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Analyzing Afterschool Specials: It Must Be Love (‘Cause I Feel So Dumb!)
When I was in high school, afterschool specials came in the form of “very special” episodes of Degreassi: The Next Generation. I missed the true afterschool special era, but something has always drawn me to them. I love cheesy coverage of controversial social issues and relationships, the way adults try to appeal to children.
This special did not disappoint.
It Must Be Love (’Cause I Feel So Dumb!) follows a nerdy 13-year-old boy who develops a crush on a perpetually unimpressed cheerleader. This special first aired in October of 1975, and it has everything: a dog named Bill, silly hats, faulty soda machines, and the mysteries of a teenage boy’s heart.
You can actually watch the whole thing online. Which is what I did. If you don’t want to watch it, these are the highlights.
We open on a kid with copper hair and glasses approaching an arcade-style fortune teller. A song about young love plays as the fortune teller tells the boy he has a lot of emotions — and that he’s going to experience romance soon.
Then, there’s just a weird shot of some cheerleaders shouting “go” over and over again in the most frantic way. It’s kind of disturbing, but thankfully they don’t stay on it very long.
