126 replies to this topic

[Urvy]

NOTE: This essay is NOT directed towards any Jimmy/Cindy shippers here at IDOJ.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

As you all know, I do not support the Jimmy/Cindy relationship. Why? This is the basis for this essay I've decided to write about. Please not, I'm not bashing Jimmy/Cindy in any way, shape, or form.

On deviantART, I found a quote said by one of my friends there. I added some of my thoughts in () to make sure that he doesn't mean everyone at IDOJ:

"Jimmy/Cindy (Jimmy Neutron) - Boost Arnold's I.Q. by about 75 points and strip away Helga's unconvincing sob story about her upbringing and you have these two. I honestly didn't think it possible, but Cindy is even more unlikable than Helga. Between her constant stream of insults, her obnoxious threats and the fidgety way she gets if someone calls her on her feelings for Jimmy, I can’t think of a single redeeming quality for her. And, of course, there’s an army of people (Who are outside of IDOJ, I may add) who will defend this pairing to the death, people who clearly have a fascination with abusive relationships (I dunno if anyone at IDOJ does enjoy abusive relationships, but I doubt it). Seriously, listening to someone defending this ship is like listening to a defense of Scientology: it’s so mind-bogglingly ridiculous that even the person making the defense surely must be thinking, ‘Jesus H. Christ, do I really believe in this? Oh, my God!’."

Of course, in my opinion, people here at IDOJ do not enjoy (or condone) abusive relationships. But that's besides the point. My reasons for not supporting this ship is highly different than my friend's. My reason is the fact that although the show was cancelled because Nick was afraid that JN would take their audience away from their all-mighty-cash-cow-in-squarepants, we didn't know how will Jimmy and Cindy would carry on their relationship. My concern is that Cindy would revert back to her old ways and start to take control of Jimmy's life. I know people can change and stuff, but IMO, Cindy would go insane due to pressure. An example of someone having their mind snap was in the 1992 film, "Batman Returns". In the movie, Selina Kyle (portrayed in the film as a secretary) had her mind snap after falling to her death (she was pushed out of a window by her boss), and getting revived by a bunch of cats. Her mind was snapped, she began to wreck her apartment and became Catwoman. Cindy would likely act like that, minus being pushed off from a window and becoming a supervillain.

Cindy would become even more dominant and more controlling if such a thing happened. Jimmy would end up like in "The Tomorrow Boys", being in an unhappy, controlling relationship. Cindy would also, I'm afraid, be very abusive, physically and mentally. Physically, she would beat him, pinch him, pull his hair, give him Indian burns, and other forms of physical harm. Mentally, she would belittle him, insult him, force him to say she's superior, and other forms. I know that they grow out of that phase and the kids are only 11 at the time of the end of the show and all, but the old saying goes, "Old habits die hard", which means it's hard to give up old habits. If that would happen if Cindy never grows out of that phase, Cindy would pretend to act nice in public, but in private, she would taunt and hurt him from behind the scenes. That's why I'm worried about. Not to mention, what would happen if Jimmy dies at the hands of Cindy.

That's just my opinion, of course. Since the show was cancelled, we have all these unanswered questions. This is where fanfics come into play. Some of these authors on FanFiction.Net tend to vilify other characters who have a crush on Jimmy or Cindy in their fics. One example is Betty Quinlan, some fics portray her as a 1-dimensional villain who gets in the way of "Jimmy and Cindy's true love for each other." That's another gripe I have with J/C, the rabid extremists out there beyond our peaceful utopia of IDOJ. They tend to be closed-minded about other pairings. For example, last year on YouTube, NekoGirl saw a J/C extremist posted an anti-Jimmy/Betty comment on one of her vids. The poster of the comment is likely an immature, rabid fangirl of J/C, but she's a small sample of the ones who plague YouTube and FF.Net. They also tend to refuse to listen to the other side as well. They need to know that it's not always all about Jimmy/Cindy in the JN fandom, there's other Jimmy/*insert other canon or OC character here* shippers. And the rabid extremists tend to play the "Mary Sue" card when it comes to Betty. As a response to a comment I put on a vid about Jimmy, Cindy, and Betty, a rabid J/C extremist called her a Mary Sue. These rabid extremists tend to take J/C seriously.

