10 Extremely Uncomfortable Moments In Classic Movies

8. Clueless - Are Cher's Offensive Slurs Still OK Today? As If!

Clueless – loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma – is one of the 90s most beloved teen films. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that there are distinct pre- and post-Clueless eras in modern cinema. It was the first film to truly capture the teenage zeitgeist of the mid-90s, and it started the trend of modern day adaptations. In parts it looks of its time, but so much of it is still relevant to today’s society, and there are not many of its contemporaries you can say that about.

But one aspect of Clueless that would not fly today is Alicia Silverstone’s character Cher’s use of the words “retarded” and “gay” as descriptors of things that are bad. Today, both are quite rightly seen as ableist and homophobic slurs that have no place in our modern society.

In fact we often see celebrities (Lady Gaga, LeBron James) using “retard” and then being forced into apologies.

Clueless’s use of it as a slur can be looked at within the context of the time the movie was made. In 1995 it was considered OK to say it, but in recent years it has finally been re-contextualised into the ableist insult that it is. And given her thoughts about the world, I’m sure Cher would have quickly realised the error of her ways and stopped using it too.