead guitar) and Shana (originally drums, then bass guitar). Later, the band gains a new member, Raya, who took over for Shana on drums.
Most of the trouble the group faces comes in the form of Eric Raymond, a power-hungry CorruptCorporateExecutive who was Mr. Benton's former partner in the record company. His "discovery," a band called the Misfits (not to be confused with the real band) consisting of Pizzazz (guitar/vocals), Roxy (bass) and Stormer (keytar), is a group of self-described "bad girls from the wrong side of the tracks," who are constantly causing trouble to get attention and/or trying to ruin Jem. Reacting to the publicity that the Holograms get from adding Raya, they also pick up a new member, Jetta (saxophone). (Ironically, the Misfits were better received by RealLife critics than the Holograms.)
The third season switched things up by adding a new rival band, The Stingers. This band consisted of charismatic Riot (vocals), conniving Rapture (bass), and the seductive Minx (synthesizer). Riot was the only ''male'' lead singer, and his interest in Jem (and only Jem) led to even more drama for the Holograms, as did Minx's insistence on chasing Rio. Pizzazz of the Misfits was interested in him too, but his lack of reciprocating deepened their rivalry with the Holograms as well.
[[MerchandiseDriven Originally, the series was created for a line of dolls made by Hasbro.]] The series combined music, adventure, fashion, and SoapOpera-esque drama which gave the show its own appeal.
Compare ''KiddVideo'', another show centered on 80s music; ''HannahMontana'', another show based on a pop star with a secret identity; and ChristinaAguilera, who would come along many years after the show and look ''eerily'' like Jem.
'''TheHub''' has started to play episodes of this series as of May 28, 2011, and a new DVD release (this time, the ''complete'' series) came out in October 2011.
----
!!This show provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: Jem, the Holograms, and the Misfits.
* AdaptationDyeJob: For some reason, the Jem doll always had blond hair – even when other similar looking characters had pink hair. The realistic-style promotional art (such as [[http://www.loony-archivist.com/jem/primer/images/article/jem_cast.jpg this]]) gave her pink hair with blonde bangs.
** Pizzazz was always depicted in doll and animated form with bright green hair. The R1 Rhino DVD masters inexplicably changed her hair color to a dull olive blond – and also redid the green parts of her costume and make-up to match this.
* AirVentPassageway: Used more than once.
* AnAesop: Practically any episode centered on the Starlight Girls, but Jem and the Holograms themselves also occasionally learned lessons.
* {{Animesque}}: Done by Toei Animation though it's more related to the over-the-top nature of the 80s rock business.
* AerithAndBob: The Benton sisters are named Jerrica and...Kimberly. Helped somewhat by Kimberly's much cooler sounding nickname, Kimber.
* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: The "Doing the right thing makes you a superstar" segments.
* AnimationBump: Music videos often have very high-quality animation.
* AprilFoolsDay: From 2012, [[TheMerch WeLoveFine]]'s [[http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/04/01/welovefine-introduces-my-little-pony-hooves-and-hologram-proje/ projecting earrings]]. Trying to add them to your cart rewarded you with a 15% off code that lasted until Monday April 2nd 11:59pm.
* AssumedWin: "Hollywood Jem: Part 2 – And The Winner Is". Obviously.
* BadBadActing: She can sing, but Pizzazz can '''not''' act.
* BerserkButton: Don't ever call Pizzazz by her real name, Phyllis.
* BigBad: Eric Raymond.
* BlackShirt: Clash, the obsessive Misfits groupie that dreams of becoming a Misfit herself. Since she can't sing or perform, the Misfits just keep her around to cause havoc.
* BlatantLies: After Jetta's lies about being British royalty are found out, she makes up ANOTHER lie about being the twin sister of a British lord and they were separated at birth. Pizzazz promptly tells her to shut up.
* BlondGuysAreEvil / BlondesAreEvil: The Stingers, Riot in particular. Rapture and Minx have their moments of humanity and are driven by ambition and fame, but Riot is clearly all about scheming and trying to make money. That is, until we learn his past...
* BreakingTheFourthWall: A non-comedic example. Done by several characters in "The Day the Music Died", the only episode in the entire series to do this. At one point Jem [[{{Lampshaded}} asks Riot]] who was he talking to.
