Tracy Flick
Encyclopedia
Tracy Enid Flick is a fictional character
, originating in the 1998 novel Election
by Tom Perrotta
and portrayed by Reese Witherspoon
in the 1999 film adaptation of the same title
. Tracy is a smart, ambitious high school
student, whose quest to win a school election is nearly derailed by her own ruthlessness and desperation. In both the novel and the film, she is the main antagonist
.
Witherspoon's performance as Tracy was widely acclaimed by critics and garnered her multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe nod. The character has since become an icon, as her driven, focused personality and unpopularity among her peers have led to comparisons with many real-life public figures, particularly female politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin
.
athlete Paul Metzler (Chris Klein
), sidelined from the football team by a skiing accident, and Paul's younger sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell
), a moody, sarcastic rebel
. Paul has been coaxed into running by election supervisor Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick
), a civics
teacher nursing a deep resentment
towards Tracy since her affair
with Jim's best friend and fellow teacher cost the man his job.
As the race continues and Paul's effortless popularity continues to jeopardize Tracy's once-sure victory, Tracy's frustration
drives her to commit an act of sabotage
against Paul's campaign
. Despite Jim McAllister's conviction of her guilt, she escapes punishment through a stroke of pure luck when Tammy claims responsibility for the crime and is subsequently expelled
, which was her objective in "confessing." Tracy wins the election and goes on to attend Georgetown University
, her dream school. She is later seen working closely alongside a congressman
in Washington, D.C.
began his review of Election by noting, "I remember students like Tracy Flick, the know-it-all who always has her hand in the air, while the teacher desperately looks for someone else to call on. In fact, I was a student like Tracy Flick." He goes on to compare Tracy to Elizabeth Dole
: "a person who always seems to be presenting you with a logical puzzle for which she is the answer... She is always perfectly dressed and groomed, and is usually able to conceal her hot temper behind a facade of maddening cheerfulness. But she is ruthless. She reminds me of a saying attributed to David Merrick
: 'It is not enough for me to win. My enemies must lose.'"
A 2006 profile of the character in The Washington Post
called her "wonderfully monstrous." "In [director Alexander Payne
]'s study of her pathologies, Tracy's will is so fiery and her perfection so total that no one dares stand against her in her goal." The Stranger
wrote, "Like Humbert Humbert, the Reverend Harry Powell
, and Baby Jane Hudson
before her, Tracy Flick is a real and lasting contribution to the cinematic understanding of the villain
, and the feather in Witherspoon's cap."
Elections director Alexander Payne
was anxious to cast Witherspoon as Tracy, based on her performances in Freeway and the 1991 film The Man in the Moon
, and Witherspoon was equally eager to sign on to the project—but not to play Tracy. Witherspoon was drawn to the part of Tammy Metzler, the cynical outcast who becomes the election's dark horse
presidential candidate. Referring to the scene in which Tammy delivers a shocking campaign speech denouncing the school's administration and the entire concept of elected student government, Witherspoon said, "That speech alone made me want to play Tammy! So I was terribly conflicted." (Tammy was eventually portrayed by Jessica Campbell
.)
To play Tracy, Witherspoon developed a distinct speech pattern combining strident intonations with a chipper Midwestern accent. She also worked on clenching her facial muscles and maintaining a clipped walking pace. "That was just Tracy, it so escapes me how it came out!" she said. "I just imagined how uptight people carry themselves, and they grind their teeth at night and they clench their jaw because everything has to be just perfect." Praising her performance, her co-star Matthew Broderick said, "From the first she knew exactly what she wanted--a very aggressive person in a small and cute package... she comes out very funny and very scary at the same time."
Witherspoon's performance as Tracy Flick received widespread critical acclaim, as well as her first Golden Globe Award
nomination and several other accolades (see below). However, she later said that her career struggles continued after Election due to public confusion between the character and the actress. "I'm not Tracy Flick. I couldn't get jobs for a year after that because people thought I was that crazy and angry and controlling and strange. But yeah, um, I'm not."
and former U.S. senator
and presidential candidate
. A January 2008 video mashup
, produced by Slate
, combined campaign footage of Clinton with clips from Election to draw a comparison between Clinton's and Tracy's feelings about the inferiority of their opponents. The video was widely circulated and praised.
