Never Been Kissed Never Should Have Been Made

This week, we’re tackling one of the most problematic teen movies ever made, Never Been Kissed. Yes, that Never Been Kissed, the one that made an entire generation think it was romantic for your Grade 12 teacher to hit on you…

The sexual politics of teen films are notoriously f-cked up (that’s the technical term). Teen movies are full of young men making bets about whether they can make a girl popular just by fake dating her (She’s All That), and dudes paying other dudes to fake date their crush’s sister (Ten Things I Hate About You). However, nothing is more upsetting than the plot to Never Been Kissed, a film where Drew Barrymore plays a twenty-something journalist, who pretends to be a high school student, only to become the obsession of an English teacher who believes her to be a teen…

I have already written my definitive take-down of this 1999 teen “comedy,” so please read it if you’re curious about my rant-y objections to this disturbing movie. Also, listen to the podcast for Kaley’s excellent commentary!

 

Sarah Sahagian

Sarah Sahagian

Sarah Sahagian is a feminist writer based in Toronto. Her byline has appeared in such publications as Elle Canada, Flare, Bitch Media, The Toronto Star, and The National Post. She is also the co-host of You Do You: A Dating Podcast. Sarah holds a master’s degree in Gender Studies from The London School of Economics. You can find her on Twitter, where she posts about politics and live-tweets The Bachelor
ADDICTED Podcast Network Featured