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Post by dylan345 on Sept 17, 2009 13:09:59 GMT -5
I think it's great that Phoebe got her life together more by getting a good job, and I also like how she became more responsible because of it, but I liked Phoebe better before she had a career. She was the one who wasn't grounded in any way, and it made her more interesting. I liked it a whole lot better when she was the one who focused on the magic things rather than work.
Of course the writers couldn't have kept her the carefree one forever by not giving her a job, but I wish in a way that she hadn't gotten such a serious job. I would have liked to see her working, and finding something she liked doing, but not becoming career woman like she did.
So who liked Phoebe better before her career came about, and who liked her after?
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Elder
Witch
"I'd still take 'good' that's not always good, over 'bad' that's NEVER good"
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Post by Elder on Sept 17, 2009 13:53:05 GMT -5
A serious working Phoebe is not a good Phoebe.
Alyssa plays comedy so well and the youthful fun Phoebe fit Alyssa better than the stuffy, more mature, work-driven, no fun because she's much older version.
That goes for the whole sister crew as well.
Phoebe and Paige were always favorites of mine and Piper and Prue were always very stiff and rigid in their doings.
I guess it's the maturity aspect, but maturity is not fun.
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Post by dylan345 on Sept 17, 2009 18:08:29 GMT -5
That's exactly what I meant. The season 1-2 Phoebe was perfect. I loved in "Awakened" when Piper is telling everyone (when she's not yet dying) to all leave the hospital because she's fine, and she tells Prue and Dan to go to work and tells Phoebe to go "wherever it is you go." I thought that was awesome. We need at least one sister like that.
I liked Paige having a job better than not, because she had a good job yet managed to go out and have fun and get into trouble. I thought she was well balanced that way.
I also liked Prue and Piper having a job, because their personalities were very different from Phoebe's and I thought it suited them better. I don't want everyone to be like Phoebe in the maturity aspect.
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Post by Piper Sorelli Halliwellღ on Sept 17, 2009 18:14:42 GMT -5
That is verry true.
When Phoebe got a job it was like she changed into a different person and I didn't like that. I liked Phoebe when she was carefree and didn't know exactly where she was quite going in the future. It seemes to me that her personality changed when she got a job.
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Post by ghostrider on Sept 17, 2009 23:20:09 GMT -5
This is an interesting line of thought, and one I have pondered in a round-about way for a while, but didn't know where to go with it. Much has been said about the introduction of Paige and placing her on the bottom rung of the ladder age and maturity wise. I believe Es has posted a number of thoughts on what was wrong with that, and I have to completely agree....but if you could rewrite, what would you do?
I don't think that just because you are the youngest in the family that automatically makes you the flakey one. Lots of homes rear children where the younger kids often grow up to be the strongest and most dynamic.
Paige had an entirely different up-bringing. Only children can either end up being very spoiled or very self-sufficient. Her parents were killed, so her life took a 180, which seemed necessary as I can't recall whom else in her life she had to truly lean on.
Phoebe, with two older productive sisters and a grandmother, didn't really have to shoulder full responsibility for her actions. Sure she ran away to New York, but when things didn't work out, she just went home and left the job to Piper to pave the way with Prue.
Paige should have remained the hard working college graduate, who had a perfect profession for her new found magical talents. This other members have also stated. Being more responsible and level-headed than Phoebe would have been very believeable...and perhaps Paige could have been the future role model Phoebe truly needed. (I could be way off base here, but a story line moving in that direction would have been a very subtle way for Paige to at least borrow Prue's shoes from time to time.) Mind you I do not see her as a replacement, there is none for Prue...but more of an addition well needed and deserved.
Phoebe should have been the temporary employee. Bouncing from one little job to another.....dog walker...good, I like it. Baby-sitter, wonderful....she is great with children. Think of all the story lines that could have come from her having premonitions on those gigs...
But I would also see her staying in school and becoming what we used to call a professional student. Always learning something, becoming enthusiastic about one topic and then moving on to another. It wouldn't really be a waste of time....but never the less....she could always be in the play-ground of life.
With her sisters nodding and saying.....yes, that's our Phoebe!
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Post by marienomad on Sept 18, 2009 3:50:40 GMT -5
I fully agree. Phoebe would have been better suited for the temp work sort of thing. It seems like that when Phoebe got that job, she became more centered on her work since she felt that she had become successful, she didn't need to worry about other people so much. Sure, she did help others through her column but that's her job.
