I was wondering if anyone else liked the Mr. Rosso character. I crack up every time I see him. He's a goofy wannabe "cool" guidance counselor who is obviously trying way too hard. I just watched the Alice Cooper "Eighteen" scene and was laughing my ass off. So awkward! Did anyone have a teacher or guidance counselor like that who tried to act cool but was really just a weirdo?
shareHe is great! I love the way he speaks and delivers his lines. I have no idea why he hasn't had a bigger career.
I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when he told us he had herpes. And the scene with Ben Stiller as the dissatisfied security man was priceless. Despite being such a doofus, Mr Rosso had real integrity and cared about the students. He certainly saw Lindsay's situation for what it was.
I had a few teachers who clearly had hipster sympathies, from their clothes.
A friend of mine was sooooo pissed off when he said he had herpes. She thought he was "hot" and said that totally blew it because how could anyone want him?
Yes, I did try to explain that he was just a TV character, not real. She was still upset about her "fantasy" being shot down
One of the underlying comedic elements of the show is that this bumbling doofus is the only adult who really understands what the kids are doing to themselves - because he really cares, and pays attention.
The herpes scene is incredible.
I love Mr. Rosso. Eveytime he's "getting real" with the kids and making them squirm, I immediately imagine him looking 10+ years younger, shirtless and dropping acid at Woodstock. It's just funny. I always figured that he might have smoked the pot that he took from Daniel and Ken. Yea, he brought in that burn out as an example for them to not do drugs, but he was just doing his job lol!
Even though he was an authority figure, the kids liked him. In my opinion, it's better to be dorky trying too hard than to be an *beep* that no one likes. At least Rosso was respected to some point. The other guy, (his character name escapes me) the short one, was always scowling and never happy. The kids didn't like him at all.
"But you ain't got no legs Lt. Dan" ~Forrest Gump
My 3D Art teacher (Mr. Woods) was a real-life version of Rosso. There was a few holdover hippies of the time and he was unlike any teacher that I've ever had. Awesome guy! Anyway, if you can catch King of the Hill, the same actor does a character named Appleseed who looks and acts in the same vane as Mr. Rosso.
shareGreat character. Best thing they did was not treat him as a total cartoon. You start to really feel for him in the episode where V.P. George Bush visits the campus.
Which time tunnel did you come through?
He's a funny character but he's not very realistic. Schools are pretty conservative institutions, so they would have never allowed a guidance counselor to have long hippie hair in 1980.
shareMy guy did, and it was only 1981. Granted, he was an Arts teachers (one of the best I ever had), but he had the whole Rosso thing going.
shareWell he was an "arts" teacher not a guidance counselor. Schools make certain exceptions for art teachers. It's seen as an elective quasi extra-curicular activity so parents and schools don't view it with as much scrutiny.
Guidance counselors have to deal with hundreds of parents. In the case of the show, you're dealing with parents born predominately in the 1930's. They're weren't going to deal with some ex-hippie guy when dealing with situations pertaining with the future of their children.
Also they make it seem like Mr. Rosso is the only guidance counselor in the school.
Even now, I know several die-hard hippies who still work in education - usually teaching art, elementary school, or working as guidance counselors. They are getting harder to find, as they are retiring after 30-40 years working in the schools.
Of course, most are women, and most do not have the integrity that Rosso had.
I liked how he managed to skate the line between trying to be cool and in a way actually being cool.
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Yes. It seemed like he was totally comfortable with himself. In my memory he was a bit of a cartoon character, but I've watched a scene on Youtube and I think he is believable enough.
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In my opinion his whole act was somewhat irrirating though he wasn't actually that bad a guy.
shareHas got to be in my top 4 characters of the series.
His timing & line delivery were killer... even his voice is hilarious.