I've been on a bit of a nostalgia kick lately. I don't know what started it. Perhaps its all the crushed velvet and neon that seems to be coming back in style and then what would have been Kurt Cobain's 45th birthday this week. A 90's music post is forthcoming, but for now, my list of the fictional 90's girls whom I looked up to and aspired to be like.
1. Clarissa Darling, Clarissa Explains It All.
Clarissa was all around awesome. I wanted her room, clothes, hair, sweet computer skills and ladder climbing best friend Sam. Remember her pet alligator, Elvis, who lived in a wading pool in her room? Also, looking back on it, I was definitely positively influenced by her confidence and creativity. The actress who played her, Melissa Joan Hart just wrote a piece for Bullet, her take on where Clarissa is now.
2. The Tanner sisters of Full House.
While I idolized DJ and her awesome hair, I related more to Stephanie in her dorky ways: glasses, allergies, trying to fit in with the cool girls and I wanted my real life little sister to have funny catch phrases like Michelle. I spent a good chunk of my childhood trying to get people to sit in a line and play with each other’s hair like they do in the opening credits.
3. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles), 10 Things I Hate About You
So, obviously, one of the reasons I thought she was sooooo cool was because Heath Ledger’s character fell for her, but, she definitely had a intellectual bad ass thing going on too. She made being brainy and feminist a sexy thing to do in my 15 year old opinion, although I still haven’t gotten around to reading the Feminine Mystique.
4. The Baby Sitters Club
A big thanks to Ann M. Martin for encouraging girls across America to not only earn money, but start their own businesses. I know I learned a lot of practical tips about childcare from the 100+ books I read in this long running series. I wanted to be sophisticated and stylish like Stacey, or beautiful and artistic like Claudia but in reality, I was more of a awkward and bookish Mallory.
5. Tie!
This one is a tie between all of the characters out there that fall into the “girls want to be her, boys want to date her” catagory. Kelly Kapowski (Saved by the Bell) Topanga Lawerence (Boy Meets World), and Winnie Cooper (The Wonder Years) are all great examples. All smart, sweet, beautiful, assertive young ladies, pined after by male characters on their shows and 13 year old boys everywhere.
6. The Ladies of Clueless
Are you already writing this one off as being totally superficial? As if! Cher is like totally a betty with heart. If you'll recall, the plot of the movies revolves around Cher realizing there is much more to life than clothes an popularity and she starts to help people. Making volunteering, donating clothes to charities and the likes seem totally cool to girls like me. Dionne was always my favorite though, I appreciated her overuse of the word "phat". Did you know the plot is based on Jane Austen's Emma?
What '90's characters most influenced you? I'd love to hear in the comments.
I was immediately intrigued. Who were they and why did they have their own personal Aslan poking around their fridge and swimming with them?
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