Media Analysis
In the early 2000s, Nickelodeon was at its prime for highschool sitcoms, one of the most popular being Victorious. Victorious was a show about ordinary teenagers attending a highchool for extraordinary talents in the arts. Although I wasn't an avid viewer of the show back in the day, I've seen my fair share of episodes and can recognize all the characters. Many of the stars on this show came out with plenty of success, but the actor who profited the most was musical artist Ariana Grande, who played Cat Valentine. Throughout the four seasons, Cat Valentine progressively became more airheaded and erratic- but also perfected.
Cat’s character in the beginning seasons was a quirky and ditzy- yet intelligent girl. As the show went on, it seemed like her character was getting more and more brainless. What started as a multi-talented teen who had special skills in art and music had suddenly begun trying to lick lazer beams (S4EP1) and have random off-topic contributions to conversations. Ariana Grande’s first rendition of Cat Valentine wasn't as recognizable as it later became, she took Cat’s normal speech up an octave and slowed it down. She had a distinctive laugh that cannot be described in any other words besides The Cat Valentine laugh. Cat’s naivety and childlike behavior became her most recognizable quality and used against her.
A bubbly and dumb character seems like a great option for a sitcom aimed at 8-13 year olds, but one might question why she didn't just begin this way? My interpretation is that her backwards maturity was not meant to diminish the character, but to give her even more spotlight. Grande and the show’s writers were getting more of a grasp on her character and fine tuning her to be immediately recognizable, which in turn boosted Grande’s career. They knew she had potential and incredible vocal skills, and molding an lovable and absent minded character was the way to make her stand out from the rest of the cast.
Dumbing Grande’s character down could have been a way to sabotage her career but it worked to her benefit. Her perky and vibrant personality was complimented by her detached and distracted tendencies. It's no surprise that Ariana Grande was the most successful actor from the show, Cat was the most exuberant character and anyone watching could find out her likes and dislikes from 10 minutes of watch time. She was magnetic. Next time you decide to have a throwback and watch Victorious, pay attention to how Cat’s character is presented, she might be getting dumber but Grande and the writers were incredibly smart about their decision.
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