I first watched 10 Things I Hate About You when I was thirteen
and instantly fell in love (and 10 years later it still remains as one of my
favourites). I love everything about this movie. The writing, the cast, the
soundtrack, and how it represents feminism. Especially Kat Stratford. The confident, strong, pessimistic, sassy,
loyal and feminist Kat.
Everything I need to know, I learned from Kat.
·
It’s okay not to be girly
Kat the bad ass feminist who wears whatever she wants. Whether
she’s rocking a t-shirt and jeans with no make-up or a prom dress and full hair
and make-up, Kat is herself. She lets no one define her. Nor is she trying to impress
anyone. Her choice to dress however she wants.
·
She is not perfect
Imperfect people are my favourite. Kat is not portrayed as perfect;
she makes mistakes like a normal human being. And she learns from it and moves
on. Sure she is confident and strong, and whatever her problem, she handles it
like a pro - whether it’s through listening to angry music or writing a poem. Kat
knows how to deal with it.
·
Sassy attitude
I LOVE her sassy attitude. Tells it like it is. Sure she at
times comes across as too direct and angry, but you just got to love her sassy attitude!
·
There is more to life than boyfriends
It is okay to be single. Embrace it. And that’s exactly what
Kat does. She is soooo okay with being single. She doesn’t let anyone
single-shame her. Nor does she revolve her life around men. SHE IS HAPPY BEING
SINGLE. BECAUSE IT IS OKAY TO BE SINGLE!
·
She is SO over being ‘cool’
Having first watched this movie when I was thirteen, the age
where everyone wants to be ‘cool’ and ‘popular’ and to fit in at school. Kat
taught me that it’s okay to not fit in; it’s okay to be yourself and to let
people like you for being you. Kat refuses to be a victim to peer pressure and isn’t
afraid to speak her mind. And my thirteen year old self thanks her for that!
KAT: “Bogey’s party is just a lame excuse for all the idiots at our school to drink beer and rub up against each other in hopes of distracting themselves from the pathetic emptiness of their meaningless consumer-driven lives.”
Also, unlike many female characters, Kat is not someone who
is masquerading as a feminist – she is a feminist! And she makes no excuses for
it!
·
BEST taste ever
Our first glimpse of Kat is in her car, listening to Joan
Jett’s Bad Reputation. And in another scene, Kat is shown reading Sylvia Plath’s
Bell Jar.
Being completely obsessed with the movie and forever wanting
to be cool like Kat, I checked out both Joan Jett and Sylvia Plath when I was thirteen,and been a
fan of both artists ever since. So thank you Kat for introducing me to two great
feminists!
·
It is OKAY for females to be smart
Kat is smart and well educated. She uses words like “patriarchy”,
“misogyny” and “sphincter”. And when she meets Patrick, she refuses to undermine
herself for a guy. Showing that it is okay to be smart around guys – I REPEAT,
IT IS OKAY TO BE SMART AROUND GUYS. Proving that being smart is the new sexy!
·
Love
Kat shows us that being a strong independent feminist doesn’t
mean you can’t fall in love. Sure, Kat is not the typical female character who
believes in prince charming and fairytale romances, yet she finds herself in
love. Showing that there is no rule book for feminists regarding love! And furthermore,
throughout the relationship, she remains herself!!
Kat also teaches us females not to chase the guy, but to let
him chase you! A rule I still stick to today
No comments:
Post a Comment