Degrassi Junior High

"The Great Race" is an entertaining Degrassi Junior High episode. In this episode, Melanie feels like she's developing slowly than the other girls in the class and decides she needs a bra. This is a great episode because many girls in grade 7 and 8 feel self-conscience about how their developing. Anyways, the entertaining part of this episode is L.D. challenging the boys to a swimming competition. I love how L.D. throws Joey in the pool for making fun of Melanie. The Yick and Arthur plot was so weird with them following Snake trying to find out how he got so tall. I give this episode a 9/10.

I love it. It shows how a girl can be self-conscious when she's not developing as fast as she wanted, or as fast as others. I love how LD takes stock in the fact that Melanie's mom won't buy her a bra and helps her buy one herself. Moral of the story, moms, when your daughters want a bra buy her one. Ok, maybe say when she's 12 or when she's physically ready, whatever comes first. And most interesting how Stephanie's example of changing clothes in the bathroom is being followed, at LD's suggestion. Speaking of Stephanie, how realistic is that to see someone say she'll wear a revealing bikini until the moment when she said she would. It's good to see LD's spunk in standing up for girls' sports; the sports rep needs to represent all teams. And the race was a great example too. And especially when LD went and threw Joey in the pool for trying to lead in a "mock-Melanie" fest yet again. We need more people like her in today's schools. And how nice to see Snake too; making Melanie realize that being laughed at shouldn't stop her.

While this episode does this deal with sexism, it also like many Degrassi episodes deals with peer pressure and self-consciousness for teens. In fact, the turning point of this episode which is not mentioned in notes is that Snake,a guy,

is actually the one that supports Melania and gives her a nice pep talk to ignore the losers in her school.



I thought that should be mentioned because not everyone in the episode is a sexist like Joey or Jake. A great ending,

of course the girls were going to beat the boys to prove the point that anything a guy can do a girl can do.



Yick and Arthur as kids, can't understand why they haven't grown yet and do a bunch of silly things to try and get tall.



This was a great episode. Snake has always been the decent guy in the series. They needed that counteract the losers like Joey on the show.