"chick flicks" deserve your respect 🎬💞🏆 

the fact that everything that is unapologetically feminine is associated with cringiness and stupidity breaks my heart no wonder so many girls feel like they have to distance themselves from what is considered to be "girly stuff" in order to be taken seriously

What's funny is, people are always targeting chickflicks as cringey and laughable, but I'm supposed to sit down and watch James Bond without laughing my ass off?

How Heathers, a dark comedy about teenagers being so isolated and disregarded they murder each other, ended up classified as a "chick flick" baffles me.

In my opinion, "chick flicks" are important because they portray women in different decades; their place in society, workplace, relationships, fashion, language and more! I believe they are a vital contribution to cinema in order to understand our changes. It is sad that people don't consider them as "good movies". Ps: sorry for my english

Notice how "chick-flicks" is a little degrading, but there's no male equivalent? Like dick-flicks for example; an example of a male version of a chick flick is Superbad. But that movie can be acceptably watched by both men and women, and it is seen as good comedy. However chick flicks can only acceptably be watched by women and they are seen as silly. In my opinion this is a huge issue because whenever movies about women are made, men stray away from them when they should be educating themselves on what women's lives are! Their representation of women is limited to the movies and books they consume, which typically do not have complex portrayals of women and can explain why men see us as walking sex toys or as manic pixie girls or other harmful things. Which is why Little Women being popular is sooo good, more men need to see women's perspectives. Us women constantly consume media revolving around men without an issue.

As a boy who loves and watches your channel all the time. It was disappointing to see how hard I was judged for watching movies like this by my peers just because WOMEN were starring in it. Ever since I was a little kid I never saw movies like that I just saw them as movies that's it. I'm glad that there's a channel that expresses what I felt all these years. And get rid of that ridiculous stigma and just enjoy quality movies. So thank you.

Anything that teenage girls like immediately becomes 'shallow' and 'cringe'.

I used to say I hated chick flicks because “I’m not like other girls” only to realize like 90% of the movies I watched and loved were in fact chick flicks.

I didn’t stop to read the title because when you see Audrey Hepburn and clueless on a Modern girls thumbnail you click FAST.

I remember my boyfriend and I were having a movie night. He always picks some kind of zombie movie and I just wasn’t with it that day, so I chose to watch Mean Girls. He asked if it was a chick flick, because the cover art looked like one. I was honest and said yes, but I also told him that the movie was a cult classic, which tickled his fancy. Mean Girls is now one of his favorite movies.

Tbh most “chick flicks” are actually just good fun movies that everyone likes

Society tends to deride anything teen girls and young women enjoy, moreso than anything of similar quality a man might like. Teen boy bands are automatically derided, whether or not their music is good or bad. Even classic novels like Little Women or the Brontes are considered “less prestigious” than Moby Dick because they’re about women. It drives me nuts.

I loveeee chick flicks and I do not care what anyone thinks, they’re funny, light-heart and cute. What’s not to like?

I could litrally talk about how good a film is but it all comes undone when misogynistic men say "but it's a chick flick though"

As a guy who enjoys “chick-flicks” not only because they are enjoyable but because there is a lot to learn from them. I only wish that there wasn’t judgement from both genders for watching these films as I believe everyone would benefit from them.

Your line about how there are endless marylin movies and when will we get one about eartha kitt... I got chills, mama! would love to see a film that talks about her making ladybird Johnson cry at that dinner because of what eartha said about vietnam!

Imma do my top 10 "chick flicks": 1. A Cinderella Story 2. Wild Child 3. Clueless 4. Freaky Friday (2003) 5. Mean Girls 6. Aquamarine 7. Enchanted 8. Legally Blonde 9. Bring it On: All or Nothing 10. The Cheetah Girls

Heathers is ICONIC, period. We have got to end this stigmatization of something that is seen as "girly" or "something only girls like".

