[Swan]

Originally Posted by Redway

(Moving swiftly on from LT’s usual bait) yeah. They did the same thing to Homer Simpson, Junior off My Wife and Kids and Chelsea (That’s So Raven). Chelsea in particular was fairly smart in season 1 (and partially season 2) but in seasons 3 and 4 it was a miracle how she was able to get by without a cater all day or had the sentimental sensitivity-intelligence to even have strong morals about animals. In the earlier episodes she hardly acted like that at all.

I just thought the guy who played Junior was pretty bad actor. Damon Wayans, and the woman who played the wife carried that show.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Swan

I just thought the guy who played Junior was pretty bad actor. Damon Wayans, and the woman who played the wife carried that show.

His acting was crap but in fairness to the character he wasn’t as much of a bumbling idiot in the first season or two (likewise for whoever the flanderdised snapback one was between Kenan and Kel; I think he had a fetish for orange soda).

And yeah, Oliver, it is called flanderdisation. They take the character who’s either relatively normal, even smart, but just a bit goofy/quirky or maybe a little slow but within reasonable idiots and dumb them down by the season. The only time it’s ever worked in a character’s favour as far as I can kind of recall is Homer Simpson. He was an abusive jerk in the first few seasons so I actually prefer him as a clumsy doughnut.