Which BFFs are the best?
March 18, 2017 12:26 PM Subscribe
Which teenage best friends in literature, television, and movies are really the best? Play along in Forever Young Adult's March Madness.
It's too late to enter your predictions in the contest, but you can still fill out a bracket for your own entertainment.
You can vote for your favorites in Round One in each of the following divisions: Voting ends tonight, 11:59pm CDT.
It's too late to enter your predictions in the contest, but you can still fill out a bracket for your own entertainment.
You can vote for your favorites in Round One in each of the following divisions: Voting ends tonight, 11:59pm CDT.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu?
posted by leibniz at 1:04 PM on March 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
posted by leibniz at 1:04 PM on March 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
Sorry. YA novels are the wrong place for this.
We ALL have read the story of the two truly greatest friends ever. It is a story that has transcended borders, generations, and otherwise established for us all that friendships can are complex, deep, confusing, misunderstandable... and... well... we even know the title and characters by heart. And we learned this sometime between the ages of 3 and 6. We just forget the lessons.
Frog and Toad are Friends.
posted by Nanukthedog at 1:19 PM on March 18, 2017 [21 favorites]
We ALL have read the story of the two truly greatest friends ever. It is a story that has transcended borders, generations, and otherwise established for us all that friendships can are complex, deep, confusing, misunderstandable... and... well... we even know the title and characters by heart. And we learned this sometime between the ages of 3 and 6. We just forget the lessons.
Frog and Toad are Friends.
posted by Nanukthedog at 1:19 PM on March 18, 2017 [21 favorites]
This is a complete and utter fail.
Where the hell are 11, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas (and Will, sure)????
posted by cooker girl at 1:22 PM on March 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Where the hell are 11, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas (and Will, sure)????
posted by cooker girl at 1:22 PM on March 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
You know, I don't think I've seen Stranger Things referred to as YA, even though it totally could be. I think that reflects some of the gender dynamics of the category YA: it's mostly used to apply to media that appeals to girls and women.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:28 PM on March 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:28 PM on March 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
You know, I don't think I've seen Stranger Things referred to as YA, even though it totally could be.
It actually isn't limited to YA media -- it's limited by the friends themselves being teenagers. (Which also, probably rules out Frog and Toad, as they appear to be adults living in their own houses.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 1:35 PM on March 18, 2017
It actually isn't limited to YA media -- it's limited by the friends themselves being teenagers. (Which also, probably rules out Frog and Toad, as they appear to be adults living in their own houses.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 1:35 PM on March 18, 2017
I think it's Anne Shirley and Diana Barry, all the way. (Freddie, Cook, and J.J. may have been better friends, but I don't think enough people have watched Skins to bring that very far in the competition.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 1:39 PM on March 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by Margalo Epps at 1:39 PM on March 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
Where the hell are 11, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas (and Will, sure)????
That's MG, not YA. Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, Tommy, Carol, and Barb :-( are the YA characters. (YA is not a synonym for "kids' book.") (My totally unfair, biased opinion is that MG books are more enjoyable than YA books.)
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 1:47 PM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
That's MG, not YA. Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, Tommy, Carol, and Barb :-( are the YA characters. (YA is not a synonym for "kids' book.") (My totally unfair, biased opinion is that MG books are more enjoyable than YA books.)
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 1:47 PM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
No Betsy, Tacy and Tib? Boo!
posted by brujita at 2:37 PM on March 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by brujita at 2:37 PM on March 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Haven't seen "My Big Fat Diary" yet but still made my first vote for it because Ferris and Cameron are BAD FRIENDS FOR EACH OTHER AND FOR THE MASCULINE IDEA OF FRIENDSHIP AND NO NO NO. They are very ahead and I encourage all of you who care about not destroying a classic car or being a depressed person who gets manipulated by w fun bully to do the same.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:46 PM on March 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:46 PM on March 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
I think it's Anne Shirley and Diana Barry, all the way.
They sprang first to mind for me too, yet I really think Diana might be a bit phlegmatic and earthbound for that Child of Air and Fire which is the only nominally mortal Anne Shirley.
But Emily and Ilse of the Emily trilogy seem like a perfect match.
posted by jamjam at 2:51 PM on March 18, 2017
They sprang first to mind for me too, yet I really think Diana might be a bit phlegmatic and earthbound for that Child of Air and Fire which is the only nominally mortal Anne Shirley.
But Emily and Ilse of the Emily trilogy seem like a perfect match.
posted by jamjam at 2:51 PM on March 18, 2017
Jim Carroll & heroin.
posted by jonmc at 3:28 PM on March 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by jonmc at 3:28 PM on March 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Chet Morton and his Jalopy!
posted by mannequito at 3:45 PM on March 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by mannequito at 3:45 PM on March 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
ANNE AND DIANA 4 LYFE.
