High school is a battlefield. Everyone knows that. But in 1982, a show called Square Pegs didn't just show the war—it showed the absurd costumes we wear to fight it.
You’ve probably seen the headlines about Jami Gertz being one of the wealthiest women in the world now. It’s a wild fact. But before the NBA team ownership and the billionaire status, she was 16 years old, living in a suburban nightmare, and wearing a lot of plaid. She was Muffy Tepperman.
Honestly, jami gertz square pegs is a combination that defined a very specific era of awkwardness. If you didn't grow up with the show, you might only know Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw. But back at Weemawee High, she was the frizzy-haired Patty Greene, and Gertz was her preppy, over-caffeinated foil.
Muffy wasn't just a character. She was a force of nature.
The Girl Who Did Too Much
Most "popular" girls in 80s media were mean. They were the Heather Chandlers or the Regina Georges. Muffy Tepperman was different. She wasn't necessarily at the top of the food chain because people liked her; she was there because she simply out-worked everyone else.
She was the chairperson of the Pep Committee. She ran the Morals Club. She was in the Future Nurses of America. She was even the official fundraiser for the school's "adopted" Guatemalan child. Muffy was the personification of "doing the most."
Gertz played her with this wide-eyed, frantic energy. It was "eyeball action" at its finest. She didn't walk; she marched. She didn't speak; she projected.
It Would Behoove You
One phrase stuck. "It would behoove you."
Muffy used it like a weapon. It was her way of being condescending while pretending to be helpful. That’s the genius of the performance. Gertz took a character who could have been a one-dimensional villain and made her strangely admirable. You sort of had to respect the hustle. Even when she was trying to convince the school to host a slumber party on Halloween—which led to a stalker scare, because of course it did—she did it with 100% conviction.
The Bat Mitzvah That Changed Everything
If you want to understand the cult status of Square Pegs, you have to look at the "Muffy’s Bat Mitzvah" episode.
It’s legendary.
Why? Because Devo was the band. Yes, the actual band Devo performed "That’s Good" at a fictional 13-year-old’s party. It was the kind of surreal, New Wave crossover that shouldn't have existed on a major network like CBS in the early 80s.
Jami Gertz in that episode is a masterclass in "over-the-top." She’s celebrating her transition to womanhood while trying to maintain her social standing, all while New Wave icons are playing in the background. It was weird. It was brilliant. It was peak 82.
Why the Show Didn't Last
It’s a bit of a tragedy. Square Pegs only lasted one season. 20 episodes. That’s it.
The ratings weren't the only problem. Rumors of a "party atmosphere" on set and drug use among some cast and crew have circulated for years. But for Gertz, the show was a launching pad. She moved from the preppy Muffy to the "Boots St. Clair" role on The Facts of Life. She was the ultimate "rich girl" archetype of the decade.
Then came the movies. The Lost Boys. Less Than Zero. Twister.
But if you talk to die-hard TV nerds, they don't want to talk about her as Star the vampire. They want to talk about Muffy. They want to talk about how she managed to be the most annoying person in the room while also being the person you secretly wanted to be friends with just to see what she'd do next.
The Jami Gertz Legacy
Looking back, jami gertz square pegs represents a time when teen shows were allowed to be ugly. The kids looked like kids. They had bad hair. They were desperate.
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Gertz wasn't afraid to look ridiculous. She leaned into the braces, the headbands, and the perpetual state of being "on." She understood that Muffy was a girl who was terrified of being a "square peg" herself, so she built a fortress of extracurricular activities to hide behind.
Practical Takeaways from the Weemawee Days
So, what can we actually learn from Muffy Tepperman in 2026?
- Commit to the bit. If you’re going to be the "pep" person, be the loudest one in the room. Gertz’s career succeeded because she never gave a half-hearted performance.
- Embrace the awkward. High school is temporary; cult classic status is forever. The very things that make you a "square peg" often become your brand later.
- Networking matters. Muffy knew everyone. Even if they were annoyed by her, they knew her name. In a world of digital noise, being memorable—even for being "too much"—is a skill.
Jami Gertz didn't just play a character; she captured a specific brand of American ambition that feels both dated and timeless. She went from the Pep Committee to owning the Atlanta Hawks. If that isn't the ultimate Muffy Tepperman move, I don't know what is.
Next time you’re feeling a bit out of place, just remember: it would behoove you to have a little more school spirit. Or at least, a little more Jami Gertz energy.
To dig deeper into this era of television, look for the 2008 DVD release "Weemawee Yearbook Memories." It contains the rare commentaries where Gertz and Sarah Jessica Parker actually sit down and reminisce about the spiral roads of California and the "magical time" they spent trying to fit in.