The Starstrike Inquisitive Episode 2:
Redefining the Mean Girl with Chelsea Taleb-Stiles (And Elijah too)
At Westshore High, Terrina Ave-Lo encounters the social pyramid of human teenage life, and Bailey Wilson is the one to guide her through this messy spiderweb. The show's creator, Jerrica "Eri" Castro, has a particular favorite in the human cast, and it's none other than the school's reigning mean girl, Chelsea Taleb-Stiles.
Out of all the high school characters in the series, Eri has noted that Chelsea is her favorite because of how she brings a unique sense of humor. "She has the best wardrobe out of all the humans in this show, and it really shows just how out of touch she is with reality, and that's what makes her so hilarious. I also love that she's the school's queen bee, who just so happens to have a father from Lebanon, and that's not really a big deal in the context of her character; it's just who she is, and that's important. So I wanted to cast someone who was of Arab-American descent, but it was hard, because there are not many Arab American VAs in the indie animation space, but then I found Dee, and she just knocked it out of the park."
Castro notes that Arab characters in mainstream media are largely restricted to villains and terrorists and victims of tragedy. "I wanted to create characters who weren't rooted in war and displacement, and instead be able to be as goofy and as fun as all the other characters in the show." Two Arab-American characters: Khadija Saleh and Chelsea Taleb-Stiles are showcased as normal students attending Westshore High.
Chelsea is of mixed Italian, Palestinian, and Lebanese descent, but she's mostly defined by her dramatic tendencies, her queen bee status, and her romantic relationship with Elijah Eisenhower. "She is essentially the Regina George to Terri's Cady Heron. She invites the main protagonist into her circle, and Terri learns that it comes with some dark truths, which led to this hilarious prank battle."
By incorporating an absurdly serious prank war between Chelsea and Terrina, the third episode of the series, titled "The Devil Has Pom-Poms", utilizes this absurd sense of humor as a way to explore classism, racism, and social stigmas between the students.
"I just believe the comedy is a healing medium for everyone, and when you get to just be silly and absurd and hysterical, and allow the characters to be in that position, it makes the show more enjoyable for all audiences."
Though it's a minor spoiler for Episode 3, Chelsea has a change of heart that ultimately changes the trajectory of her character. Her first plan? "Fighting Anti-Jotuzonism One Post At A Time". Of course, being a social media influencer has its advantages. But one question remains?Will Chelsea eventually be an ally or a foe to Terrina?
The answer? "It's a mystery. I just wanna keep everyone on their toes because you never really know what you're gonna get from these two characters."
Another privileged student at the school is Elijah Eisenhower, voiced by Trenton Hodges. "He's a favorite of mine because he's the straight man. All of this absurdity is happening around him, and he's trying to remain calm, but he always ends up with his face in the mud, and Trenton is such a joy to work with; he completely embodies Elijah from head to toe with his voice alone."
For inspirations to craft the jubliantly wicked villain duo, Eri looked to Team Rocket from Pokemón and Mothiva and Zasp from the indie game, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling. Eri has also mentioned the dream musical roles for the school's fabulous villain duo. "Chelsea would love to be Regina George in the Mean Girls musical, and for Elijah, his dream role is the Narrator or Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods. He just feels like he's a natural fit for both."
Both Chelsea and Elijah share a unanimous joy in being the recurring villains towards Terri and Bailey. "Every hero needs a villain; it's a very universal truth in storytelling. So I think that Elijah and Chelsea would be the perfect rivals and villains towards our main duo, simply because they love being evil, but they also want to be on good terms with the girls, and maybe help them out whenever they're in trouble. Chelsea and Elijah are not as black-and-white as you expect them to be, and I think audiences are gonna see that more often in more episodes."
But there's more to the story than what audiences have already seen with both Elijah and Chelsea.
"Chelsea has spent her entire life feeling so unconfident because she's Palestinian and Lebanese and a first-generation Arab American at that, and she uses her wealth and her fame as a shield for her insecurity, and it eventually turned her into the bully that you saw in Episode 3, so I think I want her to showcase her feeling insecure in her heritage and then learning to embrace it later in the show. As for Elijah, I think he's so reliant on being a daddy's boy and being so clean and polished in the public eye, always opting for a neutral stance on the whole Jotuzon-Human thing, so I think that being an ally to Bailey and Terri will help him find his footing and make him a true ally to Jotuzonkind."
"These changes with both Chelsea and Elijah won't happen overnight, but it's a good start to show a more vulnerable side that I am very excited to explore."
