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Whale Talk

 Whale Talk
type
TVTItem
 Whale Talk
label
Whale Talk
 Whale Talk
page
WhaleTalk
 Whale Talk
comment
Cutter High School has a storied athletic history, and senior and outcast T.J. Jones is tired of the caste system it enables amongst its students. So what better way to fight back than to form a swim team full of fellow outcasts to claim the school's precious and revered varsity letter jackets?First problem: Cutter High School doesn't have a pool. Second problem: He's the only one who's any good at swimming.Whale Talk, written by acclaimed author Chris Crutcher, won several awards following its 2001 publication. A film adaptation was announced to be in development in 2015.
 Whale Talk
fetched
2023-09-24T21:50:27Z
 Whale Talk
parsed
2023-09-24T21:50:27Z
 Whale Talk
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Whale Talk / int_1b4e322c
type
Mr. Fanservice
 Whale Talk / int_1b4e322c
comment
Mr. Fanservice: Tay-Roy is ripped and he knows it, as a former bodybuilder. Played for laughs when it comes to light that Mott and even Dan have been using his pictures to catfish women in Alabama and Illinois.
 Whale Talk / int_1b4e322c
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 Whale Talk / int_1b4e322c
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Whale Talk / int_1b4e322c
 Whale Talk / int_1ba17583
type
The Ghost
 Whale Talk / int_1ba17583
comment
The Ghost: Alicia's ex (Heidi's father) left town after being paralyzed in an accident and never physically appears.
 Whale Talk / int_1ba17583
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_1ba17583
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Whale Talk / int_1ba17583
 Whale Talk / int_1cb68381
type
Pom-Pom Girl
 Whale Talk / int_1cb68381
comment
Pom-Pom Girl: TJ's girlfriend Carly spent a few months as a cheerleader before deciding she liked basketball better. Her best friend Kristen is still a cheerleader and is an Extreme Doormat Domestic Abuse victim who never looks down on the Cool Losers.
 Whale Talk / int_1cb68381
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 Whale Talk / int_1cb68381
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Whale Talk / int_1cb68381
 Whale Talk / int_1da5941e
type
The Quiet One
 Whale Talk / int_1da5941e
comment
The Quiet One: Jackie hardly ever speaks a word the entire book.
 Whale Talk / int_1da5941e
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_1da5941e
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Whale Talk / int_1da5941e
 Whale Talk / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 Whale Talk / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: After a playroom therapy session with Georgia, Heidi tries to figure out how much washing with soap it would take to make her skin white. No one realizes how deeply this sentiment has sunk into her until Abby finds her scrubbing her skin off with a Brillo pad (a pad made of steel wool imbued with dish soap) at Rich’s suggestion, after Alicia nulls the restraining order she had on him with an ill-advised visit with her kids.
 Whale Talk / int_22cf536c
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 Whale Talk / int_22cf536c
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Whale Talk / int_22cf536c
 Whale Talk / int_2ffb4a4d
type
The Nondescript
 Whale Talk / int_2ffb4a4d
comment
The Nondescript: Swim team member Jackie Craig is described as a "chameleon" who looks and acts so averagely that if he robbed a bank, no one would be able to describe him.
 Whale Talk / int_2ffb4a4d
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Whale Talk / int_2ffb4a4d
 Whale Talk / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 Whale Talk / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: Barbour is appropriately horrified when Rich grabs his hunting rifle after the basketball game and kills John.
 Whale Talk / int_319e4a2f
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_319e4a2f
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Whale Talk / int_319e4a2f
 Whale Talk / int_43e36f2f
type
Acrofatic
 Whale Talk / int_43e36f2f
comment
Acrofatic: Simon.
 Whale Talk / int_43e36f2f
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_43e36f2f
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1.0
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Whale Talk / int_43e36f2f
 Whale Talk / int_44fc28e8
type
Honor Before Reason
 Whale Talk / int_44fc28e8
comment
Honor Before Reason: T.J. tends to react impulsively to slights and injustices to others. This is perhaps best expressed when Mark Barbour sexually assaults and beats on Kristen Sweetwater and T.J., in a rage, gets in his car to chase him down. In the process he damages his car and incurs a speeding ticket, and his parents are quick to ask him what he would have accomplished had he caught up to Barbour anyway.
 Whale Talk / int_44fc28e8
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_44fc28e8
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Whale Talk / int_44fc28e8
 Whale Talk / int_479d4e5a
type
Would Hurt a Child
 Whale Talk / int_479d4e5a
comment
Would Hurt a Child: Rich Marshall beats Heidi, and later tells her to use a Brillo pad to scrub her dark skin away, and ultimately tries to shoot her.
