Go-Go Babysitters!
This is all azarias's fault. We were talking, and she said something about how the Power Rangers got really cliquey after they became Rangers: they didn't hang out with people who weren't other Rangers or ex-Rangers, and when they did, they inevitably became Rangers. And I, my memory refreshed by reading poisonivory's recap posts, innocently asked "What, like the Baby-Sitter's Club?" and a terrible fusion/crossover was born.
And azarias hasn't even read the BSC, so she's completely escaped the fallout.
It all fits together rather disturbingly well. Angel Grove and Stoneybrook both occupy the same "No town I've ever known has actually worked like that" fictional existences, both groups do magnificently implausible "for the community!" projects, and the PSAs and morals that both series liked to give might as well have been purchased at the same shop. It's not so much an idea whose time has come as an idea whose time was fifteen or twenty years ago, but one who you still can't help looking on with a sort of nostalgic delight anyway. Very, very fuzzy nostalgic delight in my case, since Power Rangers was a show I watched when I was thirteen and BSC were books I gave up even before that.
I'm not wedded to most of these, because again, my memories are vague at best, but my present tentative line-up. It also lacks a few additional characters because I stopped reading before they were introduced/became members.
1. Kristy Thomas: Red Ranger
This was an easy one. Not only is she group leader, a position generally held by either Red or White, but she's easily the most physically aggressive and she already loves the color red itself, so her obligatory wardrobe redo wouldn't be very difficult. I think this one is a given.
2. Mary Anne Spier: Blue Ranger
This one took a fair bit of debate, but I think I'm happy with this. I seem to recall she liked the color pink, but I rewatched the original Power Rangers Pilot (I have suffered for my ideas), and Zordon described Blue as "Patient and Wise," which I think fits Mary Anne best.
3. Claudia Kishi: Purple Ranger
For a long time there was no Purple Ranger in any actual series, and thus Purple was the color of choice for Ranger Sues, but I don't think that's actually an argument against Claudia using it. I had initially thought Yellow ("Agile and Fearless" according to the Giant Glowing Exposition Head), but I've assigned that somewhere else now, so why not give Claudia the color that is her favorite anyway? Also, I could totally see Janine as Alpha/later series Billy, keeping crap actually functioning in the background.
4: Stacey McGill: Pink Ranger
Pink is "Graceful and Smart." More importantly, the first time the first Pink Ranger got into her Zord, she checked out the stereo. Also, my vague memories suggest to me Pink was always one of the more fashionable Rangers. I'm reasonably attached to this selection, but not in a way I can explain well.
5: Dawn Schafer: Green Ranger
I give Dawn Green for three reasons. One is that it's a bad pun on her "eco-healthy as seen by ghostwriters in the 80s who didn't research" lifestyle. The second is that the Green Ranger in the first series had an occasionally troubled relationship with the team, what with the evilness and all, and Dawn came in during a troubled time and eventually broke away to do her own gig in California, which is... nothing like being evil, but this is BSC we're talking about. The third is that when she went back to California, she totally became White Ranger and leader of her own team. This and Kristy are the assignments I like best.
6: Jessi Ramsey: Yellow Ranger
I had initially labeled Jessi as Black Ranger, because Zack, the first Black Ranger, fought evil with the power of Dance, and you just know so would Jessi. But even if the show went for the "Black Ranger is the only black team member" thing first, I'd just as soon not go there if there's a better choice. With the "Agile and Fearless" descriptor, I think Yellow is just that.
7: Mallory Pike: Black Ranger?
When I read these books in my distressingly long-ago prepubescent years, Mallory was my favorite, probably not coincidentally because I was 11 at the time myself. Now, however, I find I remember next to nothing about her aside from basic facts: huge family, drew, got mono that once. None of those especially help pick a Ranger color. But Black Ranger is tagged as "Clever and Brave," and I seem to remember that fitting okay, so there we go. Plus cheshireempress tells me that as much as she loves her, she feels Mallory got a lot of leftover plots, so there's a certain poetic justice to her getting the leftover Ranger color, if nothing else.
