Now we're just friends. Best friends.

I was sitting on my computer today, watching the video of "Friends Forever" by the classic rock band, the Zack Attack. It's an happy, spirtual tune by one of the great bands of this or any generation. Yet as I watched the video, I realized that there is a profound sadness behind the words, and the actions, of America's favorite fivesome.

Notice that I described the group as a "fivesome". Anyone between the ages of 18 and 34 know that the Saved By Bell cast is comprised of six main characters: Zack, Slater, Screech, Kelly, Lisa, and Jessie. Yet, in Zack Attack, there are only five members. If you study the video, or even the episode, a little closer, you may notice that Jessie is noticably missing from the group. This is strange, because Zack and Jessie are neighbors who have been best friends for years, Slater and Jessie dated for a time and broke up on amicable terms, and Jessie was already in a group with Lisa and Kelly. In fact, she was the leader, the Beyonce, of that act.¹

This is very peculiar, if you consider the facts. But the answer to Jessie's absense can be summed up in one word.

Drugs.



Jessie Spano was a caffeine pill addict. And while they all remained friends long after that heartrendering scene, it was clear that she would ruin their success with her pill popping ways, showing up to recording sessions all AWAKE and NOT TIRED.² Therefore, she was banned from the band.³

Another sad aspect of the song can be found in the title, "Friends Forever". Notice that the song isn't called "Best Friends Forever". As any girl from 15-25 can attest to, if you don't refer to your closest friends as your "BFF" or "Best Friend Forever", then they will probably not be your friend for very long. This may not seem like a big deal on the surface, but it shows great wisdom and depth from singer-songwriter, Zachary Morris. Clearly, young Zack realized that when he and his friends graduated, they would probably remain friends and keep in touch and maybe see each other once or twice every couple of years, but they would never be best friends beyond their high school days.⁴ After all, they were a group that consisted of a preppy rich kid, a naive cheerleader, a pasty white nerd, a Black fashion snob, a Latino meathead, and a drug addict. How many of those relationships last a lifetime, let alone forever?

It's an upbeat, catchy song, but it's also very sad and deep and thoughtful. What a great song. What a great band. What a great country. God Bless America.


¹ I can't think of anything that would highlight Screech and Jessie's friendship off the top of my head, so I'm going to move on.
² Key symptoms of caffeine pill addiction.
³ I really enjoy this sentence.
⁴ I realize that Zack, Slater, Screech, and Kelly went to the same school in Saved by the Bell: The College Years and that Zack and Kelly got married at the age of 19 without finishing school and without planning what they were going to do for money and living arrangements. Let's just pretend that never happened.