As Told By Ginger. Still by Nickelodeon
The opening theme song of As Told By Ginger begins with Macy Gray’s trademark rasp: “Someone once told me / The grass is much greener / On the other side.” As the “I Try” musician sings on, the titular character of the Nickelodeon cartoon—12-year-old Ginger—stands outside Lucky Jr. High, looking around nervously until she spots her best friends Macie, Dodie and Darren, breaking into a smile once she finds them. “From where I’m standing / My grass is green,” Gray sings. Advertisem*nt
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“It was the year that Welcome to the Dollhouse came out,” Kapnek tells me via email about the creation of the show. “I very much wanted to do a dark comedy that focused on how traumatic middle school can be, particularly for girls. The social drama that your parents might dismiss as unimportant, that truly felt like life or death in the moment that you were going through them. I started thinking about why animation didn’t tell any stories that felt more grounded and true to life.” Advertisem*nt
Ginger with her best friends Dodie and Macie. Still by Nickelodeon via As Told By Ginger Reviewed
When I was ten, it was one of the first animated shows I watched that specifically targeted young girls but didn’t caricature or belittle them. The pre-teens of As Told By Ginger weren’t menacing, love-obsessed lunatics (Helga, Hey Arnold!), superficial clones (The Ashleys, Recess), or literal morons (Dee-Dee, Dexter’s Laboratory). Instead, As Told By Ginger storylines were plucked straight from real life. Characters navigated parental divorce, negotiated the role of class and money in a small community, and even dealt with teen suicide.
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“Middle school is a difficult time for everyone, and even in adult life I think everyone feels isolated or lost at some point,” says Casey Reed, co-creator of As Told By Ginger podcast We’re In Between. “ As Told by Ginger helped me connect with the feeling of fierce independence and not caring what other people think. It also advocates for loving the things you love without regret or hesitation.”In an episode titled “Come Back Little Seal Girl”, Ginger and Dodie refuse to partake in their traditional talent show performance dedicated to their childhood hero, Little Seal Girl. Macie performs alone—in full costume—to a snigg*ring crowd. In a twist that Mean Girls pilfered years later, the pre-recorded backing cassette breaks and she sweetly sings the song to the entire student body, winning everyone over in the process. Advertisem*nt
"There's an underlying message of not cracking under pressure of doing or not doing things because it's not cool."
“There's an underlying message of not cracking under pressure of doing or not doing things because it's not cool,” explains Patricia Miranda, the other co-creator of We’re In Between. “Don't worry about what people say about you. Be yourself. That's what makes you cool.”But what As Told By Ginger truly stood out for was for its characterization of people who might play the villains in a less well-executed show. Popular girl Courtney Griffin ticked all the rich, blonde, and ditzy boxes of the 2000s Queen Bee stereotype, but the show allowed her to develop as a character. Always wanting to prove that she wasn’t just a dumb rich kid, Courtney grew to cherish her friendship with Ginger.“I think Ginger and Courtney had a lot in common,” says Kapnek about the girls’ friendship, “much more than it would seem at first glance. They both idolized and idealized each other for different reasons. Courtney felt Ginger’s life and friendships were so much more authentic than her own… She was envious of that. And of course to Ginger, it seemed like Courtney had it all.”
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Ginger’s mother Lois—who might otherwise be consigned to a shallow supporting role—is also allowed her time to shine. In fact, Ginger’s ability to take responsibility for her actions (even when they lead to disastrous consequences) is a trait inherited from Lois. Advertisem*nt
There are a multitude of kids’ shows I’ve left in the past, but I still rewatch As Told By Ginger as an adult. That’s down to the show’s success in its understanding of girlhood—not just as a prelude to womanhood, but an ongoing process of trying to figure yourself out. The show took the opportunity to present not just one relatable titular character but an array of different, complex kids. The characters consistently learnt and grew from their mistakes and I got to learn along with them.Like Ginger, I dealt with growing up in a often financially unstable home; like Macie, I was desperate to hold onto the vestiges of childhood as puberty loomed; like mean girl Miranda, I sometimes lashed out as a result of my own insecurities. These are all things that in some form, I still deal with as an adult: Financial insecurity, concerns with body image, and mental health issues. When I watch As Told By Ginger now I remember working through those childhood difficulties. I know that if I did it then, I can do it again.
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