Gen Z/20-something folks: what are your feelings about comedy movies from the late 90s and the 00s? Or do you not even know them?

[WhiteSteve]

I was with my cousins last Thanksgiving, and one of my “big” cousins, the “little” cousins’ aunt, played them a clip from the old late 70s/early80s TV show “WKRP In Cincinnati.” There was a whole scene about a “Turkey Drop”, and the man-on-the-street news reporter Les Nessman is watching in horror as live turkeys are being thrown to their deaths from a helicopter, and at the end, the guy behind the stunt comes in, disheveled and defeated looking, and says “As God as my witness…I thought turkeys could fly.”

Pretty funny, but my little cousins are looking at each other and rolling their eyes like “I can’t believe old ass Auntie Kim thinks this is funny.” I’m ten years younger than her, and like 25 years older than the little cousins, so I’m somewhere in the middle.

I’ve been a big fan of rap music my entire life, but Run DMC doesn’t hit in 2024 the same way they did in 1985. I respect it as classic and foundational, but the art form has evolved, and I would say older stuff gets rendered a bit elementary by comparison to later acts, even as far back as the 90s.

I say that as an analogy to comedy movies/TV. Even some of my favorites from the early-mid 90s don’t hit quite the same, they seem tame.

But then came The Golden Age, ushered in by American Pie. Lots of other really funny movies came out, many written by Judd Apatow. Can’t Hardly Wait, 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Wedding Crashers, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall…. that’s the pinnacle of comedy to me.

But Gen Z…. do YOU think it’s funny? Or is it rudimentary and “old?” Is it OFFENSIVE to you? I don’t want this to get hijacked by the “HoLLyWoOd HaS gOnE wOkE!” crowd, but just in terms of generational shift…are y’all at point where comedy is bound by the same rules as society?

20 years ago, this was HYSTERICAL, even to pro-LGBTQ me, just jokes

Is this, or young dudes trying to get laid, still funny or out of bounds now?

I want to suggest movies to the little cousins, but don’t want to offend them😂

[Miah04]

I don't know much about them. I get what my father says.

People of my generation don't get life. They are so stuck in nothing controversial should be allowed that it has created a divide.

He said

"we used to make jokes about all our differences from race to sexuality, and gender for the most part they were just ways to laugh off the differences and give us something to connect to, now a days we are so far apart because we lost that connection"

At first i didn't see it, but the more we try to be so serious the further the divide becomes. I think he was right.

[WhiteSteve]

Pops with the wisdom, haha.

Yeah, I didn’t really articulate it as well as I wanted to in the amount of type they allow, I wasn’t even necessarily pointing to that as THE problem, but maybe one aspect of it. But I’m definitely wondering about it. Like I’ve heard some folks are “afraid” to write comedy these days. But then I see other stuff and it’s kind of like it used to be, so I don’t know. I think we’re trying to find that balance between being considerate of everyone and the old standard of “as long as it’s cool with straight white dudes it’s all good.” I think it just got abused to much back in the day, so the pendulum swung far the other way, and hopefully will settle back somewhere reasonable where we can joke with each other but feel more comfortable that the jokes come from a good place, and also understand and respect that the lines that truly shouldn’t be crossed.

But beyond all that, I’m also wondering if y’all are just watching movies AT ALL anymore, haha. Or are you getting all of your comedy from amateurs on Tik Tok? If that’s the case, I’m clownin’😝 I get stuff on my YouTube feed that I think is originally from Tik Tok, and it’s just 20-something kids trying to do comedy skits or “random” street interviews, and it’s just all so, so, so, so, so, SO BAD, lmao. Badly written, badly performed…. I don’t know where the Gen Z talent is, but it ain’t on Tik Tok, from the looks of it. YIKES😱😂

But maybe THAT’S something…maybe that’s funny to younger people and I just don’t happen to get it. Just wondering aloud, really, haha, you’re just getting all of it because no one likes me and wanted to answer my question😂

[WhiteSteve]

But yeah, so you’d say most people you’re age are just kind of oblivious to these movies in the first place? HIGHLY recommend all of the ones I mentioned, and I’m so curious if they’d land with today’s young people, but I also remember being your age and old guys losing their minds because I had never seen Blazing Saddles from the 70s, so I might just be the annoying, out-of-touch old guy now. Life comes at you REAL fast😂

[WhiteSteve]

JFC….*YOUR age🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[Miah04]

I can't speak for others about what they seen. I was a little different i didn't watch much due to basketball and sports.
But yeah tiltok is pretty cheesy and it's kinda weird how they find that funny.

I seen some older comedies like "life" and that is the funniest movie.
There was racial and gay jokes in that but it wasn't really mocking anyone or shaming anyone. It was just something to laugh at.
Even the gay character they did it as comic relief, but it also gave him qualities to make you love him and feel sad about his death.

[Miah04]

What's wrong with my age😂

[WhiteSteve]

Nothing wrong with it, I just duffed the your/you’re thing😅😂

[WhiteSteve]

Back six hours later to finish, lmao. Haven’t seen Life in the illest of minutes, I gotta watch that again. Always bums me out that they spent almost their entire adult lives locked up though, even though they get out at the end😭

[Miah04]

Yeah kinda sad. For a comedy

[7Phoenix7]

Pineapple express lol

https://youtu.be/eI1dAmDZrZE?si=fTbun1J6SDQYG5Gc

[WhiteSteve]

“You think YOU’RE more chill than me? Check out what I’m wearin’. Kimono, dog.”😂😂😂

[7Phoenix7]

Hahaha 😂 😂

[Anonymous]

Any years a good year if it’s a real good movie

[WhiteSteve]

For sure👍👍

[Opinion Owner]

Yes sir