Reliving sex in the 80s
What do these movies have in common: Risky Business, Zapped, Porky's, Say Anything, 16 Candles, Last American Virgin? (Umm, that last one should be the dead giveaway). They're all coming-of-age flicks, and the 80s were stocked with films on the topic.
Some handle the topic better than others. For having such a zinger for a name, Last American Virgin probably handles the topic of first sex more sensitively (even realistically) than its competitors. And raise your hand if you cried at the ending. Gary! Chin up, lad. Karen had freaky eyebrows anyway.
And strangely enough, several of the movies also dealt with teenage abortion (Last American Virgin and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, for starters.) Would Hollywood dare to add an abortion clinic scene to today's comedies? Nyet! (By the way -- both movies came out the same summer -- one reason you only hear the Fast Times hype.)
Other movies, especially Porky's, turned virginity into a 90-minute joke. Some, like Vision Quest and Say Anything, played up the romance and turned the heat down on the actual sex. (And at least two of the movies include the time-honored rite of passage involving a ruler and "size" over substance.)
We're tackling these movies on this week's Stuck in the 80s podcast, so get ready for more Sean Daly's sob stories about teenage angst. And if you're nice and leave us comments, we'll share some of horribly awkward stories of first love with the audience. In the meantime....
Our top 5 coming-of-age films in the 80s:
5. Porky's: "All I need is a watermelon and two jelly donuts!"
4. Can't Buy Me Love: "You have the nicest pair of rhododendrons in town!"
3. Vision Quest: "I'm just the victim of a screwed-up nitrogen imbalance. Plus, I think I've contracted priapism."
2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: "Rat, if this girl can't smell your qualifications, then who needs her, right?"
1. Last American Virgin: "Come to me, my big burrito!"
What movies are we forgetting?
(By the way, if you're check out this blog for the first time ... welcome! Stuck in the 80s is updated daily. We also have a podcast on iTunes under the same name. And if you really want to go nuts today, read our recent post about why we don't want Madonna's tour coming to our home town! I guess maybe we really are Stuck in the 80s...)
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
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LITTLE DARLINGS!!!!!! Who can forget the scene when Kristy McNichols character first meets Matt Dillon's...and she sizes up his bum in those jeans!! AWESOME!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 11, 2006 at 10:26 AM
Hello .... Ferris Bueller's Day Off - chika-chika
Posted by: Anonymous | April 07, 2006 at 10:32 PM
as a teenager in the '80's just about any movie with some boobs was great
Posted by: lillapoyka | April 07, 2006 at 06:50 PM
Bachelor Party was the classic. with 80's icons Tawny Kitaen and Adrian Zmed -- not much topped this one
Posted by: Oaxaca ranker | April 07, 2006 at 07:25 AM
Oh Wendy. You're right. I completely forgot about the scene in the station wagon. Wow, I guess it's been too long since I saw that movie. Ironically enough, the cable movie stations lately have been overplaying another John Cusack movie from the 80s -- Hot Pursuit. Not my favorite of his (Either Better Off Dead or High Fidelity) or my least favorite (Must Love Dogs or Serendipity). I appreciate their inclusion of our boy though.
Posted by: Steve Spears | April 06, 2006 at 05:02 AM
Loverboy? With Patrick Dempsy.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 05, 2006 at 04:38 PM
Love Better off Dead. It is a classic. Having trouble remebering another one about sex, it was a comedy about a pizza delivery guy who gave "extra service" when women ordered anchovies. Starred Vic Tayback and Kirstie Alley, and the guy who's name escapes me... not as classic as BOD, but still a cheezy 80's movie.
Posted by: Hamptune | April 05, 2006 at 03:47 PM
Well Steve, if you remember, in Better Off Dead there was a pretty funny scene where Lane and Beth are "loosing their virginity" and his condom breaks in the back of the station wagon. He then says that he will get her a new one as the newspaper punks steal his tires. Sooo...while there are no steamy graphic sex scenes (pretty rare for that time), it does poke fun at the loss of virginity. Yeah, you should definitely do a BOD podcast...it had an excellent soundtrack and is a truly discussion-worthy film.
Posted by: Wendy O | April 05, 2006 at 11:33 AM
I'd like to second whoever said "Little Darlings" Most of the other movies dealt with dudes trying to score (excepting Fast Times) but Little Darlings tackled, and realistically so, female adolescent sexuality and all of the awkwardness, lying, and ginseng that went with it.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 05, 2006 at 09:33 AM
Better Off Dead doesn't really fit the top 5 list of this particular topic. If you're talking about "losing your virginity" or innocence, it doesn't really apply. But it's a great cult movie. Certainly would be on my top 5 list of cult movies.
Posted by: Steve Spears | April 05, 2006 at 04:22 AM
Holy crap! What about "Bachelor Party" with Tom Hanks? I can't believe I forgot that one."She pees standing up!!!"
Posted by: Six | April 05, 2006 at 02:36 AM
3 more obscure sex comedies:Squeeze PlayThe Pom Pom GirlsH.O.T.S.
Posted by: Six | April 05, 2006 at 02:24 AM
Wait a minute. Better Off Dead "was" your favorite?What could possibly knock a movie that has the lines "What's a little boy like you doing with big boy smut like this," "Sorry I blew up your mom," and "Right Off!" off the top of the list? And the Greatest Geometry Classroom Scene Ever?Granted, the DVD release could have included some special features beyond "scene selection."(Threadjacking, sorry)
Posted by: brad | April 04, 2006 at 11:09 PM
Better Off Dead is worthy of a podcast all to itself. It was my favorite movie for years and years.
Posted by: Steve Spears | April 04, 2006 at 08:59 PM
What about Stripes? And Better Off Dead?Okay stripes isn't about kids going up like most of the movies on the list, but still a funny classic. And Steve remember it has nudity!
Posted by: Micheal L | April 04, 2006 at 07:08 PM
Amen to Little Darlings!I have to say that Sixteen Candles would be also be on my list. With Farmer Ted and the borrowing of Samantha's panties to prove he did it/her to his friends, followed by the attempt to take pictures in the Rolls, the sex survey that Samantha takes and Jake steals in the beginning, Lock Duck Dong's hook-up...on and on this movie completely captured the feeling of teen angst involving relationships.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 04, 2006 at 06:48 PM
The Sure Thing even though it is anything but...
Posted by: Lady | April 04, 2006 at 06:46 PM
I know its animation but Heavy Metal: The Movie had sex all over it!
Posted by: MIrrorball Man | April 04, 2006 at 05:05 PM
Revenge of the Nerds. Sex with Darth Vader! Great soundtrack song regarding sex.
Posted by: Brad | April 04, 2006 at 04:48 PM
Anonymous said...Where's Losing It and Little Darlings? Not deserving? Also, where's: Private SchoolPrivate LessonsMy TutorAnd what about college hi-jinks stuff like:Fraternity VacationSpring Break
Posted by: Six | April 04, 2006 at 04:40 PM
You guys keep leving off the most under-rated movies of the 80's:Better Off Dead. I know it doesn't fit this topic, maybe the death topic, but keeps getting left off lists...
Posted by: Anonymous | April 04, 2006 at 03:49 PM
Weird Science counts as my top movie. Though maybe in a different category.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 04, 2006 at 01:48 PM
Where's Losing It and Little Darlings? Not deserving?
Posted by: Anonymous | April 04, 2006 at 01:47 PM
I'd say Risky Business deserves top 5 status.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 04, 2006 at 12:39 PM