Just a Simple Girl with a Dream

In honor of people that are having a worse birthday than me: Kelly Taylor’s 18th birthday party!

Poor Kelly Taylor, she’s rich, everyone think she’s beautiful, and she’s successfully stolen her best friend’s boyfriend and managed to retain most of her friends.  Alas, she’s miserable.  Her mother is selling their modern, frosted glass mansion, a spa employee told her that she has problem areas, and no one seems to take her seriously.  Her solution: over the counter diet pills and severe bitchitude. 

The gang wants to throw Kelly a party although there’s no room in the inn.  Instead of having St. Kelly’s party in a manger, alternative locations are thrown out: Donna’s house, Jim and Cindy’s, and the Peach Pit.  Donna says that her mother has archaic ideas about birthday parties, but I disagree, since Felice is all about having an affair at the Bel Age Hotel.  Jim and Cindy’s is out because Brenda and Kelly are “having issues”.  Wow, Brenda’s such a bitch.  Why wouldn’t she want to host a party for her ex-best friend that went behind her back with her boyfriend all summer?  Finally they decide to hold it at the Peach Pit, thus further cementing the fact that in a town of fabulous restaurants this is the only one that a group of rich kids will go to.  Personally, I don’t understand why they didn’t have the party at Scott Scanlon’s old house.  They could all wear plastic cowboy hats, Brenda can get down with the Electric Slide, and Emily and Brandon can make out in a toddler’s room.  Well, I guess there was that unfortunate shooting incident, but I bet after the disastrous abuse angle with Scott’s sister Sue and their Uncle, Mrs. Scanlon would jump at the chance to throw a party.

Here is why this clip is a classic:

• Kelly insists on wearing red even though she is practically translucent.  That is one thing my dad never understood about this show: why they were all pale.  They live in Southern California for God’s sake!  Dylan surfed!  Steve played volleyball!  Brandon worked at the beach!  (Also, my dad didn’t understand how they were popular.  “None of the guys play varsity sports and none of the girls are cheerleaders!”  West Beverly Hills High was an odd school.  Where else can you find a 17 year old alcoholic, trust fund kid, willingly hanging out with the poor yearbook editor?)
• How “hot” Kelly is in the car.  Dylan’s like “it’s freezing”.  If it’s freezing, Dylan, put the top up!  But then I guess, you can’t be all Rebel without a Cause down Wilshire.
• The ridiculous “remember when we were in Second Grade…” nonsense that Kelly and Dylan continue to spout.  We get it, Darren Starr, they’re bonded because they went to elementary school together.
• Donna’s sunflower dress and choker.  I remember that in my middle school yearbook they had a “style section” and two of the “must-haves” were sunflowers and chokers.  Oh, Tori Spelling, you were the Paris Hilton of your time.
• Brenda in black.  I really felt Brenda’s depression. 
• The matching “Night at the Roxbury” suits Steve and Brandon sport.  Say what you will about Steve, but he always brought the good times and he always loved Kelly.  Why, who the hell knows.
• Tony Miller asking Brenda to dance, foreshadowing him taking her to the Prom.  I love that while watching Band of Brothers many years ago, I was all like “that guy right there—took Brenda to the Prom!”
• Andrea and Jordan, the Yalees.  Did Andrea ever date anyone at West Bev?  She always dated people that graduated or went to other schools.  I think it was so that if Mr. Meyers or Brandon ever looked her way, she could have the best of both worlds.
• Kelly’s bathroom diet pill freak out.  It never gets old.  I also love how that random extra just leaves her in there to flip out more.  She must just think Kel’s having a bad trip.
• Brenda finding Kelly on the bathroom floor.  I love that Brenda saves her ass, yet Kelly’s still a bitch to her about Dylan. 
• Everyone congregating in the hospital lobby–even Jordan. I guess this is a welcome change of pace from the drive-bys at his school.  Seriously, it’s after midnight.  Does no one have a curfew? Or were they like “Kelly overdosed, I’ll be at Cedar’s Sinai if you need me”?