PTO meeting

Lets say the parents have a PTO meeting, and decide to do something really awful to the kids. At the same time, Helga (or someone else) is having detention, and hears it through the wall. She goes through an ethical dilemma and tells everyone, who then confront their parents and stop it from happening.

Alternately, she gets out of detention, walks past the door, and hears something out of context, which she then tells everyone and makes everyone panic.

But what would the parents do? Cancel a big field trip, cut out recess, increase school hours, what?

Just a quick idea.

You mean like a town meeting to ban the kids from playing in the street, or eliminating those "dangerous" skateboards or something? That could be interesting. It sounds like something that could really happen in the show. If it was a town meeting, we wouldn't necessarily have to have Helga overhear it. They could just pass new regulations, and the kids could protest. Just a thought; I'm open to doing it either way. ^ ^; It's an interesting idea!

No, PTO (Parent Teacher Organization - most schools have one, they discuss... stuff) meeting - but that works too. Whatever the consequence, it has to affect the kids, but ONLY the kids - in fact it would be best (I think) if there was no effect at all on the adults, that way it's truly pointless evilness.

A protest seems like it has been used too much in HA!. I think there were more than a few big protests. I also think it would be interesting to put Helga in another ethical bind, since that's not overused, just recurring problem (fine distinction, I know). I'm open to ideas as well - fire away.

Okay, so here we go: What if the thing the adults are stopping is something that bugs Helga, too, but that Arnold enjoys? That way she'd have a moral and ethical dilemma. On one hand, she could let the adults do what they want and whatever bugs her would also go away. On the other hand, Arnold and the other kids would be miserable. So should she go along with what the adults say, or tell Arnold and the others what she's overheard?

As for what exactly is getting changed...hmm... How about the skateboards? We know from the Christmas episode that Arnold has a skateboard, so he must like to skateboard. And Helga could have a grudge against skateboards since they always knock her over. LOL.

That is a good idea. I'm wondering if this can be integrated into PTO concept, or if we'd have to do it with a town meeting. I suppose if we could just get Helga in the town hall...
You of course see why I want to have Helga overhear it, as opposed to everyone hearing it, right?

Oh, of course! Helga's my favorite character, so even if you hadn't suggested Helga, I'd still want it to be her. She's so fun to explore because she's essentially two characters: one an antisocial bully, the product of her neglectful family; and the other, a lovestruck preteen utterly fixed on the object of her affection. It's always fascinating to see the two sides of her in conflict.

And sure, I think we could get Helga to town hall. Or perhaps she overhears it at school because a few of the teachers are talking about how the town is going to vote on the issue in a few days or something.

Preteen? Oh, I think her emotions are VERY teenage in nature. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems many cartoon depict the characters as being much older mentally than physically. I suppose this is why Arnold loves jazz, why Sid is paranoid, why Brainy is practically a stalker, and of course why Helga loves/hates Arnold.

A big question to resolve for a real plot is whether Helga finds out something REAL is going to happen, or accidentally hears it out of context. They can take the story in wildly different directions.

Yep. Helga's definitely wise beyond her years-- she's made references to music, art, mythology, literature, and poetry that are far beyond the average comprehension of a nine-year old. As a child that was also considered very precocious, I identify with her a lot. LOL.

And I think it should be something that will REALLY happen, so as to emphasize her dilemma in the eyes of the audience. I mean, sure, it'd be funny if she dramatized something she heard and ran around crying wolf, but I feel like it would be a discredit to the enormity of her ultimate decision to help Arnold and put a stop to...whatever it is...if the risk wasn't real.

Diiiid any of that make sense?...

Meganium wrote:Yep. Helga's definitely wise beyond her years-- she's made references to music, art, mythology, literature, and poetry that are far beyond the average comprehension of a nine-year old. As a child that was also considered very precocious, I identify with her a lot. LOL.

And I think it should be something that will REALLY happen, so as to emphasize her dilemma in the eyes of the audience. I mean, sure, it'd be funny if she dramatized something she heard and ran around crying wolf, but I feel like it would be a discredit to the enormity of her ultimate decision to help Arnold and put a stop to...whatever it is...if the risk wasn't real.

Diiiid any of that make sense?...

Good point. Now I guess the question is, how does she hear about it? PTO meeting, town hall meeting, maybe the teachers/her parents are discussing it in the hallway, yada yada....

And why did I read that last sentence in Helga's voice?

Probably because "yada yada" is such a Helga phrase. XD

And I think she should maybe be going back to retrieve a project she left in a classroom, and overhear the teachers talking about it when she passes another open classroom.

Ooh, good idea.

And I actually mean your last sentence "Diiiid any of that make sense?...". But yada yada is a Helga phrase.

So I guess, as you said, the problem is real. What would the teachers do? The classic "NO MORE RECESS!", or another hour of school, or something else?

Well, as I said, it should be something that annoys Helga as well, so her moral dilemma is even more pronounced. Something similar to the skateboards thing. Helga has to want whatever it is they're proposing, and I don't think she'd want no more recess or another hour of school! XD

Ok, good point.
I'm a bit stumped, as you probably can tell. And it was MY idea...