I MISS the fun, empowering, cute chick flicks of the early 2000s and late 90s. So many gems. Have you seen Wild Child? It's one of the later, good chick flicks!

so next time you see on a guy's profile that he likes “all kinds of movies except chick flicks” maybe reevaluate if you want to have any sort of relationship with him. p.s. as always, danger doubles if he lists fight club, the wolf of wall street, clockwork orange, among others as favorites and ESPECIALLY if he explicitly states that he admires/wants to emulate the protagonists edit: yes it’s clockwork orange sorry i just translated by myself instead of looking it up and my latino ass wrote “mechanical orange”

Heathers is considered a "chick flick"? Heathers is ICONIC! Everyone could benefit from watching Heathers, and its awful that because Veronica Sawyer (Played by Wionna Ryder) is the lead, it's a "chick flick". Seriously, if you haven't seen it, its on Hulu.

My dad bought and enthusiastically made us watch all the chick flicks he loved in the 80s/90s/00s, if an incredibly manly man like him can genuinely love chick flicks, anyone can

I think there's a huge connect between loving literature and appreciating chick flicks. Because you recognize the distinction between well written unlikable characters that were intended to be so, and problematic characters that are just overused archetypes. When you make a literary analysis you can find depth in anything.

I think thats the exactly the motive teenagers in the 2010s revolved to fanfiction instead of movies. We want a well written or filmed, compelling love story (even if that love isnt romantically). But the film industry only want quick cash, using the same easy market, because they want a easy formula that we will spend money with bc we are starved of representation. Fanfiction is free, so the authors prioritize the writing over the money, with make some compelling, good stories. Anyway that's my theory, hoping someone realize that and a good chick flick get to the market soon 💕

I SAW HEATHERS AND CLUELESS AND I CLICKED

"How many movies about Marilyn Monroe do we need before we get one about Eartha Kitt" *SHOTS. FIRED* They keep pulling the wrong lever.

Yesterday I started checking out more chick flicks. I realized there’s lots that I haven’t seen so yeah. Also coming of age movies

Eartha Kitt made a movie about Eartha Kitt herself, and if that isn't the ultimate power move...

I love chick flicks so much and i don’t like that some people call them their “guilty pleasure” movies bc whats so bad about liking a “girly” light hearted movie? 💖

Saw heathers, came as fast as I could.

Angela Basset strutting away from the car after setting her husband’s clothes on fire is my aesthetic👸🏾🥵💕

I’m not as traditionally feminine as many of the viewers of this channel are, but one of the more “girly” things I do enjoy (apart from this channel and fashion and playing with dolls as a kid, god I miss that so much) is I’ve always loved chick flicks. Even when I was really into Harry Potter and it was all I watched and read and thought about, I’d make room for some more light hearted movies geared toward women. They’re so much fun and easy to watch and are multiple viewing friendly which is a must for me and my adhd (I often don’t have the patience to get into the plot of a new movie, but I still want to watch movies sometimes. I’ve seen mean girls a weird number of times). They’re also often weirdly empowering to me, even when it seems like they’re not supposed to be. Like I just feel happy to be a woman for a change when I watch them. In a way they seem more honest too in a way, than many more “serious” movies appear. I don’t know I just love these types of movies and I don’t care if other people don’t. I hope they’ll make a come back soon and like you brought up, with more diversity because that’s the one thing missing from them!

I think a lot of people need to realize that their idea of an empowered woman does not involve her looks. A "tomboy" is no more of a feminist than a "girly girl". The point is that ALL WOMEN ARE VALID, regardless of their appearance.

"fantasy films can have elves and fairies and flying dragons but people of colour? that's too unrealistic" SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PPL IN THE BACK! Oh my gosh that annoys me soo much when ppl say "black ppl weren't around in that timeline aka medieval england" etc. Like can we not be fairies too?? its FANTASY! MAKE IT UP!

I love watching movies classified as chick flicks, I honestly feel like no matter what age group they're appealing to (teens or adults), they always show diverse storylines. Not always in regards to race, but at least in terms of presenting women as two-dimensional characters with flaws and having ideals that may divert from societal gender norms. As usual, any film that has a large female audience isn't seen as serious, and that's honestly why this genre isn't seen as "real cinema" But yet, "guy" films are able to come out with the hundredth sequel focusing on a popular car, spy, or robot franchise and no one bats an eye. Shocker 😒🙄🙄

Practically even classics like Great expectations, Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Shakespearean plays like Twelfth Night are chick flicks, so obviously they deserve not only our respect but our reverence.