* BreakTheHaughty: In ''Straight From The Heart'', the Holograms are introduced to a young new designer, Regine Cesaire. She's a nice girl, and talented, but the problem is that she's young, emotional, and inexperienced at working with other professionals. She designs some new clothes for an upcoming concert, but the Holograms tell her that, while they do like it, they don't feel as if they're appropriate for the concert. Regine, of course, feels insulted, and believes that Shana is actually jealous of her talent. Countess DuVoisin even explains to her that "sometimes our favorite designs are not always appropriate". The Stingers convince Regine to design for them, but once her "novelty" wears off they decide to keep her around just to screw with her head. Regine returns to the Holograms in tears, but they show no hard feelings towards her, and wear the outfits she designed in a show dedicated to her style.
* ButtMonkey: Stormer to the Misfits. Any time she says or does something that does not agree with Pizzazz, Roxy, or Jetta, they'll act like they just swallowed poison.
* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Jerrica's catchphrase, "Showtime, Synergy!" is the command to turn her into Jem. She reverts back to Jerrica by saying "Show's over, Synergy."
* CassandraTruth: In "The Princess and the Singer," Jem attempts to reveal Regent Lexa's kidnapping plot by exposing her in public. The Regent simply laughs at her and nobody believes her.
* CatchPhrase: "Showtime Synergy!" for Jerrica, "Outrageous!" for Kimber.
* TheCelebrityLie: Jetta, who is British and from a poor family, is constantly lying about being aristocratic and knowing the Queen.
* ChineseGirl: Aja has some of these characteristics, but her background is rarely mentioned since she's clearly American born.
** Though it is mentioned in one episode that she knows Mandarin.
* ClarkKenting: Eric and the Misfits' failed attempts at trying to find out who Jem really is despite the fact she clearly looks and sounds like Jerrica. Of course, Jerrica can pull this off because Synergy can (and does) show Jem and Jerrica in the same place at the same time.
* ClarkesLawForGirlsToys: Exception because of Synergy.
* ClearMyName: In "One Jem Too Many" when Clash impersonates Jem and causes trouble.
* ClearTheirName: a few episodes have Jem and the Holograms doing this and one episode has [[spoiler:Starlight Girl Ashley and Stormer (in disguise)]] clearing Jem's name when she's accused of robbing a casino.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Jerrica "Jem" Benton, who is actually jealous of ''herself'' because she made a few mistakes and turned Rio on to Jem. And has to actually admit to it a few times.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: The episode "One Jem Too Many" has this happen when Jerrica says she saw Jem at another show. Kimber turns on the TV and they see the other Jem.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Pastels, even neon versions of them, are good, but primary colors are evil.
** This is even Lampshaded in the episode ''In Stitches'' when the Misfits are going through the Hologram's clothes:
-->'''Pizazz:''' We can't wear these sissy colors! ''(to seamstress[[hottip:*: Actually Jem in disguise)]]'' You, take these and dye 'em black!
* ConMan: Or rather, woman, as is the case with Rapture.
* CoolBigSis: Jerrica to Kimber and the foster girls.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Eric Raymond can pretty much buy his way out of anything - something he flat out says after he avoids jail time during the pilot for some of the blatantly illegal acts he commits.
-->"It's amazing what lawyers can do...when you pay them enough."
* CurtainsMatchTheWindow:
** Aja, Stormer and her brother have both {{blue eyes}} and blue hair.
** Pizzazz has {{green eyes}} and green hair.
* DaddysGirl: Pizzazz...sort of. Her father substitutes money for genuine affection. He eventually cuts her off.
* DownerEnding: Video Wars; Clash has a chance at a new life when she pretends to be a different person in order to make an embarrassing tour video of Jem, in hopes of getting made a full-on member of the Misfits. The plot fails and the Misfits reject her. Despite being pissed off at her, Jem offers to give Clash a second chance by pointing out how the Misfits don't care about her and only let her hang around them so she can do their dirty work. Clash rejects Jem's olive branch and denounces Jem/proclaims that the Misfits ARE her friends. Only to find the Misfits are in their van and driving away, with Pizzazz outright telling her to get lost when she begs her to stop so that she can leave with them. Add to the fact that this is the last (speaking) appearance of Clash in the series, creates a mega downer ending for the character (basically rejected by her idols and having purposely re-burnt her bridges with Jem after Jem stuck her neck out and forgave her).
** ''Father's Day'' and ''A Change of Heart'' are also depressing episodes, especially when you consider that Pizzazz and Minx are both screwed over by the Holograms and their self-righteousness and, whether deserved or not, it's pretty sad.
* DrugsAreBad: CURSE YOU BOBBY BRADDICK, CURSE YOU!
