Jo not a Lesbian???

[highanddry]

I thought the entire finale for this show would center around Jo coming out of the closet. What a disappointment.

[desilu #1]

I never thought Jo was a lesbian. She was just a beautiful, tough lady. To tell you the truth,if there were more women like her
in the world, there would be less rape victims! I wish i had her strength! She was an inspiration to me.

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Amy M. Weaver

[lovefol]

NOW WAIT IAM CONFUSED IS JO A LESBIAN I REALLY HPE NOT

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You take the good you take the bad you take them both and there you have the facts of life!!!

[Jo Polniaczek]

No, Jo is not a lesbian!!

[This message has been edited by Jo Polniaczek (edited 10-21-2000).]

[Krijoyen]

I never thought she was.

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I'm Krijoyen, the goddess of laziness. Visit my webpage or drop me a line. http://www.angelfire.com/wi2/cottonclouds
misstress_of_mystery@hotmail.com

[ToddAO70]

Don't you remember the final season?? Jo marries her musician boyfriend. I think his name is Rick.

[AlternaJen]

What's wrong with being a lesbian? Even though they never came right "out" and said it, there was definitely some great subtext there http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/wink.gif I know this because when I was about six or seven, I remember staying home from school on sick days and watching re-runs of FOL. Even then, I could tell something was "different" about Jo's character.

Even today, she remains one of my favorite "lesbian" icons, because even if she wasn't a lesbian, she was a strong, courageous, beautiful, determined young woman who dispelled many gender stereotypes in my young mind and taught me that it is okay to be who you want to be.

[ToddAO70]

How does being a strong and independent woman make you a lesbian? Jo Polniaczek never came off as lesbian to me ever. She always had men in her life and eventually a husband.

[AlternaJen]

It doesn't. She wasn't a lesbian; how could she have been on a sitcom in the early '80s?

[l]

Cool, I thought I was the only one who thought she might have been a lesbian. Remember when she first showed up, and they all thought she was a guy? Or how about all those weird army clothes she used to wear? What was up with that? Who picked out her wardrobe and what were they thinking?

[Zane]

When I was a kid I always kind of thought that Jo was a lesbian, but obviously she wasn't , she married Rick during the last season. The actor who played Rick on The Facts of Life now plays Mike McQueen, (Brooke McQueen's father) on the WB tv show "Popular".

[The T]

No way! Of course not!

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See ya~The T
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Richie: Rally! Everybody Rally!

Fonz: The Fonz don't Rally.

Richie: Your chipping away at my leadership Fonz.

Fonz: everybody rally!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[ThomasE]

I say we leave the girl alone. She was not a lesbian as we all know. She had her own style. At first she used to wear a lot of those army clothes and pants, but in the last season she also wore skirts as well. Jo was cool. We leave it at that.

[lovefol]

GGGGOOO THOMASE

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You take the good you take the bad you take them both and there you have the facts of life!!!

[LaverneShirley]

I'm sorry. I have nothing against lesbians, or gay men for that matter. But I'm kind of sick of everyone finding so-called subliminal messages in classic sitcoms. People thing Laverne and Shirley were lesbians just because they lived together (Hello, they were POOR). I've heard people say Potsie was gay for some reason. I heard people say Gilligan and Skipper were gay because they shared a hut. And now Jo. What makes people think that just because nearly every show today has a gay person in it that every classic show must have too? You will find messages in everything you see or read that will come off as things about people being gay or bisexual or doing drugs that aren't really that. Take the Beatles. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. So what if there's LSD in there? The man said it was a picture his son drew, I don't see why people couldn't accept that. My sixth grade science teacher wouldn't let go of the LSD thing during our drugs unit... anyway, not everything is hidden. Some things are just what they say they are. MOST things are just what they say they are. And I know with some people lebianism is a touchy subject, but those people better get over it fast. And since I'm kind of drifting off-topic here, Jo is not a lesbian. None of them were lesbians.

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"Well, Laverne is sort of childish"

"Childish? Childish? COming from a grown woman who throws tea parties for her stuffed cat!"

"Well at least I don't sew L's on everything I wear!"

"Well that would be pretty stupid considering your name's Shirley!"

[ThomasE]

Good point. LaverneShirley

[Jo Polniaczek]

I totally agree! Just because Jo was independent, strong, knew her way around a car/motorcycle, and didn't wear "pretty" clothes, this does not mean she was a lesbian! LaverneShirly worded it perfectly! Lets just leave her alone!!!

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JO

"Your born, you move on, you die, that's life." -Jo Polniaczek

[Cokies]

I agree with thomas, just cos' Jo didnt have as many boyfriends as Blair and wore that army outfit doesnt mean she was a lesbian. She was just a tough independent girl. Is anything wrong with that?
Jo was the coolest and like what Thomas said, lets just leave it at that.

[JozPal]

Jo, a lesbian? that never crossed my mind.

[Nat's Fan 07]

How can you even think Jo was a lesbian?Come On She Was Tough!Just because she wasn't throwing herself at a guy every episode doesn't mean she isn't attracted to men!GOSH!Drop the subject she isn't a lesbian.It's rather simple to understand.

[This message has been edited by Nat's Fan 07 (edited 10-31-2000).]

[daisygirlee]

Jo was not a lesbian. She loved eddie, she married rick...there is no way she was gay. she was from the bronx...a tough cookie thats all

[tamali]

Yea! Too bad she isn't coming out! That would be awesome! She's so hot! Look, gals have just the same right to discuss this as anyone discussing how hot George Clooney was.

