fun s16 fact! seconds after this scene charlie bit into the back of dennis’ neck so hard that dennis immediately came right in the middle of the bowling alley. he was asked to leave by other patrons but fortunately the mcpoyles stepped in to defend his right to jizz all over the bowling alley if he so desired. unfortunately they had to cut the scene for time reasons tho
I love Charmac and I love Charden so I guess the only solution is Charmacden
Like I don’t like m*cdennis (no hate to the shippers tho i just don’t like them together) but they don’t necessarily have to be dating each other to be dating Charlie so Charlie can get all the love because he is my boy and I love him.
This relationship would be Mac and Dennis being absolutely baffled by Charlie but being annoyed at someone saying they could do better (they couldn’t tbf lmao) because only they’re allowed to say that.
i think about this scene constantly. this is probably the only time they’ve both been totally genuine and honest with each other ever. and they still don’t understand each other.
charlie has always loved the idea of her more than her. arguably their most romantic moment before this occurs in jersey shore, when she’s very literally not herself.
to the waitress, charlie isn’t just saying “i love you.” he’s said that he loves her thousands of times before. to her it’s deeper than that. to her he’s saying, “i love you (for the person that you are. i know your flaws and i love you in spite of them. i always will, no matter what you do, no matter how badly you fuck up)” and to a person as chronically lonely as the waitress is, who has been rejected and humiliated by her lovers time and time again, that’s everything she needs to hear.
and of course, on some level, this is what charlie thinks he means as well. but his “i love you” carries no more weight than the other thousands of times he’s said it to her. in saves the day, charlie’s ideal world is a satirized version of the stereotypical nuclear family, because charlie genuinely believes that that’s the life he wants.
like most of the gang, charlie’s adherence to social roles and expectations are inconsistent, even as he professes to believe strongly in their value. he is a proud american when it suits him, he is willing to be a father when it benefits him, and he is interested in the waitress only when it suits him to be interested in her. the waitress isn’t anybody special; she’s an attractive woman that charlie has decided is the epitome of everything he should be.
this is why jersey shore is the peak of their romantic relationship. because ultimately, while charlie is willing to and, at times, actively wants to love her, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that he doesn’t even like her.
he puts vitamins in her shampoo. he gets her fired from jobs he doesn’t like, and protects her on jobs he approves of (most blatant example of this is when he barks at a passing stranger who might steal her bike when she’s delivering indian food vs literally trying to have her stabbed at the fair). he is constantly trying to make her into somebody he likes being around.
to charlie, this “i love you” is just a statement of fact. loving her is something he should do, so he does. it’s yet another frivolous idea that has passed through his imagination, of no more real significance to charlie’s core identity than being a patriot is. to the waitress, this “i love you” is the only one that has ever mattered, to her, this is a breakthrough moment in which she finally, finally understands and connects with this man who has been stalking her for more than a decade.
it makes it hit all the harder when she realizes, when all is said and done, that she still doesn’t understand him at all.
All my main pieces from the Sunny Valentine Zine @its-always-ziney-in-philadelphia <3 go check out everyone else's amazing work!! 💕 (I also did The Waiter on the front page). Whuagh everyone is so talented.
Am I the only one who can’t take seriously IASIP sweet fan content? Like I love to hate them all so much and they’re such horrible people that every time I see Mac x Dennis fan art and them just being sweet to each other I just laugh because I know they would beat each other up. Couple goals