Conspiracy theory linking 'Frasier' and 'Clueless' will have you totally buggin'
All '90s pop culture is connected -- you just have to do look deep enough.
Case in point: the 1995 movie Clueless and the long-running TV show Frasier (which started in the fall of 1993). Both of these '90s classics are currently available on Netflix and we heavily endorse you watching them immediately.
You May Also Like
Even though these two pieces of entertainment are equally important to our childhoods, it seems unlikely that anyone would bring them up in the same sentence. As if, right?
In the words of the immortal Amber: whatever.
A conspiracy theory from HelloGiggles suggests that misfit Tai Frasier (her last name might just be a coincidence...but we all know there are no coincidences in Internet conspiracy theories) is the same person as a sweet, little junior high student from the first season of Frasier.
Here's how it breaks down:
1. In Season 1, Episode 19, entitled "Give Him The Chair," Frasier trades away his dad's beloved La-Z-Boy for a black leather number, and it ends up as a set piece in a junior high play.
Note: HelloGiggles cites it as a high school, but the character of "Ms. Warren" clearly states that they are in a junior high, which fudges their timeline slightly.
2. At the junior high, Frasier tries to get the chair back, where he runs into Ms. Warren and her students. Lo and behold, one of them is an adorable, curly haired Brittany Murphy.
3. Jump ahead to 1995, in the movie Clueless, where Tai is introduced as a transfer student. Her old home is not mentioned, but Cher simply says, "how do you like California?" which suggests she is only from out of state. And, Tai has the mid-'90s Seattle grunge look down pat. And, as we all know, Frasier took place in Seattle. All signs point to the Space Needle.
4. One disclaimer: the original conspiracy theory misplaced her character in Frasier as a high school student rather than a junior high student, which made her a little older than she might be. Since the Frasier episode aired some time in 1994, it is likely she is between the ages of 12 and 14. Tai mentions in Clueless (set in 1995) that she would be "16 in May," which means she is a high school sophomore. However, the timeline can still work depending on how many grades each school has.
5. Another disclaimer: Tai speaks with an East Coast accent and Murphy's character in Frasier does not, which leaves the theory inconclusive.
Whether you believe it or not, it has us totally buggin'. We all have a lot of binge-watching to do.
Topics Film
Andrea Romano -- comedy writer, craft enthusiast, lady -- was a Watercooler Reporter. She worked as an intern at Mashable beginning in January 2014. Andrea recently completed her Masters degree in Media Studies and Film from The New School and writes sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade and The People's Improv Theatre. She once watched three Paul Rudd movies in a row on a bicoastal flight and didn't realize it until she landed. She does things like that a lot. Twitter: @theandrearomano
