Movies are nothing more than a statement or representation of our collected paradigm. It is incredibly difficult for any film to stand the test of time because our ideals are constantly in a state of flux.
That’s why I’ve gone and compiled these 10+ movies that would never be able to get made today. Have a look and see how some of your favorite films hold up under today’s scrutiny .
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*Blazing Saddles*
Many regard Blazing Saddles as a comedy classic; one of the greatest films of all time.
Sadly, the humor does a poor job of covering up blatant racist undertones and sexist behavior. Don’t let the charms of Gene Wilder fool you.
*The Jerk*
The Jerk isn’t necessarily malicious in its endeavors, but that doesn’t change the fact that race humor has largely fallen flat nowadays.
And while the film isn’t overtly racist, it does ‘innocently’ poke fun at racial tropes.
*She’s All That*
The entire premise behind She’s All That is grossly chauvinistic. The film’s female characters are reduced to nothing more than pubescent playthings and pawns.
A woman is not a prize to be won, nor should she be made to feel as if there’s anything wrong with being exactly who she is.
*Revenge Of The Nerds*
Everyone cheered when Lewis tricked Betty into having sex with him by pretending to be cool-guy Stan in Revenge of the Nerds .
In hindsight, what really took place was rape-by-fraud. Consent isn’t something to be mocked — this type of behavior is criminal.
*Ghostbusters*
Let’s start off with the fact that 75% of the lead cast is white. Add to that the total lack of ethnic representation in the film as a whole.
Then there’s the topic of Peter Venkman and his rapey tendencies toward co-eds and Dana Barrett — no thank you.
*There’s Something About Mary*
The treatment of male homosexuality in this film is nothing short of repulsive. It conveys a message that gay men are nothing more than sex-crazed criminals.
The infamous hair gel scene is a whole new level of cringe and would have audiences these days running for the door.
*Crocodile Dundee*
I was born around the time that North America’s fascination with the Land Down Under was beginning to fizzle out.
Mick Dundee’s treatment of transgenders in this movie is repulsive. He actually grabs a woman by the crotch to see if she is, in fact, a woman.
*Tropic Thunder*
What’s most ironic about Robert Downey Jr. appearing in Black-face for the movie Tropic Thunder was that he received an Academy Award nomination.
If we’ve learned anything in the past decade, it’s that augmenting the color of your skin to portray another race is never a good idea.
*Gone With The Wind*
Gone With the Wind has been accused of white-washing and romanticizing slavery in America.
It tends to portray Black slaves as happy-go-lucky individuals who were loyal to their masters, opposed to the prisoners of a racist class system.
*Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom*
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom takes a pretty dark-skinned-Disney-villain approach to portray the tribesmen of India.
The movie seeks to reduce an entire country to a melting pot of babbling savages and flesh-hungry cannibals.
*Chasing Amy*
Suggesting that sexuality is a choice, rather than something that a person is born with, is a dangerous idea.
To compound it further by implying that any gay woman can be ‘converted’ so long as she finds the right man, is equally wearisome.
*Sixteen Candles*
Everyone who remembers Sixteen Candles as a classic teen coming-of-age tale needs to remove their rose-colored glasses.
What about the whole date-rape scene where Jake dumps off his drunk girlfriend in The Geek’s car? He literally says “I could violate her 10 different ways if I wanted to.” Talk about romantic.
*Dumbo*
This movie highlights cruel and unusual animal practices. It encourages substance abuse and alcohol in its young viewers and is unapologetically and unremorsefully racist.
Disney goes as far as to name the leader of the crow gang, Jim Crow .
*Soul Man*
Soul Man , in a nutshell, tells the story of a young man desperate to get into the college of his dreams. So what does he do to make it happen? He paints himself in Black-face and applies for a scholarship program reserved for Black students.
Is that reason enough or should I continue?
*American Pie*
Jim and his friends trick an underage girl into taking off her clothes on a webcam that’s being broadcast across the internet for all to see.
There’s so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to begin.
