My favorite line in Clueless is when Chere tells her dad she argued her way from a C+ to an A- and he says, "I couldn't be happier if they were based on real grades."
The audible audiodrama of Emma cuts enough that Emma actually becomes likeable, and it made me finally understand the character. That's one of the major problems of many of the Emma adaptations (other than Clueless). They forget that while Emma is meddlesome, she's also smart, talented, and well-meaning, so everybody basically likes her. In the adaptations, they tend to miss the reason Emma is liked by those around her, which ends up making Emma insufferable and rude. Cher is a delight, and basically everybody loves her despite her ditz persona. It was explained to me that Emma is obsessed with class, and this seems very annoying to us, but that's because it was a matter of huge importance to the women of the time, as it could mean the difference between a comfortable life and a life of horrifying poverty. So any woman who class-jumps is a literal threat to the social order and literally stealing away a marriage opportunity for the social equals. But it seems shallow and annoying to us now because we cannot identify with those problems. Instead we care about different points of status, political alignment, and so-forth.
It would be interesting to know how you find Emma the book after all these years. When I was younger I felt that Austen's books were tedious . Now, as an older reader her books are cornucopia of sarcasm and comedy gold. Hypochondriac Mr. woodhouse is a hoot! Mr. Knightley is a righteous man, who understands that Emma's actions has consequences and he protects those that are less fortunate from Emma's thoughtlessness. Clueless is a classic!
Have you seen the recent move with Anya Taylor-Joy? It's stylisticly gorgeous, cuts the tedium. Emma is incredibly unlikable and it's easy to see why she is as she is. Her transition to more self aware person is sweet. This version of Emma would not exist without Clueless. It is ridiculous and funny and I live for silly Mr. Woodhouse.
Yesss, I loved every character in that adaptation - even Elton and his wife! I think the director Autumn de Wilde approached the characters in a much more relatable and human way which made them so likable and humorous to me.
Now, I find ALL Jane Austen books unreadable (yes, shocker!), mostly because, while I'm pretty proficient in English, it's not my first language and all that wit and early 19th century diaglogue is a bit too much for me. I mean, I love to listen to close readings and lectures on them, but reading the actual books is not something I do for fun. That said, I do understand the whole 'class' thing in 'Emma'. The reason why it was wrong for her to encourage Harriët to aspire 'above her station' is not so much because Mr. Knightley is too good for her (although they would be a total mismatch and marrying her would be a serious social faux pas for him, which would harm him, his status and his business) but rather BECAUSE the likes of Mr. Knightley would never consider a nobody bastard child as marriage material. By encouraging her to aspire a landed gentleman and think herself too good for anything less, Emma would all but condemn Harriet to become a penniless, bitter and jealous spinster. It's like... ooohh... remember that line from 'Ratatouille', where chef Chef Gusteau says 'Anyone can cook'? Anton Ego believes that Gusteau meant it to mean 'everyone, no matter how little talented, how little the love food, just anyone can cook', while Gusteau actually meant, 'it doesn't matter where they come from, as long as they love food and have talent, anyone who possesses these qualities can become a great cook'! Well, encouraging Harriet to seek a husband 'above her station' would be just as cruel as encouraging talentless cooks to focus on becoming Michelin star chefs. It's one thing to tell young, aspiring chefs to aim high because 'a great cook can come from anywhere' and another thing entirely to tell someibe who flips burgers at MickeyD and who has ambitions to one day, perhaps, have their own little hole-in-the-wall joint that they should accept no other position than at some prestigeous five star restaurant. Because the competition for places at five star restaurants is FIERCE and unless you're willing to risk and sacrifice everything else, YOU WON'T GET IT. That was unkindly done, Emma. Unkindly done.
Clueless is one of my favorite movies and when I found out it was based off Emma, my mind was blown. I was 13 when this movie came out. I saw Emma and I really liked it, but Clueless is my favorite.
I was only able to read and appreciate Emma by Committing what most readers would consider to be a crime. Shortly in I stoped, then... I read the end, then I skipped through a movie to all the parts with Knightley, only then could I go back and read all of it. At this point I have read/listened to the whole book twice, watched almost every adaption/interpratation ever made (some of them I did skim-skip through annoying arcs like in Emma aproved but not anymore) I know I know "Herrasy!, Blasphamy!" .... but I'm glad I did it! Because I love and appreciate all of it now, and otherwise I might never been able to finish... I still like p&p and Persuasion more, but its close. I love Knightley's banter with her, and Emma's struggle of real self improvement/vs fun time Wasting is an everyboudy struggle) It would have been much worse to never have enjoyed it at all then to enjoy it...wrong.