A Christian Science Monitor review of Clinton's 2003 biography, Living History
, quoted an excerpt in which Clinton discussed her participation during high school in a Cultural Values Committee and noted, "There is obviously some truth here, but the tone of the passage reeks of Tracy Flick, the overachieving, overly serious high school student from the film "Election." Not to belittle the efforts of the Cultural Values Committee, but a brief aside to show that Clinton understands that high school sociopolitics is not exactly on par with race relations would be nice."
Later in 2008, following Clinton's defeat for the Democratic presidential nomination, multiple commentators likened Tracy to the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Alaska governor Sarah Palin
. Actress and comedian Tina Fey
credited Witherspoon's performance as Tracy as an influence for Fey's extremely popular Emmy-winning impersonation of Palin on Saturday Night Live
.
Other political figures compared to Tracy include former U.S. vice-president and presidential candidate Al Gore
; Seattle City Council
member Helen Willis; and New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand
, whom Maureen Dowd
wrote was nicknamed Tracy Flick by her colleagues for her "opportunistic and sharp-elbowed" manner.
Outside the political arena, several reviews of the 2007 film Rocket Science
noted similarities between that film's character of Ginny, portrayed by Anna Kendrick
, and Tracy. She has also been mentioned in comparison to Amanda Lorber of the MTV
series The Paper
.
list of "high-school fast-talkers before Charlie Bartlett
"; and a 2008 E! Online list of "the top 9 creepiest movie bad guys."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, originating in the 1998 novel Election
Election (1998 novel)
Election is a 1998 novel by Tom Perrotta. It is a black comedy about a high school history teacher who attempts to sabotage a manipulative, overly-ambitious girl's campaign to become school president...
by Tom Perrotta
Tom Perrotta
Thomas R. Perrotta is an Albanian-American/ Italian-American novelist and screenwriter best known for his novels Election and Little Children , both of which were made into critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated films...
and portrayed by Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
in the 1999 film adaptation of the same title
Election (1999 film)
Election is a 1999 American comedy film adapted from a 1998 novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. The plot revolves around a three-way election race in high school, and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics...
. Tracy is a smart, ambitious high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
student, whose quest to win a school election is nearly derailed by her own ruthlessness and desperation. In both the novel and the film, she is the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
.
Witherspoon's performance as Tracy was widely acclaimed by critics and garnered her multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe nod. The character has since become an icon, as her driven, focused personality and unpopularity among her peers have led to comparisons with many real-life public figures, particularly female politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
.
Overview
Tracy is an overachieving high school junior, preparing for an easy election to the office of student body president after three years of extracurricular toil. Her assumptions of an unopposed victory are dashed when two unexpected challengers enter the race: friendly and popularPopularity
Popularity is the quality of being well-liked or common, or having a high social status. Popularity figures are an important part of many people's personal value systems and form a vital component of success in people-oriented fields such as management, politics, and entertainment, among...
athlete Paul Metzler (Chris Klein
Chris Klein (actor)
Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
), sidelined from the football team by a skiing accident, and Paul's younger sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell
Jessica Campbell
Jessica Campbell is a film and television actress. Her appearances include the roles of Tammy Metzler in the 1999 film Election, Julie Gold in the 2001 film The Safety of Objects and the two episode guest role of Amy Andrews in the TV series Freaks and Geeks.-External links:...
), a moody, sarcastic rebel
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. Paul has been coaxed into running by election supervisor Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
), a civics
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
teacher nursing a deep resentment
Resentment
Resentment is the experience of a negative emotion felt as a result of a real or imagined wrong done. Etymologically, the word originates from French "ressentir", re-, intensive prefix, and sentir "to feel"; from the Latin "sentire"...
towards Tracy since her affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
with Jim's best friend and fellow teacher cost the man his job.