Funny how some of the highest grossing (Western) movies of all time (Gone with the Wind, Titanic) are Chick-Flicks. But I almost never hear them called that, because if a Chick-Flick is popular with all genders, it is just a movie, no ifs, ands, or buts.

all of my favorite movies are chick flicks and i’m not ashamed 😭

to me movies considered "chick flicks" have always been more enjoyable and comforting than films that center men

I hate how people might think you are “stupid” or “superficial” for watching chick flicks, but “smart” or “geeky” for liking superhero movies.

"how many movies do we have to make about marilyn monroe before we get one about eartha kitt?" WOW. a WORD

I always figured Chik Flick was intellectual stances on perspectives/society-world usually masked in pink, skirts or sprinkles. Idk. So I was basically right.

Finally someone said it, I love the points you made!

When I was in middle school my family went to see a touring company of Legally Blonde the musical. My older brother, a teenage boy at the time, loved it. It made him watch the movie. He prefers the musical, but he enjoyed it. My point is basically if more guys actually gave these movies a chance they'd like them.

When movies starring female protagonists are automatically labelled "chick-flick" regardless of its genre bc movies starring male leads are seen as the default :))

I loved this video! 👏👏👏 you totally captured how I feel about these movies and why I hesitate to call them "chick flicks" because of the connotations it brings. I especially liked the part when you mentioned that different genres of movies are lumped together under the generic "chick flick" because gaining respect for these movies isn't just about people accepting them as harmless, feel good movies that don't deserve all the hate they get, but also actually acknowledging that these stories have depth and can resonate with so many people if given the chance. I would ask why everyone is expected to be able to relate to a male led movie but only women would relate to "chick flicks" but we all know the answer to that question

I adore it when people of colour are in films of all types, -as someone who's not white, it’s wonderful to feel represented- but when it's a period piece about medieval England I don't think it's that important to make it all about diversity. I don't know about you but historical accuracy is tremendously important to me.

All I want to say is... could we please appreciate 13 going on 30 for being an absolutely amazing movie

I’d also like to mention that the YA genre in books is also typically unfairly brushed off as a “girl’s genre”. Think of how many jokes we make at the expense of stuff like Twilight. There’s certainly problematic and weird aspects of it, but is it enough to warrant how much hate it got? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that YA, a genre dominated by female writers and female characters, is also seen as lesser than “adult fantasy”. There’s also recently been an even bigger push in the YA book industry for more characters/authors of color and intersectionality, having characters who are both POC and LGBT. Contrast this to adult genres, most notably fantasy, which almost always center around a male character in a European inspired setting.

I haven’t seen any of those 2010s movies (and don’t intend to) and honestly never thought of them as chick flicks. I thought they were targeted at teenage boys. I also think of The Neverending story and The Princess Bride as "kids movies" (that I do enjoy as an adult, especially The Princess Bride). I like a good chick flick though!

Plus I was so happy when u did heathers in the intro

I agree with your points, but I must MUST counter the categorization of crazy stupid love as a good movie. I have a lot of issues with it, but it's impossible to ignore the fact that a 17/18 year old babysitter gives naked photos of herself to a middle schooler. Photos that were intended for that child's FATHER. That's not rom-com cute imo.

The negative stigma around chick flicks is so ridiculous. If these stories were told with different visuals they wouldn't be dismissed. I love your points about how they evolve with the times- chick flicks truly empower a lot of people who don't have a voice on other media

What I love about this channel is how DIVERSE her range of film knowledge is

ok i don’t usually comment on youtube videos but i have completely stalked this account and genuinely have so much respect for the way she analyzes and breaks down movies/feminism/clothing SO throughly. amazing job!

My favorite chick flick is I Can't Think Straight. Brown girl lesbians that end up happily married with kiddos

9 to 5 is LITERALLY a perfect movie THANK U for including it

i always look forward to your videos, you’re so respectful, insightful, caring, and intelligent, feels like youre my big sister, you’re a wonderful role model, thank you

i love how you added the historical development and origin of "chick flicks"! Thank you for the well-thought out montage and commentary ^^ . i guess "chick flicks" are generally seen as shallow/frivolous, but i think its just light-hearted and feel-good for many of them (not those disgusting manmade ones you mentioned). Not all movies need to be all philosophical or a societal commentary. Honestly many action movies are also kinda shallow - just good guys fighting bad guys. Action vs dialogue, i enjoy them both when i want a light-hearted movie !