You're not alone! I also stopped reading Emma after Volume 1 because I found her so annoying! I put off watching the 2020 movie because Emma looks annoying. I was just actually convinced to watch Emma 2020 because it has been well-received by a lot of viewers and it's costumes has been touted as some of the best in a Regency period film so far. I wound up being obsessed with the film! And it has given me the energy to restart reading Emma again! I'm now on Volume 2, and I'm powering through!
Yah, Once you undersrand thier love story It Is AMAZING and Addicting! Personally, I didn't like the 2020 version too much. Have you watched some of the older versions?
I absolutely get being annoyed by Emma. The best period version I saw was the short series from 2009 (?), because the actress played Emma sympathetic enough, and Knightley is very dreamy.
Hello, I like your How To Train Your Dragon drawing profile pic, and also I appreciate the suggestion. I will be seeing if it is available to stream anywhere, kind stranger. ^^
Curious to know if you have gone back to Emma. I re-read the Austen novels every couple of years, Emma and Mansfield Park were always tolerated rather than loved. BUT the last time I read Emma was with a friend, in a 2-person book club. We took pages upon pages of notes. And wow I ended it realising this was her most genius novel. I mean.... There is a murder that I had never noticed before, geniusly hinted at by Austen with what seems like too many clues, but then I get it - because even today, no one can believe Austen (Austen!!) could have something so wicked in her novel. Layers of genius.
In the 1950s/1960s/1970s there was a trope in movies where a frumpy secretary/tomboy turned herself into Gina Lollobrigida by undoing her hair and taking off her glasses, after which the man who showed no interest in her looked like a shallow idiot. Clueless reverses that transformation. Problem is that that also makes the original dumping decision by her former boyfriend appear wise, as he is ultimately rejecting a woman who sees herself just as an animated barbie doll, and thus the subsequent "i'll show him and then dump him" plot loses the moral highground.
okay, but: have you watched the 2020 emma movie? A movie I personally find quite fabulous, which has send me on an emma-loving spree, and, besides possibly being the reason this quite old video was recommendet to me, being my reason to re-evaluate jane austin who'm I did not love before. Now, I have read the book, and I do see what you mean about it not being so fabulous. Frankly the main reason I've enjoyed is because I am really interested in history and how society worked in the past, but yes ... the characters are truly annoying. The emma 2020 movie however took that annoyance and turned into truly funny characters with odd quircks, whilst having beautiful and beautifully accurate costumes. I can only say 10/10 would recommend. That being said I really enjoyed this video, thank you for giving me a bit of entertainment.
Girl, you NEED to watch the Emma version with Gwyneth Paltrow! It's so entertaining!!! I giggled all the time when I first watched it - and still do everytime. 😁
I. LOVE. THAT. MOVIE. It is the ONLY movie I have ever watched that I felt was the complete equal of the book. Sometimes I actually like a movie better than a book, if the book dragged in parts or when only a good actor can turn a one-dimensional minor character into three dimensions. Other times the film is enjoyable but lacks the full comlexity of the book's story. Sometimes I like a book and film adaptation the same amount but in different ways - I get a lot of flak for loving the 1940s Pride and Prejudice which is simply - not the book? but I love it precisely because it's so different that I don't even compare them but love each on their own merits. I love the 1995 Pride and Prejuduce too, but not quite as much as the book itself. I always felt the book sparkled more 😁. But 1996 Emma - everything I loved about the book was there in full colour with no unnecessary added distractions. It was PERFECT - to me at least. I watched the 2020 Emma because, well, it's my favourite Jane Austen, but didn't like it as well. It was funny and I liked the way Mr Knightley was portrayed - but no one can beat Jeremy Northam! (Be still my heart 😍) I'm rambling on here, but I was just so excited to see someone else recommend my favourite that I had to jump in!
"It took 600 out of about 900 pages to stop hating everyone in Emma" I felt this so much. I am not a fan of most of the characters through most of the book. Always did like that Knightly fellow, though.
I like them both. I think it helped that at the time Clueless came out, I had no idea it was based on anything. But Emma has that Jane Austen prose. She's just so verbally clever! Finally, where else in popular literature but Emma do you find the word "valetudinarian"? That's just a fun word.
