Sage Advice From My Favorite Saved By the Bell Characters

In my formative years, I watched a lot of Saved by the Bell.

Like, a ton.

Like, I still own the board game based on the show.

So those characters had a huge sway on how I perceived myself and the world. Each of the six main characters had so many memorable moments, and not just the ones that are oft-mentioned in pop culture ("I'm so excited...I'm so scared," anyone?). I knew that I would go through each of those milestones as I entered high school.

And of course I didn't. I don't think anyone had a perfect Saved by the Bell experience; my school didn't have lockers or a PA system, my group of friends changed, and I didn't have two guys chasing after me at any point. I wasn't too broken up about it, but I knew that the show had changed my life for the better.

You see, there was an episode that featured a visit to Bayside High by famous actor Johnny Dakota; the gang was going to help him film an anti-drug PSA, but shunned him after they discovered he smoked pot. That feel-good message ought to have stuck with me, but instead, this was the dialogue that changed my life:

"He puts his pants on one leg at a time."

Jock AC Slater was trying to tell his swooning girl friends that the famous Johnny Dakota was a regular guy; he used this cliche line to bring that idea home. What a wise man.

Those words hit home for me because at that point in my life, I was not putting my pants on one leg at a time.

Hearing that piece of advice completely changed how I put on clothes—instead of sitting down to pull on my pants, I started to stand up. One leg went in first, and then in went the other leg. The brilliant words of AC Slater altered the course of my life. Does that sound silly? That's because it is.

If you want to catch up on Saved by the Bell, check out this must-watch guide: How You Queuin': Saved by the Bell.

What advice from fictional characters do you remember?