80s dance-off: Joel vs. Duckie

When it comes to lip-syncing and toe-tapping, which epic 80s dance scene gets your vote: Tom Cruise ("Joel Goodsen") in Risky Business or Jon Cryer ("Duckie Dale") in Pretty in Pink?

Let's get ready to Rumba!

The song...
Joel: Bob Seger's Old Time Rock & Roll.
Duckie: Otis Redding's Try a Little Tenderness.
Advantage: They both go old school, but Otis gives Duckie the slight edge here. Even Seger sings that he "rather hear some blues or funky old soul."

The outfit...
Joel: Ray-ban sunglasses, oxford shirt, tighty whities, socks.
Duckie: Thrift and military surplus store chic.
Advantage: Joel wins by a nose, thanks to the female votes.

Location and audience...
Joel: Solo in the living room (needed for the tricky sofa flop).
Duckie: In front of Andie and Iona at the record shop.
Advantage: Duckie gets my vote here for courage alone.

Signature move...
Joel: The slide across the wood floor at the song's beginning (though I'm a big fan of the spastic frenzy move on the couch too -- that had "whiskey-induced dance fever" written all over it).
Duckie: Banging and stomping the floor as the song reaches the pinnacle.
Advantage: Joel gets the vote here, for creating a moment that transcends pop culture.

And when it's all over...
Joel: Presumably drunk, horny and hungover.
Duckie: Andie blows him off and goes on a date with Blane.
Advantage: Nobody!

See, guys? You can never win by dancing. But either Joel or Duckie can win this dance-off. So leave your vote. And remember, to paraphrase Joel, "if there were any logic to our language, 'dance' would be a four letter word."

Comments

[KV]

have you ever found those shoes ?
I am looking for a pair like that.

"Drinking and driving don't mix! That's why I ride a bike!" That says it all! If you don't get it, you don't know Duckie!!! P.S. None of my friends have ever seen sixteen candles, then again I'm only 17!

[Shannon]

Duck Man ROX! He did and always will. The solo in Trax (Otis Redding) was classic! Can't get anough! And oh, if you find shoes like his let me know! LOVE HIM!

Duckie. All the way. Definitely. Without a doubt. Hands down. Et cetera.

[Anonymous]

I have to vote for Duckie. Classic Otis Redding song which should be on the soundtrack, but isn't. And, Jon Cryer is WAY cuter than Tom Cruise (then AND now). Plus, it's better that he's NOT in his underwear. -Shelly

[Boutros]

Oh, Duckie. I drew a heart around your face on my Pretty in Pink soundtrack LP sleeve.

[Christina]

Ducky, definitely. He's a scene stealer, and he had all the best lines too."I'm off like a dirty shirt!"

[Dr John]

Ducky

[dblvd]

I'm gonna say Joel. Pretty In Pink is one of my all-time faves but Duckie was a little irritating. Yeah, he dared to dance in front of others but then he threw a tantrum right after that more than once...grrr. On second thought, he did introduce me to "Try a Little Tenderness"...oh gosh...Okay, I'll concede...Duckie

[Erin]

Duckie. Romantic.

[Steve Spears]

There's no dancing in "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling" ... otherwise, that would indeed count. They you'd have to face songsters Duckie ("Love is Real") off against Maverick. I had briefly considered adding Ren's dancing/gym routine in Footloose to the battle, but he doesn't lipsync during it, and it's rarely Kevin Bacon that you see in that scene anyway. Plus, I'm sure it would have finished a distant third.

[Anonymous]

This female votes for Duckie, hands down, without a doubt. I would have even before Cruise went crazy.

[Anonymous]

oh, and doesn't the Tomster get extra credit for his "Lost that Lovin' Feeling" set in Top Gun ... I would think so ... --c

[Anonymous]

Up, dude, the term is "tighty whities" ... I mean, "tidy" is probably good ...but it's "thighty" ... As opposed to boxers, which are less, uhh, "tight" ... so, you know, there's that.--chase

[Anonymous]

No way, it's Duckie all the way. Like Steve said, he has the courage to be a buffoon, which makes him poetic.

[Anonymous]

Gotta go with Joel on this one. Classic.