Watching But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) with my "best friend" 😉 // Movie Reaction // FIRST WATCH 

It's definitely a gay film for gay people! It's not a movie exploiting homophobia to make straight people more sympathetic towards gay people, it's not a romance written with straight tropes except with two gay mains. It's just a camp satire of gender stereotypes and conversation therapy.

I enjoyed your reaction video overall. On Jan being trans: the film wanted to make the point that masculine women aren’t automatically gay. It’s a stereotype to assume they are or that they’re trans. This film was about playing with and blasting stereotypes, and I think it was thoughtful to include masculine women. If the film had been made in 2015 or later, it probably would’ve had a couple of trans characters and maybe a NB one. But you have to consider the time period. Trans visibility in our own real world community simply wasn’t what it is today. Some revisionists misrepresent that, so if you weren’t high school or college age in 1999/2000 then I can see how you wouldn’t know what it was really like. I appreciate you wanting to include trans people in this film, though. Today I’d expect that inclusion because so many more are out. I see trans people everywhere now, and film and television should reflect that.

I like that Jan is straight. Like, reading her as trans isn't wrong, but I think it removes the point of contrast between The Perfect Christian Cheerleader who is a lesbian, and the butch softball player with facial hair who's cishet. That these gender rules aren't just cruel, they're going to flag false positives because they're blatantly incorrect. That if this is all so natural, why do they have to put in so much effort and training to achieve compliance? But that only *really* works if she's actually a straight girl who everyone just assumes is gay and/or trans because her presentation is more masculine. But your gender presentation doesn't have anything to do with your sexuality or gender. Or else Megan, who is the perfect girl, would be as straight as she assumed she was.

When this movie was released it was pretty well received. While being campy it tried to make two people of the same sex falling for each other human and also make conversion therapy uncomfortable by being very satiric with the disturbing things are for people that are sent to these places. I was in my early 20's when this movie came out and I can tell you that there were so many people in the LGBTQ+ community where thrown out for being their authentic selves. It goes to show how far things have changed from the release of this movie and now. Still a long way to go but strives have been made.

0:55 "she always plays the gay person" "good for her" MOOD

We've gone from 'BEST FRIEND' to "'best friend'"... 😏😉😏 can't wait for the next title. You guys are awesome, loved the rewatch of a classic. Have an amazing day ❤

“Vaginal motifs in art and decorating…” but clearly her Mom bought her bedding… right? I adore this movie! Awesome reaction ladies.

Wow, I haven’t watched this since it came out! Pretty close to the time that I myself came out. I loved loved loved this reaction! Man, I remember how uncomfortable this movie made me at the time. I was religious and had done some conversion counseling for a little while. So nice to come back and enjoy how funny it is! And omg, did not realize it was Natasha Lyonne (didn’t have any idea who that was at the time.)

Oh no a ✨glee✨ reference 🙈 now I have to rewatch all of this disaster and cry at every santana scene xD

It is disappointing to see so many people missing the point of Jan's story line. People wanted to put her in the "gay box" because she was different, androgynous and did not fit into every box they expect women to fit into. Now young people have the same mentality but with putting her in the "trans box" because she doesn't look like the typical woman. It is just extra disappointing when you think about how the whole message was about gender roles..

I think Graham was allowed to stay because her parents are rich enough to afford a get out of jail free card

"The cartoon picture of Princess Jasmine," excuse me I didn't expect to be called out today. 🤣

The headmistress is a main character in the movie Casper, she's the evil woman who is trying to get the treasure in the house.

the bedding in the simulation room matches the bedding in Graham and Meghan's love scene

This is WAAAY late to the party, but I wanted to address the big pile of white bread on the dinner table. My mom grew up in the 50s and 60s, and it was traditional at that time for dinner to be served with bread and butter. Kind of an everyday version of the bread rolls one might eat at a holiday dinner. It's a good way to save money on meat and be able to make less food still be filling. I'm guessing the setup was a conscious choice, to show how traditional they seem on the outside.

