'Cluels' star Alicia Silverstone on the gays: "They’ve always been my people" - Queerty

clueless gay

Cluels star Alicia Silverstone reflected on the movie 25 years on, notg that her "favoure part" of s legacy is "what means to gay boys".

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CLUELS STAR ALICIA SILVERSTONE SAYS SHE’S MOST PROUD OF HOW MUCH THE FILM ‘MEANS TO GAY BOYS’ 25 YEARS AFTER S RELEASE

" when he breaks the (obv) news that Christian is gay.

Cluels was released 1995, a full two years before Ellen Degener me out of the closet — that shows how much more taboo beg gay was then pared to today. And while Cluels was relatively progrsive that there was a fully veloped gay character (Christian), there are some glarg gay stereotyp the film. Then there's the issue of Christian, one of the major characters, who is the stereotypil gay man — thk Queer Eye for the Straight Guy — wh his fashn sensibily, appreciatn of Ben-Hur, dancg skills, art leracy, and good physique.

Shout out to whoever on set had Christian readg a py of Junky by William Burroughs, a gay lerary in, class. The next day, Murray pots out that they were never gog to have sex bee Christian is gay, so Cher cis to be shoppg buddi wh him stead.

ALICIA SILVERSTONE KNOWS ALL YOU GAY BOYS LOVE "CLUELS""THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORE ASPECT OF THE FILM."{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHJULY 20, 2020/1:26 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:900PX;WIDTH:1600PX;}CLUELS/PARAMOUNTBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHJULY 20, 2020 / 1:26 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"ALICIA SILVERSTONE KNOWS ALL YOU GAY BOYS LOVE \"CLUELS\"","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2020-07-20T17:26:15.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2020-07-20T17:26:15.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPH","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS PAST WEEKEND, THE MORN FILM CLASSIC CLUELS CELEBRATED S 25TH ANNIVERSARY. A QUARTER OF A CENTURY? AS IF! ALAS, 'S {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO HONOR THE HOLIDAY, ALICIA SILVERSTONE, WHO BROUGHT CHER TO LIFE THE MOVIE, SPOKE WH VOGUE ABOUT CLUELS AND S ENDURG POPULARY YEARS DOWN THE LE. WHEN ASKED WHAT WAS PECIALLY MEANGFUL TO HER WHEN THE FILM WAS RELEASED, SILVERSTONE SAID SHE LOVED HOW GAY MEN EMBRACED .CBS VIA GETTY IMAGLOS ANGELES - JULY 21: THE MOVIE "CLUELS", WRTEN AND DIRECTED BY AMY HECKERLG. SEEN HERE OM LEFT, BRTANY MURPHY (AS TAI), ALICIA SILVERSTONE (AS CHER HOROWZ) AND JT WALKER (AS CHRISTIAN). THEATRIL WI RELEASE, FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1995. SCREEN PTURE. PARAMOUNT PICTUR. (PHOTO BY CBS VIA GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I WAS REALLY WELL-RECEIVED BY THE GAY MUNY AFTER CLUELS ME OUT," SILVERSTONE TOLD THE MAGAZE. "THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN MY PEOPLE. I DON'T KNOW IF 'S JT THIS FILM OR MY VIBE THAT’S ENARED ME TO THEM, BUT THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORE ASPECT OF THE FILM. PARTICULARLY WHAT MEANS TO GAY BOYS."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE ACTRS WENT ON TO EXPLA HOW SHE HAS A REAL-LIFE CHRISTIAN (CHER'S CLASSMATE WHO SHE TRI TO DATE BEFORE REALIZG HE'S GAY), WHO IS FUNNILY ENOUGH ALSO NAMED CHRISTIAN—SIRIANO, THAT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"WHENEVER WE HANG OUT, HE'S BASILLY LIKE MY BOYIEND," SHE EXPLAED. "WE LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH AND I'M SURE SOME OF THAT STEMS OM HIM REALLY ADMIRG CLUELS AND WHAT CHER MEANT TO HIM AND ALL OF HIS IENDS GROWG UP."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"STEMS"? WE SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS NEWNOWNEXT PREVLY REPORTED, CLUELS WAS WRTEN AND DIRECTED BY AMY HECKERLG. THE ORIGAL 1995 TEEN EDY CLASSIC WAS LOOSELY BASED ON JANE ATEN’S EMMA AND SET THE ’90S BEVERLY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE FILM, WHICH HELPED LNCH THE REERS OF SILVERSTONE AND PL RUDD, ALSO STARRED BRECK MEYER, JEREMY SISTO, STACEY DASH, AND THE LATE BRTANY MURPHY. A TV SPOFF RAN FOR THREE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SILVERSTONE LED THE ST AS CHER, A DZY POPULAR GIRL WHO LIK TO PLAY MATCHMAKER. JT WALKER PLAYED CHRISTIAN, CHER’S STYLISH LOVE TERT, WHO IS ULTIMATELY REVEALED TO BE GAY AND FAMOLY SCRIBED AS A “DIS-DANC’, OSR WIL READ’, STREISAND TICKET-HOLD’ IEND OF DOROTHY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

In a r ri wh her two iends Dnne (Stacey Dash) and Murray (Donald Faison), Cher learns why her urtship has been unsuccsful: Christian is gay – or as Murray puts , “a dis-dancg, Osr-Wil-readg, Streisand-ticket-holdg iend of Dorothy’s.

“[Durg the 1960s and 1970s, ] gay characters were often reprented as beg dangero, vlent, predatory or suicidal such as the films ‘The Children’s Hour’ (1961), ‘The Boys the Band’ (1970), ‘Midnight Exprs’ (1978) and ‘Vanishg Pot’ (1971), ” Media Smarts, a digal and media leracy nonprof wrote an article.

In my se, I beme the gay guy om ‘Cluels. “Wh Hollywood films signed to appeal to as large an dience as possible, producers fear that focg on gay and lbian them may risk offendg a signifint portn of the dience, not to mentn potential vtors, ” Media Smarts wrote.

HOW PETER FACELLI SCREWED UP AUDN TO PLAY CHER’S GAY CSH ‘CLUELS’: “DON’T BE A DICK”

"Any outsir group is gog to create their own language—whether 's homosexual, black, prisoners, or b drivers, " Heckerlg explaed. He was trigued by a Hollywood script havg a "ol gay kid" character.

For stance, on movie night he suggts Some Like It Hot and Spartac, the former beg a movie about men cross-drsg, which arguably ends wh the creatn of a gay uplg. Burroughs, an acclaimed and gay Amerin wrer.

‘CLUELS’ STAR ALICIA SILVERSTONE ON THE GAYS: “THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN MY PEOPLE”

”Clearly, there is still room to grow, but we have e a long way om the cliche socially isolated gay characters. (And fact, for most of the 20th century, homosexualy and genr dysmorphia were nsired ndns to be listed the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn’s Diagnostic and Statistil Manual of Mental Disorrs. Cluels: First Steps to LGBTQ+ AwarensOne of the first and most inic films to portray a gay character a posive light was Cluels.

Cluels chronicl the misadventur of a teenage self-proclaimed matchmaker, Cher, who liv Beverly Hills wh her daddy wh all the luxuri anyone uld wish film is known for many of s popular tchphras and lnchg leadg actrs Alicia Silverstone to full-fledged stardom; also troduced the gay character of Christian, portrayed by Jt Walker.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* CLUELESS GAY

Cluels: Alicia Silverstone proud of what film 'means to gay boys' .

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