-->'''Jerrica:''' ''(to Laura)'' You are addicted to the drugs!
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Stormer is the one who composes most of the Misfits music, and is credited as the overall creative force of the group. Do her band mates actually give her the credit? Nope.
* EightiesHair: Pretty much everyone. Most of the main characters have hair larger than their own heads.
* [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Even Bad Girls Love Their Daddies]]: Pizzazz's attention grabbing is usually an attempt to get affection from her father. After her mother abandoned her, her dad didn't know how to give her the love she needed, so he spoiled her, and is sadly aware that he's somewhat responsible for the way she is now. And Clash is genuinely adored by her father, and vice versa, although he's almost as big a jerk as she is (to other people). Pizzazz originally believed that "no dad adores their kid", until she saw Clash and her dad together and was visibly shocked.
* EvilGloating: The Misfits' song "Trapped" is definitely this trope.
* FakeBand: The Holograms, the Misfits and, later, the Stingers.
* FashionDissonance: Let's just say that there is no way for anyone to ''not'' know this show was made in the 80s. On the upside, since the show was actually set in the music industry at the height of {{MTV}}'s then-rising popularity, it's actually frighteningly accurate for the type of characters it portrays.
* FashionShow: At least once or twice throughout the series.
* FemmeFatalons: Both the Misfits and Holograms, as well as a few other characters.
* FiveEpisodePilot: "Totally Outrageous", though the original airing began as fifteen five-minute segments that were sandwiched between five-minute segments of several other action-oriented "boys" cartoons, all on a show called "Super Sunday" (or "Super Saturday" depending on the station/market). Amazingly, the show caught on. Christy Marx was then asked to add short bits of material to the five-minute segments in order to expand three segments at a time into half-hour shows. The original fifteen five-minute segments were turned into the five-part opening episodes of the 65 half-hour series.
* FiveManBand: The Holograms
** TheHero - Jem
** TheLancer - Aja
** TheSmartGuy - Shana
** TheChick - Kimber
** [[TheSixthRanger The Fifth Ranger]] - Raya
* ForTheEvulz: The Stingers demonstrate moments where they screw around with someone's head just for their own amusement. The most blatant examples of this is how Rapture strung Pizzazz along into thinking she was helping her win Riot, and Rapture scaring one of the Starlight Girls into thinking she's a werewolf for no apparent reason other than [[ItAmusedMe it amused her]].
* GagDub: The ''{{Jiz}}'' series.
* {{Gaslighting}}: An unintentional example in-universe. The Misfits get paid by a rich fan of Jem to find out who she is, so they get a bunch of actresses to pass themselves off as Jem's friends and family in order to get her to admit who she really is. The whole experience completely disorients Jem, especially when she's presented with video footage of her supposed "childhood" (that is, as Jem, not Jerrica Benton). The stress of seeing all her friends act like they don't really know her, pestering her to tell them who she really is, and then actually ''seeing'' Jerrica Benton (an actress who was late) almost causes Jem to have a total breakdown.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The writers of a cartoon meant to promote a line of dolls snuck in a band called "The Limp Lizards". That took balls.
** "Who is he kissing? Is it me? Or is he ''making love'' to a fantasy?" Granted, they could have been using the older version of the phrase, and Rio and Jerrica do nothing beyond French kissing on screen- but by the 80s, the phrase had acquired the current meaning!
* GoodIsNotNice: Certain episodes appear to demonstrate that Jem and the rest of the Holograms could be annoyingly self-righteous and smug, but [[KarmaHoudini never get called on it]]. Whether this was intentional or not, it provided a contrast to the moments where the Misfits and the Stingers broke apart from their stereotypical cartoon villain behavior and demonstrated moments of humanity. Based on this idea, this would serve to prove that rather than being two-dimensional heroes, the Holograms are just good people who have their flaws like anyone else.
* HairColors: Again, it was the Eighties. Though rather strangely, the pastel hair colors of Aja and Shana seem to be natural since they already have blue and purple hair (respectively) when the Bentons adopted them as children. Stormer's might be natural too: her brother has the same hair color as she does.
* HalloweenEpisode: "Trick or Techrat".
* [[HeartwarmingOrphan Heartwarming Foster Girls]]: The Starlight Girls, so much so that [[spoiler:the final episode focuses on Ba Nee finding her father at last and closes with a farewell party where the Stingers and even ''the Misfits'' show up to see them off.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Britta Phillips from the indie band Luna is Jem's singing voice.
