“My So Called Life” was a show on ABC that centered on the Angela Chase and her friends in high school. Angela is 15 and is trying to separate herself from her safe existence by befriending people who are out of her normal comfort zone. Rayanne Graff is Angela’s friend, she is being raised by a single mother and is rebellious. Rayanne suffers from a possible drug and alcohol addiction as she overdoses at one point at a party. Rickie Vasquez is 15 and Rayanne’s best friend. He is also bisexual and likes to wear make-up, and bright clothing. He spends much of his time at the school hanging out in the girl’s bathroom and Jordan Catalano. Jordan is Angela’s crush. He is the quintessential bad boy with a heart of gold. Part of the reason for his rebellious behavior is the fact that he is illiterate due to learning disability.
In the episode “The Substitute” the substitute teacher transforms Angela’s English class into a poetry club where the students are stimulated by the opportunity to express themselves. Angela’s mom Patty, who has a publishing company agrees to post the poems. There is an issue when Patty comes across a poem that was written by an anonymous student about sex. The substitute convinces her to publish the piece along with all of the other poems despite her hesitation in the school magazine. The principal is not happy with the fact that the school magazine has a poem about sex in at. He tries to appropriate all of the magazines that he can and decides that he will suspend anyone who is passing around copies. The principal also gets the substitute to quit. This is upsetting to Jordan because the substitute was teaching him to read. Sharon who was Angela’s old best friend is the one who wrote the poem and she is worried that she will be found out. On the other hand, Rayanne who is believed to have written it is afraid that everyone will find out that she did not. They both agree to work together in order to keep their lies going. Angela decides to distribute the magazine despite the threats of her principal because she feels that the poems are expressions of free speech. The principal threatens to suspend her, but her parents back her because they taught her to stand up for what she believed in. the principal decides not to go through with the suspension.
The clothes worn by Rayanne in the episode tend to be rather busy, layered and provocative. Almost everything that she wears consists of numerous layers, she also has a penchant for large bags. Rayanne is a huge fan of accessorizing. She has a tendency towards wearing hats, scarves, lots of long necklaces and chunky boots. Her hair which is long and slightly curly is usually pulled away from her face in a simple style except for one strand that is dyed blond that hangs in her face. Her make up consists of a deep lipstick. Rayanne is also seen with candy a lot especially candy rings.
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Works Cited
Google Images. "Rayanne Graff Fashion." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.
MySoCalledLife. "My So Called Life Season 1 Episodes 6 The Substitute Full Episodes 720p." YouTube. N.p., 17 July 2015. Web. 28 July 2016.