Paige may be younger physically but she is way more mature that Phoebe.
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Post by dylan345 on Sept 18, 2009 15:53:40 GMT -5
GR, I love your idea about Paige being a role model to Phoebe. The way it happened, with Paige looking up to Phoebe, was expected because of their birth order. It would have been a much more interesting plot twist to forget all that and go against the rules.
I thought of this thread idea when reading one of the Charmed books. In it, Phoebe has yet to become an advice columnist, and wants a job. She applies at places like a local bookstore, and I thought that was just perfect for her. The Phoebe in the book wanted to have a job to help out with the bills but also needed one only part-time so she could still mainly focus on magic. That idea is perfect, as Phoebe was always the one who was the most accepting of magic for the most part, and the only one of her sisters who accepted it right away, no questions asked.
Paige should never have been the one with the temp jobs. She went as far backwards as possible with her career. It would make so much sense for her to stay in the career she was in, and one day get promoted to social worker. Seeing Phoebe having these random temp jobs would have been so much fun.
I would want Phoebe to be the one who goes out and always tries and is always learning, but the one who never gets to the same maturity level as her sisters did. The girl was just not made to be normal in that way, and I think that's great.
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Post by ghostrider on Sept 19, 2009 13:05:10 GMT -5
Oh, Dylan....I love the idea of Phoebe in a book store. That's just perfect. She was sort of the explorer....looking things up, really getting to know The Book of Shadows. Wasn't she the one who was often sent up stairs to find something...a spell, a piece of information on the problem at hand?
I envision her at one of the big book shops in that area that has more then one level and even a cafe where patrons go to chat and exchange thoughts on their choice of subjects. It would have a nice size occult section were she gathers insight on magic and what to do with it....some of it velevant....some of it junk.
She would have premonitions at times when she touched a certain book that might have been returned for one reason or another. Then her task would be to locate the individual that the vision was attached to. That could be an interesting story line.
But here is another school of thought....why couldn't she sometimes have good premonitions. Something special is about to come a persons way....but they are close to taking a wrong turn and miss it. It would fall to her to get them back on track.
I also liked it when the girls were dealing with different issues. Sometimes their paths crossed but I would have allowed them to have separate experiences that when all was said and done...they pooled their new found understanding and knowledge late into the night. Like regular sisters do.
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Post by foxfire on Sept 19, 2009 17:04:38 GMT -5
I disagree. I feel like Phoebe's job at the paper wasn't as serious as you all perceive it to be. While she was obligated to write a weekly column, her job consisted of reading letters and giving advice. She, herself, has commented on how she's a writer and not a reporter (which indicates spending more time at the office).
We've seen that her schedule is pretty flexible and she pretty much does as she pleases much to Elise's dismay.
It's also important to note that Phoebe's dedication to her job isn't out of her lack of love for magic or family but out of her need to excel at what she does. After all, Phoebe came into her own when she started going to school and really wanted to get her life together. I feel like that goes along with her being a successful career woman.
But like I've said, she's really not that dedicated to being "the best" considering she doesn't want to do a talk show (when given the opportunity) and prefers the local aspect of her job.
Besides, Paige was largely aloof and jobless for most of her tenure on the show... why should Phoebe also occupy that same place? On top of that, the girls depended on Phoebe's paycheck to keep everything going. If she had a part-time job she couldn't have kept the manor going and paying the necessary bills.
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Post by CharmedFaith on Sept 19, 2009 18:59:19 GMT -5
I was fine with Phoebe getting a job but they just made to much of it. Making her into this whole big star and loved by everyone was just to much for me and just ruined my look on her career.
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Post by foxfire on Sept 19, 2009 20:12:16 GMT -5
[...] Making her into this whole big star and loved by everyone was just to much for me [...] Yeah, does that even ever happen in reality? Then again, Phoebe did get a lot of promotion (billboards, magazine spreads) and was likely the reason why people read the Bay Mirror so it's quite possible it was. Carrie Bradshaw was a mini-celebrity in Sex and the City and she was a columnist (albeit a sex columnist)... and Candace Bushnell (author of the original Sex and the City column) was also fairly well-known in New York when she was writing her column. |
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ljones
Whitelighter
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Post by ljones on Sept 19, 2009 23:07:02 GMT -5
I really had no problem with Phoebe's career as an advice columnist. However, I did have a problem with a certain episode, in which Elise left her in charge of the paper in order to teach her a lesson. If I had been Jason Dean, I would have fired Elise for doing such a stupid thing as to leave an advice columnist with only three years experience, to act as managing editor of a metropolitan newspaper. What on earth was she thinking?