* HiddenDepths: A staple in the show's structure. Count on episodes frequently exploring softer sides of the antagonists, save for Eric Raymond.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Hanger-on Clash keeps hoping the Misfits will let her join the group, but because she follows this trope to a "T", they just keep her around to cause trouble for the Holograms.
* {{Hologram}}s
* HotScoop: Lindsey Pierce, a.k.a Lin-Z, is a reporter whom has frequent dealings with the Holograms and the Misfits. Despite appearing to be neutral she usually sides with the Holograms because the Misfits never control themselves on her show. Pizzazz actually slapped Lindsey after they barged in on her show and she kicked them out.
* IdolSinger: Or at least the American equivalent.
* IllGirl: In the three-part "Starbright" storyline, the Holograms keep on going with a movie shoot the Misfits have bought themselves into because they need money for an operation to save Starlight Girl Ba Nee's sight. Ultimately the production splits into rival films, and when the Holograms' is a hit, the money is raised and Ba Nee's sight is saved.
* ItGotWorse: After Jem, the Holograms, and most of the production staff quit the "Starbright" movie because of Eric Raymond and the Misfits. The Misfits decide to have the entire movie redone so it's all about them, while the Holograms start filming the original "Starbright" script. Then MORE staff members quit due to Pizzazz's whining and constant demands, until numerous union heads have the production shut down because of Eric's multiple violations. The Misfits decide to stop anyway, tired of all the work, and claim that "they have enough scenes". When the movie is released it's, naturally, a total bomb, while "Starbright" is a smash hit.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Stormer of the Misfits is an aversion (or at least she averts the "Jerk" part), because she was never really a jerk in the first place, unlike her bandmates. Roxy, however, plays it straight.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: '''Eric Raymond'''.
* JustEatGilligan: 99% of Jerrica's problems would be over if she'd just do the ''sensible'' thing and press charges against the Misfits for theft, vandalism, and recklessly endangering the lives of the Holograms and the Starlight Girls. The show addressed this a grand total of once, in which Eric implied that lawyers can do ''anything'' if you're rich. Nonetheless, this would only work for so long and isn't really going to be much good at, say, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/tv/Jem/One_Jem_Too_Many.aspx getting you off for]] [[http://www.agonybooth.com/tv/Jem/One_Jem_Too_Many.aspx?Page=2 the attempted murder of your rivals.]] Pizzazz's father is also wealthy, but the show also established early on that he pretty much cut her off for being out of control.
** TurnTheOtherCheek
** And on the flipside, the Misfits (who are just as popular and successful as Jem and the Holograms) would probably be better off if they would just ignore Jem and stop trying to upstage their rivals. Multiple episodes show them as being insanely popular, respected as musicians, and widely regarded in the industry as just as good as Jem and the Holograms, even beating them for a major industry award. Feuding with Jem just leads to more frustration and humiliation.
* KayfabeMusic: Jem is a holographic projection protecting Jerrica's identity.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: This show went in and out of print during the 80s, 90s, and even 00s. A brief release in the early 00s got up to two and a half seasons on DVD before Rhino lost the rights and they were swallowed up by Sony, leaving the entire third series out of print. However, in 2011, the series began airing on The Hub and a new complete series DVD release finally got a release date in October of 2011.
** The original five minute "mini-episodes" that were later expanded to five full length episodes are believed to have been lost or destroyed.
* LatexPerfection: Clash is quite guilty of this trope.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Many famous singers appear under different names. Like Lena Lerner (Tina Tuner) and Luna Dark (Cyndi Lauper.) However, it's also averted as some like {{Madonna}} are mentioned by name.
* LimitedAnimation: The animation here is ''dreadful'', with stiff movements, a garish color palette, and incredibly bland and/or hilarious character designs.
** Oddly enough, the opening sequence animation is far better, in addition to some of the music videos.
* ALittleSomethingWeCallRockAndRoll: Averted in "Journey Through Time".
* LonelyRichKid: Pizzazz is what happens when this kid grows up very wrong.
* LongLostUncleAesop: "Alone Again" introduced Laura Holloway as a new Starlight Girl that played the guitar and got into drugs. Notably, Laura was not based on any of the dolls in the toy line. So it should come as little surprise that she never appeared outside that single episode.
