People who were teens in 80's... what did you think of 16 candles at the time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes to everything already said.

Also, for you Gen-Xers like me: ever *really* listen to the lyrics to a lot of the Top 40 songs from that era, 1980-88?

So. Much. Casual. Rapey-ness. And stalker-positive vibe. ["Obsession" "Don't You Want Me, Baby" "Every Breath You Take" "Never Gonna Give You Up" etc]

And then there's the huge genre of statutory rape / pedophile top hits ["Don't Stand So Close to Me" "Father Figure".

I know, I know, sex and rock and roll (and rap) is nothing new. But the mid-80s stands out for its embrace of the "I've selected YOU and I not gonna take 'no' for an answer" theme.

Are you for real? Listened to any popular music in the past decade? Rap?? It’s all that and more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just watched the movie with Millennials and Gen Z (ages from 37-22). We were all absolutely horrified by the blatant racism against Asians and sexism of the film. We could not believe how the movie glorified date rape culture (the main guy giving the nerdy guy his passed out girlfriend to do whatever he wanted with her...) and how alot of the men were just plain predators...

Don't get me started on a non-consenting woman being forced down the aisle to get married.

We were all wondering if this was actually funny in the 80s. Did anyone see anything wrong with this or was this just the way it was back then?

Isn't exhausting perpetually on the hunt for things to be triggered by? Or is this just purely performative to show us how keenly virtuous and "woke" you are? Get a life.

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

I'm 34 and watched this in my 20s. Yes it's a little cringe. But not that different than what I experienced in college. I think 80s movies are fun. I think you can look back and cringe at everything looked at with veil of intention this generation has. Movies of today are so preachy and gorey. Kill suicide etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Movies are a reflection of the times. 20 years from now, our kids will look back on today's movies and have a good laugh about how we had mens and womens bathrooms instead of unisex bathrooms, or how few had polyamorous relationships, or how we drove around in carbon-emitting cars all the time, or who knows what.

Just like we can look at classic movies from the 40's and 50's and see absolutely overt racism and full-on segregation. It's a reflection of the times.

I know you didn’t mean for this to be funny, but it was actually hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, don’t watch Big unless you want to rationalize Elizabeth Perkins raping a boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, don’t watch Big unless you want to rationalize Elizabeth Perkins raping a boy.

Yup. That ruined an otherwise great movie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I’m sad everyone is denigrating 80s movies. Because if you do that, your throwing our (sexist) music under the bus too. And if you so that, then you lose our spirit.

What I loved about the 80s is that we were scrappy and fun and a little wild. We did outrageous things and it was OKAY.

It was acceptable back then. It is not today, and I'm glad. Having sex with someone who is passed out is considered rape now. It wasn't back then.

I’m glad about that too, but I still love the 80s movies.

I haven't watched 16 Candles in a long time but I remember liking it when I did see it - typical 80's flick. I don't really remember the movie very well tbh so I can't speak about the controversial scenes being discussed here. But I want to point out that even back in the 80's it was NOT o.k. to have sex with or otherwise take advantage of a passed out person.

It's a movie. We knew that back then.

We knew it was bad but it was legal.

It seriously was not something that I heard of happening to anyone and I went to A LOT of parties. Yes, drunken hookups happened but nobody was having sex with anyone passed out cold - that would have been rape even back then.

Goody for you. But you are wrong, it happened all the time and my family is in law enforcement and they will tell you a passed out girl who reported a rape was called a “hoochie rape”... meaning she was a drunk slut and oh well he had sex with her she should not be a hoochie.

[Anonymous]

Ya’ll should watch Porky’s instead

[Anonymous]

I don’t care what you all say - the last 2 minutes of that movie is perfection! “yeah you”! Sigh! I’d follow Jake Ryan to the ends of the earth still!

[Anonymous]

I mean ... it was the 80s. I was sleeping with my 11th grade English teacher and two other teachers mysteriously left halfway through the year under similar circumstances with other kids. Looking back, this was insane. At the time it seemed exciting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean ... it was the 80s. I was sleeping with my 11th grade English teacher and two other teachers mysteriously left halfway through the year under similar circumstances with other kids. Looking back, this was insane. At the time it seemed exciting.

Haha! Yes it was “exciting” at the time. I would read YA books about high school girls having affairs with their handsome teachers. Honestly, that bit aside, I would 100% choose to grow up in the 80s v. today. Our movies may have been pervy, but it was generally a happy carefree time. Not as much pressure or stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean ... it was the 80s. I was sleeping with my 11th grade English teacher and two other teachers mysteriously left halfway through the year under similar circumstances with other kids. Looking back, this was insane. At the time it seemed exciting.

Male teacher??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ya’ll should watch Porky’s instead

that was one of the funniest movies, akin to American Pie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m sad everyone is denigrating 80s movies. Because if you do that, your throwing our (sexist) music under the bus too. And if you so that, then you lose our spirit.

What I loved about the 80s is that we were scrappy and fun and a little wild. We did outrageous things and it was OKAY.

It was acceptable back then. It is not today, and I'm glad. Having sex with someone who is passed out is considered rape now. It wasn't back then.

I’m glad about that too, but I still love the 80s movies.

I haven't watched 16 Candles in a long time but I remember liking it when I did see it - typical 80's flick. I don't really remember the movie very well tbh so I can't speak about the controversial scenes being discussed here. But I want to point out that even back in the 80's it was NOT o.k. to have sex with or otherwise take advantage of a passed out person.

It's a movie. We knew that back then.

We knew it was bad but it was legal.

It seriously was not something that I heard of happening to anyone and I went to A LOT of parties. Yes, drunken hookups happened but nobody was having sex with anyone passed out cold - that would have been rape even back then.

Goody for you. But you are wrong, it happened all the time and my family is in law enforcement and they will tell you a passed out girl who reported a rape was called a “hoochie rape”... meaning she was a drunk slut and oh well he had sex with her she should not be a hoochie.

Hoochie? Who the hell even talks like that? I don't know where your family is from but I'm from the DC area and I attended a large public university in Virginia. Never have I once heard of a "hoochie rape".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just watched the movie with Millennials and Gen Z (ages from 37-22). We were all absolutely horrified by the blatant racism against Asians and sexism of the film. We could not believe how the movie glorified date rape culture (the main guy giving the nerdy guy his passed out girlfriend to do whatever he wanted with her...) and how alot of the men were just plain predators...

Don't get me started on a non-consenting woman being forced down the aisle to get married.

We were all wondering if this was actually funny in the 80s. Did anyone see anything wrong with this or was this just the way it was back then?

Isn't exhausting perpetually on the hunt for things to be triggered by? Or is this just purely performative to show us how keenly virtuous and "woke" you are? Get a life.

Oh, stop. I'm 50 and am not bothered by OP's question. There have been a few times in recent years when I've rewatched my favorite 70s and 80s movies, and my reactions have been WTF. Sexism, racism, rape-culture, bullying, and homophobia are presented as jokes. Realizing this now hasn't tainted my childhood memories, but I wouldn't want my 10yo watching these movies.