Ashley Steinberg is a recurring character in the Canadian teen sitcom Mr. Meaty. She is depicted as a stereotypical "Valley Girl". She is voiced by Ali Eisner.
Background[]
Ashley is a fixture at the Scaunchboro Mall, where she and her two best friends, Ashley 2 and Brittany, hang out. Often seen socializing and shopping, she is very concerned with her looks and maintaining her social status. The creators of Mr. Meaty have stated that the Ashleys are an amalgam of the stereotypical teenage girls one would find in a mall.
Ashley's character also functions as a representation of the mainstream teenage culture that Josh and his best friend Parker often find themselves at odds with.
First Appearence[]
Ashley's very first appearance was in the short episode Gone with the Wind, but her character concept isn't really established until later, during the Turbonick shorts promoting the series, where she is seen with Brittany and Ashley 2.
Fate[]
Ashley's last appearance was in the finale special, Dream of the Dead, where she and Ashley 2 audition for Josh and Parker's movie but are denied.
At the end of the special, it is revealed that after Josh and Parker's success and their move to Hollywood, the zombified actor Karlon Bugosi ate the brains of half the Scaunchboro population, which would likely include Ashley and Ashley 2.
Personality[]
Often seen flanked by her two best friends and followers, Ashley 2 and Brittany, Ashley holds a position of leadership within her clique. Her influence extends beyond her immediate circle, as she is shown to be a trendsetter within the mall's ecosystem.
In episode Schnozzola, after a catastrophic attempt by Josh and Parker to remove a pimple results in her nose falling off, they replace it with a sausage. Following an initial breakdown, Ashley's confidence in her new "meat nose" surprisingly turns it into the latest mall-wide fashion craze.
Her dynamic with Josh Redgrove is a central element of her character. She is one of his primary love interests, and their interactions are a recurring theme. Despite Josh's often selfish and misguided attempts to win her affection, she frequently dates him; This suggests a certain level of tolerance or perhaps a shared, if superficial, set of values centered on popularity and social standing.
In essence, she is a satirical portrayal of the popular, image-conscious teenage girl. Her personality is defined by her leadership of the mall's most exclusive clique, her obsession with her appearance, and her tumultuous romantic involvement with Josh.
Appearance[]
Ashley and Ashley 2's official info.
Ashley has long, straight brown hair, braces on her teeth, and pink eyeshadow. She used to wear a purple sweater, a light pink skirt, and a pink bow, which, since the episode Puppet Of Pop, have been replaced by a gray hoodie, a matching skirt and a purple hairclip.
In the original shorts, before Ashley's character was established, she had a similar hairstyle, but her clothes had an entirely different style, consisting of a pink top and a green skirt with a gold chain as a belt. She also wore lipstick.
Interactions[]
- Ashley 2: Ashley's best friend and a fellow member of the popular clique. She is often seen as Ashley's loyal follower and the two are almost always seen together. They share a similar fashion sense and attitude, often speaking in unison or finishing each other's sentences. Their relationship is characterized by Ashley 2's unwavering loyalty and Ashley Steinberg's clear, albeit often unspoken, leadership. Their dynamic is a classic representation of a "queen bee" and her devoted follower. This synchronized behavior underscores their close-knit bond while also highlighting the power imbalance, as Ashley 2's actions and opinions consistently align with Ashley's. This leader-follower dynamic is a central element of their interactions. Ashley 2 is rarely seen without Ashley and her presence often serves to bolster Ashley 2's social standing. This is evident in episodes where the popular girls are seen together, with Ashley Steinberg at the center of the conversation and activity, and Ashley 2 echoing her sentiments. One description of Ashley 2 even notes that she chews her hair when she is nervous, a small character detail that suggests a degree of anxiety and a need for social approval within the group. Ashley relies on Ashley 2's steadfast support to maintain her status, while Ashley 2 appears to derive her own social standing from her proximity to the clique's leader. Their friendship, therefore, is a carefully constructed performance of teenage popularity, with both characters playing their designated roles to perfection.
- Brittany: Another of Ashley's best friends and completes their popular trio. She is often presented as the most reasonable of the group and sometimes acts as a mediator between the two Ashleys. Despite being part of a seemingly homogenous group, Brittany is characterized as having the most common sense of the three. She is often the one to offer advice, not only to her friends but also to the show's protagonists, Josh Redgrove and Parker Dinkleman. This suggests that while she is part of the popular crowd, she possesses a more reasonable and approachable demeanor compared to the often more self-involved Ashley.
- Sky: Sky is another member of the popular girls' group at the mall and is frequently seen in their social circle. While not as central as Ashley 2 or Brittany, she is an established part of their clique. Ashley treat her as someone of a lower status within the group.
- Josh Redgrove: Josh is one of Ashley's love interests, and their on-again, off-again relationship is a recurring theme throughout the series. Josh is frequently seen trying to impress her, and while they have gone on dates, she sometimes expresses disdain for him. Josh's infatuation with Ashley is a driving force for many of the show's bizarre plots. He is constantly concocting schemes to capture her attention, which, more often than not, spiral into supernatural chaos. A prime example of this is in the episode Schnozzola; In a misguided attempt to help Ashley with a pimple, Josh and Parker accidentally burn off her nose. Their solution is replace it with a sausage, a move that bizarrely elevates Ashley's social standing as it kicks off a new trend at the mall; Despite the frequent chaos that surrounds Josh, Ashley does occasionally agree to go on dates with him. In the episode Model Employee, a robotic helper named Chip 2.6 successfully aids Josh in securing a date with Ashley's group. Ultimately, the relationship between Josh and Ashley is a exaggerated portrayal of teenage romance.
- Parker Dinkleman: Ashley is generally aware of Parker Dinkleman as Josh's peculiar friend. He often becomes an unwilling participant in Josh's elaborate schemes to win Ashley's affection.
Trivia[]
- Ashley had her puppet modified several times throughout the series.
- n the series, the duo is always referred to as Ashley and Ashley 2, however, in the behind-the-scenes video, Ashley is called “Ashley 1” by Ali Eisner, her voice actress.
- The creators based the "Ashleys" on their observations of teenagers in shopping malls, aiming to capture a specific type of social archetype.