send 💠+ a topic for a headcanon about jupe.
ezekiel you wanted me to go on a rant with this one... jupe has always been an entertainer. always. even before he became a kid star, he was putting shows on for his parents and neighbors. when he landed a spot on kid sheriff, the leading role no less, there was no other word to describe him other than ecstatic. kid sheriff brought ricky a lot of popularity, and another show called kid jupiter ( which is where he got the nickname jupiter / jupe ). he continued to be an in demand kid star, sometimes doing commericials and appearing on talk shows as the adorable kid from day time television. he enjoyed every minute of it. not only was he helping support his mom and dad with his earnings from the shows, he was also garnering attention and entertaining others, which is all he’s ever wanted to do. and he intended to act for a long time, well into his adult years. and then gordy’s home happened.
jupe was not physically hurt, but he was mentally scarred. his parents made him take a break from acting, and after that, it was almost impossible for him to get any tv spots. some commercials, a failed documentary on the traumatic events from the sitcom, but other than that, he couldn’t get back into the scene. the fame he once had left something missing in jupe once it was gone, which is why he started spinning his trauma into profit. he realized that gordy’s home and what happened with it gained a cult following, and so he shows memorabilia and props from the show to fans for money. this thirst for fame and to be of use and entertaining to others again is exactly why he opened jupiter’s claim, as well, and why he made the star lasso experience.
being a failed child star with added psychological trauma made jupe into a man who intended to exploit himself and his situation at every turn. he’s been viewed through a lens his whole life, and jupe really couldn’t let go of that feeling, even in the end.
