MovieChat Forums > WarGames (1983) Discussion > 10 reasons why David is a prick

10 reasons why David is a prick



I just watched this movie for the first time in a while and I understand it's just a movie, but I can't get over how much of an arrogant prick he is. He just does whatever the hell he wants, whenever the hell he wants, with no respect whatsoever for authority, rules, or boundaries. With complete disregard for the consequences of his doing. I understand he's just a teenager, but he's completely aware of his actions. He just doesn't care.

10. He waltzes in to Biology class late because playing Galaga during school is more important. And after his teacher was nice enough not to write his punk ass up, he then has the audacity to interrupt his lesson and then slander him in front of the entire class. His teacher didn't deserve that at all. Yea, he was kind of a dick, but at least he never got personal.

9. Even though eventually she changed her mind, after Jennifer specifically tells him not to, he goes behind her back and changes her Biology grade. Not only is that disrespectful to her, but he also puts her in a situation where she could possibly get expelled if they were to get caught.

8. He tries to break into Protovision illegally to play their program without paying for it when he HAS the resources to acquire the game legally if he weren't so impatient. He's lucky to even have a computer in the '80's and at his age. I mean, his parents could and would be more than willing to just buy it for him for Christmas or his birthday if he'd just ask, even though he doesn't deserve it.

7. He's azzhole enough to put a lock and a sign on his bedroom door that says "Authorized Entrance Only", like he doesn't trust his own parents. They own that room and deserve the right to know what's going on in there if they want. They work two jobs to provide a nice home for him and all he does is sit in his room all day, engaging in illegal activities instead of just masturbating like every other teenager. I could understand if he had brothers or sisters, but he doesn't so that's just a slap in the face to his parents.

6. He's also rude to his parents who are cool enough to let him skip school for days at a time to research game designers. He does everything in his power to avoid socializing with them. He reads a magazine at the dinner table. I mean, would it KILL him to just put it away for 20 minutes and have a conversation with his parents. He just gets up from the table without asking because hacking into Protovision is top priority and can't wait until after dinner. Later in the movie, he comes home and just says,"Hi, dad!", like he just went for a bike ride or something, and doesn't even have the decency to say hi to his mom and kiss her hello. I know his parents are lame(and may possibly be aliens), but they spoil him and he treats them like strangers.

5. When Jennifer states that he could go to jail for bypassing long distance telephone fees for dialing every number in Sunnyvale, he says,"Only if you're over 18". What ignorance. Of course HE'S not going to go to jail, his name isn't on the phone bill. He doesn't stop to think that if the phone company finds out, his parents are going to be the ones held responsible because they ARE over 18. And the phone company's not going to give a damn if it was some punk kid making the calls, they're either going to press charges or send his parents a fat ass bill in the mail.

4. He's inconsiderate. After however many times his father's told him, he still doesn't have the courtesy to double check the trash can lid to make sure it's on tight. His mom even reminded him during dinner. It doesn't look to me like they ask that much out of him. They ask him to do one simple thing, he can at least do it right. He doesn't seem to care when he his father shows him the mess, either. Then after his mother politely asks him if he wants to invite his little friend to their barbecue, he ignores her and closes the shutters in her face and doesn't even ask Jennifer if she wants to stay. What an ass.

3. I don't think I should say anything else until I talk to a lawyer? Who does this prick thinks he is? McKittrick was more than gracious and patient with him. With the fate of the nation hanging in the balance, all David had to do was cooperate and explain in detail what he did and take responsibility for his actions. I mean, he'd already admitted that he broke into their system. Asking for a lawyer makes it look like he's hiding something and it also makes him look like a total dick. Then after that, he has the stones to log in to McKittrick's personal computer with glass walls around him like they wouldn't see it.

2. He programs his computer to dial every number in Sunnyvale, California, to try to get into Protovision's system, calling and hanging up on thousands of people in the process, some of whom are trying to work. Not to mention the thousands of people he woke up while it was dialing numbers overnight.

1. During the entire movie he just goes around making others look bad and insulting people, including the ones he loves, to benefit himself and accomplish his ulterior motives. First, he makes his teacher look bad, then Jennifer, then Bo the dog. He makes his parents look really bad when he gets caught for hacking into the WOPR, making the WOPR look bad. The WOPR could have been a good idea, but since that little bastard had to go hacking into it, it made a lot of people look bad, from Richter the WOPR tech to General Beringer to the President of the United States. Then when he's detained at NORAD, he makes McKittrick look bad by violating his trust. Then makes Airman Fields look bad by breaking out of the infirmary, also making the alarm system engineer and repairman look bad. He makes the U.S. look bad to the Russians and vice versa. Last but not least, he makes Falken look bad by exploiting his "backdoor" password and then drags him to NORAD so he can face, firsthand, the repercussions of creating Joshua. He even makes McKittrick look bad, again, by ruffling up his hair at the end. When McKittrick said "Let me talk to this little prick", boy was he right.

