I’m interested in exploring a claim that I see all the time in reference to movies or shows from previous eras that, it is claimed, could never be made today. Usually it’s in reference to old comedies such as Blazing Saddles, or old comedians like Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor, or shows like All in the Family. The idea is that the jokes or themes used in these works would never get made today because of all of the PC woke sissies that can’t handle a joke or anything insensitive to minority communities or women. It sounds like the same griping about modern society that I see in all kinds of contexts, but I keep seeing it in this context in particular.
It seems to me it’s more that as time passes societal norms change, what’s considered funny or acceptable changes. That it is just a function of time and the idea that the only thing guaranteed in life is change. Also, entertainment companies are in it to make money, so they will green light projects that make money, so it’s really just knowing their audience and what current audiences want to see.
Does anyone think there is something to this concept, that audiences are too squeamish or PC now to enjoy classic entertainment like this? That somehow people were tougher back then and had better senses of humor compared to everyone being woke now?
“The film is one of the most racist films ever made. Maybe the most racist film ever made,” says Ellen Scott, author of the just-published Cinema Civil Rights. “This film actually depicts lynching as a positive thing,” she says. “The politics of the film was essentially to say certain black people are worthy of being lynched. In that sense it’s extremely racist.”
Professor Rice also finds the specifics of the black man who’s lynched troubling. “He’s the black rapist figure who is the stereotype of the black man whose eyes are only for white women. This played deeply into the [pervasive] fear of miscegenation.”
A lot of the typical examples would still be made. The humor would be changed for modern audiences but the same underlying jokes will just be told differently. If was truly funny back then there will be a way to convey the same joke today.
I agree with this. Mel Brooks movies would still be great, if we was still directing. The humor would be more tuned to our current times though, but I don’t see him doing much differently, again if he was still actively directing and not enjoying retirement.
Saw today that Taylor Swift made edits to her new video after complaints that it was “fatphobic”.
Made me wonder what kind of backlash Weird Al would have faced if he tried to release his “Fat” video today.
Revenge of the Nerds has not aged well. Even if they cleaned-up the rapey scenes, I think it would still be a long-shot to get that one green-lighted. Sixteen Candles’ legacy has also gotten into trouble, for the same reason.
Kids today, eh? Woke, weak pussies that can’t take a joke, like when that little old lady in Blazing Saddles said "Up yours n-!
Only. About that time, early to mid 70s, the wokerati of the era were protesting things that made the older generations say: “Kids today, eh.”
So it’s basically the Four Yorkshire men. Which in itself probably isn’t all that funny for someone born in the 90’s, since those type of guys aren’t around anymore.
Gigi comes to mind. Best Picture in the fifties, too creepy of a concept today. Young girl being groomed to be a fancy courtesan? Thank Heaven for Little Girls… Ick, no!
Even for it’s time it was pushing it to be the last successful ‘good-natured drunk’ movie.
from IMBD
“Arthur is a happy drunk with no pretensions at any ambition. He is also the heir to a vast fortune which he is told will only be his if he marries Susan. He does not love Susan, but she will make something of him the family expects. Arthur proposes but then meets a girl with no money, with whom he could easily fall in love.”
I have said this in other places where this is brought up.
I saw this movie when it came out and I was a ‘normal’ teenage boy of the age…even moreso because I grew up in a rural area.
The rape scene you are talking about made us uncomfortable (revenge of the nerds). VERY uncomfortable. All the adolescent jibes and banter between the 6 of us going to the movie went completely silent in this scene. In the middle of it one of my friends said, out loud so the whole theater heard it, “Is anyone else seeing this as completely fucked up as I am?”.
Blazing Saddles still gets screened in modern art houses. Audiences know it was a different culture 50 years ago and can watch it without any offense taken. It wouldn’t be made that way now, but neither would almost all of the films released in the same year.
Also, it helps that Mel Brooks made that film intending to make fun of racism and that it was obvious he was doing so. At least it was to us at the time. To us moviegoers at the time, Blazing Saddles didn’t come off as racist but making fun of it. Kind of like Hogan’s Heroes was to Nazi’s.
It ended up being one of the most quoted movies of my generation…much like Princess Bride became later. I also knew I was getting old when I would do a Blazing Saddle quote and people would honestly compliment me on my wit.