Although now I look at the list and I'm all "but Tara and Kat!" "but Now and Then!" "but where is Betsy/Tacy?"
" yet I really think Diana might be a bit phlegmatic and earthbound for that Child of Air and Fire which is the only nominally mortal Anne Shirley."
But see Anne needs Diana to ground her, and also Diana represents the pleasures of the flesh (always pictured with red, named after a Pagan goddess, plays music) while Anne is the pleasures of the mind. DIANA COMPLETES HER! Indeed there's no room for dudes because their girlish friendship takes up all the space, poor Gilbert is relegated to the unimportant periphery.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:30 PM on March 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Although now I look at the list and I'm all "but Tara and Kat!" "but Now and Then!" "but where is Betsy/Tacy?"
" yet I really think Diana might be a bit phlegmatic and earthbound for that Child of Air and Fire which is the only nominally mortal Anne Shirley."
But see Anne needs Diana to ground her, and also Diana represents the pleasures of the flesh (always pictured with red, named after a Pagan goddess, plays music) while Anne is the pleasures of the mind. DIANA COMPLETES HER! Indeed there's no room for dudes because their girlish friendship takes up all the space, poor Gilbert is relegated to the unimportant periphery.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:30 PM on March 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Ferris/Cameron and Clarissa/Sam are one and two for platonic teenage friends forever. Not on the list but would win walking away? Cypher/Warlock.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:05 PM on March 18, 2017
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:05 PM on March 18, 2017
Diana represents the pleasures of the flesh (always pictured with red, named after a Pagan goddess, plays music) while Anne is the pleasures of the mind. DIANA COMPLETES HER!
Point taken, Eyebrows!
The mixup of the cordial, where Diana drinks 3 full glasses and gets dead drunk, demonstrates the "pleasures of the flesh" well enough, and with the addition of red and music you've got me wondering about Diana/Dionysius.
posted by jamjam at 5:14 PM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Point taken, Eyebrows!
The mixup of the cordial, where Diana drinks 3 full glasses and gets dead drunk, demonstrates the "pleasures of the flesh" well enough, and with the addition of red and music you've got me wondering about Diana/Dionysius.
posted by jamjam at 5:14 PM on March 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
"The mixup of the cordial, where Diana drinks 3 full glasses and gets dead drunk, demonstrates the "pleasures of the flesh" well enough, and with the addition of red and music you've got me wondering about Diana/Dionysius."
You will be wanting the Anne of Green Gables 100th Anniversary Oxford Annotated Edition, and not a jot or tittle of Diana is accidental!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:38 PM on March 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
You will be wanting the Anne of Green Gables 100th Anniversary Oxford Annotated Edition, and not a jot or tittle of Diana is accidental!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:38 PM on March 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Woah... Frogs live between 4-15 years. Common toads live between 10-12... cane toads live 10-15 years. I think we can all agree that even if they seem very mature and worldly for amphibians, they are still unlikely to be pre-teens let alone full blooded teenagers. And in those 13 years of hibernation, yes the world has imparted them with a great set of life lessons from which they have gleaned what is truly important about friendship.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:13 AM on March 19, 2017
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:13 AM on March 19, 2017
Wait, Betty and Veronica?
posted by ckape at 9:57 AM on March 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by ckape at 9:57 AM on March 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
The first round of results are in. There's going to be some painful matchups in Round Two: Liz & Maria from Roswell are up against Anne & Diana, Saved! against My So-Called Life, and The Mortal Instruments against Buffy. Last time I voted against Ferris Bueller and for Carry On's Simon & Penny; next time I can do it in one go. And then cry because way more people have seen that annoying movie than have read the awesomest book.
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:26 PM on March 19, 2017
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:26 PM on March 19, 2017
Agnieszka and Kasia from Uprooted! Maybe not classed as YA though?
posted by Coaticass at 12:04 AM on March 20, 2017
posted by Coaticass at 12:04 AM on March 20, 2017
Anyone still in this? We have Round Two: Best Buds, Champion Chums, Forever Friends, and Perfect Pals. Vote until Saturday same time and results Sunday.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:16 AM on March 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:16 AM on March 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
My initial hunch that it's gotta be Matt & Landry for Best Buds was based solely on the fact that they were the only ones I knew, but so far it's bearing out.
posted by Flashman at 3:59 PM on March 28, 2017
posted by Flashman at 3:59 PM on March 28, 2017
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posted by philip-random at 1:03 PM on March 18, 2017 [4 favorites]