 Whale Talk / int_479d4e5a
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_479d4e5a
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Whale Talk / int_479d4e5a
 Whale Talk / int_48e8fe57
type
Happily Adopted
 Whale Talk / int_48e8fe57
comment
Happily Adopted: T.J.
 Whale Talk / int_48e8fe57
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_48e8fe57
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_48e8fe57
 Whale Talk / int_498a6a21
type
Badass Teacher
 Whale Talk / int_498a6a21
comment
Badass Teacher: Mr. Simet. He was a collegiate swimmer and a coach on the one hand; on the other, he plays the athletic department like a fiddle to get his way and does not tolerate injustice or other such bullshit from others.
 Whale Talk / int_498a6a21
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 Whale Talk / int_498a6a21
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_498a6a21
 Whale Talk / int_4c455537
type
Plot-Driven Breakdown
 Whale Talk / int_4c455537
comment
Plot-Driven Breakdown: When the team’s bus gets driven off an icy road on the way home from their first meet, it gives them plenty of time to start bonding.
 Whale Talk / int_4c455537
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_4c455537
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_4c455537
 Whale Talk / int_5d88876d
type
Chocolate Baby
 Whale Talk / int_5d88876d
comment
Chocolate Baby: Due to TJ's skin being a different color than anyone in either of their families, his biological mom and her husband found out that he was conceived during an affair.
 Whale Talk / int_5d88876d
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_5d88876d
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_5d88876d
 Whale Talk / int_661d7909
type
Maligned Mixed Marriage
 Whale Talk / int_661d7909
comment
Maligned Mixed Marriage: Alicia’s marriage to the black Willis was not received well.
 Whale Talk / int_661d7909
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_661d7909
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Whale Talk / int_661d7909
 Whale Talk / int_6d089995
type
The Shrink
 Whale Talk / int_6d089995
comment
The Shrink: Georgia is a Type 3.
 Whale Talk / int_6d089995
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_6d089995
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Whale Talk / int_6d089995
 Whale Talk / int_6ee10e0
type
My Greatest Failure
 Whale Talk / int_6ee10e0
comment
My Greatest Failure: John’s unintentional killing of a toddler when he was a truck driver. It still haunts him, decades after the fact.
 Whale Talk / int_6ee10e0
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 Whale Talk / int_6ee10e0
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Whale Talk / int_6ee10e0
 Whale Talk / int_729c69f3
type
Politically Incorrect Villain
 Whale Talk / int_729c69f3
comment
Politically Incorrect Villain: Rich and Barbour are both openly racist.
 Whale Talk / int_729c69f3
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_729c69f3
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Whale Talk / int_729c69f3
 Whale Talk / int_78c4e567
type
Prosthetic Limb Reveal
 Whale Talk / int_78c4e567
comment
Prosthetic Limb Reveal: Mott, a few times: First, the first time he shows up to training (T.J. almost can't tell him that the exercise they're doing is kicks); the second time invoked at the first meet, dramatically revealing his leg to the audience, to draw attention away from Simon (and then presumably at every meet after); the third time at the varsity letter ceremony in front of the whole school.
 Whale Talk / int_78c4e567
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_78c4e567
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_78c4e567
 Whale Talk / int_7b405f5b
type
Percussive Therapy
 Whale Talk / int_7b405f5b
comment
Percussive Therapy: Part of Georgia’s playroom therapy involves allowing children to act out their frustrations on inanimate objects.
 Whale Talk / int_7b405f5b
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 Whale Talk / int_7b405f5b
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Whale Talk / int_7b405f5b
 Whale Talk / int_8797239c
type
Bait-and-Switch
 Whale Talk / int_8797239c
comment
Bait-and-Switch: One night after swim practice, T.J. notices a car following him and assumes it to be Rich. After a few minutes of trying to lose the car, he finally stops to confront the driver…who turns out to be Chris’s aunt. She wanted to thank T.J. for being so good to Chris. When Rich storms onto the basketball court with his rifle, T.J. and the reader think that he’s going after T.J. or John, but then he aims at Heidi, and then John jumps in the way instead.
 Whale Talk / int_8797239c
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_8797239c
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_8797239c
 Whale Talk / int_8a817c2a
type
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
 Whale Talk / int_8a817c2a
comment
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: As Mott put it, his mom’s old boyfriend Canada Smith “couldn’t figure out which bed he was supposed to sleep in.” He’s the one person Mott wants killed in the hypothetical detailed under Gotta Kill 'Em All.