This really hits the mark and you said something that I've felt since I was a kid!! The feelings I got while watching, say, Practical Magic, and what it taught me, is more valuable than 99% of Oscar nominated movies, and yet the genre is ridiculed to no end Also, a lot of what you said can also be said, copy-pasted, for chick-lit/the romance genre, which I also love 💕

Bridesmaids is the best chic flick of all time! It's funny, relatable, has strong acting and seriously rewatchable ❤️ I love how flawed the main character is, it isn't a patronizing girl power movie. Also I love how the movie is less about love and more about self esteem and friendship and how people move on in life. It has so much meaning ❤️

I just want to see a movie about someone like me, I have a disability but my whole life doesn't revolve around it, "overcoming" it, or even learning to accept myself. I had accepted myself as a teen, I spent the first part of my life adapting and now I'm doing things other than constantly worrying about my disability - I travel, have a fiance, I like going to the cinema, I love rollercoasters and going out to dinner with friends. At high school I had to do homework like everyone else, I had crushes like everyone else, and I did things other teenagers did. Is it too much to ask to see just one movie where the main character has some kind of physical disability and the whole story isn't about their goddamn disability

When you said the word “over-correcting”, I said it too! Lol. Great commentary, and I love how the perspective this gives to this trend.

Deep inside of my heart, i want people to make movie about muslim women that doesnt related to terrorism and oppressions bcs our life is so much more than that but i know how it will turn out, it would be a mess bcs they will only show stereotypical version of us. The ending will be: the hijabi finally reveal her hair and leave her religion. Its so sad.

i LOVE your channel, you analyse every topic super thoroughly and are able to actually give credit to so many arguments that are generally considered shallow. i love it!!!

Tess, I really enjoy and appreciate your work. This video thoughtfully examines the stereotype of the genre of Chick-flicks in a meaningful way; both how they can go wrong but also what many of them get right. It also call the writers and the audience to recognizing the value in each other and I very much appreciate that too! Thanks for sharing your positive attitude and witty criticism! Hopefully one day you start looking at male icons as well, hopefully that your male viewers can use as inspiration.

A thing I feel is worth noting: The "#GirlBoss Woman Who Doesn't Act Girly" trope came from people wanting to subvert society's expectations of women (which. i guess is being "girly?") It's well intentioned, but completely misguided. The point of feminism was to let women be comfortable with themselves and not feel the need to care about the patriarchy's perception. Instead, what people ended up doing was promoting more "masculine" traits instead of femininity, and intentional or not, rooted the idea that one way of how a woman should act is superior to the other.

You guys should do a video on the show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I think it has amazing costume design and I think it would be soooo cool if you guys commentated on it! The show deserves more recognition for its fashion pieces, and y’all should check it out.

40 days & 40 Nights is one of my fav movies ever. That flower scene is hot. And I also enjoyed The Girl Next Door.

I love your videos, I love your voice, and I love the topic you choose. Amazing chefs kiss

man, this channel is something else. you conveyed your ideas so clearly and thoughtfully. it's really inspiring that you're using your platform to educate people about these issues and you're a great role model for girls everywhere! you're my new favourite channel

People can accept gory offensive action mainstream movie made by souless cooperation but a simple chick flick is too much for these movie snobs? ugh, society nowadays 🙄

and to think how most of these movies actually do give great lessons or even bring important issues to discussion. the ones i can think from the top of my head: legally blonde - literally a feminist classic mean girls - a funny take on how it’s actually wild in something so simple and looked down on which is the social structure between teenage girls. it literally also taught me about political science a bit from the reviews of the movie devil wears prada - taught me a lot about fashion and changed my perspective on the whole industry, not just the way i look at fashion but also the way how something i thought was so simple had a lot going on behind the scenesz

“How many movies do we have to make about Marilyn Monroe before we get one about Eartha Kitt?” 🙌🔥🔥🔥

The fact that the term chick flick is treated as a synonym for bad movie and that there is no male equivalent pretty much says everything. Thank you for making a video like this 💜

Wait, “Heathers” is considered a chick flick?