While we're on the subject of Betty Quinlan, they J/C extremists tend to treat her like a pinata. Sure, Betty appeared mostly in the background in some eps and made a few appearances, but she does have fans. But no, the extremists bash her like there is no tomorrow. They don't realize that Betty Quinlan (like other one-shot or obscure characters) has fans. But since the extremists tend to be closed minded about Betty (or anyone else, this also applies to Nick Dean and April The Gorlock and fan created OC's), they don't want to hear about what the other side think about other pairings. Fanfic wise, they bash the other pairings, because they get in the way of their "one true love" of Jimmy/Cindy. They also tend to portray Nick as an abusive drunk boyfriend or Betty as a manipulating home-wrecker in their fics. These fics tend to be one-dimensional and bland at the same time. At the same time, they also tend to do Cindy no justice at all by portraying her as weak and helpless if it's an abusive Nick or a Mata Hari-esque Betty involved. These rabid supporters have no thought or consideration when it comes to other supporters of ships that these extremists oppose over all.

In closing, this is why I do not support Jimmy/Cindy over all. And I refuse to portray Nick and Betty as villains in my fics, because I'm a Jimmy/Betty supporter who does respect J/C. In my fics, I portray Nick and Betty just like if they're really part of the gang, and I do tend to make them multi-dimensional as possible as I can. One example is my current fic where Betty Q. becomes a Galactic Guardian by mistake (which I need to comtinue soon), and making pairings take a back seat to the story. And although I do portray Cindy as angry and bitter (and sometimes psychotic), I don't portray her as a villain, unlike those who portray Nick and Betty as villains. There will be stories in the pipeline that I will do J/B as a plot device, a bit of it, or not include it at all. But, I will portray Cindy and Betty as while Cindy is bitter of losing Jimmy to Betty, she still respects her. I'm proud that none of this extremism runs rampant here in this one big happy family of the I Dream of Jimmy message boards. Even if we do ship J/B, J/C, etc, we don't bash each others' pairings or joining the Lunatic Fringe.

And that's my two cents.

[Urvy]

Look him up here:

http://lonestarr357....urnal/16828675/

That's where I got that quote from.

[NekoGirl]

While I never exactly pictured the future of J/C, (& though I agree on certain aspects as controlling, but not nessacary abuse considering if they reached that far, she'd likely really love him by that point & this would stop her from going TOO far, but I definitely see "science OR me" when she becomes irritated over him spending more time on it than with her when he gets really into a project) I agree with the rest of your post, 100%.


I'd say half of why I dislike J/C is due to the ship itself (while I'm not saying J/B is better overall, I do say Jimmy would need someone kind, caring & supportive for a wife. One who's willing to wait until whichever invention he's working on is complete before getting some affection, cause she'd know he'd be far too distracted on 'how's this part gonna work, etc' in the meantime & ultimately not get his full attention during a night out or whatever. Not to mention its extremely likely Jimmy could be a founder of the future much like Disney's Lewis in Meet the Robinsons, he'd need specifically that type of loving, trusting wife to complete such a dream. Can't happen (either that, or it'd take a heck of a lot longer) if she's always badgering him for attention & care (Cindy calling for a footrub after a long day as a lawyer, etc anyone? XD), now can it?), & the other half would definitely have to be over the fandom & how obsessed the J/C extremists you mentioned can be.

[RocksmySocks]

I can definitely see where you're coming from, Urvy. It's nice that you are able to rationally explain yourself in an essay - I think shippers of all sorts could learn from your method, rather than the crazy angry mobs some of them like to form.

I'm a JCer, as you know, but if Cindy turned out like you described, I would not ship it any longer. I'm a JCer because I personally don't see her turning out like that, but I don't think your theory is completely unrealistic or anything. It's hard to know what a kid will be like when they're an adult, so I can't say your idea is "wrong" (and on that note, I will be monitoring this topic, just to make sure a debate of that nature doesn't get out of control in here). Cindy has had a difficult family life, after all, and that could lead to issues later in her life.

I also respect your ideas, Stacy, as to why JB works better than JC. The reason I ship JC is because I think Jimmy needs that challenge in his life to keep his massive ego under control, and to curb his more insane experiments with a giant splash of reality (Cindy is good at throwing cold water on things, lol). But Betty would be a nice option for someone who could encourage Jimmy and not get in the way of his experiments.

I also agree with both of you in that I can't stand when people use Betty or Nick as villains. It's so uncreative and just...such a cop-out. I'm a huge fan of Nick, actually, haha. I think he's an awesome character that sadly got underrepresented in the TV series. And Betty has never done anything in canon to hint that she is actually secretly a major b*tch, lol. People just want conflict to further a JC plot, and can't come up with anything original, so they just go with the simplest solution. As a writer, that makes me annoyed. And bored, lol.

Anyway, I totally respect not shipping JC. Thanks for posting your essay, Urvy!

[Mara=^.^=]

Boost Arnold's I.Q. by about 75 points and strip away Helga's unconvincing sob story about her upbringing and you have these two. I honestly didn't think it possible, but Cindy is even more unlikable than Helga.

