MovieChat Forums > Sixteen Candles (1984) Discussion > Mean-spirited

Mean-spirited

posted 13 years ago by lizzyben04
85 replies | jump to latest

I watched this movie because I'm such a fan of Hughes' other films (Breakfast Club, etc.), but I was surprised by how mean-spirited & even offensive this movie was.

Racism - the "gong" whenever the Chinese guy is mentioned, endless jokes about his Chinese name, really over the top stereotyping, "a black guy??" etc.

Sexism - joking about rape, the 'hero' Jake giving his drunk girlfriend to a horny 14-year-old to drive safely home, w/the implication that he can score, Jake kicking the door closed on his girlfriend's hair & leaving her there, older sister turned into a fool at her wedding. There was a theme of humiliating/humbling the "blonde chick" throughout really.

General meanspiritedness - the periodic shots of a girl in a brace trying to drink, dance, etc, for laughs.

I don't know, this movie left a bad taste in my mouth. And this is from someone who likes Hughes movies, or even Farrelly movies. I'm used to un-PC stuff in comedies, but maybe the difference here was the general kind of meanness that seemed to run through the movie. Flame away, but I was wondering if anyone else felt the same way.

[–] whitespirit26 8 years ago

Lizzy, you're the first one to show objections here without getting ridiculously emotional over the whole un-PC thing. Good for you. And I get your distastefulness with the occasionally unpleasant humor; the film was simply clogged with a LOT of obnoxious characters, including two grammas who could have used an hour or two locked in a closet so they'd shut up. The humor got to be over the top, with too much going wrong or people crossing the line too often, but was not a bad film altogether.

[–] sonofbeach-sheet 8 years ago

In John Hughes' world of the 1980's, if you were not a white, Anglo-Saxon, upper-middle class teen or a somewhat clueless and goofy white father of that social standing, you were a target to be made fun of. Period!

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] Auntiemaim 8 years ago

I totally agree with the original poster here. I remember loving this when it first came out-a beloved companion piece to my teen years. I just watched it again, bummed at the stereotypes, predatory attitudes toward women,and mean-spirited humor. This is from a time when filmmakers worried little about the negative impact on folks portrayed who weren't white and/or male.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] loanesolane 8 years ago

Sometimes you need to laugh.

"I want to be alone"

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] mistermycroft 8 years ago

I was in high school in the late 1980s, and the teachers would ridicule Mexicans, Italians, Hindus, Arabs, and gays in front of the whole class, and no one thought anything of it, or did anything about it. Now, you'd be fired for that

[–] ExTechOp (2766) 4 years ago

I was in high school in the late 1980s, and the teachers would ridicule Mexicans, Italians, Hindus, Arabs, and gays in front of the whole class, and no one thought anything of it, or did anything about it.

And you’re actually NOSTALGIC for that sort of thing?

Now, you'd be fired for that

Exactly ... it’s called “progress”

It’s a good thing

[–] Killtrend 8 years ago

I agree with you.

And yes, Jake did hint at sexual assault/rape. He said Carolyn was 'so drunk' that he could 'violate her in 10 different ways' and she wouldn't know it. I mean... Really?

Also, Sam calls Ted a 'fag' on the bus.

[–] MoviemanCin 7 years ago

No it wasn't, it's a comedy. The basis of all comedy is cruelty. You're just WAY too over sensitive and PC. Loosen up a little, and just enjoy the film.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.

[–] rushmoore16 7 years ago

It's interesting to me that folks project the snowflake generation's ultra-sensibilities on a movie made over 30 years ago. As if Hollywood is expected to predict political correctness rather than make a commercially successful movie. My guess is that in 30 years, we'll look back at the junk Hollywood is making today and wonder why we were so easily offended that we couldn't make a movie that depicted reality. Like it or not, 16 Candles was real in 1984 and it's what people would pay to go see. Just because the content would melt snowflakes today doesn't make it a bad or offensive movie for 1984.

[–] scottlyle 7 years ago

I just watched much of it last night and talked with my wife about which of the teen movies of that era were our favorites. We both like this movie, but noticed that it is much more mean-spirited than most of the others on our lists. I don't doubt there are things in Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Real Genius that wouldn't be kosher today, but I doubt you'd find as much questionable material in all of them combined as you do in this one movie.

It's pretty easy to find accounts of Asian teens at the time who saw a rise in ridicule they endured because of this movie (some are even listed in the trivia). So it wasn't OK then, either. It was just more accepted by white people at the time.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 6 years ago

The basis of all comedy isn't cruelty. That's absurd. The basis of all infantile comedy may be cruelty. Perhaps you're unfamiliar with any other type.

[–] Hanz-Willhelm2 7 years ago

Do you want a tissue? Maybe some counseling?

You poor thing. What doesn't offend you?

Here's a little secret. It wasn't intended to be real.....it's comedy. Try learning when to take things seriously and when not to.

Have fun being "offended".

Lamar Jackson for Heisman!

[–] TMC-4 (19465) 6 years ago

https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/older-movies-that-would-not-go-over-well-if-they-were-released-today.1391271/page-4#post-34589621