About this episode

The episode discusses the cultural impact and significance of the film Clueless as a defining teen movie of the 90s.

Diving deep into all things ’90s. Observant, razor-sharp, and totally uncynical, there’s a reason why Clueless has stood the test of time. Often referred to as the best teen film ever, it takes Jane Austen’s Emma and transplants her into the plastic-chic world of 90s Beverly Hills. At its centre is Cher Horowitz played by Alicia Silverstone, a blissfully unaware teenager who – while desperate to impart her philanthropic endeavours on others – often misses what is right in front of her face. Today, Miranda Sawyer is joined by film critic and Empire’s Editor-at-Large Helen O’Hara to discuss how Clueless infiltrated every part of our culture, from the way we dress to the way we speak, and left its mark on teen cinema and beyond. ⁠Support us on Patreon Follow us on: BlueSky Instagram TikTok Subscribe to our Spotify playlist • Buy Miranda’s book Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in 20 Songs through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll be helping the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION…

People in this episode

Host: Miranda Sawyer

Guest: Helen O'Hara

Topics covered

• Clueless
• teen films
• 90s culture
• film criticism
• Jane Austen

Keywords

• Clueless
• 90s teen film
• Alicia Silverstone
• film criticism
• Jane Austen

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Empire, Patreon, Bookshop.org, Podmasters

Books & works: Clueless, Emma

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