Did We Kill Screech?
How dork culture is damning
Like many 90’s kids, I grew up watching Saved By the Bell. I still watch it. Every Saturday morning I turn on the tv to watch reruns of Saved By the Bell on IFC. Watching as a kid, it felt hopeful, and as a young adult, it felt comforting and nostalgic. Yet, watching it now, I see many glaringly obvious issues with the show, in particular the overused trope of the “dork.”
Played by Dustin Diamond, “Screech” is the stereotypical nerdy character. He is incredibly smart, loves science, and has little luck with the ladies. His best friend is a robot named Kevin. While the writing aims to make the audience laugh at Screech’s expense, it is the treatment of his character by the rest of the cast that I find to be cringy. Not only is he the butt of jokes, but he is continually talked down to and called demeaning names.
When I heard the news on February 1st that Dustin Diamond had died, I felt deeply sad. At only 44 years-old, Diamond had succumbed to lung cancer. I couldn’t kick the overwhelming feeling that society was partly responsible for his death. Terminal lung cancer at 44 isn’t common. A very small number of people are diagnosed with lung cancer before age 45. What happened in his life that impacted the choices that he made? He hadn’t exactly had it easy, even as a celebrity.
Diamond considered himself a comedian. Many famous comedians struggle with addiction and depression, with their lives cut short by these ailments. Psychologists believe that comedy is often a defense against depression.
Being the kid who is frequently made fun of and demeaned is incredibly damaging. I was a “dorky” kid. I had thick glasses, I was pale and scrawny, and I loved school. Though, I never experienced anything the likes of what Screech’s character endured. I realize it is a tv show, and these were actors, but it is no secret that the cast didn’t exactly welcome Dustin into their group. He continually felt isolated from his peers on the set.
In his adult years, following his success as a young actor, he struggled to find work. He starred in several “Saved By the Bell “reboots, ultimately cancelled by the networks. He appeared on the reality show, “Celebrity Fit Club” where he had altercations with several other cast members. He went on the Howard Stern show, asking listeners to purchase a t-shirt from his website with the words “I paid $15 to save Screech’s house” in an effort to avoid foreclosure. He had a brief uptick in media exposure after he was involved in a sex tape.
I couldn’t find much information on his lifestyle choices. He was in a bar altercation in Wisconsin in 2014 and was arrested for pulling a switchblade knife and stabbing a man. He may have had a history of alcohol and drug use, given what I have seen of his appearances over the years, and this being commonplace in Hollywood. I also assume heavy smoking came with the territory, given his cause of death at just shy of 45-years-old.
I realize that we are all responsible for our own choices. No one forces another person to take up drinking, drugs, or smoking. I also know that as high as three-quarters of those who have suffered mental abuse and trauma also report problematic alcohol use. Watching old reruns of Saved By The Bell and Saved By The Bell: The College Years and reading about Diamond’s experience with his castmates off the sets, it is clear to me that he was enduring mental and emotional abuse.
In our current time, there is little tolerance for bullying. Schools are encouraged to create anti-bullying campaigns, and kids are taught that bullying is not acceptable. Yet, television and movies still portray characters like Screech, who are the targets of constant bullying, under the guise of humor.
The dynamic of the Saved By The Bell cast, and the way Screech was portrayed, always made me uncomfortable. Maybe it was because of my own experience with bullying that made it relatable. Perhaps I just have a soft spot for the outcast characters. My heart feels heavy reading interviews shortly before his death. He still seemed to be vying for the acceptance of his peers. The latest Saved By The Bell reboot on Peacock left out Diamond’s character. In several interviews, he stated that he was hopeful he would be asked back to reprise his role as Screech. Unfortunately, he never got this opportunity.
I think that without Screech’s character, Saved By The Bell wouldn’t have been the success it was. What that says of society, I don’t know. Whether we were laughing at his silly antics, we sympathetically saw ourselves in him, or we felt better about ourselves because we would never be as dorky as Screech — people responded to the character.
I have mixed feelings that there is no Screech in the newest reboot. I watched it, and I found it entertaining. The writing is much more socially conscious and fits better with our current time. Perhaps that is why we don’t see Screech’s character, at least as we remember him. Yet, this was also an opportunity to right the wrongs done by Screech, and to portray the nerdy or dorky character in a more positive and accepting light.
Progress is coming slowly, however. Being nerdy isn’t always portrayed negatively. We see the “dork” types finding personal and financial successes later in life. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, two household names and pioneers in the tech industry, would have been considered the outcast, dorky kid in school. We finally see the value in intelligence and uniqueness, instead of merely popularity or physical attributes.
I wish we would have gotten it right for Diamond and for the other kids out there struggling to be accepted. We had already failed him and many others. We owe it to him to change the dialogue, openly accept and embrace the kids who are different, and listen when they tell us they feel left out. To Dustin Diamond, we are sorry we failed you. Rest easy, Screech.