What about:
A year-end school dance? I remember an episode where Helga goes blind, and gets Arnold to do everything for him - including take her to a dance. But it also seems very un-Helga-like. EDIT: I'm a fool. That's the April Fool's special, isn't it?
Uniforms/dress code? Seems like Helga might like uniformity - but then she would have to get rid of her seemingly-one-piece outfit.
Cancelling a field trip to a place like Disneyland (I know, rivals of Nickelodeon - any better places?). Helga seems to think these are pointless...
Banning skateboards/bike riding/skating in the city - this would require a town hall appearance. Maybe Bob sends her to get some paperwork, and she hears the town board meeting discussing this? Perhaps a small setup where every adult in the city is sent letters to attend, but a bundle containing "the gang's" parents (that is, Arnold, Gerald, Helga etc.) is dropped off the mail truck and promptly falls into the rain?
Some schools have bans on "public displays of affection" - what if this was extended to an extreme?

Are any of these good?

I think Helga actually likes social gatherings like dances, because they give her an excuse to hang around Arnold.

I don't think Helga would conform to a dress code. Her style IS pretty distinctive, as noted in It Girl. I think she likes her individuality.

Cancelling a field trip is a good idea, but I think maybe Helga doesn't dislike all field trips-- just ones she thinks are beneath her. Opera isn't her thing, and when they went to the chocolate factory, she was worried about making it to Wrestlemania on time. We could get around this by making the amusement park inordinately girly or cheesy or whatever, but then who WOULD want to go to it? There would be no conflict.

I think skateboards are our best bet-- they're the most widely-used and "kid-only" of the three transportation modes you listed, and probably the most dangerous. And I know a lot of cities actually do impose laws about them, so it'd be realistic. And it's easy to feel strongly either way about-- obviously a person could have plenty of reason to dislike skateboards, as much as they could have reason to like them. So that'd create a fair divide.

As for the PDA thing, this is an elementary school, so I hardly think they'd need to impose rules on that, except maybe to Curly. XD

I guess skateboards wins. I was hoping either you, someone else, or I would come up with an even bigger issue, but looks like you had it from the start.

As for PDA, when I say extreme, I mean REALLY extreme. As in sitting within 3 feet of another person gets you automatic detention.

Do you remember the "Prickly's Leaving" episode from Recess? We could have a similar situation, with a new town board president who thinks much stricter - not necessarily Nazi-ish.

Someone else besides the two of us needs to read the topic...

I just think it's an issue which could be solved easily; it's a kid-friendly issue.

The extreme PDA thing is a really interesting idea! But why would they need the rule in the first place? Is there a reason for the sudden restriction?

And alas, I didn't get Disney Channel when Recess was on, so I'm only familiar with a few episodes and the movie, and I haven't seen them in a long time. :C But I'll look up the episode you mentioned!

And yes, I totally agree. It gets annoying when there's only two people to bounce ideas around. >_>;

*cough*AlmostasannoyingasnoonereadingmyscriptthatIpostedtwodaysago*cough*

O_O What? I didn't say anything. <_<;

*COUGH*thatsalmostthelongestcoughsentenceanyonehaseverssaidexceptforthisonepurposefullydesignedtobreakyourrecord*COUGH*

Er... which script it that? (I'm SO sorry )
Was there a reason for the skateboards? Kids WILL get hurt and hurt other people. You aren't stopping it. At the same time, if kids want to make out in school (I'm assuming this is as far as it goes in elementary/middle school - ), they'll find a way to.
If I can count on anything, it's that I will ALWAYS find a loophole in an adult's logic.

Recess episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81hexLhnjvQ
And do you know anywhere to get broadcast- or DVD-quality episodes of Recess? I've "obtained" Hey Arnold! in DVD-quality format (they were once available), but Recess is honestly just Disney's ever-so-slightly-less-serious version of Hey Arnold!.

XD Nice cough-speech there (and *cough*it'sinthethreadcalledArnoldandOlga*cough* XDXD And don't be sorry!)

Very true! I think we should get a second opinion on which one to do.

And oh, goody! Thank you! <3 And regretfully, I don't know anywhere to watch Recess. I'm not sure if it's on Netflix Instant Watch (Kim Possible was at some point and might still be), but it SHOULD be because I never got to see it much as a kid. *dramatic tears* Plus I feel like people compare Hey Arnold! to it all the time, so I need to know the material for "my job" (as I affectionately call my script-writing and editing on this forum XD).

I feel your pain. In fact (insert dramatic music that I can't remember the name of but has been used in Hey Arnold!) I watched Recess religiously on Saturday mornings, but it seems like the only other cartoons of the same caliber on at the time (The Wild Thornberrys and Hey Arnold!) always came on after I had to leave. I was homeschooled, but I unfortunately didn't see as much HA as would have wanted. Then a friend of mine told me he had just gotten every season, and I've been watching them now.

I'm also re-watching Recess. Pretty much every episode is on Youtube, but often in only 360p or 240p. I want (at the very least) broadcast-quality rips of Recess. Oh well.

Reading your script now. I saw it after I posted.

Also, I'm thinking of drawing up some reference sheets for the HA characters. Do you think that's a good idea, or does everyone know well enough how to draw them?