 Whale Talk / int_8a817c2a
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 Whale Talk / int_8a817c2a
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Whale Talk / int_8a817c2a
 Whale Talk / int_8ad43dc9
type
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
 Whale Talk / int_8ad43dc9
comment
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The entire swimming team, deliberately so thanks to T.J.
 Whale Talk / int_8ad43dc9
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_8ad43dc9
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_8ad43dc9
 Whale Talk / int_93dc4e37
type
Villain of Another Story
 Whale Talk / int_93dc4e37
comment
Villain of Another Story: Plenty of racists and domestic abusers who have little or nothing to do with TJ are clearly the villains of someone else's story. Most notably, there's Rance Haskins, a drug dealer who's dated many women and abused their kids: killing one baby, blinding another, and causing a third (Mott) to lose his leg.
 Whale Talk / int_93dc4e37
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 Whale Talk / int_93dc4e37
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Whale Talk / int_93dc4e37
 Whale Talk / int_955f0c47
type
GottaKillEmAll
 Whale Talk / int_955f0c47
comment
Gotta Kill 'Em All: Played for laughs. When the bus crashes, Mott asks the team which one person they want killed in the extreme hypothetical situation that Mott is the only one to survive and be rescued. Icko suggests the snowplow driver that ran them off the road, but then Simon’s immediate answer is his mom.
 Whale Talk / int_955f0c47
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_955f0c47
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Whale Talk / int_955f0c47
 Whale Talk / int_9591377d
type
Heel Realization
 Whale Talk / int_9591377d
comment
Heel Realization: Barbour, after Rich shoots John.
 Whale Talk / int_9591377d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_9591377d
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_9591377d
 Whale Talk / int_96fbeaf
type
There Are No Therapists
 Whale Talk / int_96fbeaf
comment
There Are No Therapists: Averted. T.J. received therapy from Georgia for years for his anger and abandonment issues; Heidi sees her for her abuse at Rich’s hands. Mott also refers to having a therapist, and Alicia received counseling from Child Protective Services. Rich was supposed to attend therapy, but as T.J. puts it, it got in the way of his drinking time.
 Whale Talk / int_96fbeaf
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 Whale Talk / int_96fbeaf
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Whale Talk / int_96fbeaf
 Whale Talk / int_9bcd82c0
type
Took a Level in Badass
 Whale Talk / int_9bcd82c0
comment
Took a Level in Badass: Everyone on the swim team. Alicia takes a level when she throws herself over her children when Rich storms onto the basketball court with a gun.
 Whale Talk / int_9bcd82c0
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_9bcd82c0
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Whale Talk / int_9bcd82c0
 Whale Talk / int_9ce6492a
type
Taking the Bullet
 Whale Talk / int_9ce6492a
comment
Taking the Bullet: John jumps in front of a bullet meant for Heidi.
 Whale Talk / int_9ce6492a
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_9ce6492a
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Whale Talk / int_9ce6492a
 Whale Talk / int_9d174dc0
type
Hates Being Alone
 Whale Talk / int_9d174dc0
comment
Hates Being Alone: T.J. had serious abandonment issues growing up.
 Whale Talk / int_9d174dc0
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_9d174dc0
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_9d174dc0
 Whale Talk / int_a0db7803
type
It's Personal
 Whale Talk / int_a0db7803
comment
It's Personal: Chris is brain-damaged from being abused by his mom's boyfriend. TJ is also the child of a neglectful single parent who had abusive boyfriends, and feels he could have easily ended up exactly like Chris, so he views any bullying of Chris the same way he'd feel if he was the victim.
 Whale Talk / int_a0db7803
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 Whale Talk / int_a0db7803
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_a0db7803
 Whale Talk / int_ac9f78d9
type
Jack of All Stats
 Whale Talk / int_ac9f78d9
comment
Jack of All Stats: T.J. and Simet are both adept athletes in water and on land. Mott doesn’t fare too badly, either.
 Whale Talk / int_ac9f78d9
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_ac9f78d9
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_ac9f78d9
 Whale Talk / int_b0a529cb
type
Extreme Doormat
 Whale Talk / int_b0a529cb
comment
Extreme Doormat: Alicia and Kristen Sweetwater, though both start to recover towards the end of the novel.
