1. Cell Phones
Back in the mid-90s it may have been extravagant for a teen to have a cell phone, but now it’s the norm. Good luck enforcing ‘no phones at the dinner table.’ That was a rule that was always bound to be broken, especially when your dad is on the gazillionth level of Angry Birds.
2. Gourmet Coffee
Cher gave Mr. Hall her dad’s ‘sucky Italian Roast’ when many Americans still thought the only coffee flavors were regular or decaf. And what is that in her hand at Travis’ skateboarding competition? Could it be one of the earliest cinematic appearances of none other than the infamous white and green Starbucks cup? It’s no wonder there’s now a barista on every street corner. Our entire generation has been preconditioned to be java junkies thanks to prime product placement.
3. Plastic Surgery
Okay, we all chuckled at the phrase “routine liposuction” in 1996, but getting a little work done is actually surprisingly routine. Over 12 million Americans had a cosmetic procedure in 2010. That’s like the entire state of Illinois getting Botox, talk about being popular. Sad to say, freak accidents happen too. Kanye lost his mom the same way Cher did. So not cool.
While her gaydar may have been faulty, Cher’s instinct to become pals with her former-crush wasn’t. The positive portrayal of a popular gay teen was fresh and refreshing, predating Kurt Hummel on Glee, heart-wrenching Brokeback Mountain, ground-breaking (if stereotypical) Will & Grace, and even Ellen’s coming out on Ellen. Now that’s some fabulous trend-setting.
5. The Return of the Sharply Dressed Man
Cher was speaking for women everywhere when she ragged on the cringe worthy male wardrobe of the mid ’90s. “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 cap and like, we’re expected to swoon? I don’t think so!” Little surprise we all fell hard for tailored Draper. Deep down, every girl’s crazy about a sharply dressed man.
Totally prophetic right? Just like there’s no RSVP on the Statue of Liberty, there’s no expiration date on Clueless. Let us know your favorite Clueless premonition in the comments below!