** While this is true, it's also Justified because when the social worker brings Laura to Starlight Mansion, she tells Jerrica that Laura's placement there would be temporary as she was waiting for an opening at a more appropriate facility.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Rare male examples:
** Rio dates Jerrica and waffles with affection for Jem because he doesn't know they're the same person.
*** Or as [[http://www.agonybooth.com/tv/Jem/One_Jem_Too_Many.aspx the Agony Booth]] puts it, Rio "says goodbye to his girlfriend, already planning to cheat on her with his second girlfriend, who by the way is his girlfriend. I'm sorry, I'll never get over that."
** Riot from the third season likes Jem and not Jerrica and has no idea why Jem keeps blowing him off.
* LoveDodecahedron: All the more complicated because two of the members are the same person.
* MagicalGirl: A literal magician. Maeve Eldritch, a.k.a. Astral, a professional magician and psychic investigator whose teacher studied under Harry Houdini. She appears in ''That Old Houdini Magic'' as part of a charity event, and helps the Holograms expose Rapture's latest con at pretending to channel the spirit of Harry Houdini.
* MagicIdolSinger: A rare western example.
* TheMerch: Shirts and other merchandise are available from [[http://www.welovefine.com/nby.php?c=2#/inst&id_lang=1&q=148&c=2,3,5,12,8,9,10,11&o=n&p=1 WeLoveFine]] and/or [[http://search.80stees.com/?category=80s+Cartoons&theme=Jem+and+the+Holograms 80sTees.com]].
* MerchandiseDriven: This show was made to promote the toyline.
* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Stormer from "The Misfits" is always the first to stop her friends from being truly evil, the first to tip off the good guys, and the first to ''make friends'' with the good guys. She's mainly in the Misfits because she's a total pushover.
* MissingMom: The only mothers we see on this show are Raya's, Jetta's, and Jerrica/Kimber's. Out of all of those only Jerrica and Kimber's mom is actually kind and supportive. We only see her in flashbacks, unfortunately.
* NaiveEverygirl: Carmen "Raya" Alonso plays this role when she shows up later in the series.
* NamesTheSame: "The Misfits" is the name of MarilynMonroe's final film. Closer to home, it's also the name of a real life rock band (albeit of a different genre of music, plus they're an all-male group) led by Glenn Danzig. One of the show's Misfits' songs [[Music/GunsNRoses "Welcome to the Jungle"]], is also an example[[hottip:*: and this was about a year before ''Appetite For Destruction'' was released]].
** Lyn-Z shares her name with the bassist for the band Mindless Self Indulgence.
* NeverLearnedToRead: "Roxy Rumbles" revealed that Roxy has this problem.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: ''Father's Day'' and ''A Change of Heart'' both feature this, as the Holograms mess up things for Pizzazz and Minx, sending them back to their old selfish ways.
* NonSingingVoice: Jem / Jerrica had a speaking voice provided by Samantha Newark, but a singing voice provided by Britta Philips.[[hottip:*: Samantha Newark IS a singer, however.]]
** Rival Pizzazz was voiced by Patricia Albrecht when speaking, and Ellen Bernfeld (aka disco singer Menage) when singing.
*** Ellen Bernfeld also did backing vocals for The Holograms and The Misfits, and was the singing voice of Roxy in her only solo song. Roxy's speaking voice actress was Bobbie Block.
** Riot of The Stingers spoke with the voice of Townsend Coleman and sang with the voice of Gordon Grody (who went on to become Lady Gaga's voice coach).
*** The other two Stingers were also dubbed for singing. When speaking, Minx was Kath Soucie and Rapture was Ellen Gerstell. For singing, both of them were usually dubbed by Diva Grey, but for Rapture's two solo lines in the song "Destiny", she was dubbed by Vicki Sue Robinson, the disco singer of "Turn the Beat Around" fame!
** When Kimber and Stormer sang a duet, they were dubbed over by Florence Warner and Lani Grover respectively, though Cathianne Blore and Susan Blu perform their speaking lines. Interestingly enough, their singing voices don't match their speaking voices at all.
* NotableOriginalMusic: The [[http://www.coucoucircus.org/da/generique.php?id=609 Opening theme]] (and all the shows other songs, for that matter).
* NothingCanStopUsNow: Used at least four times by Eric Raymond, "The Misfits", and "The Stingers".
* NotMeThisTime: Eric claims this when a pirate broadcast is done supposedly by the Misfits. It turns out '''another'' CorruptCorporateExecutive tricked them into think they just doing a normal broadcast for him. Jerica believes him immediately:
-->'''Jerrica:''' Not even '''you''' are dumb enough to do a pirate broadcast.
