The 1980s were, perhaps, the Golden Age of the teen movie. Exemplified by John Hughes, these slightly raunchy, traditionally romantic movies had wholesome names like Sweet Sixteen and Pretty in Pink that belied the nasty origins of their conception. Which came from the pages of The National Lampoon, of which Hughes was a writer. Yes, that National Lampoon, the bastion of hip, white maledom demonstrating its privilege like a dick wagging out of a fly. What Hughes did was strip it of its satire and injected sentimentality.
I hated these movies. Even their titles sound porny. Which sounds strange from a porn writer, I know. But I dislike the disingenuousness of them.
Though beloved by teens in their time, the movies were aspirational, not actual. In fact, the plots were likely wish fulfillment on the part of the male writers and directors. The suave teens in them got to have the fun, sex-filled adventures the creators never had in the prudish 1950s or politically unstable 1960s with its threat of The Draft. If they were about teen girls, they were pining after an older or wealthier boy, getting their wish at the story’s conclusion … sexist and dull, no matter how alluringly packaged they were.
Anyway, if you need to reference a 1980s teen movie in your work, here’s a list of imaginary ones.
Forgotten Teen Movies of the 1980s
| Valley Babes
Fresh Pink One Wild Guy War Drive My Private Boy The Bad Date Licensed to Dance Roller Genius |
Private Games
Some Kind of Risky Revenge of the Crush Rebel In Pink Real Boy in a Red War Love Club Admirer A Little About What Drives Nerds Nuts Fast Love at Sixteen |
