By Marie Moeller ‘15

As stated so clearly in the opening narration of “The DUFF” via a reference to “The Breakfast Club,” there are the usual high school stereotypes: jock, geek, princess, basket case, the list goes on, but in the midst of another sub-par, romantic teen comedy arises a new label: the DUFF or Designated Ugly Fat Friend. Bianca (Mae Whitman) is surprised to learn that she has achieved DUFF status by being less popular and attractive than her two best friends (Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos), making her “approachable” because boys only want to date her friends instead of someone who is “second-rate.” Naturally, she tries everything in her power to change herself, including enlisting the help of her neighbor, Wesley (Robbie Amell), a popular jock and future homecoming king, before ultimately realizing that only you can define yourself.

The movie itself was a poor one due to a complete lack of originality. Everything from the soundtrack to the overall storyline has been witnessed countless times in previous films. To compensate, well-known Disney Channel and Nickelodeon stars such as Bella Thorne and Robbie Amell were cast in leading roles. Their lack of experience in successful, big-budget films, ultimately resulted in mediocre performances. In addition, the script itself seriously failed to deliver even an ounce of comedic ingenuity. However, it is the film’s underling message to teens who see it that is its worst flaw.

Per usual, the film depicts the stereotypical high school, segregated by cliques and characterized by raging parties that the entire school attends. Despite the gross over-generalization of the social hierarchy, teen audiences instinctively try to find truth in the portrayals because of how often these clichés are reinforced in movies and books to be the truth of high school life. The creation of yet another high school stereotype will yield the same result. Even if it is the most far-fetched label yet, many girls and guys will take the new label to heart, degrading their self-esteem and self-worth in the process.

One does not even have to fit the acronym’s criteria of being fat or ugly to begin to think of himself or herself as a DUFF. Anyone that feels used in their friend group and inferior to their friends will cling onto this label because being a DUFF is more of a mental state than a physical one. It is the stereotypes behind the label that give it the driving force to deteriorate a person’s value. Once one comes to accept that he or she can be defined by a single label, he or she internalizes the negative perception held by their peers as dictated by the stereotypes of that specific label. While teens should love who they are regardless of what others think, it is inevitable that many can manifest insecurities by adopting the perception of others as their own. Specifically, an insecure teen will begin to have thoughts that he or she is not an actual individual without their friends.

In the movie, Bianca goes through the same struggle, attempting to change her appearance and personality so that she will no longer be a DUFF. She is even prompted to do so by several other characters. This speaks volumes compared to the contradictory theme of embracing who you are, which is briefly displayed in the last five minutes of the movie. Regardless, students from middle school to high school will attempt to box themselves into the new label, claiming they are a DUFF merely because of the media hype promoting the only defining characteristic of the film.