* NotNowKiddo: Jerrica towards Starlight Girl Deirdre in ''The Music Awards''. When Deirdre gets the same treatment from Jem, this leads Deirdre to become:
** TheRunaway
** Another episode, ''Hot Time in Hawaii'' has Jem doing this to a fan who she thought was hounding her for an autograph. Jem only stops to listen when the little girl tells her that Kimber had been kidnapped.
* OnceAnEpisode: The show breaks into song three times per episode and segues into a faux music video, even giving the name of the song and the band (or singer) performing it. Sometimes awkward when there's a character singing who is not actually in a band or is a singer.
* OnlySixFaces: The girls pretty much have the same face save for differences in hair and makeup, though sometimes this is more related to OffModel issues.
* OffModel: There is an instant disappearing Kimber in the video for the Misfits' "Takin' It All".
* PartySchedulingGambit: "Starbright: Part 3 – Rising Star".
* PetTheDog: ''Riot's Hope'' is one gigantic PTD for both Riot and the Stingers. It explains Riot's relationship with his parents and how his decision to become a musician led to a falling out between him and his father, who wanted him to join the military. It also shows that, unlike both the Holograms and the Misfits, the Stingers had no money when they began and had to work from the ground up, starting off with street shows and touring Europe until they became famous enough to head to America. As Riot is explaining his life story to Jem, not once does he try to hit on her or make a move, demonstrating that his mother's ailing health was more important.
* PhonyPsychic: Rapture's M.O..
* PlotHole: Two episodes, ''Father's Day'' and ''Out of the Past'', involve Jerrica and Kimber reminiscing about their parents thanks to certain belongings they find in the attic of Starlight House, such as old home movies and their dad's journal. Then you remember that the original Starlight House burned down in the FiveEpisodePilot.
** [[FridgeLogic What's to say they weren't saved just before the fire got too big?]]
* PurpleEyes: In her Jem form, Jerrica's eyes are either colored this way or as deep blue.
* PositiveDiscrimination: When Christy Marx was told that they'd be adding a new Misfit, she asked to have a black misfit in order to have some diversity, but that was rejected for being offensive. She was told that American, British or Australian white villains were acceptable, hence Jetta becoming British. It wasn't an issue when she wrote bad-girl Minx as being of German origin.
* PostCyberpunk: Synergy, is based around this aesthetic.
* TalkingToHimself: Charlie Adler voiced Eric Raymond, Zipper, and Techrat.
* ThePowerOfRock: There is ''nothing'' that cannot be solved by singing. Except an overcomplicated love life.
* PragmaticVillainy: Eric Raymond prefers schemes that hurt peoples ''pockets'' not the ''people'' as he's in it for profit (nonetheless, the people end up getting hurt, anyway...) This could be a case of EvenEvilHasStandards, but it's more likely he just doesn't want to be sued.
* PrinceAndPauper: The plot of "The Princess and the Singer", in which Kimber and Princess Adriana of Morvania are dead ringers and get switched during an attempt to assassinate Adriana.
* [[ProjectedMan Projected Woman]]: Synergy, the AI of the hologram computer, is herself a projected holographic AI.
* ReformedButRejected: Minx in "A Change of Heart"; after nearly drowning, Minx decides to renounce her evil self-absorbed ways and be a good girl. Needless to say, despite her best efforts, Jem and the Holograms and Rio pretty much reject her and drive her back to her selfish ways.
* RichBitch: Deconstructed with Pizzazz; while she is insanely rich, she hid it from her bandmates until the "Starbright" three-parter, when her past was revealed and Pizzazz is quite open with the fact that (thanks to her FreudianExcuse) that she is more obsessed with being famous and adored by the masses than she does care about being rich.
* SassyBlackWoman: Refreshingly averted with Shana, who was very shy and sympathetic.
* SaveTheVillain: Done in "Shangri-La".
* ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic: The Misfits definitely looked the part of glam-punkers, but their sound was more new wave. Riot of the Stingers also, as he was made to look like a metal singer.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Jem and the Holograms quit the "Starbright" movie twice because of Eric Raymond and the Misfits. They came back after they quit the first time because they needed the money for Ba Nee's operation, and even after Jem almost lost her life performing a stunt on her own she wouldn't quit. It was after Kimber was nearly killed thanks to Roxy and Clash messing with the special effects did the Holograms quit for good. The second time, they were joined by Rio and most of the production staff, fed up with Raymond and the Misfits.
* SecretDiary: Kimber's diary that gets leaked to a tabloid called "Cool Trash".
