'Reflecting on 90s Teen Movies: Do They Stand the Test of Time?'

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.

Uncovering the Truth: A Controversial Documentary on 'The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch'

(Original post date: May 1, 2022)

One of Netflix’s Top 10 Most Watched this past week, is a controversial documentary titled, “White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch.” A definite must see for those who have ever questioned the moral ethics of the once clothing apparel juggernaut. As a teenager I was no different than my peers. I was a part of this so-called “mall culture” where teens would spend all their free time just hanging out at the mall, it was the COOL thing to do! So, amid acting a fool with friends while mindlessly roaming the walkways of the mall, there was always this one clothing store where me and my friends would at first hesitate to go inside, but once we entered the front door, we were often hit with this overwhelming feeling that we didn’t belong and that we weren’t welcomed. I wish I could go back in time and explain to my immature 15-year-old self that this feeling you are experiencing is not an exaggeration, but only the beginning of unapologetic discrimination. Abercrombie & Fitch had proven that it was profitable in being extremely exclusive.

Your ugly, go away! 

Job interviews are stressful! When you are being interviewed for a position, you expect to be judged based on your personality, your work ethics and experience. How about being considered for a position which relies on how attractive you are? This is how former CEO Mike Jeffries ran his Abercrombie & Fitch stores for years. It was not a suggestion; it was an absolute requirement! As an applicant you had to possess a certain “look” to even be considered for hiring. Now of course a manager would interview qualified applicants, but if they deemed you unattractive, you were not offered a position even if you were the most qualified applicant. Abercrombie & Fitch standard of attractiveness primarily focused on young good-looking white college age students, especially males who were physically fit. This meant that an applicant could be considered unattractive solely on the color of their skin. Speaking of people of color… minorities who were offered a position at Abercrombie & Fitch were exceedingly rare and would often find themselves working at the BACK of the store, being given fewer work hours than their white coworkers. In theory, this hiring practice is illegal but at times can be hard to prove because in most cases employers are good at covering up to make it look as if they are not actively discriminating.

Homoeroticism

According to the (Urban Dictionary) Homoeroticism – is the sexual attraction that exists between members of the same sex. It is not necessarily gay; rather it exists as a tension between heterosexual norms and expectations and natural attraction between two members of the same gender. Years ago Abercrombie & Fitch campaign ads, advertising posters and catalogs were filled with pictures of half-naked young men engaging in physical activity that often looked like inappropriate touching. The topic of homo erotica would periodically appear in the media as the former CEO Mike Jeffries’s sexuality was repeatedly the subject of hot discussions. Being the private individual that he was, these allegations were not denied or confirmed. However, considering that the company was built around sex appeal (showing intimate interactions between heterosexual couples) and borderline X-rated encounters between male models, to the trained eye the emphasis of homoeroticism is more than just pure coincidence. 

All About being Exclusive!

Just like the nerdy kid who is never invited to a cool party, exclusiveness has always been ingrained in American culture. The idea that certain people are better than others, dates far back in American history, Abercrombie & Fitch is no different. In fact, the former CEO Mike Jeffries’ formula for success was to combine the heritage of Abercrombie with elitism (catering to the elite and privileged), combined with sexual imagery and exclusivity equaling big profit. The Abercrombie & Fitch consumer drove a jeep and owned a golden retriever, he/she was a college student who maintained the preppy look while turning up their noses to everyone else. This concept of exclusion was not limited to just consumers, Abercrombie & Fitch store associates were to follow strict guidelines according to the company's motto. The Look: Exhibiting the A&F look is a tremendous part at the A&F stores. We are selling an experience for our customers, an atmosphere that people want to experience repeatedly. These guidelines included having a neatly combed classic hairstyle, absolutely No Dreadlocks! Gold chains for men was unacceptable, while women’s jewelry had to be simple and classic. The problem with exclusiveness is that it often invokes racial discrimination. Minority employees did not exactly fit “the look” of Abercrombie & Fitch and because of this, employees of color were given fewer work hours or forced to work in the back, so to be unseen by customers. The unethical business practices brought a discrimination lawsuit at the front door of Abercrombie & Fitch. But, in all honesty, Will this prevent corporations from being exclusive?

Gotta Love those Graphic Tees, right?... Not!

