Ugh! As If!: Clueless
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A sweet and sly exploration of the Jane Austen–inspired teen movie and its evergreen imperative to be kind, do better, and find the activist within
We are totally butt-crazy in love with Clueless. Since the movie’s premiere in 1995, pop culture has mined Amy Heckerling’s high school comedy for inspiration, from Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX’s “Fancy” music video to Cher’s iconic yellow plaid suit appearing at every Halloween party.
In Ugh As If!, Veronica Litt argues that this seemingly fluffy teen romp is the quintessential thinking woman’s movie, one in which the audience is asked to seriously consider the beauty and power of naïveté. Cher Horowitz’s gradual pivot from oblivious it girl to burgeoning activist is a powerful reminder that even the most unlikely people can change for the better and contribute to their communities. In this bright, shiny film, pursuing a more just society isn’t just possible — it’s enjoyable. This fun, feminine, feel-good movie is a counter-narrative to nihilism, a refusal to give into cynicism, hopelessness, and passivity. Almost without viewers noticing, Clueless teaches Cher, and us, how to become better. Like the film it examines, Ugh As If! nudges even the most jaded viewer into feeling hopeful about the future.
About the Pop Classics Series
Short books that pack a big punch, Pop Classics offer intelligent, fun, and accessible arguments about why a particular pop phenomenon matters.
Available June 3, 2025. PRE-ORDER NOW!
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Veronica Litt is a writer, reader, teacher, and hobbyist letterpress printer from Hamilton, Ontario. She holds a PhD in English and Book History from the University of Toronto and currently lives in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, where she teaches post-secondary classes on English literature. Ugh As If! is her first book.
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Published: June 2025
ISBN: 9781770418165
Dimensions: 4.75 x 7 in.
Pages: 200
Reviews
“Ugh! As If! makes a powerful argument for why we should keep inviting Amy Heckerling's film into our lives, and it reminds us of comedy's awesome power to connect us.” — Deidre Lynch, author of Loving Literature: A Cultural History
“Litt gives Clueless the intellectual importance it deserves, adding it to the canon of timeless women-led pictures.” — Marlowe Granados, author of Happy Hour
“Veronica Litt, using Clueless as her campy, colourful vessel, encourages us to love the art that moves us, to interrogate our notions of complacency and ignorance and, most importantly, to tell us not to give up the fight, whether it be on a global scale or confined to the halls of high school chaos.” — Mount Holyoke News
“Litt's lively, original Ugh! As If! uses the brilliant teen movie Clueless as a lens to examine the broader cultural landscape with playfulness and depth.” — Emily Nussbaum, author of Cue the Sun!
“Just like Clueless, Ugh! As If! is an unabashed celebration of all things girly, bubbly, and bright. If you've been feeling jaded about the state of the world, this sweet, smart, and funny book is exactly what you need.” — Hannah McGregor, author of Clever Girl and A Sentimental Education