As for movie adaptations, worst is when Knightley says "I held you in my arms when you were 3 weeks old" during his proposal th-cam.com/video/oR072NuyFfc/w-d-xo.html (around the 5:50mark)
Necro-commenting, but yeah, the book is rough. Her dad indulges her, as does her former governess, and Mr Knightly talks down to her, and everybody but Me Elton is too in awe of her position to be annoyed by her. The ending feels like she’s trapped in this situation forever. (And her dad seriously triggers me.) The Emma movie is okay because Mrs Elton is pitch perfectly awful, and because Mr Knightly makes me weak at the knees, but it’s not one I go out of my way for like Persuasion.
Good to see I'm not the only one who saw the parallels between clueless and Emma. I can recommend the BBC version of Emma. Yeah its still about status and Emma is naive in a good hearted kinda way. But not ditzy like Cher. Emma and Knightley have a teasing banter going on. He is kinda sweet. In this version it makes sense for them to end up together. Emma brightens up knightleys life..he is too serious and he grounds her. th-cam.com/video/jGJrff_ew9k/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/Zuby_6AMOVY/w-d-xo.html
7:45 Episode 91 is all about Doctor Who. It's titled "Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor | Stuff You Like 91." So I don't get the Elle Woods reference which you said you covered in Episode 91. Oh I found it.... it's Episode 90...."Legally Blonde | Stuff You Like 90". ... not 91 as you stated in the video.
My favorite line in Clueless is when Chere tells her dad she argued her way from a C+ to an A- and he says, "I couldn't be happier if they were based on real grades."
I like how Clueless was a modern retelling of a 200 year old book and how Emma 2020 is a period retelling of a 1995 high school movie.
All 90s American high-school films are set in a weird alternative universe, aren't they?
The audible audiodrama of Emma cuts enough that Emma actually becomes likeable, and it made me finally understand the character. That's one of the major problems of many of the Emma adaptations (other than Clueless). They forget that while Emma is meddlesome, she's also smart, talented, and well-meaning, so everybody basically likes her. In the adaptations, they tend to miss the reason Emma is liked by those around her, which ends up making Emma insufferable and rude. Cher is a delight, and basically everybody loves her despite her ditz persona.
It was explained to me that Emma is obsessed with class, and this seems very annoying to us, but that's because it was a matter of huge importance to the women of the time, as it could mean the difference between a comfortable life and a life of horrifying poverty. So any woman who class-jumps is a literal threat to the social order and literally stealing away a marriage opportunity for the social equals. But it seems shallow and annoying to us now because we cannot identify with those problems. Instead we care about different points of status, political alignment, and so-forth.
Well said! Agree on everything! 🙂
It would be interesting to know how you find Emma the book after all these years. When I was younger I felt that Austen's books were tedious . Now, as an older reader her books are cornucopia of sarcasm and comedy gold. Hypochondriac Mr. woodhouse is a hoot!
Mr. Knightley is a righteous man, who understands that Emma's actions has consequences and he protects those that are less fortunate from Emma's thoughtlessness.
Clueless is a classic!
Have you seen the recent move with Anya Taylor-Joy? It's stylisticly gorgeous, cuts the tedium. Emma is incredibly unlikable and it's easy to see why she is as she is. Her transition to more self aware person is sweet. This version of Emma would not exist without Clueless. It is ridiculous and funny and I live for silly Mr. Woodhouse.
I really liked it!
Yeah i just watched it and it is amazing 💖
Yesss, I loved every character in that adaptation - even Elton and his wife! I think the director Autumn de Wilde approached the characters in a much more relatable and human way which made them so likable and humorous to me.
I'm still so happy that they actually let Emma be mean!! And the vibrant color palette!!!
Now, I find ALL Jane Austen books unreadable (yes, shocker!), mostly because, while I'm pretty proficient in English, it's not my first language and all that wit and early 19th century diaglogue is a bit too much for me. I mean, I love to listen to close readings and lectures on them, but reading the actual books is not something I do for fun. That said, I do understand the whole 'class' thing in 'Emma'. The reason why it was wrong for her to encourage Harriët to aspire 'above her station' is not so much because Mr. Knightley is too good for her (although they would be a total mismatch and marrying her would be a serious social faux pas for him, which would harm him, his status and his business) but rather BECAUSE the likes of Mr. Knightley would never consider a nobody bastard child as marriage material. By encouraging her to aspire a landed gentleman and think herself too good for anything less, Emma would all but condemn Harriet to become a penniless, bitter and jealous spinster. It's like... ooohh... remember that line from 'Ratatouille', where chef Chef Gusteau says 'Anyone can cook'? Anton Ego believes that Gusteau meant it to mean 'everyone, no matter how little talented, how little the love food, just anyone can cook', while Gusteau actually meant, 'it doesn't matter where they come from, as long as they love food and have talent, anyone who possesses these qualities can become a great cook'! Well, encouraging Harriet to seek a husband 'above her station' would be just as cruel as encouraging talentless cooks to focus on becoming Michelin star chefs. It's one thing to tell young, aspiring chefs to aim high because 'a great cook can come from anywhere' and another thing entirely to tell someibe who flips burgers at MickeyD and who has ambitions to one day, perhaps, have their own little hole-in-the-wall joint that they should accept no other position than at some prestigeous five star restaurant. Because the competition for places at five star restaurants is FIERCE and unless you're willing to risk and sacrifice everything else, YOU WON'T GET IT.
