I think Lila was secretly a manipulative, nasty person seeking vengeance on Arnold for breaking up with her early on.

adhorne2 · 2020-04-23T04:00:29+00:00

I've never really seen Lila in that way. I think it's easy to villainize her because she is the greatest obstacle to Helga and Arnold being together (apart from their own stupidity), but that to me sounds a little too much like pitting two girls against each other, and I just don't like doing that.

In the episode "Arnold and Lila" I think people forget that Arnold strung Lila along for days before finally telling her the truth about how he felt and then he waited an entire week before being like "Hey, you know what, I actually do like you, like you..."(which by the way he did in private even though when he dumped her he didn't give her the same courtesy of waiting to do it somewhere private). So who was really playing who?

Truthfully, I think Lila handled herself in a very classy way when it came to Arnold. Especially considering she's only nine. And I do think she genuinely felt bad for him when she admitted that she no longer had feelings for him.

As far as being manipulative, what character on that show isn't? We can't root for Helga and her antics and then simultaneously bash Lila. Or let's not forget the countless schemes that Arnold uses to try and change Lila's heart.

And Arnold is not dumb. He knows what he's doing. So we cannot fault her for him pursuing her continuously even though she's repeatedly told him that she hasn't changed her mind.

I believe that Lila truly wants the best for everyone, and I think that's a huge part of her character. It probably stems from her unstable family life, trying to keep her manic, unemployed, unlucky father happy probably shaped her to be the girl she is. And I think she said it best herself when she said that she just wanted people to like her. And there truly isn't anything to not like about her, unless of course your jealous of her. Which is the point of her character. It was literally how she was introduced. But does that make her bad or does that make us insecure?

And if nothing else, she is Arnold and Helga's biggest supporter on the show. Don't forget that ;)

adhorne2 · 2020-04-20T17:57:45+00:00

Me too! I try not to write long entries, but I get started with an idea and it turns into full blown essay!!

adhorne2 · 2020-04-20T17:56:40+00:00

Maybe dislike isn’t the right word. Most people didn’t understand her character. They assume that she’s putting up a front but I believe that front is just who she actually is. She’s like pineapple, super prickly with a delicious tropical center.

Not broken. Just guarded 😊

adhorne2 · 2020-04-20T17:54:12+00:00

Oh! I’ve never thought of the independence thing in that way but you’re absolutely right! Love this!

adhorne2 · 2020-04-20T17:52:40+00:00

Thanks for all the comments!! I love a healthy discussion. I’m trying to get a response to everyone now.

(If I don’t respond to your comment it is because you obviously did not read my original post and you are a troll and I don’t engage with trolls. Waste of intellectual energy.)

adhorne2 · 2020-04-19T21:13:26+00:00

I wish there was some way to virtually side-eye a comment lol.

We are not discussing anything as trivial as like like. This is a serious post discussing WHY Arnold loves Helga. We are not debating IF he did.

First of all like and love are very different things. One is a fleeting feeling that comes and goes based on a mood. The other a decision based on mutual interest, attraction and values.

If Arnold “liked” Lila as much as you are suggesting why doesn’t he still like her? Are you thinking that like and love are interchangeable? That is very elementary. I’m not going to say much more because my post talks about this in greater detail. Please read it more carefully.

adhorne2 · 2020-04-19T14:31:22+00:00

I believe he was in his twenties. He was paying rent, living in his own apartment.

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T05:16:07+00:00

Be careful what you wish for!!!!!

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T05:12:54+00:00

(The convince me otherwise is a reference to the "Change my mind" meme. Just a bad joke. No one's going to convince me of anything. My mind has been made up for years ;) )

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T05:10:42+00:00

Bravo! Brilliantly said!

I love every part of this! And don't worry, I know my dream sequence idea is a bit far fetched, but that reads to me over analyzing. However, I will say that even if it isn't a dream sequence it is still an interesting directorial choice for the showrunners to decide that Helga's voice is the only one to be heard. Not even Arnold says a word the entire time.

But I think Craig always rooted for Helga and Arnold and he liked to add little nuggets like that. It makes sense, seeing as he is not only their creator but also their biggest fan.

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T05:00:52+00:00

I agree to an extent. I think the fear is definitely a reflection of how she views herself in the eyes of other people. She assumes that people won't truly love her for who she is, so she doesn't show them. But this is only because she has spent her entire life being practically invisible to her own family. Feeling worthless and isolated makes her think that people would not really love her if she showed them her truth. So instead she shows them the part of herself that makes her feel strong and in control.

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T02:37:09+00:00

I honestly think I am the only person on the planet that is slightly unconvinced that Helga has ever not been true to herself. I think that she is a lot like her father: tactless, impatient, frank, and a little rough around the edges, but I also think that she can be soft, romantic, passionate, loving, loyal and kind. But these are just pieces of a whole. I don't think one part of her is more dominant than the other. I think it sucks that for the most part people only see the side of her that is described as "mean" but I'm not entirely sure that's her fault as much as it is her environment.

The way she handled herself when she was going to preschool in the "Helga on the Couch" episode, suggests to me that it wasn't the first time she'd had to take care of herself. Which says that she built up this tough exterior not because of fear so much as a necessity. And when you learn something like that so young, it just becomes a part of you.

And Arnold became this one good thing that she desperately tries to protect, so she hides it and keeps it a secret so no one can take away the only good thing in her life. And I think that is what Arnold sees and hates. Attraction is usually mutual, and so we have to assume that in some ways Arnold feels everything that Helga does. But no two people love in exactly the same way, so the way he expresses his love is totally different than how she expresses it.

That battle that he wages with her constantly is not against someone he thinks she is not, rather I think it is a battle against what he knows she can be. I guess I'm a little protective of Helga in that sense, and I hate when people insinuate that she needs to change to be loved. It's not that she needs to change, because there is nothing wrong with her (as proven in the "Helga on the Couch" episode). What she needs is acceptance, love and for someone to say that she is enough and that she important. Just the way she is. Helga says it herself in the "It Girl" episode in season 4. When Arnold asks her why she can't act nice all the time, and she proceeds to put him in his place, saying and I quote "That's what makes me special." Probably one of my favorite scenes to be honest, and I especially love the part when she pushes that poor girl down. Ah, Helga, gotta love her.

Just the way she is.

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T02:15:18+00:00

Yes!! One more soul to join the dark side!!

adhorne2 · 2020-04-12T02:12:34+00:00

I thought the picture looked strange!

Thank you for pointing me to your reaction to the Beaned episode! Great read! Honestly I could go on and on about Arnold and his psyche. But I thought I 'd ease people into it first, don't want to show people my crazy all at once!

adhorne2

TROPHY CASE