[hunter]

Jo was not a lesbiabn

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Blair:with these check bones I'll never ages

THE FACTS OF LIFE THE BEST THERE IS THE BEST THERE THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE

[JP]

I like Jo as a character too. In fact she's my favorite character. I never thought of her as a lesbian. The way I see it is if she were a lesbian, instead of raising above the stereotypes, she would become a stereotype. Because if she were tough and independant then she must be a lesbian and she can't just be a heterosexual individual. I'm not trying to insult anyone here. I don't think there's anything wrong with lesbianism. I have friends that are gay. But if Jo as a strong and independant woman defied stereotypes, wouldn't making her a lesbian turn her into one? It just seems to me that it would.

[coily2]

Originally posted by JP:
I like Jo as a character too. In fact she's my favorite character. I never thought of her as a lesbian. The way I see it is if she were a lesbian, instead of raising above the stereotypes, she would become a stereotype. Because if she were tough and independant then she must be a lesbian and she can't just be a heterosexual individual. I'm not trying to insult anyone here. I don't think there's anything wrong with lesbianism. I have friends that are gay. But if Jo as a strong and independant woman defied stereotypes, wouldn't making her a lesbian turn her into one? It just seems to me that it would.

Sorry JP, I think that gay or not, the character of Jo was one big stereotype. She was the stereotype of "the tomboy" just as Blair was the stereotype of "the snob".

[JPolniaczek01]

Does it really matter if she's a lesbian?? I personally don't think that she is one even though her character by todays standards would seem slightly butch........But she was ONLY A TOMBOY!!! And her character changed so much when Beverly Ann came, she wore skirts and did her hair and met Rick. I do respect your right to discuss this possibility (cough) though.
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/cool.gif

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*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Roy:Whats wrong my little cucumber?
Jo:Don't call me vegetables Roy!
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Tootie:Muffy? What Kind of name is Muffy?
Jo:I dont know, Tootie
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Jo:Heres to those who wish me well, all the rest can go to...Jersey

[JMPolniaczek15]

When I first started watching FOL, it crossed my mind that Jo might be a lesbian. But then when I saw that she dated guys and eventually got married, I knew she wasn't. If you saw The New Girl part 1, you'll see that she's interested in guys. Just because she is boyish doesn't mean she's a lesbian. But I do agree with Tamali, it would be kind of cool if she had been.

[sarah2112]

Jo was not a lesbian, but Nancy McKeon is. She is out in the west coast lesbian community.

[jayman75]

For the love of Pete....

1) She got married
2) She dated guys
3) She didn't hit on Blair, Tootie, Natalie, or anyone else
4) GIVE IT A REST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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80's Sitcoms Rock!!

[ks]

Nancy dated MJF for a long time and then she lived with this hockey player and they were going to get married, but I don't know what happened there... Then she fell in love with some guy on the set of one of her movies...
I don't think she is a lesbian. There are RUMORS she and Philip will be writing a script about growing up in gay Hollywood, but that's no reason to assume either one of them are gay. Let's just leave it.

[JoCool]

I dunno, I always got the vibe that she was. Although they never admitted it (80's TV was very very conservative unlike the sh*t they allow now) I always sensed this intensity between her and Blair, especially the final season. This is all of course just one persons view.....

[Michele35]

I've been trying to ignore this topic but it keeps floating back to the top of the board. Jo was not gay!

As for Nancy,(as if it it any of our business), during her 'Intimate Portrait' her own father said that he can't wait until she walks down the aisle. I am assuming he meant with a man. If her own Father doesn't think she's gay than I doubt she is.

Also, Alex Rocco said that she relies on God..not that a lesbian would not but it just seems to me that she is straight as was her character on FOL, 'Jo.'

Maybe part of this is rooted in the fact that she doesn't 'kiss and tell.' I don't blame her after hearing all the allegations made on this board.

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Tootie: Muffy? Her name is Muffy? What kind of person is named Muffy?

Jo: Beats me, Tootie.

[This message has been edited by Michele35 (edited 01-05-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Michele35 (edited 01-05-2001).]

[FOLmania]

It seems most of you don't want to keep this going, but I have to ask; Sarah2112 - how do you KNOW that Nancy NcKeon is out in the west coast lesbian community?

[gottaluvJo-Po]

I can't beleive anyone even brought up such a stupid topic! how could you get the idea that Jo (or nancy for that matter) is a lesbian? i mean, come on. I am a tomboy myself and i have never been called a lesbian. i HAVE been called other things, but that's a different story. anyway, jo is NOT a lesbian and niether is nancy and that's that! whew!

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Jo: Oh I can't beleive I'm waiting for a sock to whisper something in my ear!

"Here's to those who wish me well, all the rest can go to......Jersey."-Jo Polniaczek

"You can take the girl out of the Bronx, but you can't take the Bronx out of the girl."-Jo Polniaczek

Jo: I will NOT be known as "Sexy Lingerie!"

"There are people in this world who get shoved around, and there are people who do the shovin.'"-Jo Polniaczek

[sowhat?]

What are all these, "Nancy is not gay!!" messages? There's no way to know that. Who cares if she is. You act like it's a horrible suggestion. And if she is, don't worry, it's OK to like a gay actress! It's not contagious http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/wink.gif

[ThomasE]

This topic is like sooooo old.............

[Polniaczek-Bonner]

WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? JO IS NOT GAY. I'M A TOMBOY AND I'M NOT A LESBIAN!! I STILL FIND GUYS VERY HOT!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COULD EVEN THINK OF HER LIKE THAT?