So, funny story. This ended up on our dvr at some point when I was about fourteen, and I sat down to watch it. I had to stop around the scene where they get the results of their final exam, but was in love with the humor and (though I didn't realize it at the time) Clea DuVall. So, I told my folks the next day that I'd really enjoyed what I'd seen of the movie and thought they'd like it if they wanted to watch with me. Which is how I ended up watching a soft-core sex scene on the living room TV with my parents on either side of me, wondering what kind of luck I had to have recommended the movie so highly having only just missed this scene.

Good video and the movie is one of my favourite lesbian movies, I have seen it like 5 times, I find Megan quite relatable as shes quite a naive character, which I can relate to when I was like 14 to 17. Also what I took was that character may not be trans, I mean they may be but they would have been put into the camp based on the way they dress rather then what they actually like, showing that stereotyping based on looks is not always right, thats what I took from it but I maybe wrong.

6:27, this movie is largely illustrative

3:12, she was in Trainwreck

I watched this film 5 times I guess, and it's my comfort movie, I'm glad you made this video, it was so fun to watch you react to this! And I also think that Jal may be trans. Actually first time watching it I thought she was a boy

Clea Duvall's great in Ghosts Of Mars, too. 👍🏼👍🏼

My root is Elvira Mistress of The Dark

this is one of my comfort videos

5:54, 😆

8:16, when a woman brainwashed can not train a new brainwashed woman, she throws her away

4:25, that is fair

I wonder what John Waters thought of this movie. Mink Stole was one of his regulars. I thoroughly enjoyed But I'm a Cheerleader every time I've seen it. I came away with two things here. First, Rick was the gayest character in the movie. That's saying something when you have RuPaul. Mary was definitely closeted.

15:58, it may be true. Leviticus 18:22 should read, children or young boys

9:08, interesting

19:28, interesting, you see the difference

I never would have thought of this as a "gay film for gay people." I'm cishet and this is one of my favorite films. (Although I do think that gender roles are dumb, so maybe that's why I like it. Or maybe it's just a gay film for everybody?)

The girl on the left sounds like Rosie. As in rose and rosie

Your best friend NEEDS to watch Killing Eve 😘

thank you, i didnt known about the ending parent meeting scene

Jen was absolutely trans masc coded but this movie came out in 2000. Back then subtext was the best trans rep we could hope for. In the Directors cut Jen is seen feeling uncomfortable with the advances of Hilary who is bi coded (cat eye glasses). He's a gay trans man but doesn't have the language to articulate that.

this was such a great vibes and fun video u r soooooo cool,, like,, its must be so nice to talk with you about movies and stuff

The time period feeling off and not the 1990’s is on purpose. The 50’s and early 60’s pre cultural revolution& sexual revolution repressed culture of the 50’s and early 60’s is idealized by white Christian’s, homophobes and misogynists. The conversion camp leans hard into late 50’s early 60’s aesthetic and stereotyping to sell how dated and naive these conversion camps are. Also, the woman who played the cheerleader’s mom is a famous actress from the John Waters movies. John Waters made Baltimore based queer films in the 70’s with a distinct early 60’s aesthetic and she is styled in Hairspray era early 60’s attire to remind viewers who she is as well as reference the queer spoof film legend John Waters. This film is a big wet kiss to John Waters trying to bring his sensibilities to a 90’s film about a 90’s problem: conversion camps. I could probably do a whole term paper on this film but those are some important points for an elder millennial to point out to a gen z who may not know those connections. As for the camp head mistress she was the villain in the 1990’s Casper film.

Watch Even Cowgirls Get The Blues.

10:48, much of it

You both look so Gorgeous like the movie

Brittney kinda looks like bella hadid :)

I just stared at the girl on the right the entire time.

I'm here to invite people to post in a community for female on female stuff. This place is mostly for Japan fiction but allows series of Western origin and real person shipping.

So they both Bi?

The bigger issue with "grammar is racist" is that the LGBTQ community appropriated black language. Don't see anyone talking about that. Also, my root is being allowed to play boys toys and girls toys since my grandmother bought toys from the thrift store to resell at the flea market.

16:05 hope that doesn’t include us straight allies, got your back! 🫂