Saved by the Baby

Fellow fans of SBTB,



I am excited to report that Mario Lopez is starring in a new VH1 reality show titled Saved by the Baby. It will center aroud him and his girlfriend as they prepare to welcome their daughter Gia into this hauntingly beautiful world of ours (she was born in September).



Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com photo



My main qualm with this news is that it's a VH1 reality show centering around a couple. We all know the success rate of similar shows. I don't want Slater Lopez to go down the same road of Danny Bonaduce and Scott Baio. Also, the title Saved by the Baby makes me wretch a little bit...what else could it possible be called though? The Mario Lopez Show? It's so similar to The George Lopez show...Hmm...Now & Slater? Nope, that's just as lame. Yeah, the whole title issue is a dead-end.

Quite honestly...I couldn't be happier that this show exists. I'm only disappointed that I didn't know about it sooner! But really, I mean I JUST started a blog centering around Lopez's classic character A.C. Slater, and Lopez is sexyyyy. I already set a series recording on my DVR for Saved by the Baby, and I encourage everyone else to at least tune in to watch a couple beautiful people have a beautiful baby. Who knows, if I'm entertained by it enough maybe I'll even recap it.

The series premiere is November 1. You can learn more about Lopez's show here: http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/10/08/saved-by-the-baby-the-title-of-mario-lopezs-new-reality-show-has-blown-my-mind/

Also, be sure to vote in the poll to the right regarding Screech's role in the group. And feel free to drop a comment regarding...anything! Until next time...



Dancing to the Max

The one where Casey Kasem hosts a dance contest at The Max.

Folks...this episode had a plethora of Slater's biceps. He wore numerous tank tops throughout the ep, sometimes while showcasing his dance moves even! I know, it's almost too much to think about. I am also excited to exhibit some screen captures this time around...hold on to your tank tops and follow me into the abyss of gratuitous Slater-skin.



Someone sign this boy up for cheerleading...



The first shot of the episode already treats us to Slater in a reddish-orange tank and gray sweatpants. He must have been on his way to practice...or something. At any rate, he looked Slaterific. Then Max (who I had forgotten had once been a series regular...) announced the plot of the episode that Casey Kasem was going to host a dance contest at The Max. So why wouldn't Slater start dancing in the middle of the restaurant (and even bust out a badass toe-touch).



I'm too much taller than you to go to
the dance with you. Duh.



Meanwhile, Jessie had a crisis because she thought she was too tall. The slight height difference she noticed here (to your right) led her to a downward spiral throughout the episode. What else is new for Jessie?  At one point, Zack asked her what her problem was (after he's tired of putting up with her Eeyore-ish attitude), and she responded, "Zack, I do have a problem. I'm too tall." Go take some caffeine pills, and get over it Big J (too soon?). Also, the bow in her hair made her look like a present. Her floral blouse, however, didn't do much to add to her gift motif.



Screech: "Slater, I want to look like you when I grow up."



I'm not sure what we viewers did to make the producers so generous, but they decided to grace us with a boys locker room scene...with just Slater and Screech...in tank tops, natch. I wonder what was going through the cast and crews' minds when they had to watch Slater and Screech film this scene together. The difference in their ages couldn't be more clear: Mario Lopez was around 15 (for real?!) and Dustin Diamond was almost 12 when this ep was filmed. It kind of makes me sad for Dustin Diamond; he had to wear a tank top next to Biceps McGee. No wonder he had to make a sex tape when he finally became a man. Anyways...those tanks! THOSE SHORTS! I wish I took gym class at Bayside...or do I?

If anyone doesn't remember the rest of this episode, it is also the one where Lisa sprains her ankle so her dance partner bails on her. Jerk. Don't worry, of course Screech will still go with you, Lisa. Screech was so much more sincere and dependable in these early episodes. Later on, he just becomes such a caricature of his goofier moments.

I will leave you with one last screen capture. Enjoy. Oh, and P.S. Screech and Lisa won the dance contest by doing "The Sprain." Cute.



Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here??
Is this is an ugly sweater party or a dance contest?



House Party

The one where Screech's parents are out of town, and the guys sing "Barabara Ann," break Mrs. Powers' bust of Elvis, and throw a party.



Slater shows off his biceps in his normal school-wear.

 I was just minding my own beeswax, getting ready for work, and watching Saved by the Bell on TBS, when I realized Slater was wearing a comically skimpy tank top...to SCHOOL. Where does he think he is, Malibu Sands Beach Club?! Question, what makes it skimpier: the small amount of material or how much his muscles bulge out of it? The beginning of this clip shows the tank top I'm talking about.

Some quick background on where my perspective is coming from: I grew up in Iowa and recently moved to Colorado...I must admit, I have not yet been to California in my lifetime...maybe guys really do/did wear tank tops as much as Slater there. I'm positive they wear them more than people in Iowa (due to the abundance of "cut-offs" as opposed to "tank tops" in Iowa, so to speak). And Cali guys definitely wear tanks more than Colorado guys (unless you're one of the cool kids who wear shorts while skiing down a mountain in April).

All of this banter leads me to the point of this post. The style of Saved by the Bell intrigues me. We all grew up watching it (and if you didn't, then I am sincerely sorry). I love what the students of Bayside High wore to school. Part of this enamoration might have to do with the fact that I went to a school that enforced a dress code from Kingergarten until Senior Year, leaving our clothing options to be rather miniscule.



I feel like Slater would have basically supported
American Apparel's line
men's tank tops these days.

 Back to the episode itself: it finally introduces us faithful viewers to a romantic interest for Screech (besides the fiasco that was "Beauty and the Screech"), Violet Anne Bickerstaff. The girls are shocked that Violet would be interested in Screech (even though Violet herself is a "dork"). It totally makes sense Violet would think Screech was a stud...he (inexplicably) hangs out with the most popular kids in school. Of course he would be King of the Nerds, if even considered a nerd at all (if this situation were happening in real life ("RL") of course).

We all remember this episode, and I'm not here to recap...but here's a quick one anyways. Screech's parents are out of town, and Screech isn't allowed to have parties. Slater and Zack go over to hang out and lip sync for no one to "Barbara Ann." The girls spy on the boys and end up laughing so hysterically that they break Screech's mom's bust of Elvis which costs $250 to replace. Zack tries to win the money by playing rich dork (and Violet's ex boyfriend) in poker, but Zack ends up losing Screech's dog as well (if this episode doesn't epitomize how much the gang walks all over Screech, I don't know what does). So the gang throws a party at Screech's to raise money to replace Elvis. His parents come home a day early (they always do, don't they...) and catch him having a party, but at least his mom got her precious Elvis back. I always found it creepy how obsessed she was with that statue. For a half-hour episode of Saved by the Bell, this one sure had a lot of intricate side stories...

Hopefully once I can figure out how to cleanly use screen captures, I will have many more (and relevant) pictures on here. Until then Bayside...

Welcome to What Slater Wore, Bayside Tigers!

I chose to dedicate this blog to Albert Clifford Slater after realizing during an episode of Saved by the Bell that he got away with wearing some ridiculous things to school--mostly to show off his lovely biceps (which is fine...). That being said, I will analyze ANYone who is wearing a wonderfully horrifying 80s/90s ensemble (I'm looking at you, Lisa Turtle).

Each post, I will choose one episode to watch and then analyze, style-and otherwise. I hope you will all join me in mutual appreciation of a tv show that made my childhood a smidge better.