Ugh! As If!: Clueless

(Paperback, No Edition)

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Ugh As If! uncovers the complex layers beneath the glossy surface of the 1995 classic film Clueless. Litt investigates not just the Austen satire but the films deeper ethical questions about femininity, innocence, bias, and inequity.

A sweet and sly exploration of the Jane Austeninspired teen movie and its evergreen imperative to be kind, do better, and find the activist within

We are totally butt-crazy in love with Clueless. Since the movies premiere in 1995, pop culture has mined Amy Heckerlings high school comedy for inspiration, from Iggy Azalea and Charli XCXs Fancy music video to Chers iconic yellow plaid suit appearing at every Halloween party.

In Ugh As If!, Veronica Litt argues that this seemingly fluffy teen romp is the quintessential thinking womans movie, one in which the audience is asked to seriously consider the beauty and power of navet. Cher Horowitzs gradual pivot from oblivious it girl to burgeoning activist is a powerful reminder that even the most unlikely people can change for the better and contribute to their communities. In this bright, shiny film, pursuing a more just society isnt just possible its enjoyable. This fun, feminine, feel-good movie is a counter-narrative to nihilism, a refusal to give into cynicism, hopelessness, and passivity. Almost without viewers noticing, Clueless teaches Cher, and us, how to become better. Like the film it examines, Ugh As If! nudges even the most jaded viewer into feeling hopeful about the future.

About the Pop Classics Series

Short books that pack a big punch, Pop Classics offer intelligent, fun, and accessible arguments about why a particular pop phenomenon matters.

Author Bio

Veronica Litt is a writer, reader, teacher, and hobbyist letterpress printer from Hamilton, Ontario. She holds a PhD in English and Book History from the University of Toronto and currently lives in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, where she teaches post-secondary classes on English literature. Ugh As If! is her first book.