“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well

When we watch films, we know that we’re not seeing real life. We can suspend our disbelief to accept that bullet holes won't zoom through car doors and humans can simply brush off brutal injuries and continue along with their days. But just because movies aren’t real life doesn’t mean they should be riddled with problematic content…

Cinephiles on Reddit have been discussing some of the most famous films and scenes from years ago that definitely wouldn’t be well received today. From casual examples of racism and misogyny to consent being completely ignored, we’ve gathered some of the most blatantly problematic examples below. So enjoy reading through and being reminded of which movies you don't need to rewatch, and be sure to upvote the films that aged like milk!

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Grease. That scene where Danny is pressuring Sandy in the car. And just his entire behaviour towards her. Ew.

daisychaingirl93 , Paramount Pictures Report

Final score:

113points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well The way Natalie is constantly body-shamed in Love Actually.

mrgalikti , Universal Pictures Report

Final score:

100points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well American Beauty. Something about Kevin Spacey trying to have sex with an underage kid makes it tough to watch now.

SatansFieryAle , Universal Pictures Report

Final score:

98points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Jim shares nude video of Nadia on the internet in American Pie. Everyone just laughed it off.

badRLplayer , Universal Pictures Report

Final score:

96points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Sixteen Candles. A lot of racism, casually addressing sexual assault, and later an actual date [sex crime].

u/thesecondaqaurius:
16 Candles, the scene where he hands his drunk girlfriend to the geeky freshman and tells him to do whatever he wants... hella problematic.

Talkback92 , Universal Pictures Report

Final score:

94points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Awful yellow face by Mickey Rooney.

anonymous2222222222 , Paramount Pictures Report

Final score:

90points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well When Vince Vaughn is forced to have sex with Gloria in Wedding Crashers.

hockeyjmac , New Line Cinema Report

Final score:

88points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well We saw Holiday Inn on Prime and said "It'll be a nice Bing Crosby movie with some Christmas songs," turned it on, and suddenly the cast is there in black face singing some of the most racist s**t I've ever heard.

albinofreak620 Report

Final score:

87points

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“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Blank Check. An adult woman kisses the little boy on the lips for waaaay longer than I'm comfortable with. Imagine if the genders were reversed.

BroChick21 , Walt Disney Pictures Report

Final score:

81points

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Giraffy Window 8 months ago (edited)

Why would reversing the genders be worse? It's completely disgusting no matter what adult is making out with what child.

79points

SweetCheesySpaghetti 8 months ago

I think it was more of "the outrage would have been hella louder." We all know that young men and older women is always held differently. Or we wouldn't have the slang term "cougar" used so flippantly.

52points

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Arlecchino The Knave 8 months ago

I find it stupid that people, unfortunately, would make a bigger deal if a man did it to a girl just because he's a man and she's a girl. It's complete rubbish, though. It should be equally bad no matter the gender of the people involved.

7points

persistant panda 8 months ago (edited)

Imagine if the genders were reversed? Worse? Don't think so. Both p3do.

7points

The Other Guest 8 months ago

I don't think they're saying it would be worse, but rather that people would be more outraged by it. There's a societal tendency to think that guys always want se‍x and that a young boy is "lucky" to have an experienced older woman to "teach" them. It's untrue, of course; definitely gross and definitely abuse.

11points

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JOHN DOE 8 months ago

Why is it ok if it's for a movie to put kids in situations for humor, that would horrify people in real life. Kids can't distinguish like adults. While its funny a kid shouldn't be telling uncle idiot to 'eat me a*s' while mourning them.

3points

Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 8 months ago

Shirley Henderson was in her 30's when she was hired to play Moaning Myrtle, a teenage ghost in Harry Potter. The character had a crush on the twelve year old Harry. Radcliffe was 13-15 while Henderson worked with him. It was creepy watching Myrtle fawning all over Harry, and I wonder how weird it was to the actors.

