July 14, 2010
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The Hard Times of A.C. Slater
There was no greater rivalry in the 1990s than that which existed between Zack Morris and A.C. Slater. However, while Zack was universally accepted as the leader of the Saved by the Bell gang, Slater was better than Zack in virtually every aspect of life.
Slater was the archetype jock. He was a tri-sport athlete who was quarterback of the football team and captain of the wrestling team. He also played varsity basketball, even though basketball and wrestling were played in the same season. Slater was multi-talented. Musically, he was an exceptional drummer and artistically he was a phenomenal dancer (his skills ranged from jazz to hiphop). He was an honors student who was offered scholarships to the University of Iowa and “California University.”
His dynamic background made him the gang’s most intriguing person. He grew up as a military child who lived in various cities around the country. His father was a Major in the army and he had no mother. His ethnicity was a mystery. He wasn’t really white, and he wasn’t really black, but his eyes kind of made him look Asian. (It was later revealed in an episode of Saved by the Bell: The College Years that his real last name was “Sanchez,” which makes him a Hispanic with a Jheri curl, I suppose.) He was ostensibly a “cool person,” which excused his otherwise peculiar behavior. His real name was Albert Clifford, though he was cool enough to go by the initials “A.C.” He was able to get away with calling Zack “Preppie” and (his girlfriend) Jessie “Mama” without any discernable consequences. He was socially accepted, despite the fact that it was the early 1990s and he wore spandex and colorful parachute pants regularly.
On the other hand, Zack was a talentless slacker, a troublemaker, and a poor student (although he did score an impossible “1502″ on the S.A.T.). There was nothing dynamic about his background or family life. While Slater hung out with jocks, Zack spent most of his time with Screech. His only redeeming value may have been that he was the only person in school to own a cell phone (which was the size of a hardcover book).
Slater was a model high school student and an overall superior human being to Zack Morris in any and every capacity and regard. But, despite all of that, Zack Morris was still considered the alpha dog. He was the leader of the group, the most likable student, the most popular person in school, and he nailed the head cheerleader (Kelly). Slater always played second fiddle to Zack. Why didn’t Slater garner the praise and recognition that he rightfully deserved?
That settles it. A.C. Slater was a Libertarian.
Comments (2)
I should catch up on my Saved by the Bell. I’ve seen a couple of episodes here and there and they faintly remind me of Boy Meets World.
i love your blog.