I love your channel, and I'm very happy to see you speaking up about the things you mention in this video. I did want to point out one thing, however. When you address your haters at the beginning of the video, but not the people who love and enjoy your channel, it makes your fans feel less important than your haters. Haters don't need your love or attention. Your fans deserve your love and attention instead.

NEVER thought 'Sleeping with the Enemy' or 'Fatal Attraction' were considered chick flicks?! Have those people watched the films?

You really analyzed and explain this topic so well! This is a topic long overdue!! “Chick-flicks” are my FAVORITE kinds of movies to watch. And really are empowering when they want to be. Great topic

I am a guy and most of us do not like chick flicks[when i say chick flick i mean most of the rom coms does not matter if either the male or the female is in lead (and i even like a lot of movies with female leads, its necessary for the society to see women in a leading role) and its not a presumption and my opinion is based on my thoughts and the the thoughts of most men i meet in my daily life and interact with online]. One of the huge reasons is that it sets unreal expectations among women about men. You know this is true... How many chick flicks are there where a guy sacrifices himself or his career or his dreams or gives up on a lot of the things he likes to get the women. In how many such movies does a guy goes on changing himself to be a better version of themselves (acc to women which they will like)It's not any better for us men when we're expected to play the role of “Prince Charming”, ready and willing to lay down our lives and give up everything that makes us who we are, thus changing ourselves (does not matter for good or bad but the thing is you want us to accept you for who you are but you do want us to change and there is nothing wrong in it for you to think that but it is wrong for you to expect us to like it) what do most rom-coms have in common? There’s a woman (played by the female lead), who is either going through a break-up, or just can’t seem to find a “good man”. The female lead is surrounded by her “girlfriends” who form an informal “support group” (complete with the prerequisite “man-bashing”) and tell her that something like although she will eventually find love, she doesn’t even need a man. Men are portrayed as stupid, embarrassing, clumsy, boorish, and generally speaking, undesirable. The only “quality” the male lead usually has at the beginning of the movie is that he’s usually physically attractive. Usually the female lead meets one of these “flawed men” through some sort of contrived “meet-cute”(don’t blame me for the term, I didn’t create it) or had already dated him, and while initially there are sparks (either on one side or both), it doesn’t typically work out at first, usually because the guy is “an idiot” in one way or another. Somewhere along the line one or both of them has a revelation that they are in love with the other, and performs some sort of grand gesture (usually in public in order to humiliate themselves, which the woman finds adorable), and then they both profess their love for one another . Not all women enjoy movies like this though, just like all men don’t dislike movies like this, but being that these movies are by design written for the female audience (just as movies like superhero movies, expendables, mission impossible series, Goodfellas, or The Terminator are designed to appeal to men), it’s mostly women who want to watch them. I guess it really is about how we are. Women typically enjoy movies that have romantic themes, comedy or drama alike, and men typically enjoy movies that are of the action-adventure, comedy, superhero and/or horror genres. Women also tend to be more emotional than men(generally speaking and not confining every man in this notion). Like I said, it’s just how we’re wired, and while clearly not all men/boys and women/girls are wired this way, the majority tend to be. When it comes to romance, guys don’t really care that much about it, at least not in the way women do. Think about it, most women dream about a big, fancy “fairy tale” wedding and fantasize about it throughout their adolescence and beyond. It’s said that a wedding day is “the bride’s day”, and for good reason. Guys couldn’t care less about a wedding function , but they will be excited for getting MARRIED. In the end if you like chick flicks, sure its great and there is nothing wrong with it but expecting guys to do feel the same way about them is not right. Besides there are very few chick flicks that we actually enjoy like the same way there would be some action films that you enjoy. I might get a lot of hate for this but i just couldn't store it all up. Sorry if it made you feel bad in any way or if i have intentionally or unintentionally offended you but that's is how it is.... PS: English is not my first language so please bear with my inconsistencies in writing..

not me getting emotional at the end of the video.. as usual this video made incredible points and the editing was amazing as well! I just love this channel so much!

