Woman of the Month: Janine Teagues
Fandom usually tends toward edgy, moody, dark characters in fiction – but fiction, as in real life, will always require the existence of people like Janine Teagues. The protagonist of mockumentary Abbott Elementary, she’s defined by her determination to be the very best second grade teacher she can possibly be, in circumstances that often make that goal extremely difficult.
She’s perpetually on the bright side. Her favourite day is Monday. Her wardrobe seems to be made up entirely of mustard and canary yellow cardigans.
But it turns out her boundless optimism and drive can be just as much of a flaw as it is a virtue. Instead of waiting for the handyman to repair a light fixture, she does it herself and causes a blackout. Her attempts to reason with the children about “desking” (jumping on top of the desks during class) only makes them more determined to do it. She can’t bring herself to admit her terrible boyfriend is holding her back. She’s so positive, and such a people-pleaser, that it skews towards toxicity.
But she tries – oh, how she tries.
There’s another issue that’s often mined for laughs, but which is deeply poignant in its implications. She’s desperate for a surrogate mother and mentor in her life, and has decided co-worker Barbara Howard is the one to take on this “mum-tor” job. Barbara is not as receptive. But Janine’s obvious yearning for a connection is a little heartrending, and in a genre where drama is usually derived from women getting jealous over a man, Janine insecurity piques on meeting Barbara’s daughter Taylor. (Who then starts dating her love interest, so I guess the show covered both bases).
Here is a woman who believes deeply in her chosen career field, someone brimming with passion and drive, but who permanently exists on the verge of a breakdown. She’s a sunflower that knows she could be pulled up at any moment. Any second someone could verbalize what she’s always thinking: she’s not good enough. And so she wields her sunny attitude like a shield to deflect reality. She doesn’t leave her boyfriend because she doesn’t think she deserves any better. She’s optimistic to the point of delusional.
And yet, she’s also a woman that will pep talk a nervous kid while fighting back a panic attack because they’re both stuck on a hot-air balloon and she’s terrified of heights.
All this means that when she finally gets a win – praise from Barbara, connecting with a student, or getting the class to promptly take their seats in the final episode – it’s a cause for celebration. And the most endearing thing about her is that she’ll never give up. We need more Janines in the world.
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