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Were you raised by The Great Santini or something? Half of what you accuse David of is being a typical teenager (not wanting to do chores, wanting his parents to stay out of his room, talking in the middle of class, etc).

And since they placed him under arrest, his Miranda rights specifically say he's entitled to an attorney.

The idiot in the infirmary didn't even have a name and you sympathize with him when he could easily be disciplined for sexual harassment? SERIOUSLY?

---
"Now everyone's gonna know you died scratching my balls!"---James Bond, Casino Royale

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"... Asking for a lawyer makes it look like he's hiding something..."

No, that was actually the smartest thing he said in the movie.

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The parents failed. Not once did they even come to his room. Neither of them took an interest in what he was doing. It's no wonder he was withdrawn from them.

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Well. That's quite normal.

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Your entire list is indicative of someone who either did not exist during the time period, or did exist and was an absolute prick himself living in a hole completely unaware of what people his age were doing and equally unaware of the direction of society at the time.

10. Late to Biology class because of a Galaga game? There is a reason "Tardy" had its own category on report cards in the 80's, and why most elementary and junior high schools had "citations" or other forms of write-ups for them. Nobody really gave a damn about being late or ditching class - certainly not to the extent that you do. And yes, we used to play video games before and after school. We'd also sometimes run off campus across the street to play or to buy sodas or candy and then come running back, often times getting back a few minutes late. It wasn't a felony. And as for the teacher interaction, there were plenty of "class clowns". You couldn't pick them out of your current circle without help.

8. I had a computer at 8. So did everyone I knew, and we were (none of us) rich. The TRS-80, Atari, and Apple machines out were exploding right around then so it was not like he got a car at his age when nobody else had one. And the first thing kids who really got into their computers did after learning to program them was to play games. Then get a modem. Then join BBS networks. Then, realize they could combine all three and trade games without paying for them. David is very typical for the time period. So typical there are books written about it. Try Commodork, by Rob O'Hara, available on Amazon Kindle. You'll read all about "David".

7. This is just stupid and makes me wonder if you are a computer simulation of a human. EVERYONE had boundaries back then. NOBODY thought it was cool for their parents to just "walk in" and thought they were cool by putting Keep Out signs on everything. I had a lock on my door cause I had a sister and three brothers. They did too. Did you watch any other movie from this period? Maybe Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Did ANYONE look like there was free ingress and egress in the 80's suburban household?! Give me a break!

6. Read #7. At his age, kids are establishing their own identity and convinced their parents don't get anything and are severely out of touch. It's not even time sensitive as it's going on next door to your house right now.

5. Seriously? What kid understands that or thinks it's that serious? Oh yes. You. Anyone else?

4. You are in fact, a simulator. Don't know if I should even get to your other points. You could be a big data aggregator and next thing I know I'll be knee deep in coupons from my maxi company's competitors.

3. This is an example of what kids would not do. We would have been loading our pants up from the scene outside 7-11 onwards. Most kids wouldn't have the presence of mind to have remembered anything about Habeas Corpus.

2. It's called a WarDialer. Look it up. Very common in Phreaking and even when not exploiting, in finding other numbers running to servers for BBS connections.

1. Funny, I had the same thing running through my head that McKittrick said when I prepared to respond to you here. Boy was I right.

Can I suggest to you possibly that you get on your own computer, go to Instagram.com, find all of the stuck up trust fund kids making asses of themselves with millions worth of their own parents money, then go to all of the TV production houses with shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians and similar shows, and let them ALL know they're pricks, and they are glorifying pricks. Write the producers of shows like That 70's Show, Malcolm in the Middle, and others, and inform them that ALL of their characters are pricks, and so are they. By the time you get finished with all of that, we'll be left with 24 hour reruns of Room 222 and Big Blue Marble.

The entire world would then be on here, responding to my calling you a prick. Saying, "boy were you right".

And one more thing. Nothing says prick like patronizing the kid who just saved the world from nuclear disaster by ruffling his hair. One good prickish ruffle deserves another.

***** END OF REPORT ****

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you must be a laugh riot at family reunions.





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Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!

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In the outtake, David is taken to federal prison, and ended up with a PRICK in his ass.....Bwhahahahahaahahahahaaha

"All is fair in love and business." - Benjamin Franklin

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Lol sounds like you can't just enjoy a movie for what it is? How many pricks have we seen in movie after movie? The 80's was a way different decade then any other, I'm going to guess you were either born after the 80's or were too young during the 80's?

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