# 80s Comedies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823 "2010-03-26T01:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/1 "2010-03-26T01:26:25Z")
This is a follow-up to my [thread=555725]poll on 80s coming-of-age/teen movies.[/thread] Which are your favorites from this list? Public poll, multiple choices are allowed. PLEASE CHOOSE UP TO 10. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/2 "2010-03-26T01:39:26Z")
I really need to start reading the OP before participating in the poll. I chose 11. I must wear the mask of shame. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/3 "2010-03-26T01:44:50Z")
1987 was a funny year: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Princess Bride Space Balls Pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/4 "2010-03-26T02:53:54Z")
I tried hard to whittle my list down to 10, but since **Bosstone** picked 11, I gave myself permission to pick 11, too (in the spirit of _This Is Spinal Tap_). In my defense, I always count the items in my cart before going to the express checkout lane. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/5 "2010-03-26T23:27:00Z")
Ha, I made that rule about choosing 10, and then I picked 12. 😛 I thought that picking 11 would be in the spirit of **Spinal Tap** , but then I couldn’t eliminate one more choice so I gave up on that joke for the moment. As it is, **Ghostbusters** didn’t make my top 12 (I liked **Stripes** better), and neither did **Spinal Tap** , although I loved both. Maybe I need to list a second-tier group. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/6 "2010-03-26T23:35:13Z")
The Breakfast Club was a comedy? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/7 "2010-03-26T23:45:15Z")
Where’s **Brazil**??? . ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/8 "2010-03-27T00:18:25Z")
Where’s **Ghostbusters**??? Edit. Nevermind. Missed it. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/9 "2010-03-27T00:28:54Z")
There are many classics on there that I’ve never actually watched, and many that, even though I acknowledge their popularity, were never ones I would consider a favourite. I picked 8 of them. I’m not sure if _Back to the Future_ counts as a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/10 "2010-03-27T00:57:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’m not sure if _Back to the Future_ counts as a comedy. Are you kidding? With such killer lines as “That’s heavy, Doc.” “Weight has nothing to do with it!” how could it _not_ be a comedy? Seriously, though, you’re right in that I can’t think of a whole lot of laughs. But it’s a solid 80s uplifting movie with a happy ending and I’d be inclined to stick it in the comedy section too. Call it a traditional comedy, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/11 "2010-03-27T01:26:23Z")
> [@Sidney Evgeni Jordan](#): > > Ha, I made that rule about choosing 10, and then I picked 12. 😛 > > I thought that picking 11 would be in the spirit of **Spinal Tap** Great minds think alike! I chose 11 solely because of “Spinal Tap”, although I’m a little disappointed that it isn’t No. 1 (yet). “Airplane” is a worthy alternative for No. 1, though. I also think “Bluesbrothers”, “Time Bandits” and “Vacation” need more love, too. I run hot and cold on John Hughes so, although I can get behind “The Breakfast Club”, I absolutely despise “Ferris Bueller” and think “Uncle Buck” is merely okay. Oh, and where the heck is “Brazil”?? That’s near the top of my all-time best 80s movies, comedy or not. Besides that (and maybe “Porky’s”) I think you’ve captured the era pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/12 "2010-03-27T01:41:03Z")
Since we’ve got two write-in votes for “Brazil”, I thought I’d add one for “Bachelor Party”. Definitely not a very good movie, but it still has a spot in my heart since the yuppie bad guy, Cole, was an absolute dead ringer for my best buddy in high school, Colin. Cole = Colin!!! Oh, the hilarity. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/13 "2010-03-27T02:26:12Z")
i thought for sure spinal tap, better off dead, and uncle buck would have at least twice as many votes as they do. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/14 "2010-03-27T21:23:21Z")
**Spinal Tap** and **The Princess Bride** are catching up to **Airplane!** now. I’m surprised that Airplane is more popular than those two. I don’t know why **Better Off Dead** isn’t getting more votes. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/15 "2010-03-27T22:00:59Z")
Better Off Dead (and its lesser known brother, One Crazy Summer) rocks! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/16 "2010-03-27T22:32:24Z")
Stripes only up until they graduate from boot camp. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/17 "2010-03-27T23:11:06Z")
What? No _Faces of Death_? For shame. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/18 "2010-03-27T23:12:07Z")
And in a perfect world, _A Fish Called Wanda_ would be winning this by a landslide. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/19 "2010-03-28T00:31:41Z")
Both of these threads revealed to me that I remain a child of the 80s; I doubt a 90’s movie thread would have me picking so many “favorites”. I have to say… no love for “Fletch”??? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823/20 "2010-03-28T06:54:59Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I really need to start reading the OP before participating in the poll. I chose 11. I must wear the mask of shame. ☹ Damn, I didn’t even read the OP before voting, I just saw it was multiple choice and went to town. I think I voted for 24! And that was with being surprised that I hadn’t seen so many of them. Sorry! I’ll try to remember to read the OPs before voting from now on. (make that 25 with another write-in for **Brazil** ) If I could only choose one, it’d be **Raising Arizona**. Nice to see that **Ruthless People** got several votes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-comedies/533823.md?page=2)