A JOAN CLAYTON DEEP DIVE: THE SELF SABOTAGING PEOPLE PLEASER..

[@AdayBB231]

Joan needed better friends her “ friends “ weren’t as great as she thought . She did have people pleasing issues I like when she started gaining confidence

[@DajuanH.]

Looking back as adult I feel so sad for Joan, all she truly wanted was to feel loved and wanted. 😢she self-sabotaged herself so many times.

[@desireehodge32]

Also not mention Mya was a horrible horrible employee

[@Annie-Andy]

Joan was a good friend, but I despised that she didn't have a good friend group, lacked boundaries, and people pleased so much. I wanted better for Joan when I rewatched this show as an adult. I was glad when she started gaining confidence and telling people "no," I wished the writers allowed her to grow in that confidence.

[@thetruesoulofanaquarius9302]

That part when Toni called her a selfish b*tch I got heated again back when I first seen that episode. They treated Joan terrible. Exactly why Toni, Lynn and Maya were always having issues/problems in their life. The only real friend she had was William and later Monica.

[@sr7407]

Joan’s hair was everything!

[@jameelaworldwide]

I saw Joan as the villain sometimes . The situation when she got drunk the night before Toni’s custody hearing was so childish . I was looking like how do you accidentally drink too much and crash your car the night before a court date , and you’re a grown ass lawyer. When she would accidentally blurt out stuff to people I side eyed her. When she agreed to be Monica’s maid of honor I thought that was dead wrong and she should’ve respectfully declined. You knew you didn’t like that girl and still showed up as her frenemy maid of honor.

[@PrettyPrincess9609]

Unfortunately I related to Joan the most as former people pleaser and had to learn the hard way after being disrespected, used, abused, and cheated on. I had to put myself first and stop trying to make everyone like me. I also had to learn how to set boundaries and go to therapy to deal with my past trauma.

[@myheart715]

We already know Lynn was a mooch but I think that the issue of Maya having no boundaries and being very unprofessional didn’t get explored enough. Maya would show up late, leave early, book all kinds of personal appointments during the day, get nosy into Joan’s business, even SLEPT WITH DARNELL on Joan’s desk, begged Joan to let her work with William and then hated working for William and tried coming back to Joan… and when William reported her to HR for her behavior (which should have been done a long time ago), Maya flips out?

[@aarronobsidian5597]

Personally i feel like Joan should have become a teacher instead of trying to run her own restaurant. I only say this because those last few episodes of her and the students were some of my favorite moments from her. Joan in a classroom felt so natural and organic and it would have just made more sense for her to do.

[@edwinaannor]

what annoyed me was when Joan finally stood up for herself and tried to stop being a people pleaser, her “friends” hated it because they couldn’t mooch off her anymore and when Maya and Lynn would tell Joan to stop being friends with Toni all the time, when Joan then chose to stop being friends with Toni now all of sudden it’s “Joan, be friends with Toni again, she needs you” I thought y’all said she was trifling??? 😭

[@jocelynlincoln2330]

I loved the character of Joan and how Tracee Ellis Ross brought so many layers to her….funny, quirky, insecure, competent, dreamer, generous, needy, and at her worst: so very neurotic and screechy.

[@WhenGraceCalled]

Joan was the flyest. Hence, why she was the main character. She just didn’t see herself properly which caused her to tolerate toxicity.

[@naimahabdullah-gulley4405]

Joan was the kid who gave away her lunch to the popular kids so she could be liked. Her friends were pretty awful to her. They constantly put her down, mooched from her, and felt a sense of entitlement to her time. Overall, they were more like frenemies instead of friends.

[@haitianprincess215]

Yes.. Joan was far from perfect and had her quirks, BUT she was the most loyal and consistent friend to all of them. The season where Toni and Joan had tension, I feel like Toni wanted Joan to suffer with her for her bad decisions. When Maya insulting Joan when she lived in her house FOR FREE and was tolerated when she had such poor work ethic was crazy. Lynn was a freeloader and took the most advantage of Joan. I wish Joan left them alone years ago cuz she was their stepping stone when they all were at their lowest, but when it was Joan's turn, it was joked about or met with jealousy. I didn't see anything wrong with Joan finally focusing on herself. Toni was projecting because she failed after she flaunted her marriage/wealth in everyone's faces.

[@MichellaneousMe]

Wow Lynn was living in Joan's house rent free in California for 8 YEARS?!?! I thought it was a year tops. Nah Lynn was a leech!

[@lovefromwonderland]

Damn, 30 minutes? You are spoiling us 😭

[@trish_upshaw5175]

I could of definitely see Lynn Whitfield playing Joans Mom 😂

[@lovefromwonderland]

On a side note, while this doesn’t have much to do with the subject matter, I totally agree with your preference of seeing healthy friendships on shows, especially amongst black women. Too many sitcoms showcase and normalize toxic friendships.

[@micalaking1904]

Joan was really that girl. I wish she would've saw herself as that. I grew up as a an avid people pleaser and an avoidant people chaser. Now im in therapy, my boundaries are set and I always give myself the love I want and deserve. She could've had it all and she should've.