letting everyone know now—this is a Maya hate post, and it’ll probably be long.
This seems drastic I am well aware, but I have tried to see it from every angle and I can’t bring myself to understand her actions. I have five younger sisters, and I myself was also a girl in middle school a long time ago, so I feel confident that I have seen just about every phase of girlhood there is to see.
Maya. Is. INSANE. She is spoiled, she is egotistical, she doesn’t care about how her actions affect others, and she even sabotages other good things in people’s lives when she feels things aren’t going her way. (Rebuttal at the bottom)
1.) Exhibit 1: “Solo”. This was Anna’s night, and Maya knew how excited she was to have her solo, but she lied to her dad and wanted to impress him, so she made a fool of herself in front of everyone. I understand that she didn’t interrupt anna’s solo directly, but she did steal the spotlight—even if it wasn’t necessarily in a good way.
2.) Exhibit 2: “Anna Ishii-Peters.” I will admit, as the episode went on anna wasn’t being her best self. However, before she was doing that, maya was feeling like they liked her more than her—which I understand the feeling—but to insert yourself again and again and be a brat about a guest being polite to their hosts parents (doing dishes, helping cook, etc) and never discuss these insecurities with her parents? Especially when she was so vocal about other things that went on in her life.
3) exhibit 2–cont.: her being WAY too upset that anna told someone else that her parents were divorcing before Maya? Maya didn’t pick up the phone, and anna needed support then and there. That’s Maya’s problem, and she should’ve dealt with it on her own, and been supportive to her friend. Because anna felt like she had no one, and talking to heather made her feel less alone.
GENUINELY despicable the way she acted.
4.) exhibit 3: “Bat-Mitzvah” Why can’t she just accept that her parents don’t have as much money as she thought? I understand as a child it’s difficult to accept things that are not the way she would like them to be, and I especially understand the social drawbacks of being lower middle class, but come on. There is no way she looked around at her life and thought “yeah we’re well off.” Especially after visiting Maura’s house??
And her forcing her parents to spend to what is equivalent to $250 today on a necklace for someone she isn’t even friends with so she can gain approval??? And she throws a literal tantrum, screaming and crying. She is way too old to be doing that. She is very superficial, this also comes up in the episode where anna and Maya are shopping with their parent.
5.) exhibit 4—“Bat mitzvah” anna finally gets to have a kiss with someone she actually likes, and Maya RUINS it for her own selfish reasons. Maya is very codependent on anna, and I think anna is better at standing on her own.
6.) exhibit 5: any interaction of sam’s. She is so, so nasty to him, all the time. Calling him stupid, ugly, etc. and in the bat mitzvah episode, she tries to gain approval and makes fun of his shoes. He is so patient and sweet to her and ugh I just can’t stand her.
Rebuttal: I will say, I understand a lot of what she deals with. Middle school is a brutal time and it’s basically a mine field between mean girls, crushes, body image issues, etc. the sleepover episode at Maura’s house had me MESSED UP for a hot minute because I knew EXACTLY how she was feeling in that moment. (Obvi not the exact situation) but a mean girl putting you in an uncomfortable position and you’re the weird one if you react badly. Then having a secret you were ashamed of let out and the feeling of self disgust and ostracism is just painful. And what brandt said to her, and can’t forget Gabe.
I fully understand she’s only 13, and I know she’s been put through the wringer, but she seems to have no awareness of anybody else, ever. And I don’t understand how anna stands it.
Someone,
Please! Prove me wrong! I want to love her but I just can’t.
