For those who haven’t seen the beloved 1999 rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You, I’m guessing you live under a rock, so I will give a quick explanation. The film follows two sisters, Kat and Bianca Stratford. Bianca is a social butterfly, beloved by all, especially boys. The problem is that her dad is very strict and does not allow her to date. At least, not until her older sister does. However, Kat Stratford has no interest in dating.
Cameron James and Joey Donner, two boys from different social circles, are interested in taking Bianca out. But they must find a way to get Kat to go on a date, so Bianca can. Cameron is smitten with Bianca and confides in his friend Michael, who knows that Joey comes from a wealthier background and is also interested in Bianca. Michael enlists Joey to pay a boy, Patrick Verona, to take out the untouchable and cold-hearted Kat, meaning Bianca can finally date.
Now that you’re up to speed, you should be familiar with the characters Cameron James and Bianca Stratford. When you look up the pairing on social media, you’ll see comments like: “He learned French for her,” “she does NOT deserve him,” and “ugh he deserved better.” I believe this is simply too much hate on my girl, so here are 10 things I defend about Bianca Stratford.
- She has great style
-
All of her fits (except one, which we will discuss) are amazing! Her clothing consists predominantly of red, white, and pink colors, illustrating Bianca’s very feminine style. Some of the outfits are form-fitting and bold, playing into the narrative that boys give her attention because she is sultry and alluring. But underneath, we see how these colors and outfits emphasize her youthfulness and highlight that she is a girl who still has a lot of life left to experience.
Junger, G. (Director). (1999). 10 Things I Hate About You [Film]. Touchstone Pictures. - She is actually really funny
-
She has amazing lines like, “You’re asking me out? That’s so cute! What’s your name again?” Other iconic lines include, “There’s a difference between like and love. See, I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack.” I can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been for people to not know the difference between like and love before 1999.
- Cameron did NOT learn French for her
-
Many know the famous speech Cameron gives to Bianca in the car after being hurt by her. Amongst the many reasons he gives as to why Bianca should choose him, he lets out, “I learned French for you!” This moment has stuck out in the comment section on social media to emphasize Bianca’s “cruelty.”
The thing is, when Cameron and Bianca are at their French tutoring session later, Bianca asks Cameron when he will ask her out, in French. In response to this, Cameron looks confused, doesn’t reply, and flips through his French textbook to find out what she said. If Cameron had really learned French, I don’t think this would have been his response.
- Bianca is not the only one who used people
-
While Bianca did use people, she is not the only one who does so. Cameron is not innocent. He had no problem with Joey footing the bill and paying Patrick to take out Kat so that Bianca could date.
While Michael had the idea to enlist Joey, did Cameron really not have any sense of it? Yes, Cameron is not explicitly made aware of the plan, but he seemed to have no intention of questioning it either. He had no problem using Joey and his wallet.
- Bianca is not the only one who is selfish
-
Cameron doesn’t question Michael at all about why he went to Joey for help in getting Bianca to date. Thus, Cameron is shocked to discover that Bianca goes to a house party with Joey. I think if Cameron had thought a little outside of himself, he could’ve probably pieced together that Joey was not helping them out of the goodness of his heart.
- Cameron was treated just fine
-
A lot of people groan that Cameron deserved better. To me, that shows people think he was entitled to her.
Did Bianca see that Cameron could get her something that she wanted (to be able to date) and maybe show a bit more affection than a friend would? Yes. Does she ever explicitly say she’ll go out with him? No. Even when Cameron asks about taking her sailing, she clarifies that he knows her dad does not let her date, and he covers it up by saying it would be for French class.
Second, once they do start dating, they’re unproblematic. She kisses him in the car, wants to be asked out by him, goes with him to prom, and defends him at prom in front of everyone.
- She is a brat, but then she changes
-
Bianca was entitled. She’s essentially received everything she has ever wanted. While it may not seem like it, I really do like Cameron. He was right that she was conceited, and in some ways, she did lead Cameron on.
But Cameron talked to Bianca in a way no one else had before, allowing her the opportunity to change. He wasn’t antagonistic like Kat. His talking points came from a place of hurt.
An example of this is when Cameron and Bianca get into an argument after she attends a house party with Joey. When he asks her, “Have you always been this selfish?” he is genuinely asking. Bianca recognizes this because she takes the time to reflect and answers quietly, “Yes.”
This illustrates that Cameron is the only one who got on her level and was up front with her. She needed that, and once she got it, she started changing for the better.
- She is young with not as much experience
-
I think people forget Bianca is only a sophomore. Kat is older and had some time before their dad became stricter to make mistakes, have a boyfriend, and have sex. Bianca did not get that luxury. She has been told the horrors of pregnancies, parties, and teenage boys, but does not have any experience with them. Instead of being allowed to learn from her mistakes, she has been forbidden from making mistakes at all.
- Her mom leaving
-
This movie does an excellent job of showing how abandonment affects people. The Stratfords’ mom left the family, resulting in Kat not opening up and forming attachments to others. With Bianca, however, we see her try to fill this void where her mother’s love should be. She has no qualms with people ogling and wanting her, such as Cameron and Joey, as this makes her feel desired, a feeling she can no longer get from her mom.
- She kicks Joey’s butt
-
Her character arc comes to completion when she finds out Joey made a bet to sleep with her and paid Kat’s date to take her out. At prom, she stands up not only for her date (Cameron) and her sister, but also for herself. This all culminates in her final shining moment: giving Joey the butt kicking he desperately deserved. It truly is glorious.
Now, to show that I am not completely biased, I will give you a style choice that was not great, and one that I cannot defend: her prom dress. A crop top and a tutu. Really Bianca?