The Zit
Directed By: Victor DuBois
Written By: Betsy Thomas
Patty wants to enter her and Angela in a mother/daughter fashion show, but Angela doesn't want to, because she feels like she's ugly. It's not helped by the fact (a) Angela's got a zit on her chin, and (b) some of the sophomore boys in school put out a poll grading all the freshman girls, and Angela's not on it, meaning she's ignored by everyone. Sharon, on the other hand, is on the poll for how big her breasts are, which makes her feel self-conscious, and puts a strain on her relationship with her new boyfriend Kyle (Johnny Green).
This episode contains examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny:
- After Patty, feeling guilty about how she pushed Angela towards the fashion show, asks Graham if he thinks there's anyone who feels good about the way they look, Graham thinks for a moment and answers, "Ru Paul." Patty starts laughing out loud, though it's as much about the fact she can't believe Graham knows who Ru Paul is as the answer.
- The second time they meet in the bathroom (see Moment Killer below), Sharon tries to remember what Angela and she used to be drilled on while they were in Girl Scouts, and Angela responds, "What, sell more cookies?", to which Sharon laughs.
- A-Cup Angst: Angela feels this way when she's ignored by the poll put out by the sophomore boys in high school, in contrast to Sharon.
- An Aesop:
- When Jordan is asking Brian what The Metamorphosis is about, Brian explains the plot, but Sharon interjects by pointing out the theme of the story is no matter how much the main character may change on the outside, they're still the same on the inside.
- Angela gets one of her own when watching Patty and Danielle doing the fashion show:
Sometimes it seems like we're all living in some kind of prison. And the crime is how much we hate ourselves. It's good to get really dressed up once in a while. And admit the truth. That when you really looked closely, people are so strange, and so complicated, that they're actually... beautiful. Possibly even me. - Armor-Piercing Response: When Angela gets upset about the fact Rayanne's on the poll (covering for the fact Angela is also upset she's not on the poll):Angela: I don't want people saying that about you.
Rayanne: Or maybe about you, because we're friends.
Angela: Rayanne, that's not it. (voiceover) Or maybe it was...kinda it. - Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: The first of a few between Kyle and Sharon - after the poll comes out, she accuses him of only liking her for her breasts, and breaks up with him, but a few days later, he declares he likes other things about her (including her smile), at which point they get back together again.
- Buxom Beauty Standard: According to the poll, several sophomore boys feel this way about Sharon, which makes her feel extremely self-conscious.
- I Am Not Pretty: When Patty wants to know why Angela won't do the mother/daughter fashion show, Angela responds like this. This is a downplayed example of the trope in that Angela doesn't think she's ugly, she just thinks she's plain and nothing in the looks department compared to Patty.
- I Have Boobs, You Must Obey!: Discussed - when Rayanne sees Sharon has been voted as having "Best Hooters", she agrees, saying, "If I had a set like that, I'd own a small country."
- "I Know What We Can Do" Cut: A variation - when Patty tells Angela she's going to ask Camille to find another mother/daughter team to wear the dresses Patty made, Angela says, "I think I know one." Cut to Patty and Danielle wearing the dresses at the fashion show.
- Imagine Spot: When Angela is in the bathroom, all of a sudden, the model (Tracey Melchior) who's on the cover of a magazine (that she, Rayanne and others have been talking about) appears and starts complimenting Angela on her appearance.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog: When Brian comes into the band room and sees Kyle and Sharon there, he says, "Sorry, I was just...I was just...never mind," and immediately walks back out.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Lampshaded by Patty - when Camille asks if she heard about the poll that has Sharon feeling uptight, Patty responds, "We don't hear much. We live in the back."
- Moment Killer: A friends version - the second time Angela runs into Sharon in the bathroom, they start talking more than they have in a while (even recalling their Girl Scout days), and it looks like they're about to make up...and that's when Rayanne walks in.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Though Patty doesn't come out and say this outright, this is her sentiment when she realizes why Angela doesn't want to do the fashion show with her.
- Noodle Implements: Played for Laughs after Brian walks out of the band room (see I Need to Go Iron My Dog above):Rickie: What? Who's in there?
Brian: Sharon and that guy.
Rickie: Oh, so what? Were they kissing. (Beat) More than kissing?
Brian: He was, like, making her beg for her shoe.
Rickie (chuckles) Wow! I never heard of that. - Pop-Cultural Osmosis Failure: When Patty says she wants the dresses she's designing for herself and Angela to have a "Mary Quant
look, Angela replies, "Mary who?" - Reflexive Response: When Rayanne finds out she was voted in the poll as having most slut potential, and wonders how anybody could get that idea about her, Rickie's response is, "Research!"
- Right Now Montage: As Mr. Rinaldi reads from The Metamorphosis - specifically, the part where Gregor has woken up and realized he's turned into a bug, we see clips of boys ogling Sharon, Rayanne playing it up for boys in the hall, and Rickie being uncomfortable in the boy's bathroom, among other things.
- Rise of Zitboy: A deconstruction - Angela isn't obsessed with the zit, she just feels it's a symbol for the fact she thinks she's not pretty.
- Shout-Out:
- When Rickie decides he's going to stop going to the girl's bathroom, he starts saying goodbye to all the parts in the bathroom, and then when Angela comes in, he says, "Oh Scarecrow, I think I'll miss you most of all!"
- As mentioned above, Angela's English class is reading The Metamorphosis.
- When Rickie compliments Patty on her design, Rayanne says, "All right, say goodnight, Gracie."
- Angela thinks the dresses Patty has made for them make them look like something out of The Patty Duke Show.
- Speak in Unison: When Patty is trying to convince Angela to do the mother/daughter fashion show:Angela: Mom, the only reason you wanna go is cause everyone told you how great you looked. "Did you ever model professionally?" "I can't believe you have a teenage daughter, cause you look-"
Angela, Danielle: So young! (the two of them and Graham laugh)
Patty: Well, I'm so glad that I can serve to amuse you all in this way. - Tempting Fate: When Rayanne wonders if the fact she Really Gets Around means Angela won't want to be friends with her anymore, Angela assures Rayanne no matter how many guys she sleeps with and who they are, she will always be Rayanne's friend. Later in the season, it turns out there is one guy Angela cares about whether or not Rayanne sleeps with, and doing so will wreck their friendship.
