Rants, Rita, and Realities – A Grace Full Life
Disclaimer- For whatever reason, I swear a couple of times in this episode. Perhaps I caught a sweary variant of Covid?
I talk about what I would discuss with John Hughes if we met for coffee. I said I would tell him that his movies aren’t aging well.
Two of the movies in question: Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.
There are many articles and social media posts about what I discussed; I’ll provide a few at the end of this post. I am addressing it since I’ve talked about John Hughes a lot on this blog, and it would be strange if I didn’t.
It’s only a 13 minute podcast, so listening is preferable to reading. Again, sorry about the swearing.
Also, I mention something scandalous about the man who played the principal in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I checked online, and what I mentioned is correct.
At the end, I discuss how the Home Alone residence has turned into a spectacle. This Christmas, it really bothered me. As a result, I removed my post about John Hughes movie locations.
Molly Ringwald on Not Watching John Hughes Movies With Young Daughter
“Don’t You Forget About Me”: A Critical Reassessment of John Hughes
Molly Ringwald Revisits “The Breakfast Club” in the Age of #MeToo
And I included this next link because Rita mentioned it in a comment on my post about childhood books a few weeks ago. Did you know that Ally Sheedy wrote a book when she was a child??
Noblemania: Ally Sheedy wrote a children’s book…as a child
As always, thank you for listening and reading. 🙂
A Grace Full Life 
I didn’t know that Ally Sheedy wrote a book as a child. She is a creative sort, so not surprised. I take down posts once in a while for the reason you mention. I figure, my blog, my rules. Happy Weekend, Kari
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My blog, my rules. I love that.
Happy weekend to you too, my friend!
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Ugh…so tired of cancel culture…
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I was waiting for someone to say this.
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I say this because eventually someone will find something offensive in everything.
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I agree. But as a female, I viewed it from a different angle than I did in 1984. I am not canceling his movies; I am beginning a conversation.
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But you watched them and raved about them in your blog and probably still would have had you not been influenced by the ticktocker. I know what what you are saying & pretty much agree with what is offensive but I feel it will get to a point where nothing is sacred. I can get behind cancelling a criminal like Jeffrey Jones and Bill Cosby but I can’t do that with any kind of art.
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I guess the point I am making from a female standpoint is that I saw these movies from a certain perspective when I was younger, and then I heard a woman from an entirely different generation point out what I was watching, and it changed my perspective. Did any of it upset me previously? Yes. The Long Duk Dong character did. That’s something I’ve mentioned here previously.
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Oh okay. Sorry I guess I didn’t read your back posts as thoroughly. All good Kari. I definitely wasn’t trying to start an argument, least I hope you didn’t think I was. I guess cancel culture just digs a deep nerve into me for whatever reason.
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You didn’t start an argument at all. I’m glad we can have these kinds of discussions here. It’s all good. 🙂
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😌 thanks
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🙂
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Kari, I recently (as in, probably three years ago) rewatched The Breakfast Club, which I loved as a teen. WOW did it not age well. All the fat-shaming and slut-shaming. I just didn’t remember that at all. I also recently (again, three years?) rewatched Say Anything, and it DID age well. I won’t rewatch Sixteen Candles because I didn’t even like it as a teen.
It’s so interesting to look at things we loved in the past with today’s eyes. There are many things that have changed for the better, and I think that is a hopeful thing. Also, there are many things that I think “we were actually fed this information” and that is upsetting and weird. Do you know what I mean? I was listening to a podcast about Little House on the Prairie, the TV show, and there is an episode where Pa says “China Boy” and while that might have been something that would have been said in the 1800s, hearing it as a child cements certain viewpoints. Anyway, we learn, we grow, we know better, we do better.
Interesting post! Thanks!
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Right?? I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. That is the heartbreaking part.
I watched Say Anything in the theater in 1989, and I still love it as much today as I did then.
I completely get what you’re saying. You summed up exactly what I was trying to say on the podcast, only much better! Thank you for getting it and for listening. 🙂
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I did enjoy these movies and I remember parts were cringy, but I definitely didn’t decide that the behavior I was watching was OK because I watched it on a screen. My in-laws were crazy strict and they overstepped A TON. We told them that we were seeing Lion King at the theater a million times when we were dating just so they didn’t think we were watching something inappropriate. I haven’t watched the movies in a while, so maybe I need to re-watch, but I don’t feel like the movies had a rape culture vibe. I also tend to remember my favorite parts of movies and gloss over the stuff that didn’t register or ring true with me. I do remember thinking that Claire should not have been putting makeup on Allison. That’s funny you thought that too. I was like NOPE, NOT BELIEVABLE.
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Your comment reminded me think of when people would go to the theaters and sneak into other movies. I never tried it because I was too terrified of getting caught, but it sounded exciting to me.
The idea of Allison not being attractive as she is irritates me. It doesn’t even make sense in a John Hughes film; it contradicts everything he supposedly stood for.
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FOUR DOLLARS?
I’ll wait to ask you for a loan.
I watched The Breakfast Club a few months ago. I am anti-cancel culture because I think we do learn from the past. However, I did see quite a few things that made me cringe. Of course, it was absolutely normal and accepted back then. We just dealt with it; dealt with actual harassment which is insane really, but we didn’t know any better. Right?
That being said, I don’t want my girls to have to deal with any of that. (they probably already have though)
Great post.
We can always take down a post, or edit it later on. IT is our blog. 🙂
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I’m sorry I couldn’t hear you because I’m so high up on my pedestal because I’M RICH! 🙂
Cringe! That is the word I was looking for. And yes to not knowing better. Maybe it was the lead paint and asbestos?
Thank goodness for blogs. XOXO
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