39-12-xx Sade Volunteers Rush for Pageant

STARRING: BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON  

read Jimbo's alternate commentary

It's late at night, Vic has gone to bed, the furnace has been extinguished - but Rush comes downstairs to confront Sade. She volunteered him for a pageant that will be occurring in a week or so.

Rush is not happy and though Sade admits she did this without Rush's permission (even though he was there when it happened!) she admits no guilt in the matter, even upon pressure and confrontation.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Rush has a stern talk with Sade about the matter of a pageant she has volunteered him for.

Rush, like any teenager, has a tendency to be sulky and childish when he is upset with his mother, so I really admire his calm, maturity, and thoughtfulness in this episode. He is becoming an adult, and he shows that he can resolve a conflict like an adult — by clearly and concisely stating his feelings without attacking Sade or emotionally manipulating her (not that Sade can be manipulated). He deserves especial kudos for maintaining this kind of calm under these circumstances…this play he’s been roped into sounds completely dopey.

This part, especially, shows that Rush is a cut above most boys his age:

RUSH: …I don’t give a darn about missing out on the football. I can play football anytime. And I don’t care about bein’ in this crazy, dumb play of Mis’ Gissing’s, either. I’d do it if she asked me to. I’d do it for the fun of it. After all, nobody’s gonna see me with rosebuds on my head and stardust in my hair except a buncha ladies.

He’s able to see past the mortification of prancing around with flowers on his head and reciting insipid monologues because, doggone it, these things are fun. What he objects to is not being treated like a grown human being who can make his own decisions, and at least in this episode, he proves that he deserves to be treated as such.

How much of this got through to Sade? It’s hard to say! She certainly seems taken aback by the end, though. I think that she starts out playing innocent just to save face, but by the end of this episode, she realizes that young Rush is growing up, and she’s not sure how she feels about it.

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Haven't we all experienced the same kind of stuff from our moms or dads? I remember being volunteered to do things for the neighbors that I wanted no part of.

This experience though is worse than anything my parents ever volunteered me for. Rush will have to wear flowers on his head and be "sprinkled with stardust" - which I assume is glitter.

This episode is missing Vic but if he were around you can imagine he would take Sade's side on this one. Though she admits no guilt, she acts guilty and takes no pleasure in the confrontation. At one time she even seems to get halfway serious:

(((HEAR)))

Trivia:

+ Mis' Gissing (and also her husband, Mr. Gissing) is mentioned for the first time. It is her play that Rush will have to participate in.

+ Sade doesn't like Mis' Gissing. Rush has heard Sade tell Ruthie that "She talks behind people's backs."

+ The name of the play seems to be, "Sweet Flowers of April."

+ LeRoy Snow is exactly Rush's age and is already shaving.

+ Mis' Johnson (barely mentioned) lives on East Washington Street.

+ Rush says, "It's no flash off your foot."

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