Clarissa Explains It All is the best show for a young, impressionable girl to watch. Ever. Regardless of the '90s cultural references. The character of Clarissa, herself, is the best role model a young girl could have. She was the most self-assured, independent, marches-to-the-beat-of-her-own-drum, "boys? who needs 'em?" kind of girl. She is the only female character on television who didn't define herself by a boy she liked. She wore little make-up and never had body issues. She created her own video games and used big words like "objectivity". She made her own trends. She stood up for herself and eloquently fought for her rights (to dress how she wanted for picture day, to drive, etc). She showed that boys and girls could, in fact, just be friends.

I can't think of any other female character on TV who is like that. Whoever worked on her character development was an amazing person, and I am glad I grew up watching that. I wish I had remembered the show more in high school. Even now, even at 23, she's a great role model. If I have kids, they are totally watching the DVDs.

This entry was posted by Soma, on 7.4.09. You can leave your response.