A Question of Secret Identities

[q99]

One page from Manly Guys doing Manly Things, on the subject of Jem and the Holograms.




So!

Who's right? Who's wrong? Should Jessica dump Rio for trying to hook up with 'Jem,' when not knowing they're one and the same? Is Rio's stance reasonable given that no-one seems to mind? Are they both in the clear or, perhaps, is neither of them ready for a committed relationship? Are Jonesey and the Commander cute together?


As this is a superhero community, I view these as very pertinent questions!

Comments

[haisai_andagii]

Christie Marx and several other writers of the show admitted to keeping the Jerrica/Jem identity a secret because they 1) wanted to created an engaging soap opera-esque cartoon for kids and 2) thought it would add to the drama.

Frankly, given Rio's nature and even if they were to have their normal spats, he would definitely take Jerrica's Jem secret to the grave if he knew... And Jerrica wasn't every really into "Fabio." That guy was a manipulative creeper! Remember when he kidnapped her and ran off to a deserted island with Jerrica, when she lost her memory?! Awful...

I always thought Jerrica should have told him...

[beoweasel]

Funny you mention that, because that's also touched upon in the webcome.

[salinea]

BUT IF SHE TOLD TOSHIO WHO SHE WAS HE WOULD HAVE TO ARREST HER!!!

oh wait, wrong 80's cartoon.

[q99]

Yea, this kind of thing crops up a *lot* :)

[q99]

Btw, what cartoon is that one?

[freezer]

I remember one episode had Jerrica donning a third disguise (a reporter or something like that) to probe Rio's real feelings re: Jem/Jerrica. Rio ended up getting the hots for Persona #3. Synergy reckoned that Rio saw through the surface to the "real" her, so it's her (Jerrica) Rio really loves.*

I was 12. And a boy. I said "That's bullshit."


*Or Rio has "a type" and will gravitate towards it, without shame or forethought.

[q99]

Exactly! Should she really be into a guy who goes for every girl with some similarity to her? 'Cause that's at least 3 out of 3.

Also I didn't realize this, but Synergy gives horrible relationship advice.

[caithyra]

Ah, Midsummer Night's Madness and Jamie, the moment I realized that Rio really was a cheater and that Synergy isn't always a wise mother-figure.

Yeah, I agree with you. Especially when even Kimber, who knows about Jem and Jerrica being the same person, exclaims that Jerrica/Jem are totally different towards other people (she wished that Jem was her sister instead, since Jem was more fun). This is repeated a few times through the series (Riot being attracted to the glitzy and glamorous Jem, but totally disinterested in Jerrica, just as an example).

Add that through the judicious use of holograms, Rio have seen Jem and Jerrica at the same time, and thus has no way of knowing that they are one and the same, and you have a guy who has some obscure type who decides to follow his attractions despite being in a long-term relationship.

So, we have Rio running after Jerrica, Jem and Jamie, and he doesn't think they're the same person. Yet he proclaims to hate deception.

I always wondered what would have happened if Danse accidentally flirted with Rio, considering that she has the fun and glamour of Jem, yet the responsibilities, caring and kindness of Jerrica. Would he "instinctively know" that she was Jerrica's fourth alter ego and go for her?

[curlyjo1]

Rio was a complete idiot. And potentially cheating on Jerrica. (Was there ever anything that happened between Rio and Jem? Or just that he was intereseted in her?) If he doesn't know they're the same person, then he is attracted to two different people.

With Hub reairing the episodes, I've had the discussion with friends recently.

[icon_uk]

Can you really call him an idiot when he's essentially an innocent whom his loving girlfriend plays mindgames using sci-fi tech with him non-stop?

He's seen Jem and Jerrica in different places at the same time, so as far as he knows they can't be the same person, and has no reason to suspect that she has the ability to project completely convincing audio-visual illusions at will.

[jkcarrier]

Neither one of them comes off looking very good. It's wrong of Jerrica to deceive him. But if Rio was a stand-up guy, he'd tell Jem he already had a girlfriend and that would be the end of it.

