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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 8 years ago

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Questions for HSM III (Part VIII)

Caption: “I’m just about to dump my boyfriend over the phone! Hope my tears look genuine!”

Get out your flashlights, for we are in the abyss.

On The Dumping

1- What to say, folks? I’m clutching a bottle of wine and weeping in rage at my laptop. Once again, Troy walks into this new sinkhole with an innocent smile, just as he did earlier. He’s bought the prom outfit and proudly shows it off to his mother.

I have to highlight these little details just so you get a picture of how cruel Gabriella’s next actions are. Remember, he bought two tickets, tried out some suits, inexplicably needed Gabriella to choose a suit, inexplicably practiced waltzing during school hours, let her leave for California with a belly full of undeserved pizza and strawberries, reminded her of their prom date, kept in contact with her during her absence, spent his own money on a prom suit, got his mother to order a corsage and was now eagerly anticipating the return of his girlfriend for a special night together. Remember that he has missed her terribly all the time she has been away, and so wishes to see her again. Remember that like any other high school student, this prom is a special occasion for him, for his friends and for their class.

I honestly cannot bear to watch this scene, but I willingly undergo this torture so that you don’t have to. Can we really believe that Troy, after being lied to, laughed at and let down by Gabriella on numerous occasions, seriously believed that she would come through for him this time? He is so impervious to her faults, it’s downright worrying.

2- “We need to talk.”

This, people, is how you greet your boyfriend. I don’t know what terrible affliction the scriptwriter suffered when he churned out this line-- why he thought this was even remotely a good idea when trying to sell the Troyella train-wreck as a viable relationship, but there you have it. No greeting, no asking after Troy’s well-being, not even a gentle let-down. Remember when I wondered about whether Gabriella had said anything more interesting to Troy other than discussing the food at Stanford? I think we have our answer here.

“I can’t be a little adult right now, Troy. I’m hoping you understand that.”

Of course, after greeting your boyfriend like he’s someone you met off the street, you now ask for his understanding. Please notice the sheer audacity of Gabriella asking Troy to “understand” yet more of her selfish behaviour when he has done nothing but understand, understand, understand throughout this entire movie series! There is nothing she has done that he hasn’t understood. When she dumped him over the summer, he understood. When she refused to tell him about her scholarship, he understood. When she dashed out of town without telling him, he understood. What more does he need to understand?!

As for her failure to be an adult, well I can certainly understand that. From the Honor Roll Student who acts like a kindergartener, sincerely to Troy Bolton. Me, myself and I. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Again, I’d really love to hear Mrs. Bolton’s take on her son’s girlfriend dumping him over the phone. The disappointment and concern on her face is one of the reasons I struggle to stomach this scene. After the money she spent on a corsage, and seeing her son practically bouncing off the walls in excitement, surely she must have been disappointed? Or is she a Troyella junkie like the rest? She did seem to enjoy their performance of “Just Wanna Be With You” much later, but still. Answers?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Chad Danforth looks concerned! Let’s have a big round of applause!

“Gabriella, prom is in two days! You’re supposed to be on a plane right now!”

Troy making the same mistake a million more times: trying to reason with Gabriella, trying to remind her of reality. How many more times will he persist in this before recognizing that it DOES NOT WORK? That she literally will not consider any other viewpoint except her own? That from her brisk and detached tone of voice, she had already made up her mind before calling him? That she doesn’t believe in making decisions together, despite having extolled the virtues of working together earlier, despite having condescended to Troy about the value of keeping promises, despite being quick to jump on any imperfection of his and use it to demean and mock him?

“It’s taken me two weeks to get used to being away from you. From East High and all my friends.”

And? I honestly don’t care. Quite apart from the fact that she was smiling to herself before phoning up to drop-kick Troy once again, she makes no mention of Troy’s feelings, which makes me certain that she never asked about them during their other phonecalls. Because all her genius friends and the food at Stanford was far more pressing news. We are also supposed to believe that Gabriella would need to get used to being away from Troy, when she quite happily dumped him over the summer, drove off in her mother’s car and had no intention of reuniting until Taylor dragged her back. She can’t have it both ways; all her behaviour indicates that she is willing to abandon him when it suits her, so where’s this sudden difficulty to adjust coming from? When, during the course of this movie, did she ever make it clear that she valued his presence?