I know it was your friend who said this, and not you, but dude...Helga, unlikeable? I can see how people might dislike Cindy, but Helga?

Helga is my favorite fictional character of all time. H/A shipping aside....Helga herself is brilliantly written and has the most fascinating flaws of any cartoon character I've seen. If a good female character has to be "supportive and kind" and more or less free of shortcomings so that the hero can have a sweet happy wifey...well, LAME.

Give me a Helga any day.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
P.S. LOL, I realize this has nothing to do with J/B...which I totally support. So rock on.

[NekoGirl]

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
P.S. LOL, I realize this has nothing to do with J/B...which I totally support. So rock on.

*reads; jaw drops* Mara, I had NO idea on that one, thought you did that J/B vid of yours just to do it, not cause of actual shipping (multishippeing doesn't nessacarily mean you include J/B, so I figured it best not to assume ), God this made my day beyond SOOO many levels! *squeeze-hugs you*

Thank you Katie! See this is why I love IDOJ, its the only place where J/Bers can express their feelings & remain sane after most, if not all responses!

[Mara=^.^=]

Yup, I'm a multishipper extraordinaire (though I'm really quite fond of S/L)


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Pigquet3]

In closing, this is why I do not support Jimmy/Cindy over all. And I refuse to portray Nick and Betty as villains in my fics, because I'm a Jimmy/Betty supporter who does respect J/C. In my fics, I portray Nick and Betty just like if they're really part of the gang, and I do tend to make them multi-dimensional as possible as I can. One example is my current fic where Betty Q. becomes a Galactic Guardian by mistake (which I need to comtinue soon), and making pairings take a back seat to the story. And although I do portray Cindy as angry and bitter (and sometimes psychotic), I don't portray her as a villain, unlike those who portray Nick and Betty as villains. There will be stories in the pipeline that I will do J/B as a plot device, a bit of it, or not include it at all. But, I will portray Cindy and Betty as while Cindy is bitter of losing Jimmy to Betty, she still respects her. I'm proud that none of this extremism runs rampant here in this one big happy family of the I Dream of Jimmy message boards. Even if we do ship J/B, J/C, etc, we don't bash each others' pairings or joining the Lunatic Fringe.

And that's my two cents.

I fully 100% agree with you about the portraying Nick and Better as villians in fanfics or other forms of art. It doesn't get much more ridiculous and out-of-character than that. Its one thing if a person wants to think Nick's a bit obnoxious, and that maybe Betty's not as super sweet as she appears on the outside, but these crazy, evil villians? I mean...WHY?! LOL. There's plenty of other real villians or townspeople that would be ten times more creative than that one again. I'll never understand someone disliking a character just because he might interfere with your ship. If the character is genunienly dislikable and has seperate qualities you can't stand, that's fine...but if the only reason you don't like him is because you ship something...that makes no sense to me.

I do ship J/C, mainly because I think the relationship was a lot better before it got mushy in season 3. They should have developed them up a lot more before all that. I liked how they sort of clicked by being rivals and competitors since they were young, and yet have never given up on it. If they truly hated eachother, I think they just wouldn't talk or bother with eachother. You don't put that much effort or attention (even if its negative) into someone you truly hate. You may not like them, but don't hate them if you're constantly debating and arguing with them. It really makes me think they've always liked it...I like to think they admire eachother's intelligence and will someday get eachother under control. Pretty much like Katie said.

And, even if I didn't ship J/C, I don't believe I could ever ship J/B because I don't think we know enough about her character. That's not her fault at all, just she only had a main role in four episodes, and her main purpose seemed to just be that she's Jimmy's crush. We didn't learn much about her personally, and why she may be compatible with him, or...anybody. Its ashame that we didn't, but that's why I can't picture them "together forever" or anything like that. We barely know her!

I'll always respect your J/B and anti-J/C shipping, Urvy and Stacy, and anyone else who does. I disagree with you about the "Cindy turning abusive" theory (I think that's just something she'll grow out of), but if you find good evidence of that, its a completely legitimate reason for not liking it. Thanks for posting and elaborate essay explaining why.

I know it was your friend who said this, and not you, but dude...Helga, unlikeable? I can see how people might dislike Cindy, but Helga?

Helga is my favorite fictional character of all time. H/A shipping aside....Helga herself is brilliantly written and has the most fascinating flaws of any cartoon character I've seen. If a good female character has to be "supportive and kind" and more or less free of shortcomings so that the hero can have a sweet happy wifey...well, LAME.

Give me a Helga any day.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
P.S. LOL, I realize this has nothing to do with J/B...which I totally support. So rock on.

