While I find Bailey slightly cuter, the idea of stealing Mr. Kotter’s wife from him adds a level of appeal. It’s a dead heat in my mind.
(Yes, I understand that the above post shows me objectifying fictional characters as if they were so much chattel. No doubt I’ll come back as a Playboy bunny in my next life.)
And to throw a wrench into the works, Barbara Feldon in her Agent 99 days would have blown these two out of the water.
[sub]…waits for the thread to be moved to Great Debates…[/sub]
Thank you, my friend, for posting that. Check out picture 8, Jan as a teenager with bangs. It made my heart twinge.Anybody know who played the woman who was Peewee Herman’s nanny in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (the scene where Peewee shows up at Eddy’s office, ends up getting pushed down the stairs)? Sure looked like Jan Smithers to me, but she’s not listed in IMDB. Then again, Kathleen Turner got last billing as the voice of Jessica Rabbit…
Mrs. Kotter was sexier, but I like the “cuteness” of Bailey.
And of course, Bailey was on one of the most enjoyable half hour comedy shows ever on TV (As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!), while to watch Mrs. Kotter, you would have to endure the very negative, braindead and sleazy Sweathogs of WELCOME BACK, KOTTER.
So you have two gems in different settings. Much like Bailey`s turtlenecks.Despite increasing the quality of the competition by replacing Loni Anderson (gag) with Marcia Straussman (hmmm…), Jan Smithers is still the winner.
Bailey
Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore.
Ah. Gotcha. Point taken.
I always thought these two were very simular. I mean you could have one and pretend she was the other couldn’t you?
Hands down, Bailey.
Face down, it really doesn’t matter, does it?
Well, that was kinda the point made in the O.P., right?
One word:
Threesome!
My most memorable line was spoken by Johnny when, after the transmitter blew up, he said,
“I’ll play Barry Manilow! I’ll play the Carpenters! Just don’t let the phone cops get me!”
But, anyway…Bailey!
Two Words:
Lesbian Threesome.
Jan Smithers, Marcia Strassman and Karen Allen (Warning: Cheesy Midi Alert)..
Listen, I’m as in favor of lesbian threesomes as the next guy, especially watching them. 
But it seems so limiting! Surely, if I’m going to fantasize, it’s SO much more satisfying to imagine they’re bi, and insert ME into the scene.
[hijack]Speaking of Karen Allen, am I the only one whose favorite shot of her in Raiders is the one where she’s standing on deck in that dress and it’s obvious she’s not wearing any panties?[/hijack]
For you Marcia Strassman fans,
As of today, she’s back on series TV, one of the residents of Perfection, Nevada in Tremors: the Series. The Sci-fi Channel.
How about the Oriental Bailey, Linda Park (Hoshi) on Enterprise?
Mrs. Kotter is still pretty good, check her out on the Tremors series on SciFi.