"Say hello to your friends (Baby-sitter's Club)"*

My older sisters started reading the Baby-sitter's Club back in the '80s, and because I wanted to do everything my older sisters did, I was in second or third grade when I picked up book #1 Kristy's Great Idea.

At the beginning of every book, there was a portrait of each character. Now I would usually skip over this part, but there was one bit of information you had to stop and read: What outfit was artsy Claudia Kishi wearing? For example in BSC #2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls, Claudia (each book is told from the title-character's POV) describes her philosophy on fashion:

"I think clothes make a statement about about the person inside of them. Also, since you have to get dressed every day, why not at least make it fun? Traditional clothes look boring and are boring to put on. So I never wear them. I like bright clothes and big patterns and funny touches, such as earrings made from feathers. Maybe this is because I'm an artist. I don't know. Today, for instance, I'm wearing purple pants that stop just below my knees and are held up with suspenders, white tights with clocks on them, a purple-plaid shirt with a matching hat, my high-top sneakers, and lobster earrings. Clothes like these are my trademarks."

I wonder what statement Claudia was trying to make with white tights with clocks on them and lobster earrings, but it sure was fun to read about her clothes.

(Yup, I've got a whole shelf of BSC books!)

My favorite BSC member was probably Dawn Schafer (who didn't join the BSC until book #5). I'm not sure why. She was a laid-back, tofu-eating vegetarian from California who wasn't particularly athletic and was often described as an "individual." Growing up, I was a picky eater who would never dream of eating tofu, I loved to play sports, and I had a pretty fierce competitive edge. The only thing we really had in common was our blond hair and blue eyes. Maybe our lack of commonality was what I liked about her.

Needless to say I was tickled pink to read this article about where the BSC members would be now. I was not surprised at all to read that Kristy is a lesbian, that Stacey doesn't talk to any of the BSC members anymore, or that Dawn went off the deep end. I found it interesting that Mary Anne attended my alma mater Sacred Heart University and that Mallory and Jessi wrote a children's book. I was quite disappointed to learn of Logan's crime-ridden fate. He was the only boy BSC member...what is that supposed to say for boys who baby-sit?

Okay, now I totally have to go read one of the BSC books this weekend. I think I'll go for one of the Super Specials (which are told in multiple POVs), so I can get a glimpse into more than one of the BSC members' minds.

*Written by Glen Roven (it's amazing what you can find on IMDb)