Agreed, agreed, agreed on SO many levels! LOL! She's my favorite character in the ever history of cartoons, and has one of the most believeable personalities and unqiue habits of any other I've ever seen. I love flawed, misanthropic, and tough characters so much! She's so complex its amazing; I award the writers for coming up with a character like that! Agreed that not every likable character has to be super sweet...boring! XD I don't care what you ship in the show, but how can someone just DISKLIKE her?! XD But, I respect it of course. In my opinion, she's no Cindy. At all. I don't see it. lol

In fact, I don't see how that relationship fits J/C at all. I mean, Jimmy and Cindy argue all the time. Arnold and Helga don't really fight...she secretly loves him and then yells at and picks on him to hide it on a regular basis...whereas Arnold will find her annoying or nice depending on the situation...but doesn't really fight with her. Its more one-sided love/hate if you ask me. Very different from J/C. *shrugs*






Pigquet

[Urvy]

Thank you guys for the support and the feedback!

And yes Mara, I dunno why Helga is unlikeable by some...

[Sheenfan1]

Holy freakin cow, your good at this stuff. I understand what your saying and respect it, I mean I'd hate for Jimmy to be in an unhappy relationship. It would have been nice to see if Cindy changed in the future, if she didn't yah I couldn't see them together. I'd rather see him with some one who'd wouldn't be mean to him and treat him so unfair .

[Urvy]

Thanks for agreeing with me.

[David]

My favorite fic of all time, "The Final Battle," actually includes Nick as a main character, and I really enjoyed his portrayal. His personality was extended greatly, way more than the show ever attempted to. Betty was also not a villain, though she was not around too much. Though I will mention that the story is for sure J/C.

In spite of that, I do see your point and concur on your reasoning.

[Urvy]

Glad you understand.

[SweeneyxxTodd]

Cindy has had a difficult family life, after all, and that could lead to issues later in her life.

What makes you think that she has a difficult family life? I don't think I've seen anything in the series that suggests her family life is hard. Have you seen how much her mother bragged about her in Out Darn Spotlight? By the way she talked, it looked like she truly thought Cindy could do anything.

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

That's exactly what I was thinking, Mary. lol

[Urvy]

The difficult family life does support my idea on how Cindy would have her mind snap and become insane.

[girlgenius123]

You bring up interesting points. However, I disagree on a couple of them. (I'll try not to go insane.):

*I think all the talk about abuse and controlling is a little bit extreme. I know this is a tired argument, but it's just a cartoon. It's like saying Sheen will never outgrow UltraLord and will be forever be buying all the products (well, okay, maybe that's not QUITE a stretch).

*Jimmy is not a wimp. Should something happen on Cindy's part, he would probably be strong enough to take a stand. (Heck, he starts the arguments quite a few times.) Also, I feel Cindy (and Jimmy for that matter) will outgrow any immature qualities. It's part of growing up.

/cheesiness

*I don't think Tomorrow Boys is a good example of the evidence for abuse. Cindy was quite brutal in her scene. But there is the fact that Libby was, you know, a dictator. (She could be compared to Dictator Jimmy from TOSOT!)

*Ah, fandom. It can be a cruel mistress. Which is why I rarely pay attention to it when I choose pairings. Crazy fangirls/fanboys will always exist. I just ignore them and keep loving my OTP's.

Don't get me wrong, I agree on a couple of points; Betty is a sweet girl, April is awesome, and Nick is funny. Heck, sometimes I think J/C's arguments go too far. Plus, I actually believe Jimmy will end up with someone totally new in the future. I just like a good old-fashioned debate.

(BTW, I believe the "family troubles" situation is speculation mixed with a few subtle hints worked into a couple of episodes. There's no concrete proof.)

[Urvy]

I'm glad you understand

[Urvy]

To show what could happen to Cindy if her mind snapped, here's the mentioned scene from Batman Returns:



It could fit Cindy's transformation well, minus the Catwoman stuff.

[Sanjana R]

Nicely written, and I respect J/B'ers, but I've been a J/C fan, because with them, you feel the connection. Cindy's the only one who can bring down Neutron's huge ego, and Jimmy's the only one really on the same intellectual plane as Cindy. Of course, Cindy will always be second best to Neutron's brain, but she's worked hard to get where she is. As for the abuse, idk about your theory, although it makes sense. After all, they are only 11 as of the end of the series.

Also, you never connect with Betty, because she's only present in, what, 2 episodes? And something about her has annoyed me since Vanishing Act, when she told Cindy to back off, and that Neutron was all hers. She sounded mean there so I partially understand why people may write her off as a B**** in their fanfics. But then again, Cindy too can yell at Jimmy too much and she might have just been annoyed.