Remembering the days when romcom movies were all the rave. The popularity of such films followed the same format… [guy likes girl or girl likes guy, people start off as friends, or guy and girl are perceived as enemies because one is popular and the other is not, sexual perversions, explicit jokes, egos flare with a side order of bullying]. Friends intervene from both sides voicing their opinions, other love interests suddenly appear, but in the end guy and girl fall in love.” blah, blah, blah.” Despite this predictable formula, these 90s teen movies had a certain charm and wit. They were relatable to a generation of youth who were still trying to figure out how to navigate life’s difficulties; hormonal changes, attempting to live up to parent’s expectations, trying to please their friends or lack thereof, social peer-pressure and encountering love for the first time. Although these films were a hit for the masses, it is hard not to notice how certain aspects of these films have not aged well.
Sexism, Objectification and Preconceived ideas based on Gender
When we think about sexism, our minds automatically think of discrimination against women (in theory it is the very definition of sexism), but it is important to recognize that sexism and preconceived stereotypes about gender can go either way. In the days of yesteryear, it appeared to be more socially acceptable for women to relate ‘men as being dogs or that all men are cheaters and liars’ and for ‘men to judge women based on outward appearances, and how many females they can sleep with in a week’, all in the name of comedy. In Clueless Murray tells Dionne, “Is it that time of the month again” when she becomes combative with him. Cher compares high school boys to being dogs “You have to clean them and feed them.” Later, Cher is on a quest to give Tai a makeover - just so she can attract a more (classy type of guy) … instead of allowing Tai to be herself. Objectification of the female form was common in yesteryear’s romantic comedies. This is evident in a beach party scene of “She’s All That,” when the camera zooms-in on girls in their bikinis. First, the camera would pan upward to the female’s face to show her attractiveness, then the camera would pan downward showing the breast before making its way further down revealing the bikini area…this method is not a coincidence, instead its a sexual tactic to cater to the male viewership. Objectifying parts of the male anatomy is also prevalent in romcoms. We see in “10 Things I Hate About You”, a student draws a picture of a penis on another student’s face, while another male student informs the principal on how he pretended to expose himself using a sausage. These outdated notions about gender and sexual objectification haven’t really age well, considering the current #metoo environment and a generation who has completely redefined gender identity and gender specific roles in its entirety.
Hyper-Masculinity
Or sometimes better known as ‘Toxic Masculinity,’ and no one does it better than teenage boys - who can often be described as overly hormonal, filled with rage and wildly insecure. In teen dramas, excessive acts of aggressive behavior are often portrayed by jocks and or the school bully. Behaving stereotypically associated with or expected of men, regarded as having a negative impact on men on society as a whole [New Oxford American Dictionary]. This behavior threatens the humanity of those who are seen as ‘less than’ the individuals who regard themselves as alpha male. It creates a toxic environment filled with homophobic remarks, complete domination of males who are seen as weak. Objectifying, verbal harassment, and in more extreme cases physical assault and or sexual assault towards women. In “She’s All That” while in the locker room, Dean (Paul Walker) suggest that because of Laney’s emotional breakdown (in reaction to cruel words uttered by mean girl Taylor) could be the reason why Zack isn’t ‘getting any’, and if Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is not scoring with Laney (Rachel Leigh Cook), then Dean would be more than happy to step-up to the plate. This misogynistic attitude of Dean is a reminder that some men have the strong belief that even when a female is considered undesirable, that as a man he should (at the very least) still be having sex with her. In “10 Things I Hate About You” Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan) represents the stereotypical rich boy trope. He is good looking; spoiled and believes he can buy his way through anything – he is confident in his belief that any girl should be lucky to have him. Any spare time is spent on belittling students like Michael (David Krumholtz) who he no doubt views as someone who is beneath him.
Teen Drinking
If there is one thing all teen romantic comedies have in common is underage drinking. In “She’s All That” we see Misty slumped over the toilet vomiting, after all night of drinking. In “10 Things I Hate About You”, Kat is drunk dancing on top of a table and suddenly she is seen as the cool girl at the party. Also, in “10 Things I Hate… Michael is all too eager to pass out flyers regarding a party with the words ‘FREE BEER’ in bold print. If you are expecting a PSA to be shown at the end of these films (“not quite”). This proclivity of underage drinking is portrayed in the contents for pure entertainment, it gives off the impression that the only way teens can settle their differences for one night is to throw a wild party, lower your ambitions and get wasted. There are many dangers of over-alcohol consumption, especially for immature individuals who often make rash decisions.
Makeover Time...because girl you need it!
The famous Makeover Montage is present in about every romantic comedy of the 90’s and early 2000’s, as if to say you don’t look good enough to land the guy of your dreams or to fit in with the popular crowd, “so let’s make you over.” This makeover transformation can be seen in “Clueless” when Cher turns new transfer student Tai (Brittany Murphy) into her own personal makeover project - a transformation in which temporary alters Tai’s personality and she becomes slightly more popular than her creator Cher. In “She’s All That” Laney (Rachel Leigh Cook) is made over by Mackenzie (Anna Paquin) who is transformed from being an artistic wallflower type into the beautiful girl next-door trope. In “Never Been Kissed” Josie (Drew Barrymore) is transformed from the clumsy, fashionable challenged individual into a more modern updated teen girl look, to fit in with popular girl Kirsten (Jessica Alba) and her crew. The makeover montage has not aged well, but it did play a crucial factor in teaching young adults to just be themselves - considering that every character who has had a makeover in each film, eventually reverts to their former selves by the end of the movie.
never cared 4 the romantic comedies 🤷
bck in the day had a huge crush on alicia silverstone