That was unkindly done, Emma. Unkindly done.
Clueless is one of my favorite movies and when I found out it was based off Emma, my mind was blown. I was 13 when this movie came out. I saw Emma and I really liked it, but Clueless is my favorite.
Emma Approved is really good! Hope you gave it another chance.
I was only able to read and appreciate Emma by Committing what most readers would consider to be a crime. Shortly in I stoped, then... I read the end, then I skipped through a movie to all the parts with Knightley, only then could I go back and read all of it.
At this point I have read/listened to the whole book twice, watched almost every adaption/interpratation ever made (some of them I did skim-skip through annoying arcs like in Emma aproved but not anymore)
I know I know "Herrasy!, Blasphamy!"
.... but I'm glad I did it! Because I love and appreciate all of it now, and otherwise I might never been able to finish...
I still like p&p and Persuasion more, but its close.
I love Knightley's banter with her, and Emma's struggle of real self improvement/vs fun time Wasting is an everyboudy struggle)
It would have been much worse to never have enjoyed it at all then to enjoy it...wrong.
You're not alone! I also stopped reading Emma after Volume 1 because I found her so annoying! I put off watching the 2020 movie because Emma looks annoying. I was just actually convinced to watch Emma 2020 because it has been well-received by a lot of viewers and it's costumes has been touted as some of the best in a Regency period film so far. I wound up being obsessed with the film! And it has given me the energy to restart reading Emma again! I'm now on Volume 2, and I'm powering through!
Yah, Once you undersrand thier love story It Is AMAZING and Addicting!
Personally, I didn't like the 2020 version too much. Have you watched some of the older versions?
I absolutely get being annoyed by Emma. The best period version I saw was the short series from 2009 (?), because the actress played Emma sympathetic enough, and Knightley is very dreamy.
Hello, I like your How To Train Your Dragon drawing profile pic, and also I appreciate the suggestion. I will be seeing if it is available to stream anywhere, kind stranger. ^^
Curious to know if you have gone back to Emma. I re-read the Austen novels every couple of years, Emma and Mansfield Park were always tolerated rather than loved. BUT the last time I read Emma was with a friend, in a 2-person book club. We took pages upon pages of notes. And wow I ended it realising this was her most genius novel. I mean.... There is a murder that I had never noticed before, geniusly hinted at by Austen with what seems like too many clues, but then I get it - because even today, no one can believe Austen (Austen!!) could have something so wicked in her novel. Layers of genius.
Emma is my favourite. But I don't recall the murder reference? Now I will have to read it again . . . poor me 😅
2009 Emma with Romola Garai did an awesome job of giving the protagonist context and character development.
Oh boy, is Paul Rudd so young in this movie! I am so used to him as Scott Lang!
But Emma is a great book, just like Clueless is a good movie!
In the 1950s/1960s/1970s there was a trope in movies where a frumpy secretary/tomboy turned herself into Gina Lollobrigida by undoing her hair and taking off her glasses, after which the man who showed no interest in her looked like a shallow idiot. Clueless reverses that transformation. Problem is that that also makes the original dumping decision by her former boyfriend appear wise, as he is ultimately rejecting a woman who sees herself just as an animated barbie doll, and thus the subsequent "i'll show him and then dump him" plot loses the moral highground.
Perfectly fair analysis, nice one. Love Clueless, enjoyed the version of Emma with Kate Bekingsale
okay, but: have you watched the 2020 emma movie?
A movie I personally find quite fabulous, which has send me on an emma-loving spree, and, besides possibly being the reason this quite old video was recommendet to me, being my reason to re-evaluate jane austin who'm I did not love before. Now, I have read the book, and I do see what you mean about it not being so fabulous. Frankly the main reason I've enjoyed is because I am really interested in history and how society worked in the past, but yes ... the characters are truly annoying. The emma 2020 movie however took that annoyance and turned into truly funny characters with odd quircks, whilst having beautiful and beautifully accurate costumes. I can only say 10/10 would recommend.