I forget -- what was the in-story reason for Jerrica having a "secret identity" in the first place?

[q99]

So she can move around in public easier... and, granted, with the Misfits around, that makes a lot of sense. Also to protect Synergy's tech, I think.

Still doesn't explain why she doesn't let Rio at least in on it.

[icon_uk]

He repeatedly does tell Jem that Jerrica is his girlfriend and on at least one occasion says (I think to Riot, when they're arguing about their mutual odd relationships, Riot being in the middle of fake-romancing Jerrica to try and get rid of Rio completely) that Jem is fun to be with, but can't hold a candle to Jerrica.

The original reason for the secret identity was so that she could enter a "Battle of the Bands" that she and Eric Raymond, the unscrupulous co-owner of the music company were running. He planned on rigging it so his group "The Misfits" would win (by making the competing groups awful), Jerrica entered "Jem and the Holograms" to upset things. She knew if she entered as herself no one would take her seriously, so created the Jem persona to do it for her.

[icon_uk]

Afraid that I had absolutely no sympathy for Jerrica for the self-inflicted heartache, she brings it entirely upon herself

There was NO reason that she shouldn't trust Rio with the secret from the outset, absolutely none, and she has copious opportunities to tell him.

Rio has a problem with being lied to and that always struck me as perfectly legitimate personality quirk. IIRC Christy Marx had an idea to explain that; we'd have found out that Rio had grown up with an alcoholic father who had constantly let him down about cleaning up his act and so has serious trust issues.

If love is based on the person not the appearance, his attraction to Jem is understandable, since the two personalities aren't that different, except Jem is a bit more outgoing than the rather serious Jerrica, but Jem is also a lot more shallow a personality since she has no backstory of her own that she can tell him. But it should be noted that he always picks Jerrica first, last and always. He describes Jem as being fun to be with (and Jerrica notes that she has more fun as Jem than Jerrica) but Jerrica is his girlfriend.

I understand the desire for an ongoing secret identity triangle as a handy plot to be revived as required, but it was tough to sympathise with such a self-inflicted and self-maintained problem.

[amaniwolf]

Wow, you are so on the money with that. I recall one episode were Riot was going through some bad issues and wasn't interested in Jem, his mind was elsewhere and he was being all Emo. And of course that's when Jem tries to get with him, moving in to kiss him and he actually pulls away and didn't want any of it. So Jerrica is no innocent in this whole convoluted lovefest. Ah the 80's, how i miss your bright colors, clothes and outragous music!

[eyz]

D'aww!

[glprime]

Officially the sweetest moment has been the Commander with his kids (his son has a lil' stuffed shark he hides behind!)

[droolfangrrl]

Jem and the WHO CARES?

I missed this strip! WHEN did Jonesy and the Commander kiss?!?

[biod]

It was actually a while back. Valentine's Day to be exact.
http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/654

[biod]

Why is no one else talking about Jonesy and the Commander!? They are
THE CUTEST.

[icon_uk]

The Jerrica/Rio/Jem triangle... and then the Riot/Jem/Rio/Jerrica... rhombus? has been taxing the world for 25 years (for a given value of "the world" of course). Jonesy and the Commander are very cute, but are a relatively new thing!

[blackruzsa]

Because they have this way of keeping commitment at a comfortable arm's length away.

:) But yeah, they are THE CUTEST indeed. I love it when their very casual relationship pops up in the comics.

[joysweeper]

...I feel like I have to link to the webcomic arc Outrage of the Zygons here, since it does have Jerrica's ID outed to Rio.

Also it has the Sixth Doctor, because crossover.

[icon_uk]

I had no idea that had gotten as far as it had (Even to including a Misfits music video, AWESOME! :) ) (and Mel being a Jem fan is painfully obvious in retrospect!)

[kamino_neko]

I'm...mostly with Jonesy on this one.

Jerrica's dumb choice re: the secret identity thing is not on Rio. Nor is 'Jem' getting romancey with him.

However, the fact that he didn't do a whole heck of a lot to discourage the latter, and, in fact, got smoochy with her, from time to time? Totally cheating, and totally on him.