Episode 40 - Sixteen Candles

John Hughes’ 1984 motion picture "Sixteen Candles" was a
seminal point in film history—meaning, this is when
movies started to get much worse. Way too many
flicks have emulated this garbage heap’s style and essence
over the years, and somehow people look past its gigantic flaws
and consider it a classic comedy that’s both romantic and
realistic at showing the awkwardness of high school. Um, no.
None of those things are true.


It’s widely known for its blatant racism with the whole Long Duk
Dong character, but that just makes people forget that this movie
is also extremely rapey. The popular high school jock trades the
opportunity to have sex with his passed-out popular girlfriend to
someone he hardly knows in exchange for another girl’s underwear.
Oh, John Hughes. You’re such a romantic.


Molly Ringwald (the original underwear owner) plays Samantha
Baker, a high school girl on her 16th birthday who has two
problems: 1.) nobody in her family remembers that it’s her
birthday, and 2.) the boy she likes doesn’t even know she exists.
These problems are, like, pretty major.


Anthony Michael Hall (who acquired her underwear and then trades
them for rape) plays a lecherous creep who is somehow considered
an underdog "geek."


And some guy nobody’s ever heard of (the one who traded his lady
for the panties) plays Jake Ryan, a popular jock who Molly
Ringwald so desperately wants to bone.


None of this movie is funny. All of it is racist. None of this
movie is romantic. All of it is disgusting.


Join us as we discuss what kind of disease "Ringwald's" probably
is, whether John Hughes belonged on a list, and exactly just what
the racial slur "bohunk" means.


Tell us what you think by chatting with us (@filmsnuff)
on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or by
shooting us an email over at mailbag@filmsnuff.com.


This episode is sponsored by Kim Jong-university.


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