* SecretIdentityIdentity: Jerrica goes through this a ''lot''. Synergy doesn't help either – a rather BrokenAesop episode had Jerrica take on a ''third'' identity through Synergy's subtle manipulation, and come to the conclusion that Rio really loved her because...he fell in love with her a third time. Even though ''she was a completely different person''.
* SelfDeprecation: "The Misfits in Hawaii" has shades of this.
* ShoutOut: During The Misfits' "I Am a Giant" number in part one of ''The Music Awards'', Pizzazz does an impression of KingKong, with black and white (except for her) footage, and attacking biplanes.
* ShyBlueHairedGirl: Stormer, but not Aja.
* ASimplePlan: Played straight in ''numerous'' episodes. Subverted in "Broadway Magic" when the Misfits attempt to lock Jem in the Statue of Liberty and she uses the holograms from her earrings to escape.
* SmugSnake: Eric Raymond, a man so smug that CharlieAdler must have been paid by the sneer.
* SoreLoser: In "Glitter and Gold", the Holograms and The Misfits compete in a record sales competition and The Holograms win by one record. Despite the fact that, as [[TokenGoodTeammate Stormer]] points out, The Misfits sold half a million records, Pizzazz still throws a major tantrum over losing to The Holograms.
* StatusQuoIsGod: "The Bands Break up" and "A Change of Heart", to name a few, though subtle shifts occur when Raya and Jetta join the Holograms and the Misfits (respectively) and when the Misfits are slowly written out of the show in series 3. Otherwise, this trope is averted most of the time.
* StoryArc: The movie contract the FiveEpisodePilot mentions as one of the prizes in the Battle of the Bands competition is the basis for one. The three-parter "Starbright", the first post-pilot episodes, chronicles the film's making and release. The "Hollywood Jem" two-parter that closes "season two" (by TheOtherWiki's listing) picks it up again when Jem is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. There's also a running subplot in the latter two stories about Kimber being romanced by two men. Another running storyline is Ba Nee's search for her father.
* SwissCheeseSecurity: ''Nobody'' in this show is capable of keeping anything secure. The Misfits can pretty much waltz into ''anything'' to cause mayhem.
* TheEighties
* TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation
* TitleThemeTune: Which pretty much any girl from the 80s will sing to you on cue.
* TeamRocketWins: "The Day the Music Died" has Pizzazz and the Misfits co-opting the Holograms ''and'' the Stingers after Riot and Jem leave for an island vacation. It doesn't stick, but for awhile the Misfits are at the top of the charts.
* TerribleTrio: The Misfits, well until they recruit Jetta...
** Also the Stingers.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Ba Nee probably wouldn't have been so willing to label the next person she sees who closely resembles her father (based on the few details she knows) if she had someone to talk to. She's one of the few Starlight Girls who has not become accepted to the fact that she's an orphan, which actually plays out for the better when the Holograms find her actual dad.
** Averted in ''Alone Again'' when Laura is brought to a support group of similarly-aged drug addicts.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Inverted with Stormer, who is the TokenGoodTeammate of the Misfits, albeit a pushover. Also inverted with Minx for a while after her near death-experience.
** Played straight with Jetta, who could be considered more evil than the other Misfits. She actually tried to con Pizzazz out of millions of her dad's money in the episode ''Britrock''.
* TokenMinority: Aja, Shana, and Raya, though the characters are better developed than this.
* TokenMinorityCouple: No sooner does Shana see a black man at a party than the other girls immediately shove her into talking to him. Surely enough, they become a recurring couple. Happens to Raya in a Mexico-themed episode as well.
** Subverted with Aja and Craig (but they both have blue hair), and possibly Jem and Rio.
* UnclePennybags: Jerrica is one of these. She actually gives the proceeds from Jem's lucrative career to the Starlight Foundation, hence she doesn't have much money to her own name. Howard Sands is a minor character with the same bent.
* TheUnFavorite: Something of a BrokenAesop in the show is that Pizzazz's father spoiled her because he was incapable of showing affection, and Pizzazz's nasty personality is partially related to her acting out to get genuine affection out of him. By the time he's ready for this, he can't stand the self-centered Prima Donna he's created and instead treats ''Kimber'' as a surrogate daughter.
