Episode 96: Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

The episode for "Mary Anne and the Memory Garden" was originally released on January 22, 2018 and is BSC #93. **You can listen to it here.** This episode is 1:12:50 long.This week's ghostwriter: Jahnna N. Malcolm.

*Previous:* Episode 95: Mallory's Christmas Wish | *Next:* Episode 97: Stacey McGill, Super Sitter | *Or,* see all episodes.

## Official Episode Description

A life is cut tragically short this week and all of Stoneybrook comes together for a funeral for their friend Amelia. She was just thirteen years old when the ultimate killing machine, Doomsday, escaped its underground prison and fought her on the streets of Metropolis, leading to her tragic and untimely death and ultimately to the rise of four new heroes: Cyborg Amelia, Amelia of Steel, Ameliaboy, and the mysterious Last Amelia of Krypton. But can these new heroes stand up to villains such as The Dark Lady and live up to the legacy of Amelia, whose memory garden still serves as a reminder for the citizens of the world of her greatness?

## Music Credits

* “Iris” (Karaoke Version) originally performed by Goo Goo Dolls
* "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” (Karaoke Version) originally performed by Primitive Radio Gods
* “Welcome to the Black Parade” Originally written and performed by My Chemical Romance Arranged for the Ateneo Blue Symphony by Giancarlo Uygongco
* “My Sharona” (MIDI Version) originally performed by The Knack
* “Lovefool” (Karaoke Version) originally performed by The Cardigans
* “My Heart Will Go On” (Karaoke Version) originally performed by Celine Dion
* "My Heart Will Go On (Dubstep Remix)" by Spaarkey
* Original Intro by Scott Lamb
* Superbrat Outro by Superbrat

## Segments

###  Burn Of The Week

Tanner's burn on art and Rube Goldberg, "ridiculous": ("You know who did a burn on art, Arthur Danto," Jack says, re: Arthur Danto's "Hegel's End-Of Art Thesis")

###  Refrigerator Play

"We shouldn't call it stove wrestling because that's their term for it."

Roleplay: Tanner is Richard Spier, "a milk man by day", Jack is Sharon Schafer, "the hairdresser".

"Sharon, on the other hand, is pretty disorganized. She's been known to put the milk in the cupboard and the scissors in the refrigerator. Her style of housekeeping is relaxed, at best."

###  Tanner Googles

Tanner looks up the lyrics to My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade" instead of listening to Jack's description.

Later, Tanner Googles to determine if any Superman villains have black eyes. He brings up Solomon Grundy.

###  Tearful Moment

Joint tearful moment: the speech that Josh gives at the dedication to Amelia's memory garden. (Tanner sets the mood by singing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On".)

## Theories

###  Doll Theory

Amelia and Josh are dressed as Raggedy Anne and Andy (dolls).

## Jack's References

* Jack relates a story about how Cyril falls asleep while being pushed around the kitchen in a stroller.
* Mary Anne's locker #132:
	+ Her locker combination "is a reference to Job, as you know." Job 33: 21-16.
	+ Superman: "Daily Planet" reference; Earth 132 in the DC universe, where Krypton never exploded
		- One in, one out (Peaches is pregnant)
	+ Shakespeare: Sonnet 132, a "dark lady" sonnet

Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,
Have put on black and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
And truly not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east,
Nor that full star that ushers in the even,
Doth half that glory to the sober west,
As those two mourning eyes become thy face:
O! let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,
And suit thy pity like in every part.
     Then will I swear beauty herself is black,
     And all they foul that thy complexion lack.
— Shakespeare's Sonnet 132

## Tanner's References

* The PS1 game "Soul Reaver"
* "Don't tell me how to grieve, Jack."
* The 1993 Superman storyline "Funeral For a Friend"
* Final Destination

## Notes

Jack and Tanner texted about this episode before Tanner had finished the book.

* Jack is wearing jorts, and Tanner is wearing fleece-lined tights under jeans.
* "First human death for the BabySitters Club books." / "Thank God Mimi Yamamoto is a long way in upstate New York and didn't the rumbles of what afflicted Stoneybrook this week."
* Other The Entity books referenced this week: Episode 80: Claudia and Crazy Peaches, Episode 84: Kristy and Mr. Mom. Common threads of emotional depth and the death of the body; criticism for the lack of a character bible.
* Roleplay: school principal Tanner, naughty kid Jack; then as the writing room at Scholastic. The scene: Friends the TV show, Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris", flannel shirts, Stussy, "that cool S", the Primitive Radio Gods, Sonyman Discman, Paul Oakenfeld. Tanner is the Scholastic lawyers and Jack is The Entity.
	+ Later, they do a second Roleplay to incorporate the Superman references discussed in the episode.
* Did you say Dong?
* Mary Anne's destructiveness foreshadows the purging fire at the end of the series.
	+ "I'm afraid this house will be declared a fire hazard." Sharon dries her hands on a potholder and responds: "This place pushes the limits as it is."
	+ Mary Anne's home is filled with dried kindling: dried needles, broken tree branch limbs.
	+ Mary Anne was supposed to be in the car with Amelia.
* The stinger refers to this image from the BSCCPodcast Twitter feed.

## References & Links

#### Literature

1. ↑ Arthur Danto's "Hegel's End-Of Art Thesis": https://web.archive.org/web/20180928151111/http://www.rae.com.pt/Danto%20hegel%20end%20art.pdf
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Shakespeare's Sonnet 132: http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/132
#### Culture

1. ↑ Solomon Grundy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon\_Grundy\_(comics)
2. ↑ Soul Reaver for PSI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy\_of\_Kain:\_Soul\_Reaver
3. ↑ Funeral For a Friend: https://superman.fandom.com/wiki/Funeral\_for\_a\_Friend
4. ↑ Final Destination: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final\_Destination
5. ↑ That Cool S: https://www.vice.com/sv/article/gqkj5j/that-s-thing-everyone-drew-in-school-what-is-it, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool\_S
#### Music

1. ↑ My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade": https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mychemicalromance/welcometotheblackparade.html
2. ↑ Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhfhNzbGtAs

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