That being said I really enjoyed this video, thank you for giving me a bit of entertainment.
Girl, you NEED to watch the Emma version with Gwyneth Paltrow! It's so entertaining!!! I giggled all the time when I first watched it - and still do everytime. 😁
I. LOVE. THAT. MOVIE.
It is the ONLY movie I have ever watched that I felt was the complete equal of the book. Sometimes I actually like a movie better than a book, if the book dragged in parts or when only a good actor can turn a one-dimensional minor character into three dimensions. Other times the film is enjoyable but lacks the full comlexity of the book's story. Sometimes I like a book and film adaptation the same amount but in different ways - I get a lot of flak for loving the 1940s Pride and Prejudice which is simply - not the book? but I love it precisely because it's so different that I don't even compare them but love each on their own merits. I love the 1995 Pride and Prejuduce too, but not quite as much as the book itself. I always felt the book sparkled more 😁.
But 1996 Emma - everything I loved about the book was there in full colour with no unnecessary added distractions. It was PERFECT - to me at least. I watched the 2020 Emma because, well, it's my favourite Jane Austen, but didn't like it as well. It was funny and I liked the way Mr Knightley was portrayed - but no one can beat Jeremy Northam! (Be still my heart 😍)
I'm rambling on here, but I was just so excited to see someone else recommend my favourite that I had to jump in!
Not love Clueless? As if!!!
"It took 600 out of about 900 pages to stop hating everyone in Emma"
I felt this so much. I am not a fan of most of the characters through most of the book. Always did like that Knightly fellow, though.
I like them both. I think it helped that at the time Clueless came out, I had no idea it was based on anything. But Emma has that Jane Austen prose. She's just so verbally clever! Finally, where else in popular literature but Emma do you find the word "valetudinarian"? That's just a fun word.
EMMA 2019 is surprisingly good
Helter skelter trip down memory lane? Oh yes, yes it is! Flashback City also fits. Fun movie!
Paul Rudd is Beautiful ❤️
2020 movie is by far the best
Have you seen the 2020 Emma? It's leaps better than the gwyneth paltrow movie and Anya taylor joy is delightful in it!
As for movie adaptations, worst is when Knightley says "I held you in my arms when you were 3 weeks old" during his proposal th-cam.com/video/oR072NuyFfc/w-d-xo.html (around the 5:50mark)
I love this film.
The latest 'emma' is excellent though, you have to check it out! 😀It's my favourite now, for sure! x
Necro-commenting, but yeah, the book is rough. Her dad indulges her, as does her former governess, and Mr Knightly talks down to her, and everybody but Me Elton is too in awe of her position to be annoyed by her. The ending feels like she’s trapped in this situation forever. (And her dad seriously triggers me.)
The Emma movie is okay because Mrs Elton is pitch perfectly awful, and because Mr Knightly makes me weak at the knees, but it’s not one I go out of my way for like Persuasion.
I loved that film too 🙂
If you haven't seen more of Emma Approved yet, I would really encourage you to give it another go because she becomes so much more likeable :)
I love Christian so much
Emma Approved is good but I have started Emma more than once and find her too unlike able to continue the story.
I really like both Clueless and Emma. I don't think this is any accurate description of the novel.
Good to see I'm not the only one who saw the parallels between clueless and Emma. I can recommend the BBC version of Emma. Yeah its still about status and Emma is naive in a good hearted kinda way. But not ditzy like Cher. Emma and Knightley have a teasing banter going on. He is kinda sweet. In this version it makes sense for them to end up together. Emma brightens up knightleys life..he is too serious and he grounds her.
th-cam.com/video/jGJrff_ew9k/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Zuby_6AMOVY/w-d-xo.html
Maaike R that’s because it’s an intentional adaptation
7:45 Episode 91 is all about Doctor Who. It's titled "Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor | Stuff You Like 91." So I don't get the Elle Woods reference which you said you covered in Episode 91.
Oh I found it.... it's Episode 90...."Legally Blonde | Stuff You Like 90". ... not 91 as you stated in the video.
Noice! I really enjoyed this.
Clueless shall always be the definitive version of Emma.
Since when is Clueless rated 18 by the BBFC? XD. Anywhooo..
This channel used to do movie reviews?!
Okay confession... I’ve read all of Jane Austen’s books... except Emma. I just can’t bear to do it. Sorry 😣😊
Emma's my favorite, lol. So you've read Lady Susan?
@@elisakrivas My favourite too! 😍
:(