Further thoughts, anyone? I know I can't be the only person who is of the right age to have loved both these (objectively terrible, really) series.
And azarias hasn't even read the BSC, so she's completely escaped the fallout.
It all fits together rather disturbingly well. Angel Grove and Stoneybrook both occupy the same "No town I've ever known has actually worked like that" fictional existences, both groups do magnificently implausible "for the community!" projects, and the PSAs and morals that both series liked to give might as well have been purchased at the same shop. It's not so much an idea whose time has come as an idea whose time was fifteen or twenty years ago, but one who you still can't help looking on with a sort of nostalgic delight anyway. Very, very fuzzy nostalgic delight in my case, since Power Rangers was a show I watched when I was thirteen and BSC were books I gave up even before that.
I'm not wedded to most of these, because again, my memories are vague at best, but my present tentative line-up. It also lacks a few additional characters because I stopped reading before they were introduced/became members.
1. Kristy Thomas: Red Ranger
This was an easy one. Not only is she group leader, a position generally held by either Red or White, but she's easily the most physically aggressive and she already loves the color red itself, so her obligatory wardrobe redo wouldn't be very difficult. I think this one is a given.
2. Mary Anne Spier: Blue Ranger
This one took a fair bit of debate, but I think I'm happy with this. I seem to recall she liked the color pink, but I rewatched the original Power Rangers Pilot (I have suffered for my ideas), and Zordon described Blue as "Patient and Wise," which I think fits Mary Anne best.
3. Claudia Kishi: Purple Ranger
For a long time there was no Purple Ranger in any actual series, and thus Purple was the color of choice for Ranger Sues, but I don't think that's actually an argument against Claudia using it. I had initially thought Yellow ("Agile and Fearless" according to the Giant Glowing Exposition Head), but I've assigned that somewhere else now, so why not give Claudia the color that is her favorite anyway? Also, I could totally see Janine as Alpha/later series Billy, keeping crap actually functioning in the background.
4: Stacey McGill: Pink Ranger
Pink is "Graceful and Smart." More importantly, the first time the first Pink Ranger got into her Zord, she checked out the stereo. Also, my vague memories suggest to me Pink was always one of the more fashionable Rangers. I'm reasonably attached to this selection, but not in a way I can explain well.
5: Dawn Schafer: Green Ranger
I give Dawn Green for three reasons. One is that it's a bad pun on her "eco-healthy as seen by ghostwriters in the 80s who didn't research" lifestyle. The second is that the Green Ranger in the first series had an occasionally troubled relationship with the team, what with the evilness and all, and Dawn came in during a troubled time and eventually broke away to do her own gig in California, which is... nothing like being evil, but this is BSC we're talking about. The third is that when she went back to California, she totally became White Ranger and leader of her own team. This and Kristy are the assignments I like best.
6: Jessi Ramsey: Yellow Ranger
I had initially labeled Jessi as Black Ranger, because Zack, the first Black Ranger, fought evil with the power of Dance, and you just know so would Jessi. But even if the show went for the "Black Ranger is the only black team member" thing first, I'd just as soon not go there if there's a better choice. With the "Agile and Fearless" descriptor, I think Yellow is just that.
7: Mallory Pike: Black Ranger?
When I read these books in my distressingly long-ago prepubescent years, Mallory was my favorite, probably not coincidentally because I was 11 at the time myself. Now, however, I find I remember next to nothing about her aside from basic facts: huge family, drew, got mono that once. None of those especially help pick a Ranger color. But Black Ranger is tagged as "Clever and Brave," and I seem to remember that fitting okay, so there we go. Plus cheshireempress tells me that as much as she loves her, she feels Mallory got a lot of leftover plots, so there's a certain poetic justice to her getting the leftover Ranger color, if nothing else.
Further thoughts, anyone? I know I can't be the only person who is of the right age to have loved both these (objectively terrible, really) series.