After Spinelli humiliates him, Randall reveals her darkest secret: her first name is Ashley.
Tropes:
- Big "NO!": Spinelli lets one out, after Randall reveals her first name in front the entire playground.
- Blackmail: What Randall first planned to do with the knowledge of Spinelli's first name, something she was willing to go along with. But it wasn't long till he revealed he had a ridiculous long list of demands that caused her to snap.
- Broken Tears: Spinelli breaks down sobbing as soon as she can no longer stand acting as the Ashleys' personal slave.
- But Thou Must!: The Ashleys clearly don't want Spinelli in their group just because of her first name, but a playground constitution says otherwise. They decide to make good out of a bad situation because, as Spinelli stated, she has no choice.
- Children Are Innocent: Combined with Stating the Simple Solution—the kids on the playground honestly believe that changing your name is as simple as say, getting a new library card. Mikey implies as such when questioning Spinelli on why she doesn't just change her first name.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Randall outing Spinelli's first name is eerily similar to cases of people being Forced Out of the Closet, with how others attempting to change her identity by force.
- Embarrassing First Name: An interesting variation of the trope. To go into greater detail:
- After Randall reveals to everyone that Spinelli's first name is Ashley, she later explains to Gretchen and the boys that she doesn't have a problem with the name "Ashley" itself—in fact, Spinelli likes her first name just fine, especially since she was named after her Great-Aunt Ashley, who's considered a family hero because she was the first woman to win the Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska. Even though Spinelli never met her Great-Aunt Ashley, she greatly admires her.
- Ultimately, the main reason that Spinelli doesn't like going by her first name is because, for as long as she could remember, every other girl she's ever met who also had "Ashley" as their first name were girls like Ashleys A, B, Q and T, and doesn't want anyone to think she's anything like that and/or be associated with them.
- Exact Words: The constitution of the playground states that someone whose name is Ashley must join the Ashleys' group if invited by another Ashley, and TJ's able to use this against them.
- Faux Horrific: Part of the reason the Ashleys fear not including Spinelli in their group is that if they don't, they'll end up dating boys with names like "Paul" or "Joe" when they're in middle school.
- Gilligan Cut: The rest of the main six reassures Spinelli that the Ashleys wouldn't dare induct her, feeling that Spinelli's far too unlike them. Cut to the Ashleys discussing that they have to do it so as for Spinelli to not mar the Ashley name.
- I Am Spartacus: TJ and the gang get the entire playground to claim their name is Ashley, thereby allowing Spinelli to invite them into the group.
- My Little Phony: Among other things the Ashleys make Spinelli do is watch videotapes of "My Fuzzy Unicorn" with her eyes taped open.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Spinelli may have had her reasons to break Randall's tape recorder since no one should be recording students' conversations, but it motivates him to find dirt on her and ultimately sell her out to the Ashleys.
- Pygmalion Plot: Subverted—the Ashleys try to force Spinelli to become a proper lady, but due to treating her as a slave and Ashley intern and forcing their views on her, she wants out as soon as possible.
- Properly Paranoid: Spinelli never told anyone her first name because she didn't want to have to join the Ashleys. The minute that Randall outs her, the Ashleys ultimately force her to join using the Constitution of the Playground and mistreat her.
- Read the Fine Print: Gretchen does this with the constitution of the playground to find out if there's a way for Spinelli to leave the Ashleys' clique. As it would seem, the only way that Spinelli could leave the group is if the Ashleys agree to let her go. After hearing this, T.J. comes up with a plan to do so that the Ashleys kick out Spinelli.
- Secret Message Wink: When none of the Ashleys invite her in, Gretchen suggests that Spinelli do so. She tries to tell her to get out, but when Gretchen gives her a reassuring wink, Spinelli realizes that she must have a plan and goes along with it.
- Self-Deprecation: It's funny how the Ashleys consider "Paul" and "Joe" to be unattractive names for boys since those are the first names of the show's creators.
- Shout-Out: The Ashleys taping Spinelli's eyes open to force her to watch "My Fuzzy Unicorn" bears so much resemblance to a certain scene.
- Spoiler Title: Spinelli's first name is given away by the title.
- Tempting Fate: The gang laughs at the thought of the Ashleys inducting Spinelli into their group, feeling that she's too unlike them to fall prey to it. Cue a Gilligan Cut to Ashley A convincing Ashleys B, Q and T to do just that.
- Villainous Breakdown: The Ashleys go through this when everyone on the playground says their names are all Ashley and Spinelli invites them in, wrecking their clubhouse.
- Wham Line: Randall calls Spinelli "Ashley Spinelli" when she refuses to give in to his blackmail attempts.
- Wham Shot: Spinelli's student file, which reveals her first name is Ashley.