As the race continues and Paul's effortless popularity continues to jeopardize Tracy's once-sure victory, Tracy's frustration
Frustration
This article concerns the field of psychology. The term frustration does, however, also concern physics. In this context, the term is treated in a different article, geometric frustration....
drives her to commit an act of sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
against Paul's campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
. Despite Jim McAllister's conviction of her guilt, she escapes punishment through a stroke of pure luck when Tammy claims responsibility for the crime and is subsequently expelled
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
, which was her objective in "confessing." Tracy wins the election and goes on to attend Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, her dream school. She is later seen working closely alongside a congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Reception
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
began his review of Election by noting, "I remember students like Tracy Flick, the know-it-all who always has her hand in the air, while the teacher desperately looks for someone else to call on. In fact, I was a student like Tracy Flick." He goes on to compare Tracy to Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
: "a person who always seems to be presenting you with a logical puzzle for which she is the answer... She is always perfectly dressed and groomed, and is usually able to conceal her hot temper behind a facade of maddening cheerfulness. But she is ruthless. She reminds me of a saying attributed to David Merrick
David Merrick
David Merrick was a prolific Tony Award-winning American theatrical producer.-Life and career:Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick graduated from Washington University, then studied law at the Jesuit-run Saint Louis University School of Law...
: 'It is not enough for me to win. My enemies must lose.'"
A 2006 profile of the character in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
called her "wonderfully monstrous." "In [director Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne, born Alexander Constantine Papadopoulos is an American film director and screenwriter. His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society.- Early life :...
]'s study of her pathologies, Tracy's will is so fiery and her perfection so total that no one dares stand against her in her goal." The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
wrote, "Like Humbert Humbert, the Reverend Harry Powell
Reverend Harry Powell
Reverend Harry Powell is a fictional character in Davis Grubb's 1953 novel The Night of the Hunter. He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in Charles Laughton's 1955 film adaptation, and by Richard Chamberlain in the 1991 made for TV remake...
, and Baby Jane Hudson
Baby Jane Hudson
Baby Jane Hudson is a fictional character and the antagonist of Henry Farrell's 1960 novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? She was portrayed by Bette Davis in the 1962 film adaptation and by Lynn Redgrave in the 1991 made for TV remake...
before her, Tracy Flick is a real and lasting contribution to the cinematic understanding of the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
, and the feather in Witherspoon's cap."
Witherspoon's portrayal
In the late 1990s, following her starring roles in the 1996 dramas Fear and Freeway, Witherspoon found herself in an unexpected career slump that led her towards a change in direction. "All my serious dramatic performances suddenly weren't getting me the jobs or opportunities that I really wanted," she said in a 2005 interview. "I have stacks and stacks of letters from great directors saying I can't cast you because you don't mean anything to the studios. That's why I turned the boat toward comedy."Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne, born Alexander Constantine Papadopoulos is an American film director and screenwriter. His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society.- Early life :...
was anxious to cast Witherspoon as Tracy, based on her performances in Freeway and the 1991 film The Man in the Moon
The Man in the Moon
The Man in the Moon is a 1991 American drama film, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Sam Waterston, Reese Witherspoon and Jason London...
, and Witherspoon was equally eager to sign on to the project—but not to play Tracy. Witherspoon was drawn to the part of Tammy Metzler, the cynical outcast who becomes the election's dark horse
Dark horse
Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
presidential candidate. Referring to the scene in which Tammy delivers a shocking campaign speech denouncing the school's administration and the entire concept of elected student government, Witherspoon said, "That speech alone made me want to play Tammy! So I was terribly conflicted." (Tammy was eventually portrayed by Jessica Campbell
Jessica Campbell
Jessica Campbell is a film and television actress. Her appearances include the roles of Tammy Metzler in the 1999 film Election, Julie Gold in the 2001 film The Safety of Objects and the two episode guest role of Amy Andrews in the TV series Freaks and Geeks.-External links:...
.)
To play Tracy, Witherspoon developed a distinct speech pattern combining strident intonations with a chipper Midwestern accent. She also worked on clenching her facial muscles and maintaining a clipped walking pace. "That was just Tracy, it so escapes me how it came out!" she said. "I just imagined how uptight people carry themselves, and they grind their teeth at night and they clench their jaw because everything has to be just perfect." Praising her performance, her co-star Matthew Broderick said, "From the first she knew exactly what she wanted--a very aggressive person in a small and cute package... she comes out very funny and very scary at the same time."
