A Comparison of Modern Teen Films and Those of the John Hughes Era Young adult or “Teen Movies” are a genre of films largely popularized by Director and Writer John Hughes during the 1980’s. Hughes wrote and directed such films as Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Breakfast Club - which are considered to be era defining films. In the modern era, however; their direction has shifted from films about leaving high school, young love, or the characters simply realizing they are about to enter adulthood to films that glorify teen drinking and drug use, sex, and partying. The first major difference between films of the John Hughes and the modern films is the glorification of teen drinking and drug use. In almost every modern film directed at young adults there’s at least one party scene and the use of marijuana or other drugs is rampant. The 2012 film Project X provides a great example of this glorification because the films entire plot …show more content…
Take the film American Pie for example, the major plot points of the film feature a group of high school students trying desperately to lose their virginity. This is actually such a common theme throughout modern teen films that it is even parodied in the film Not Another Teen Movie, which was essentially a parody of all the modern teen films which were out at that time. The films of the John Hughes era, on the other hand, never glorified underage sexual acts to the extent that the modern films did. His films still viewed the subject as highly taboo and in that time period the most risqué thing you would see in one his films is two teens kissing or in Ferris Buelller’s Day Off, for example the most risqué scene in the entire film is a scene in which Ferris Buellers girlfriend, Sloane is seen swimming in bikini. This shows how the view on what was once considered a highly taboo subject can change of time to become more accepted by a wide
Generations of kids have now grown up with John Hughes's teen movies, and they continue to speak to teenagers. John Hughes was able to create realistic teen dialogue in his movies, but more importantly, he was able to capture real teen dilemmas. It's no wonder that his films could transcend individual generational experiences.
Throughout the films we have seen, many challenges were illustrated such as social, cultural and political issues. Several films developed in the early/mid-sixties challenged society’s cultural propositions and strived to be an agent for social change. During the end of the 1960s, many films displayed reactions to these changes proposed by the counterculture. In the films, Blowup (1966), Wild in the Streets, and Easy Rider, the tensions existing between youth and adults are illustrated. The utilization of youth, character development, and forms of art show the reactions to these changes developed by the counterculture. This paper will be focusing on the tensions of the emerging generations and youth by examination of various characters, their
In a modern age where the media retains a strong influence on the general population, many youths across the globe are feeling the effects of being misrepresented by media. The characteristics often forwarded by media frequently links youths with that of criminals and gangs. Similarly, depictions of teenagers being ignorant and haughty is now a widespread stereotype. These inaccurate depictions, which are sometimes taken for granted, are causing detrimental damages to the lives of youths and their futures as members of society. Despite the media’s likelihood to portray modern youths negatively, evidence suggests the opposite; that modern youths are in fact responsible,
Since that time, the recreational use of drugs, particularly marijuana, has been a constant aspect of youth culture in all social classes.
Come the end of World War II, the Americans were anticipating the terms of a hope-filled future, in which they believed it meant they could venture off into the great beyond of space, teleport from place to place and that everything and anything was powered by nuclear material. No one had even contemplated the rise of Rock’n’Roll, an endless Cold War and the supremacy of entertainment by the constant uprise of youth culture. From this, it blossomed into a new kind of film for a new breed of teenager: the juvenile delinquency film. In this essay, I will be discussing the role of the juvenile delinquent within the two movies, Jim Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (1955) and Vince Everett in Jailhouse Rock (1957) and the impact of relevant industrial,
In “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” David Denby criticizes movies portraying high school. He writes “The most commercial and frivolous of genres harbor a grievance against the world” (426). In many movies starting in the early 90’s you began to see an extreme amount of disrespect to adults from teenagers. High school movies are filled with unruly
Youth have a certain quality and charisma that has made making films about them not only an interesting endeavor but also fundamental to cinema (Shary, 2002). Representative of hope and change, children are viewed as the future. Youth culture, with its ‘here today and gone tomorrow’ kind of dynamic, suggests that children are also the future of film. For decades the film industry has relied on young audiences for patronage and also looked to youth for inspiration and just the kind of material that makes a relevant and refreshing script (Shary, 2002). Youth-oriented film has subsequently become a genre all its own (Shary, 2002). A history of American youth cinema would indicate no different. It is thus interesting to explore youth-oriented films and how films across time, namely Lolita (1962), Marathon Man (1976), Rain Man (1988), Kids (1995), and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), have depicted youth culture, specifically the theme of “Coming-Of-Age.”
