Jody Barsh

General discussion about the nineteen episodes of "My So-Called Life". Note: Our episode guide can be found here.
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mia
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Jody Barsh

Post by mia » Nov 17th 1999, 10:36 am

Who is she and what's up with her and Rayanne? Do we ever find out, besides Sharon's assertion that it is, like, SO known? Just curious...

Jack
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Re: Jody Barsh

Post by Jack » Nov 17th 1999, 11:51 am

No, we never find out, but my guess would be that Rayanne slept with her boyfriend.

Jack
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Re: Jody Barsh

Post by Jack » Nov 17th 1999, 1:03 pm

I want to expand on my previous comment. I think the writers were foreshadowing something bad
going down between Angela and Rayanne, which of course happens in "Betrayal". And I believe they
decided that the "bad thing" was going to be the same thing that Rayanne did to Jody Barsh. But,
when they made the pilot, I think they were vague about it because they wanted to keep their options
open. It is ironic that Angela doesn't know what happened between them, though "It's so known,"
as Sharon said.

majesty
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Re: Jody Barsh

Post by majesty » Aug 3rd 2008, 8:13 am

This is one of the things I love about the show (and other shows and films that do this sort of thing). It's a minor detail and it's not necessary to move the plot along, and we don't know the whole story! :) Sure, we could find out later, but I love when things are referred to and yet full exposition isn't provided, leaving the viewer to make some assumptions and engage in the story. It makes things seem more realistic, in my humble opinion.

My interpretation of the Jody Barsh situation is what others have suggested: Rayanne slept with Jody's boyfriend or her crush. Something along those lines, because Sharon mentions that Rayanne uses people, and later in the series tells Rayanne (after the betrayal) that "this is what [she does] to people", as if she done it before. So it must have something to do with sex. Maybe Rayanne used Jody in some way to get to a boy, like it was her brother or ex-boyfriend or something. There are many possibilities.

Also, I wonder about Sharon's comment that it is "so known." I got the impression that it wasn't so known. I mean, if it was that publicized, Angela would probably know about it, especially if it was "so known" while she and Sharon were still best friends, as they'd probably gossip to one another about it. I think Sharon probably did some detective work after she saw Angela abandoning her for Rayanne, and she learned from other people what happened to Jody Barsh and used it as another reason to dislike Rayanne and think Angela was being foolish for hanging out with her. Saying it was "so known," regardless of whether it actually was so, was a good way to make Angela feel out-of-the-loop, foolish and a bit suspicious towards Rayanne, which is what Sharon wanted.

Or, you know, it could have actually been "so known" and Angela just missed the breaking news.

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Cami A.
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Re: Jody Barsh

Post by Cami A. » Aug 3rd 2008, 2:32 pm

Love your thoughts on Jody Barsh!
Read ikilledkennyandjr's fanfic, "Staring Down The Sun"
and you'll get a unique interpretation of what Rayanne did to Jody Barsh!
"So, the mouse makes pressure, just by breathing?...I can relate."

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Jody Barsch*
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Re: Jody Barsh

Post by Jody Barsch* » Apr 14th 2010, 2:17 am

majesty wrote:My interpretation of the Jody Barsh situation is what others have suggested: Rayanne slept with Jody's boyfriend or her crush. Something along those lines, because Sharon mentions that Rayanne uses people, and later in the series tells Rayanne (after the betrayal) that "this is what [she does] to people", as if she done it before.
I just rewatched "Betrayal" last night, and I'm pretty sure that Sharon says, "because that's what you do" as the first part of the complete thought: "Because, that's what you do, when someone's your friend" in response to Rayanne's accusation that Sharon couldn't wait to run and tell Angela the truth. Rather than pointing out a bad record of Rayanne's, Sharon's trying to make the point that out of the two of them, she knows what it is to be a friend, and that she does, if Rayanne does not, have Angela's back.

I totally get why people think the Jody story must have something to do with a boy and what happened between Rayanne and Jordan, but I always get caught on two things when I pursue that theory:

1. I still trip over the word "used" rather than "betray" or something similar if the story is that she got with Jody's guy. I just can't see the Rayanne Graff I've come to understand as a person who would premeditatively befriend someone just to get a guy away from her. A. I don't think she's that cutthroat B. I can't think there's been a guy she's ever felt that strongly about getting. [It could be that I'm paying too much attention to the word choice, and the writers were just writing something in the pilot and as there wasn't a real back story for it, we can't hold too closely to the precise diction, but, as much as possible I try to avoid doubting the writing like that (of course, there are the apparent contradictions of the basement & Brian's sister).]

2. Sharon says this so early on; Angela doesn't yet have any kind of connection to a guy for Sharon to say, 'She'll use you, just like she did Jody Barsh". Clearly a person that would knowingly mess around with a friend's person is in general not a great friend to have, and so it would make sense that Sharon would still warn Angela away from her, boyfriend or no. But, something in the way she says it always makes me think that there's a more immediate possibility Rayanne could readily repeat the transgression against Angela.

But, I don’t know… That’s why I chose it as my namesake; I like how unknowable the story is : )
Sometimes I write a little MSCL fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1039807/Jody-Barsch
Also, after multiple V. Mars reiterations, and finally a Deadwood movie, still wishing for some continuation of The Riches !

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