Witherspoon's performance as Tracy Flick received widespread critical acclaim, as well as her first Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination and several other accolades (see below). However, she later said that her career struggles continued after Election due to public confusion between the character and the actress. "I'm not Tracy Flick. I couldn't get jobs for a year after that because people thought I was that crazy and angry and controlling and strange. But yeah, um, I'm not."
Awards and nominations
| Award | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| American Comedy Awards, USA American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films... |
Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit... |
Best Female Lead | Nominated |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| Golden Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical | Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Film - Choice Hissy Fit | Nominated |
Comparisons
Tracy Flick has been a frequent point of comparison in commentary on real-world political figures. Perhaps the figure most often associated with the character has been Hillary Clinton, current U.S. Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
and former U.S. senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and presidential candidate
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
. A January 2008 video mashup
Mashup (video)
A video mashup is the combination of multiple sources of video—which usually have no relation with each other—into a derivative work, often lampooning its component sources or another text. Many mashup videos are humorous movie trailer parodies, a later genre of mashups gaining much popularity...
, produced by Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
, combined campaign footage of Clinton with clips from Election to draw a comparison between Clinton's and Tracy's feelings about the inferiority of their opponents. The video was widely circulated and praised.
A Christian Science Monitor review of Clinton's 2003 biography, Living History
Living History
Living History is the autobiography of Secretary of State, former United States Senator from New York, and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, published in 2003....
, quoted an excerpt in which Clinton discussed her participation during high school in a Cultural Values Committee and noted, "There is obviously some truth here, but the tone of the passage reeks of Tracy Flick, the overachieving, overly serious high school student from the film "Election." Not to belittle the efforts of the Cultural Values Committee, but a brief aside to show that Clinton understands that high school sociopolitics is not exactly on par with race relations would be nice."
Later in 2008, following Clinton's defeat for the Democratic presidential nomination, multiple commentators likened Tracy to the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Alaska governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. Actress and comedian Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
credited Witherspoon's performance as Tracy as an influence for Fey's extremely popular Emmy-winning impersonation of Palin on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Other political figures compared to Tracy include former U.S. vice-president and presidential candidate Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
; Seattle City Council
Seattle City Council
The Seattle City Council is committed to ensuring that Seattle, Washington, is safe, livable and sustainable. Nine Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections and represent the entire city, elected by all Seattle voters....
member Helen Willis; and New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
, whom Maureen Dowd
Maureen Dowd
Maureen Bridgid Dowd is a Washington D.C.-based columnist for The New York Times and best-selling author. During the 1970s and the early 1980s, she worked for Time magazine and the Washington Star, where she covered news as well as sports and wrote feature articles...
wrote was nicknamed Tracy Flick by her colleagues for her "opportunistic and sharp-elbowed" manner.
Outside the political arena, several reviews of the 2007 film Rocket Science
Rocket Science (film)
Rocket Science is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, and starring Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, Nicholas D'Agosto, Vincent Piazza, and Aaron Yoo...
noted similarities between that film's character of Ginny, portrayed by Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
, and Tracy. She has also been mentioned in comparison to Amanda Lorber of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
series The Paper
The Paper (TV series)
The Paper is a reality television show on MTV. The show covers the lives of the Cypress Bay High School newspaper staff, focusing mostly on four senior editors...
.
As a cultural icon
Tracy Flick has been included on a 2007 list on mtv.com of "our 10 favorite high school archetypes from the movies" (as "The Annoying Overachiever"); a 2008 New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
list of "high-school fast-talkers before Charlie Bartlett
Charlie Bartlett
Charlie Bartlett is a 2008 comedy-drama film directed by Jon Poll. The screenplay by Gustin Nash focuses on a teenager who begins to dispense therapeutic advice and prescription drugs to the student body at his new high school in order to become popular....
"; and a 2008 E! Online list of "the top 9 creepiest movie bad guys."