When you started talking about the “girl power” movies, I remembered seeing a review about the Star Wars sequels. Although Disney tried to be more inclusive by adding a woman and men of colour as the protagonists, the way the story was written ultimately gave the most attention and thought to the antagonist, Kylo Ren, who was a white male. Rey, Poe and Finn’s characters were either sidelined or given subpar character arcs. Even worse, they forced a weird “connection” between Rey and Kylo Ren, which ultimately highlighted HIM more than her. The writers had all of the ingredients needed to make a well-written story with diverse characters, but they just couldn’t shake the old Hollywood habit, and the sequels suffered for it.

This was great! I'd love a video on clueless or heathers! 👍🏾

I am so so soooo happy that you included clips from the half of it, that's a really good story

It says something that women are expected and able to highly empathize with male characters/stories but men can’t seem to bring themselves to watch “chick flicks”, speaks to a larger problem of many of them simply not being able to relate to us as humans. Just weird

I love it when she shares problems like these, the misconception of chick flicks has been around for too long, I hope she keeps making videos like this and spreading more awareness about the same sort of problems.

My brother will happily sit down and watch legally blonde with me at any time of day

chick flicks to me are more than just good movies. they're like a comforting blanket that i put on whenever i feel unwell. some of them are linked to my childhood memories too, which makes them not boring for me to watch again and again. in short, chick flick is warm

✨ *a list of chick flicks i wanna watch just because society told me its lame* ✨ Please add on, or ask me to take some off if theyre not as good: 1. Notting Hill 2. Sister Act 3. Pretty Woman 4. Fried Green Tomatoes 5. The Bodyguard 6. Thelma & Louise 7. Joy Luck Charm 8. Fatal Attraction 9. Sleeping with the Enemy 10. The Group 11. 9 till 5 12. Breakfast At Tiffany’s 13. The Colour Purple 14. Working Girl 15. Valley of the Dolls 16. A Cinderella Story 17. Mean Girls 18. Wild Child 19. Freaky Friday (2013) 20. Aquamarine 21. Enchanted 22. Bring It On: All or Nothing 23. The Cheetah Girls 24. Pretty in Pink 25. Heathers 26. Dirty Dancing 27. Clueless 28. A Princess Bride 29. The First Wives Club 30. Sleepless in Seattle 31. Jennifer’s Body

"Go make me a sandwich" Why did I laugh so hard at that😂

The Women is one of my favorite movies, just everything about from the fashion to the plot, if you did a video on that...I would die lol...the remake grows on me every time I see it and has a few or 2 fashion moments for me lol...love your channel 💜

OH MY GOD SHE KNOWS WHAT THE PRINCESS BRIDE IS I’m quaking in my princess bride fandomism

Great video as usual. I'll be honest I used to hate "Chick Flicks", that was probably the internalized misogyny. I really enjoy them now although I wish we had more Black women as leads. I'm grateful for women like Issa Rae who are creating diverse and great work.

I love musicals especially MGM colour musicals, many or most of them are considered chick flicks and/or something that effeminate gays enjoy, and I'm glad, I won't let anyone denigrate me for being my feminine self.

Recently discovered your channel, only a few seconds in, and I just appreciate you including a movie like Deliver Us from Eva, Waiting to Exhale, Joy Luck Club, etc in the montage. And even the ending, thank you. As a Black girl, I grew to love Legally Blonde, and Clueless, and all these 'iconic' films but so badly I wanted protagonists that looked like me. Just came from your "Tiana as the best dressed Disney princess" video and I really enjoy that you don't shy away from ethno/cultural specific trends, influences, etc. also..... put some RESPEK on chick flicks

“Fantasy films can exist have dragons and fairies but POC are too unrealistic?” LOL spill!

I absolutely love your Channel and the time and effort put into your breakdowns. It's beautiful to see how passionate you are about what you do

Couldn’t agree with this whole video more!! :)

Honestly as a female, feminism has let me down, feminism has actually degraded girly things and come to insult women who decide to stay at home and be a mother/wife... Like isn't feminism about my choice? So why can't I choose to stay at home take care of my family? why is liking pink and cooking seen as submissive?

There literally hasn’t been a good chick flick in years, like I honestly can’t think of a good or memorable film that’s been realised in recent time. Hollywood really needs to bring back films such as mean girls, clueless and actually make decent chick flicks again 😪