Remember when I mentioned that exclusiveness often invokes racial discrimination? Well, Abercrombie & Fitch pushed a few buttons with their graphic tees. These t-shirts were so inappropriate and offensive to other people’s culture, that it would have made Adolf Hitler rollover and shed a tear of joy in his grave. How about that “Juan more for the road” or “Wong Brothers two wongs can make it white” t-shirt? This was blatant racism at its best, and to no surprise these tees were selling like ‘hotcakes’ thanks to college aged/teen consumers. Of course, the individuals who wore these graphic tees, more than likely never had to deal with the effects of racism head-on. A&F issued an apology for their offensive tees, but only after an uproar of protests occurred. Big companies do this sort of thing ALL the time! They are aware of business practices or products that their selling can potentially be offensive to others, but still are willing to see how far they can push boundaries…only if angry protests transpire, is when the company issues an apology. It is like the kid with his hand in the cookie jar. Mom tells little Johnny not to put his hand in the cookie jar, little Johnny waits until mom is not looking and sure enough his hand is in the cookie jar. One day mom catches little Johnny with his hand in the cookie jar, little Johnny apologized to mom, but ONLY after he had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "See where I am going with this?!"

Things are changing!

And the word for today is... Inclusive. New CEO Fran Horowitz took over and turned the company upside down (in a clever way of course). Gone are the days of body shaming. Now Abercrombie & Fitch models include plus size, more diversity and representation of all age groups. There is also a change within the stores, employees are expected to be more attentive instead of aloof and distant. Hopefully, these changes will make the brand all the better and businesses across the nation will follow by example. To finish this writing on an interesting note, in reference to the end of the documentary the interviewee summed up the problematic history of A&F. Woman interviewed: “It was a culture that defined beauty as thin and white and young, and it was a culture that was very happy to exclude people.” The Producer: “And so, have we solved that now?” Woman interviewed: [laughs] “No.”

14 Random Thoughts While Watching Exotic Thriller Movies in the 90s: Basic Instinct!

'Thriller movies in the 90s'

Intro: An exotic-thriller about an emotionally unstable homicide detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who investigates the brutal murder of a rock star. Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) a crime novelist and the girlfriend of the murdered singer is the number one suspect. But, things get dicey quickly when Nick is seduced by the beautiful ‘femme fatale’ which placed a hindrance on the investigation and subsequently endangers the lives of those who have a connection to the detective. A film that is best remembered by the infamous scene when Catherine is shown slowly uncrossing and crossing her legs, giving viewers a little something extra.  [wink wink] 😉

Thought #1: Never allow someone to tie you up during sex!

Thought #2: You gotta love movies from the 90's for their loud, dramatic, over-the-top background music, as if to say this music is more important than dialogue between actors.

Thought #3: Major Processed Hair Alert! "We got a runaway Temptations here."

Thought #4: Catherine asked detective Nick for a cigarette, he said he don't smoke. Then she pulled out her own cigarette and began to smoke. In the mist of smoking, she offered Nick a cigarette, his response again was, "I don't smoke I quit." Her response, "It won't last." (Major power move, this meant that she was in control from the start)! 

Thought #5: A group of male detectives is interrogating her, using a calm sultry voice she is openly talking about how she likes to have sex, while purposely not wearing underwear during the interview..."This woman knows how the game is played."

Thought #6: Computers have come a long way baby!

Thought #7: Didn't she say he would start smoking again?

Thought #8: There’s something to be said about being angry but dancing provocative!

Thought #9: Detective Nick is incompetent, dangle a beautiful woman in front of him and he loses all focus on the case.

Thought #10: "I had to hit the pause button on this one." When Nick looked up police records on Hazel Dobkins, it clearly states that she was released from San Quentin on July 7, 1965. This would have been impossible, because San Quentin became a men's only prison in 1933.

Thought #11: This is 1992, and the Black guy in the movie is playing a non-stereotypical role, “Wow, that’s a surprise!” 

Thought #12: Moments after Gus is murdered, suspicion points to Beth. Although she is innocent, it didn't help much that she always seemed suspicious.

Thought #13: While making love to Nick, Catherine's weapon of choice is underneath the bed. "What is it with this chick's obsession with ice picks!"

Thought #14: A woman who is of a 'certain persuasion', who happens to be wealthy and attractive..."Of course she got away with murder, Duh!"