# Rickjay and his daughter watch the classic comedies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [February 15, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925 "2021-02-15T04:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/1 "2021-02-15T04:28:20Z")
I have decided my fifteen-year-old, Madz, needs to see many funny movies made before she was born. We try to watch one a week. So far: Airplane! The Naked Gun South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut Airplane 2 Hot Shots! Dumb and Dumber Top Secret Borat (actually, made the year after she was born) Galaxy Quest UHF Beavis and Butt-Head Do America Her favorite so far was Airplane!, though Galaxy Quest and Beavis and Butthead was also particular favorites. Dumb and Dumber is also oft-quoted. I hadn’t watched any of these in awhile, myself. The one that held up the worst was UHF; it’s funny and very sweet, but it’s not the gut-buster I recalled, has some narrative problems, and while I’m a huge fan of Weird Al he’s not a good enough actor to carry a feature film. The one that was actually better than I’d recalled was Beavis and Butt-Head, which I recalled fondly but honestly it was funnier than I remembered; the joke timing was absolutely flawless. Coming up: Johnny Dangerously The Producers Blazing Saddles A Fish Called Wanda Happy Gilmore Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle Wayne’s World Ferris Bueller’s Day Off The Blues Brothers Hot Fuzz The Big Lebowski I guess some Monty Python movies Vacation My Cousin Vinny She’s seen Ghostbusters, and I believe she’s seen Austin Powers; I only want to run her through ones she HASN’T seen. Also, I despise Will Ferrell movies. It’s been fun. Damn, these movies - the ones watched so far - held up. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/2 "2021-02-15T04:49:58Z")
I’m glad to hear that she’s enjoying at least some of those – I know that the style of movie comedies is very different now, and I’ve wondered to what extent younger people would find the comedies from my youth funny anymore. Another one to add to the list, if you’re interested: Real Genius. I’ve watched it again several times over the past year or two, and I think it’s held up pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/3 "2021-02-15T05:54:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I’m glad to hear that she’s enjoying at least some of those – I know that the style of movie comedies is very different now, and I’ve wondered to what extent younger people would find the comedies from my youth funny anymore. So far she’s liked ALL of them. Real Genius is a good addition. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/4 "2021-02-15T06:53:27Z")
Good work. Personally, Monty Python would be way, waaaay higher up the list. ---
**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:** [February 15, 2021, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/5 "2021-02-15T07:19:14Z")
My suggestions: Pee Wee’s Big Adventure The Three Amigos Coming To America Bill & Ted’s ouevre ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/6 "2021-02-15T12:17:03Z")
This Is Spinal Tap The Jerk The Tall Guy Night Shift Love and Death ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/7 "2021-02-15T12:21:44Z")
One of my favorite time-wasters is watching YouTube reaction videos of young people watching classic movies for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/8 "2021-02-15T12:29:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Coming up: > > Johnny Dangerously > The Producers > Blazing Saddles Unless I’m missing something, this seems like the right time to mention _Young Frankenstein_. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/9 "2021-02-15T12:40:14Z")
Fletch All of Me Liar Liar Mrs. Doubtfire maybe Bowfinger ---
**Author:** ![TimothyNewsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@TimothyNewsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimothyNewsome)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/10 "2021-02-15T12:55:53Z")
For something perhaps a bit more cerebral(?) maybe “Best In Show” and “Waiting For Guffman”? ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/11 "2021-02-15T13:00:09Z")
Trading Places Gremlins Meatballs Grosse Point Blank A League of Their Own Bull Durham Used Cars Mr. Mom ---
**Author:** ![TimothyNewsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@TimothyNewsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimothyNewsome)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/12 "2021-02-15T13:15:51Z")
“Stripes” and “Caddyshack” ought to be included, as several comedic legends do some of their best business in those two. RIP, Harold Ramis, John Candy, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/13 "2021-02-15T13:29:54Z")
You can go old school with: The Thin Man To Be or Not To Be (the original, not the Brooks remake) ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/14 "2021-02-15T13:40:13Z")
It’s a Mad,Mad, Mad, Mad, World. You’ll get to explain who all of the actors are. Marx Brothers! Laurel and Hardy - Compilations are best, but you can try The Music Box or Way Out West. A few silent films have held up well. The Gold Rush with Charlie Chaplin (you may prefer the later one, narrated by Chaplin) The General - or Steamboat Bill Jr. with Buster Keaton ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/15 "2021-02-15T13:44:05Z")
This was more along the lines of what I expected from the thread title. But from my experience w/ my kids in the 90s, most of those had NOT held up well. I rememebr them asking during “A Funny Thing Happened…” “Tell us when the funny parts come.” Not only did my kids not appreciate them, but I did not appreciate them as much as I remembered. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/16 "2021-02-15T13:56:15Z")
Spaceballs ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/17 "2021-02-15T13:57:34Z")
My kids had seen Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure several times because I think its hilarious. When my youngest took AP World History as a Sophomore, the test was in May and school didn’t let out until mid June - so the teacher had them do pretty stupid things - and one of the things was watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He hadn’t seen Bill and Ted, so they bought it in and the class watched it. Its now part of the AP World post test syllabus. Its the PERFECT World History movie for high school students. My add: Buckaroo Banzai. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/18 "2021-02-15T14:50:14Z")
After Hours (Scorsese) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/19 "2021-02-15T14:53:37Z")
Speaking of Austin Powers: a few years ago I rewatched the first sequel (_The Spy Who Shagged Me_). It didn’t hold up at all: so many jokes were based off of '90s pop culture and are no longer relevant. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925/20 "2021-02-15T14:55:53Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Bill & Ted’s ouevre She’s seen the Bill and Ted movies. They’re an interesting case study because while they’re quite funny I hadn’t thought of them as pure comedies; they’re more adventure movies, like “Back to the Future,” or “Gremlins.” A lot of good suggestions so far. I definitely forgot Spinal Tap, Used Cars and Young Frankenstein. I did consider and reject some of the ideas put forth. Some 80s comedies have not aged well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rickjay-and-his-daughter-watch-the-classic-comedies/932925.md?page=2)