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7/23/15

'Clueless' turns 20 so here are 20 reasons why this chick flick classic remains iconic

Twenty years ago the chick flick classic 'Clueless' was premiered (on July 19th, 1995 to be more exactly) and it changed the whole world of teen comedies. There weren't many movies for girls out there (despite 'Heathers' or John Hughes' movies like 'Sixteen Candles' and 'Pretty in Pink'), so a fresh comedy with a female protagonist was a breeze of fresh air for the teenage genre.

So, how could i not do a special post about 'Clueless'? AS IF i wouldn't do it, so check out twenty reasons why this chick flick classic is still relevant today after the cut, just because:



1. Cher - Because Cher Horowitz changed our lives forever. She's like the pre-Carrie Bradshaw of the early nineties and she delivered some words of wisdom that we took really serious at the time, about virginity, what it meant if a guy gave you toothache or wearing or not wearing a watch with a specific dress. She's as iconic as it could get and Alicia Silverstone turned a character who many might find annoying and spoiled into a lovable and funny girl who's clueless in her own world.


2. The iconic looks - The fashion in this movie fascinated me back then and still does to this day. The pleated skirts, the thigh high stockings, tight mini dresses, platforms, headbands, everything looked super cool and modern and now it doesn't look old at all. But my fave look from the whole movie will always be the yellow look:

3. That it's based on Jane Austen's novel 'Emma' - This is not something many people know and it's great to see their faces when you let them know. Just like in Austen's novel, Cher tries to be a matchmaker between all of her friends and wants that everyone leads a perfect life like her, until she realizes she feels a void and she has misinterpreted some relationships she had with the opposite sex. And just like with Jane Austen's heroine she has an epiphany and solves everything.

4. It has the greatest burn of all time - delivered by the then virgin who couldn't drive, the late Brittany Murphy:

5. The technology - These girls were talking on their cellphones while walking side by side through highschool and Cher even chose what she would wear by using her computer so it was something badass back then. Don't tell me you didn't love it.

6. Cher's iconic speeches - who could forget the one about the Haitians? i have to admit the one about male fashion is my favourite:
"I don't wanna be a traitor to my generation and all, but I don't get how guys dress today. I mean c'mon, it looks like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants, and take their greasy hair-ew!-and cover it up with a backwards  cap and, like, we're expected to swoon? I don't think so!"

7. The importance of friendship - It also taught us the basic pillars of BFFS

8. Cher also gave us a lesson about art:

9. Plastic surgery - We might have thought back then that they were exaggerating when it came to plastic surgery as you saw a few girls with bandaged nosejobs or chins but that's something normal now and this is another example of how this movie was ahead of its time.

10. Twin Peaks reference - The David Lynch show made a huge impact in the nineties so of course there has to be a reference in the movie as they weren't totally clueless.

11. The soundtrack - You have to admit the music in this movie was good. It had Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Tupac's and Coolio's 'Rollin' with the Hommies', The Lighting Seeds and more but this one was totally my fave:


12. The Calvin Klein dress - This scene remains one of the funniest for me because as the dad finds that the dress it's basically underwear and she needs to change, she simply puts on a see through jacket to cover herself because Cher stood up for Calvin Klein, obvs.

13. The Suck and Blow game - We all wanted to play that game after seeing it on the movie, at least my teen self did, and i actually did it:

14.  The lingo - This movie introduced many terms like 'Totally bugging', 'As If', 'Way harsh' or the already iconic 'Whatever' (always done with the hand gesture) or this one:

15. Cultivate body and mind - Because it's like, really important.

16. The amazing cast - Apart from the well-known Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd and Brittany Murphy, the movie contains a real great deal of supporting actors that are so, so great. From perfect highschool couple Stacey Dash or Donald Faison, to the iconic Dan Hedaya (he was also the dad in 'Night at the Roxbury'), lovable teachers Wallace Shawn and Twink Caplan, stoner Breckin Meyer or mean girl Elisa Donovan. Everyone was superb in the film and we couldn't forget about them.

17. Virginity - It gave us a really great example of how to choose the right person.

18. That partying is not everything - I loved this because basically i spent my whole teen years like this:

19. The importance of a makeover - Cher's and Dionne's biggest thrill in life.

20. That friendships with the opposite sex are complicated - now that's something we can all relate to. From her crush on Christian who she was sure he was into her but turned out to be gay, to her relationship with Elton who she thought were only friends but he wanted more, to her very own relationship with her stepbrother Josh were she found herself surprised to have liked him the whole time. It gives us some great examples of how we can misinterpret things and believe what we want to believe. Luckily for Cher, she had a happy ending.


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