Awesome Female Role Models- Cher Horowitz

With Emma Approved premiering on YouTube this week, I knew exactly who I had to feature today for my Awesome Female Role Models series.

Cher from the movie Clueless.

Clueless is my favorite adaptation of Emma, and has been one of my all time favorite movies since I was 9. (Granted... I didn't understand half of what was happening when I was 9... but still.) Clueless definitely makes my 10 Ten Movies Ever List- if not Top 5. It's funny, clever, has a fantastic cast, it's based on an Jane Austen novel, and full of wonderful characters. I have seen this movie countless times and I've never gotten tired of it.

One of the first things you notice about Cher is that she takes care of her dad and cares about him more than anything. They have a great relationship. She's willing to help him with his big case and helps him be sure he's eating well. She can talk to him about boy troubles and he would do anything for her. It says something about a person when they have such a great relationship with their parents.

Cher is also very organized. She's only fifteen, and not the greatest student, but how she helps her dad out with events and things around the house is impressive for someone her age.

She ends up with Paul Rudd before anyone knew who he was. Clearly she has good taste in men. Also, Josh is just all around awesome.Yes, he's older than she is. But I think I had read Josh was supposed to be a freshman in college, and that makes it better. Besides, they're cute together and it worked for the whole Emma/Mr. Knightly relationship. At least in my opinion.

While she isn't the best student, she is smart. Her comebacks are clever and she  has awesome problem solving skills. The way she phrases things make total sense, but said in a creative way no one else would have thought of. Or at least I wouldn't have.

Cher makes friends with Tai. At first her motivations aren't totally right, but you have to admit she was a good influence (ex. encouraging Tai to NOT do drugs) and they stayed friends. Cher could have given Tai her makeover and then left. She didn't. She stayed friends with Tai even though she would be looked down on and in spite of the other girls making fun of Tai. Even after they fight, she wants to make up and be friends again.

Even beyond Tai, she's friends with everyone - even the people she probably "shouldn't" be. The best example would be Travis. At first she does kinda of look down on him, but through the movie she never treats him badly and learns to appreciate who he is. She also supports him as he's cleaning up his act and soon learns that it's okay for Tai to date him.

She reads. It's not always school books, but at least she's reading and tries to improve her vocabulary. That's way more than most teenagers do. The way I see it, reading is reading and it's way better than not picking up a book at all. She also has a far better vocabulary than I do.

Her arguments aren't the best, or researched, and she completely deserves her "C" in debate. However... she does make some good points in her own creative valley-girl way. I feel like Cher would be an awesome blogger. If not just for entertainment and quotability.

Cher recognizes a bad guy when she sees one. At first she thinks of Elton as a friend and wants to set up Tai with him. Then when she sees his true colors and how he really views himself and other people, she knows it's time to kick him to the curb. I think this is a big part of her own journey as well because she starts to learn how she shouldn't look down on others.

While the movie doesn't promote abstinence or anything, it's refreshing to see Cher waiting for a special guy. As she says "I'm not prude, just highly selective. You've seen how picky I am about my shoes, and they only go on my feet." You go girl!

When she meets Christian and forms a crush... you just want to go "Oh... Honey... no..." But in spite of the awkwardness of realizing he's gay and she didn't know it, she doesn't want to stop being his friend. Besides... we've all been in her shoes in some way or another. Whether it has been mistaking someone's sexual preferences, or hopelessly failing while trying to impress someone we like.

Cher makes an awesome emotional journey through the movie. She's sweet and fun and charming, but a snob. She puts her nose into other people's business and is well... as the movie says... clueless. However, as she matures, experiences LA teenage life, and is always being challenged by Josh, she sees her own shortcomings and tries to become better. She begins to look outside of herself and her own little world and beings to help and support other people - genuinely - not just because she thinks it would be fun to give them a makeover or get her a better grade.She sees how each of her friends and family members are wonderful and unique in their own ways, and how she wants to be more like them. She makes an genuine effort to become a better person while still being herself.

Quotes:
- Miss Stoeger, I would just like to say that physical education in this school is a disgrace. I mean, standing in line for forty minutes is hardly aerobically effective. I doubt I've worked off the calories in a stick of Carefee gum.
- Anything that can draw attention to your mouth is good.
- That's Ren and Stimpy. They're way existential.
- So you're probably going, "Is this like a Noxzema commercial or what?" But seriously, I have a way normal life for a teenage girl.
- Christian said he's call the next day, but in boy time that meant Thursday.
- So like, right now for example. The Haitians need to come to America. but some people are all, "What about the strain on our resources?" Well, it's like when I had this garden party for my father's birthday, right? I put RSVP 'cause it was a sit-down dinner. But some people came that like did not RSVP. I was like totally buggin'. I had to haul ass to the kitchen, redistribute the food, and squish in extra place settings. But by the end of the day it was like, the more the merrier. And so if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some thing, we could certainly party with the Haitians. And in conclusion, may I please remind you it does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty. Thank you very much.
- She's a full on Monet. It's like a painting, see? From far away it's OK, but up close it's a big old mess.
- As if!
- Thank you Josh. I so need lessons from you on how to be cool. Tell me the part about Kenny G again?
- So okay I don't want to be a traitor to my generation and all but I don't get how guys dress today. I mean, come on, 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 cape and like, we're expected to swoon? I don't think so.
- I am totally butt crazy in love with Josh.
- Oh my God I am totally buggin'.

Are you all fans of Cher and Clueless too? Did I miss anything?

Also - as much as I love Cher, please don't ever take driving lessons from her.