 Whale Talk / int_b0a529cb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_b0a529cb
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_b0a529cb
 Whale Talk / int_b11ac9f5
type
Abusive Parents
 Whale Talk / int_b11ac9f5
comment
Abusive Parents: Good God. T.J.'s birth mom, Rich Marshall, Alicia Marshall’s parents and Alicia herself to an extent, two of Andy's moms boyfriends, Simon’s mom, Carly's father, Canada Smith…
 Whale Talk / int_b11ac9f5
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_b11ac9f5
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_b11ac9f5
 Whale Talk / int_b1dde8fd
type
Loophole Abuse
 Whale Talk / int_b1dde8fd
comment
Loophole Abuse: At their first swim meet, judges are uncertain as to whether Mott can legally participate—his stroke requires his legs to move in perfect symmetry but, well, he only has ‘’one’’ leg. Dan suggests disqualifying Mott from one event, but not the other.
 Whale Talk / int_b1dde8fd
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_b1dde8fd
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_b1dde8fd
 Whale Talk / int_ba112560
type
Throwing the Fight
 Whale Talk / int_ba112560
comment
Throwing the Fight: T.J. throws the state championship to spite Cutter's athletic department.
 Whale Talk / int_ba112560
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_ba112560
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_ba112560
 Whale Talk / int_c1d1d6ad
type
Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?
 Whale Talk / int_c1d1d6ad
comment
Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: T.J. is short for The Tao Jones.
 Whale Talk / int_c1d1d6ad
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_c1d1d6ad
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_c1d1d6ad
 Whale Talk / int_d08595d3
type
Broken Bird
 Whale Talk / int_d08595d3
comment
Broken Bird: Alicia.
 Whale Talk / int_d08595d3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_d08595d3
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_d08595d3
 Whale Talk / int_da346c6b
type
Disabled Snarker
 Whale Talk / int_da346c6b
comment
Disabled Snarker: The one-legged Mott has a whiplash of a tongue.
 Whale Talk / int_da346c6b
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1.0
 Whale Talk / int_da346c6b
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_da346c6b
 Whale Talk / int_dca70c44
type
Reasonable Authority Figure
 Whale Talk / int_dca70c44
comment
Reasonable Authority Figure: Both of T.J.'s parents and Simet.
 Whale Talk / int_dca70c44
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_dca70c44
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_dca70c44
 Whale Talk / int_e13156e1
type
Mama Bear
 Whale Talk / int_e13156e1
comment
Mama Bear and Papa Wolf: Lord help you if you wrong T.J., Heidi, or any children; Abby and John Paul Jones will destroy you.
 Whale Talk / int_e13156e1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_e13156e1
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_e13156e1
 Whale Talk / int_f1d3f0c9
type
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
 Whale Talk / int_f1d3f0c9
comment
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Dan's default setting. Icko turns it against him, requiring him to do ten push-ups every time he uses a word Icko doesn't understand.
 Whale Talk / int_f1d3f0c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_f1d3f0c9
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_f1d3f0c9
 Whale Talk / int_f4f3252e
type
Law of Inverse Fertility
 Whale Talk / int_f4f3252e
comment
Law of Inverse Fertility: Multiple characters were born to unmarried characters, sometimes through one night stands, while TJ's adoptive parents had four miscarriages while trying for a kid.
 Whale Talk / int_f4f3252e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_f4f3252e
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_f4f3252e
 Whale Talk / int_f8214d
type
CoolBigBro
 Whale Talk / int_f8214d
comment
Cool Big Bro: Before his tragic death, Chris's older half-brother Brian treated him well and kept people from bullying him. This is especially noticeable, given that the two of them were raised in separate homes after Brian's dad got full custody of him after leaving Chris's mom.
 Whale Talk / int_f8214d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Whale Talk / int_f8214d
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 Whale Talk
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Whale Talk / int_f8214d
 Whale Talk / int_fb4e0f18
type
Asian and Nerdy
 Whale Talk / int_fb4e0f18
comment
Asian and Nerdy: T.J. is noted to do very well in class.
 Whale Talk / int_fb4e0f18
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 Whale Talk / int_fb4e0f18
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Whale Talk / int_fb4e0f18
 Whale Talk / int_name
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ItemName
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Whale Talk / int_name
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Whale Talk

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Whale Talk
hasFeature
Chocolate Baby / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
hasFeature
Cool Big Sis / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
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Hunting Is Evil / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
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Pom-Pom Girl / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
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School Stories / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
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The Nondescript / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
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Villain of Another Story / int_35e04208
 Whale Talk
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Young Adult Literature / int_35e04208