Now and then it’s kind of amusing but also a little saddening that some folks, particularly those that weren’t around when some of the most classic movies were released, get the notion that said movies are offensive or horrible since they engage in parodying activities and actions that folks find entirely offensive. One can go on and on about how it was a different time, that people thought differently in the past, and that some things that were considered normal back then are considered to be wrong today, but the point is that these are movies, they’re parodies, it’s ACTING, and that when compared to the material that’s seen in movies today, the movies of the past aren’t that horrific since there usually wasn’t as much malice put into one plot or another as many might imagine. Trying to pinpoint the moment when people began to find offense in every little thing the world has to offer when it’s convenient, is a tad bit difficult, but assuming that a large number of easily triggered individuals are going to grouse over one movie or another when it’s simple to look away is far too easy these days. Here are five classic movies that people aren’t about to abandon no matter what’s said about them.
5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Doom
Reading the various complaints that some have had concerning this movie is kind of amusing since people make mention of the human sacrifice, something that has been documented as having happened in human history, and the misrepresentation of the goddess Kali. Both points were indeed taken to an extreme for the sake of the story, but it’s also important to note that the movie was fiction, that wonderful genre where things don’t have to be 100 percent true to life. If anyone is griping about a deity’s representation in the movies it tends to mean that they have little else to do with their time and have little to no idea of what fiction is all about. Plus, the ‘white savior’ complex that the movie is accused of having is worth shaking one’s head at since a person has to wonder, why didn’t the village send one of their own to retrieve the kids and the sacred stone?
4. Adventures in Babysitting
Huh boy, this one is a gem since it’s been criticized for taking a safe and vanilla bunch of kids and their babysitter out of the ‘safe and secure’ suburbs and forcing them into an adventure that made them endure the rough street scene, complete with mobsters and crazy truck drivers. What folks won’t tell you about is that the crazy truck driver and the car thief that the group met were both rather cool individuals that helped the group out rather than trying to harm them. Plus, they managed to spend a few minutes on stage with a few very cool individuals that helped them to sing a rather enjoyable blues song that wasn’t too bad.
3. Revenge of the Nerds
You’ll likely hear about the panty raid and the non-consensual sex that Lewis tricked Betty into having, but you won’t read much about the treatment that Gilbert and Lewis received upon reaching college, nor will you hear that much about the jocks’ behavior since the inherent wrongness of the panty raid and its aftermath are enough to trigger a lot of people that tend to think that crossing your eyes at a person is considered visual assault. Let’s be honest, this movie might not have aged perfectly, but as a parody and a bit of karmic justice, the movie still works just fine if you take it for the ridiculous comedy that it is, and not the non-PC movie that many try to make of it.
2. The Goonies
Seriously, one of the biggest gripes heard about this movie is that Data had a thick accent and was obsessed with gadgetry, which appears to be a racial stereotype at this time. Does anyone recall that he had an obsession with 007? His obsession had more to do with being a secret agent than it did with a stereotype, and to be fair, this movie is about as wholesome as it got back in the day when it came to live-action, with a few moments tossed in that were kind of up for interpretation. People can make a big deal out of anything as it’s been shown, and this is just one more example of that.
1. Animal House
Sex, alcohol, pranks that get out of hand, voyeurism, yeah, this movie went the extra mile when it came to making the Delta’s look like perverts, but the fact is that it was done in a way that made it obvious that they were pervs, but also not the worst individuals on campus. It’s kind of easy to feel sorry for Dean Wormer, but it’s just as easy to feel that he got what was coming to him for serious abuse of power in the face of several ill-advised pranks. As for the ‘Hitler youth’, as they were dubbed, it’s easy to say that these characters got what they deserved in the end, one way or another. Folks aren’t going to give up on their favorite movies just because someone says so.
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