The Look: Laverne DeFazio/Lenny Kosnowski 'Ship Manifesto (Laverne And Shirley)

[one_more_cherry]

TITLE: The Look
AUTHOR: one_more_cherry
EMAIL lasfic@yahoo.com
FANDOM: Laverne and Shirley
PAIRING: Laverne DeFazio/Lenny Kosnowski
SPOILERS: For the entire run of the show, plus reunion shows and spin-offs.
THANKS: to Shotzette and lily_mars for reading this monster through and giving their thoughts. Also thanks to Emily for use of her screencaps to illustrate, and

Comments

[rosehiptea]

Wow, this was amazing. I used to love this show, and I have so many fond memories of it. I guess I'd stopped watching by the time they ended up in California though, because I don't even remember it, though maybe I did watch and I just forgot the setting. I guess I was in it for the earlier, more "innocent" years. But I remember Laverne and the firefighter, and I definitely remember Lenny and Amy Babbish, an episode that nearly made me cry.

I don't remember "shipping" them per se, but I always thought Laverne did truly respect Lenny, and when all the jokes would come up about how Lenny was after Laverne and Squiggy was after Shirley I felt sorry for Shirley but not really for Laverne -- and I didn't get the impression Laverne minded either. (I'm remembering the episode where they were held hostage by robbers and Laverne suggests they should at least have sex before they die... Shirley asks if she means the gunmen and Laverne replies "No, Lenny and Squiggy!" Shirley says something about not wanting to go through eternity "linked" with Lenny and Squiggy.)

Laverne's attitude toward men in general always amused me -- I remember her saying something to Shirley about making out in a phone booth, and when Shirley says in a shocked voice "You'd make out in a phone booth?" she replies "Well, not with just anybody," then a moment later, "Well, yeah, with just anybody." I could totally understand that.

I do remember thinking that Lenny would always be there for her, whether she always saw that as a 100% good thing or not, so maybe in a way I did ship them. I've never read fanfic for the show and I'm not sure I knew there was any but I'm definitely interested in the recs.

Great manifesto. Thanks so much for sharing and for the memories.

[one_more_cherry]

Thank you so much!! You're not alone in dropping out when the California seasons happened - it seems to be a common thread among fans of the show. There's a thoughtline among fans of the show of "WTH were they thinking?" with a great deal of those three seasons.

I don't remember "shipping" them per se, but I always thought Laverne did truly respect Lenny. *NODS*. I think there's a strong friendship between the characters, regardless of any romantic notions, which is why I'm a little annoyed by the implication in the Reunion Show that Laverne never kept in touch with him. I can see Shirley not keeping contact with the boys, but Lenny's arguably as close to Laverne as Shirley (and Carmine, if we take the California episodes into consideration). I'm not mad that the reunion didn't make the 'ship canon, it just doesn't quite make sense that that particular friendly bond didn't stick.

I'm remembering the episode where they were held hostage by robbers and Laverne suggests they should at least have sex before they die... Shirley asks if she means the gunmen and Laverne replies "No, Lenny and Squiggy!" Shirley says something about not wanting to go through eternity "linked" with Lenny and Squiggy.) YES! Dog Day's Blind Dates. "These are desperate times, Shirl..."

Laverne's attitude toward men in general always amused me. Me too, truly. She loves men, isn't ashamed of it, and sort of lacks the ability to reel herself in sometimes, but that's conflated with her concearns about "what people will think". Her conflictedness makes for interesting writing. *loves the Laverne character utterly*.

You're welcome for the manifesto - if you'd like some more recs, click on over to the knapp-street.org archive message board - folks would gladly lend you a helping hand (you'll be able to get an account now, my co-mod agreeded today to issue them). We love having new faces, too!