* TheUnfairSex: The show takes a very lopsided approach to cheating. In one episode, "Midsummer Night Madness", Jem, in addition to having a relationship with Rio in both her Jem and Jerrica persona, creates a new identity to test him. He fails when he shows interest in "Jamie", causing her to doubt his faithfulness - though she's later convinced to be okay with it because he only keeps falling for ''her'' personalities. However, in later episodes – "Riot's Hope", for example – Jem flirts with and nearly kisses Riot.
* UniverseBible: There is, in fact, a "Jem Bible" that Christy Marx used to distribute to fans until a copyright complaint stopped her. Excerpts from it were included on the first DVD release.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The show's focus on then-current popular music, media, and fashion leads to the show feeling ''extremely'' dated several decades after its 1985 release.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: This ''is'' a MerchandiseDriven show, after all, though many characters have "trademark" outfits they wear regularly. The only character seen wearing the same thing virtually the entire time is Eric Raymond.
* VerySpecialEpisode: More than a few. While one of them featured a LongLostUncleAesop, there were notably a few episodes like this that used one of the main characters instead.
* VillainSong: Most of the songs the Misfits sing can be considered this, as they're usually inflating Pizzazz's ego, such as ''I Am A Giant'', ''Universal Appeal'', or ''Designing Woman'', or about her being a bitch, such as ''I Love A Scandal''.
** ''I Am A Giant'' can be taken as a female empowerment song (in spite of the video) and ''I'm Gonna Change'' and ''It Takes A Lot'' outright avoid the usual cliche of singing about how great they are.
** ''Mind Games'' for the Stingers, as it's essentually "ManipulativeBastard: The Song".
* VitriolicBestBuds: The Misfits can be seen this way. They may act like jerks to one another (or in Stormer's case, act likes jerks to her), but whenever a member leaves, the band isn't able to function properly. Their skills complement one another, as evidenced when Stormer and Roxy left the group at certain points. Although how they came back differed greatly.
** Roxy left because Pizzazz and Jetta made fun of her, and they only reason she came back was because Eric reminded her that she was under contract.
** Stormer left because she was tired of the others' never taking her thoughts into consideration. She's probably under contract with them as well, but the reason Eric hadn't brought this up was because she signed another contract with Kimber to produce an album. He was hoping the two wouldn't come through on their end of the bargain, and he would be able to acquire a share of Starlight Music. When the album came out and was a hit, the Misfits finally admitted that they needed Stormer without trying to bribe her. She agreed to come back, on the condition that they remember she is an equal member of the group and her thoughts would be taken into better consideration.
** The other Misfits were all shocked that Pizzazz chose being with Riot over them, and all showed concern when they realized Rapture was screwing her over.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: During season three, Hasbro scrapped the Jem toyline due to declining sales. Not only were several lines canned and the show canceled, but dolls for the new characters were never released, such as The Stingers. Furthermore, the fifth Misfit, Graphix was never introduced.
** Christy Marx even said there were plans for a Jem movie with a pair of sound-controlling psychic twins, as well as an evil counterpart to Synergy. This got scrapped after the failure of Sunbow's ''{{Transformers| The Movie}}'' film.
** She also wanted to do a follow up episode about Danny, a one off character Deirdre (a Starlight Girl) meets when she ran away in "The Music Awards". It would have dealt with Danny and his alcoholic father. However, Hasbro wouldn't have that; an uncommon case of ExecutiveMeddling having a positive effect.
* WeWillNotUseStageMakeUpInTheFuture: Jem's make-up and wardrobe is holographically projected onto her by Synergy.
* WhileYouWereInDiapers: One episode invokes this trope with Bobby Bailey's criticism of Jem and the Holograms' version of a song he did back in the TheFifties.
* WouldHitAGirl: Eric Raymond is so sore over losing Starlight Music, he ''hits Jerrica in the face'', as if he didn't KickTheDog enough for someone who's supposed to be in the public eye. Understandably, Rio [[KickTheSonOfABitch wasn't having any of it]].
* WordOfGod: Christy Marx, the head writer, interfaces frequently with the fans. This leads to a lot of information getting out on the storyline that never made the show.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair:
** Aja, Stormer, Stormer's brother, and Regine. This isn't even an anime!
** Raya's hair is pink, and flashbacks seem to indicate that it's been that way since childhood. So either she's been dying her hair since she was 7, or pink is a natural hair color in the Jemverse.
** Rio has ''purple'' hair, and Jerrica has a lovely purple hat that compliments it perfectly.
** Shana also has lavender hair and Pizzazz has green hair, both that show up in childhood flashbacks.
** Astral had blue and purple hair.
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->''"Show's Over, Synergy"''
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