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Post by foxfire on Sept 19, 2009 23:43:07 GMT -5
Yeah, that was a dumb move. Editors don't do that. Although, Phoebe did manage to handle it so maybe she made the right move. Eventually all editors have to trust their workers with a certain amount of heavy responsibility. Luckily it was just for one day... Oh silly Elise.
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Post by CharmedFaith on Sept 20, 2009 9:48:03 GMT -5
[...] Making her into this whole big star and loved by everyone was just to much for me [...] Yeah, does that even ever happen in reality? Then again, Phoebe did get a lot of promotion (billboards, magazine spreads) and was likely the reason why people read the Bay Mirror so it's quite possible it was. Carrie Bradshaw was a mini-celebrity in Sex and the City and she was a columnist (albeit a sex columnist)... and Candace Bushnell (author of the original Sex and the City column) was also fairly well-known in New York when she was writing her column. While thats true, I dont think it had to happen to Phoebe. The Bay Mirror wasnt exactly in trouble before she got the job. And they didnt even deal with her fame that well. With fame comes some downsides...and with Phoebe being a witch, she should have been more cautious or they should have done a storyline about her almost being exposed along with the whole familys secret. |
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Post by dylan345 on Sept 20, 2009 10:20:18 GMT -5
Ghost-Rider, I loved your idea about Phoebe getting good premonitions, where she has to help someone find something positive coming their way. Her in a bookstore would be perfect I think, for all the reasons you said and all the stories that could come out of that.
I actually didn't start to dislike her job at the paper until she started becoming a mini celebrity. That was a bit too unrealistic for someone who had only been a columnist for a few months. Also the fact that it was an office job, despite her obvious freedom to come and go when needed, made it not fit for Phoebe. That type of environment is something I never pictured for her. The same could also be said for Paige, because her personality outside of work doesn't seem to fit with working in a cubicle all day, but Paige is mature in a way Phoebe isn't. I think Phoebe is one of those types of people who can be so smart and mature in so many ways, but could never be in an environment like an office building.
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Post by dylan345 on Sept 20, 2009 10:23:33 GMT -5
Foxfire: I know in the show Paige was primarily jobless, but I like to think that if Phoebe didn't have a career like the one in the show, Paige would have stuck with hers. I think that's what fits them more: Paige staying as a social worker when that fits her so well, and Phoebe not having such a serious career. But yeah, only Piper paying bills wouldn't work; someone else in the house would need to be bringing in some money.
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Esmeralda
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Post by Esmeralda on Sept 20, 2009 15:10:44 GMT -5
I think you're right about that one--they seemed to want to show only one sister with a serious job at a time. I mean when they concentrated on Paige the assistant social worker you hardly saw Piper at P3 or Phoebe at the paper. Then Paige becomes the temp while we concentate on Phoebe and the paper. In the latter seasons the only times we saw P3 was when Chris was living there or giving Rose or Billy Zane a chance to sing, or, as usual, a reason for feeling sorry for Piper.
GR, I'm with the others--your idea would've worked out wonderfully.
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Post by foxfire on Sept 20, 2009 19:25:12 GMT -5
It's funny because... Piper, Phoebe, Prue and Paige have all managed to not have "serious" jobs. Piper's job at P3 gave her days off, Phoebe's job at the newspaper was super flexible and required her to answer letters for a living (as opposed to going out and reporting on news), Paige was a headmistress of a MAGIC school and Prue was a photographer (volatile occupation to be in given the fickleness of the job).
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Post by dylan345 on Sept 20, 2009 21:16:16 GMT -5
Okay, but you can't just go out and apply for a job as a photographer, advice columnist, or manager of a club, unless the circumstances worked incredibly in your favor or you had experience in one of those things. I know nothing about photography, owning a nightclub, or working at a newspaper, but I'm sure there is more to it than we saw.
And running a magic school sounds like a pretty serious job to me. You have to have management skills and deal with the magical issues that arise.
So I do consider all their jobs to be serious. Which fit for Prue, Piper, and Paige, but not for Phoebe.
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Post by foxfire on Sept 20, 2009 23:38:02 GMT -5
It just feels like you're all treating Phoebe like she needs to stay 22-years-old. She grew up... do you expect a woman in her 30s to be prancing around without a serious job?
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