Have you ever met someone who acted just as teens are stereotyped? Not many people have because they do not exist. Real teens are poorly portrayed in the media and are the complete opposite of their stereotypes. Books and TV shows make teens out to be wild or crazy, irresponsible and out of control. One hardly ever hears about teen-heroes. Instead, newspapers and magazines are plastered with stories of teens and crime. And while looking at commercial billboards and other related media, the regular teen seems to be sex-crazed and image-obsessed.
This essay will look at the different ways in which young people are portrayed in the media. It will focus on how the idea of childhood innocence has been challenged by the media and rather than ‘little angels’ children are now seen as ‘little devils’ in the public eye. By looking at ‘The Bulger Case of 1993’ we can see where the idea of ‘little devils’ and children as evil beings began. It will examine why media stories of young people are focused much more on negative aspects such as crime and gang culture rather than positive ones. It will also look at how television programmes such as ‘Teen Mom’ and ‘Skins’ portray the youth of today and whether these programmes come across as a positive or negative portrayal of teenagers. The idea of a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ will also be examined and whether the way the media portrays children can be harmful to the construction of their identities and possibly lead to alienation.
Teenage films are often thought of films focused on issues such as teen angst, conflict with parents, coming of age, and most notably rebellion. Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause(1955) is one of the first films that could be classified as such. In today’s times, many films that fall into this genre follow the same structure as Rebel without a Cause in that perceptions and activities of youth defy what is considered to be a seemingly more stable adult life. Prior to Rebel Without a Cause, there wasn’t a film that challenged the ideas of masculinity in society and the struggles that teenagers endured in that era, so it is no surprise that the film is considered to be the poster child of youth rebellion in the 1950’s. Ray brings to light a
For the first time, the characteristics of Generation X were embodied in a film that dramatized their condition as self-consciously postmodern individuals, hyper-aware of their place in history, and obsessed with popular culture (Green, et al., 2014). The absence of a link to history, the cynicism, and the irony of the characters spoke perfectly to the generation’s disenchantment with the world. “We loved Pulp Fiction. Not just because it’s uproarious or filled with classic dialogue or outrageous situations, but because it is sympathetic to its characters and cares about their fates” (Green, 2014). It was the first film to seemingly understand and sympathize with the GenX condition.
The 1950s was a time when the term “teenager” was popularized. They all shared some similar characteristics and were grouped into one single cohort. Once they became a term, people began to find ways to label them. With the rise of psychology, they assigned specific emotional and developmental characteristics for them. With that in mind, society constructed an image of teenagers and teenage culture.
one's life. These attempts have been made to enlighten society about a taboo topic that is rapidly forcing itself into the lives of all.
An issue that has, in recent years, begun to increase in arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seems that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the closet has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception.
The purpose of this research paper is to answer the question of whether teens over 13 years of age should be allowed to watch R- rated movies. This subject is important because there is a debate about if teens under 17 are developed and mature enough to watch R- rated movies and can handle what they see. I did research by reading online news and educational articles. Some people seem to believe that 13 is too young because such movies could contain nudity, graphic violence, offensive language, or anything otherwise unsuitable for young teens. Others say that if teens can't watch movies in theaters, then teens will find a way to watch the movies elsewhere and that teens can experience much more graphic and traumatic things online, so should be able to handle a fictional story.