Published on 5/16/08
Published on 5/15/08
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| The argument for Cates Why Phoebe and not Shannon? (Pardon the first-name basis; it’s been years with both.) Essentially, it comes down to types: chirpy girl next door with a killer body and a self-deprecating sense of humor? Or sexually ravenous future bed partner of Gene Simmons? To me, that’s a no-brainer. Phoebe tempts me from out of dreams. Shannon haunts my nightmares. Phoebe went to Julliard and still has no problem with gratuitous nudity. (See Paradise. Seriously: Stop reading this and see Paradise.) Shannon went to college in Saskatoon, Canada, and jockeyed her way into Playboy. Phoebe comes from the same tradition as Ally and Molly: nice girls in cozy sweaters who coulda been contenders if they had a touch more drive. Shannon comes from the vein of Farrah, Daryl and Madonna—dangerous. On fire, yes. But dangerous. In 1984, Phoebe does Gremlins. In 1984, Shannon does Hot Dog…the Movie. The defense rests.—Joshua Rothkopf, Film writer | The argument for Tweed First of all, let's establish what we're debating here. We're not looking for the woman who would charm our friends or hold our interest after 30 years of marriage. We're talking about the ultimate teenage fantasy, and Shannon blows Phoebe away. She did for the shower scene what Picasso did for nonrepresentational art. Not only that, but voting against Shannon is simply un-American. She continues in the grand tradition of cartoonishly disproportionate, sexually needy blonds that runs from Marilyn and Jayne to Pam and Jessica. When the boys are at war, they're not thinking of delicate Phoebes biting their lips and casting sly glances; they're thinking of voracious Shannons surrendering themselves to carnal passions that can't be controlled. Granted, Shannon has a shorter shelf life. In the cold light of one's adulthood, her characters look laughably empty, almost pathetic. But at 13, she looks just right.—Dustin Goot, Web editor |
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