“I know! I know.”

Because Troy understands. Again.

“So what I come back, go to prom and leave again? And then it’s graduation, I leave again.”

I hope you can hear this. Actually, I hope you can’t, because it is an assault on the ears. Remember, this is the same girl whom Troy begged to attend Stanford, now claiming that she really needs to stay at Stanford! Honestly, her needs change with the times! What happened to all the stability required earlier, the fear of life going “full speed ahead”?

More importantly, no mention of the musical. It was supposed to be prom, musical and then graduation. According to Gabriella, it’s prom and then graduation. In other words, she isn’t coming for the musical. In other words, she has wasted Kelsi’s time, despite having said that Kelsi was “right” about the musical. She has wasted Ryan’s time, Ms Darbus’ time, her friend’s time (although she whines about the pain of being away from them), the Drama Department’s time, the school’s time, and most importantly, Troy’s time.

Why didn’t Troy remind her about the musical right there and then?

And what nonsense in the second sentence: after graduation, EVERYONE will be leaving East High. Not just her. So how does that inevitable fact justify not turning up for such an important event in the school year? I thought she was missing her friends-- did she not wish to spend time with them one final time before setting off for college? She said she was missing East High, she said that the food was better there. So fricking come back, then! The logic here, people, is that it’s too painful for her to return to experience things that she struggles to stay away from. Decipher this if you can, because I’m beat with this girl and her half-assed logic.

“That was our plan.”

More fool you, Troy. In Troyella, there’s no such thing as “we/our/us”.

“I don’t think I can do it, Troy. I think I’ve run out of goodbyes.”

Just to be clear folks: she can’t come back to honour the commitments she made, to spend time with her boyfriend, to demonstrate that their relationship means something to her, to show respect to Kelsi and Ryan for their time and hard work, to see her friends and East High.

Because reasons.

I mean, there’s nothing more to be said for this ludicrous line. As for her “run out of goodbyes”, I’m not in the slightest bit interested. I’m pretty sure that she’s still in contact with Taylor and her mother, who would have been spoken to with a great deal more respect than how she speaks to Troy right now. Her mother has a decent job; if Gabriella wanted to fly back, she could do so, no trouble. This claim is nothing but an excuse to justify the cruelest act in this movie, the cinematic equivalent of dropping someone into the Marianas Trench. Would it be fair to say that she cobbled together this “explanation” off the top of her head moments before calling? Because that’s what it sounds like.

“Why do you keep saying goodbye?”

Troy, what is the point in asking this? Literally, do you have any hope of getting a straight, non-bullshit answer?

“I love you, Wildcat. But I need to stay right where I am.”

And there you have it, folks. Relationship goals or what?

First of all, the only ever times that Gabriella calls Troy “Wildcat” is when she’s calling him crazy, or showing some rare happiness at his sporting achievements. To use it in conjunction with love is as jarring and unnatural as it sounds.

More importantly, Gabriella does not love Troy by any meaningful stretch of the imagination. Certainly not by the dictionary definition of love, which, for future reference Gabriella, is described thus: “to have a great affection for”. At no point during any of the canonical movies has she demonstrated this, and the fact that she can phone him up and provide another soliloquy of nonsense to justify her own feelings is glaring evidence thereof. Troy has received more love from the giggling cheerleaders than he has from his own girlfriend. He’s received more love from the ungrateful and disloyal Wildcats than he has from his own girlfriend. He’s received more love from his beloved trees than he has from his own girlfriend. This is a fatuous claim designed as a pat on the back after having thrown Troy overboard.

Oh-- and suddenly Gabriella knows what she needs! Well, how wonderful. We were beginning to wonder. Yes, she needs to stay right where she is and not bother Troy again, so that he can live his life in peace and find another girl who actually cares about him, loves him, treats him like a man and values his existence. Yes, Gabriella, please stay away!

"I’m sorry.”

With plenty of offence intended, fuck you.

I’ll be back tomorrow.

#HSM3 #TroyBolton #TroyScrewedOverBigTime #TroyWhenWillYouLearn #InDefenceOfTroyBolton #LiterallySaveTroyBoltonFromGabriellaMontez #DestructiveRelationship #GabriellaMontez #TroyellaSucks #Deb'sAnalysis #EastHighWildCats

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