3points

laura lee 8 months ago

Yeah I cringed hard

2points

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Elchinero 8 months ago

"BIG"! Eeeeck

1point

Michelle Forbes 8 months ago

Anyone still traumatised from the film This is England

0points

Ivett Vé 8 months ago

Yeah, me. It was a great movie, but the little boy losing his virginity at his age with grown up chick was far beyond the line. Ew

0points

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Analyn Lahr 8 months ago

Wow. He looks way younger than he did the last time I saw that movie. Granted, that must have been more than twenty years ago now.

0points

troufaki13 8 months ago

Also the one with Nicole Kidman (I can't remember the name) where she kisses a young boy because he claims to be her dead husband reborn.

0points

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#10

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Just saw this last night with the ladies in my family... Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Those ginger fellas literally went one by one and abducted the hottest chicks from some town then held them hostage for months until through Stockholm Syndrome the women all fell for them.

frmsea2okc Report

Final score:

81points

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#11

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Revenge of the Nerds.

Even if you chalk up the spy cams to be "80s College Comedy Hi-jinx" the scene where Lewis has sex with Betty because she thinks he's Stan definitely isn't cool today.

teke367 Report

Final score:

77points

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#12

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well That scene in the first Rocky movie where he seduces Adrian by coercing her into his apartment after she's said no, physically blocking the exit when she tries to leave, taking his clothes off without any encouragement, and then kissing her without any consent as she clearly tries to resist.

SuperSilver Report

Final score:

72points

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#13

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well White Chicks.

Try making a movie with that premise with those kind of jokes today.

anon , Columbia Pictures Report

Final score:

71points

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#14

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well A whole segment in Peter Pan with a bunch of Native American people singing a song called 'What Makes the Red Man Red?'

rachelgraychel Report

Final score:

69points

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#23

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well National Lampoon's Vacation. If an IRL Clark W. Griswold really did the things in the movie he'd be branded a domestic terrorist, not including the stealing from a hotel and k*****g a dog.

llcucf80 , Warner Bros. Report

Final score:

37points

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#24

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well The first Ace Ventura. Its still funny, but there is not way in hell they'd be able to make it now.

anon , Warner Bros. Report

Final score:

19points

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#25

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well Dirty Dancing... P**ophilia isn't as accepted now as it was in the 80s.

SouthJerssey35 , Vestron Pictures Report

Final score:

-5points

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Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

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What do you think ?

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Aiden Brough 8 months ago

I would argue 'context' for a lot of these as I do whenever I hear the screeches of 'WHY IS HISTORY BAAAD'. But to be honest, most of these films were pretty awful even when they were released...

21points

Carsten Petersen 8 months ago

The rape scene in Saturday Night Fever :-(

13points

Sans Serif 8 months ago

I had forgotten about that when I thoughtlessly sat down with my kids to watch it...

5points

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Greenmantle 8 months ago

Yeah, I don't know why that hasn't been mentioned. That was awful

5points

Marnie 8 months ago

That was treated seriously, so I don't know why you think anything has changed. That was a very dark movie. Are you saying they don't make dark movies these days?

2points

MagicJacket 8 months ago

I hate articles like this so much. Yeah. Things were different back then. PEOPLE were different. Some things are questionable, and some are just way over the line, but as a society we have progressed to where these things bother us now. That is a good thing. We don't have to let these things ruin entertainment where you feel guilty even watching it. Just accept them as products of their era and find the laughs or drama they provide. Watching a 40 year old movie through today's societal lens is silly.

9points

Bina Wei 8 months ago

I don't think it's silly. It's how people can improve and learn. Some like to dissect films and some like to just watch. Personally I'm more the latter, I like escapism fiction but sometimes the former is fun to see others discussing.

1point

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Brandon Parisien 8 months ago

Not a movie, but Celiene Dion met her husband when she was 12...and he was about 30.

6points

fasttalkingbitch 8 months ago

He totally groomed her and lied to her mother’s face that he didn’t start having sex with her before she turned 18. I was glad he died and I hope she got some age-appropriate young peen before her diagnosis.

5points

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Carl Roberts 8 months ago (edited)

Most people here seem to not be able to grasp the fact that films like Revenge of the Nerds were NOT meant to be taken seriously. Yes, even 40 years ago people knew that if you did the things in the film, you'd be arrested. Nobody in 1984 actually believed colleges were like that. Everyone understood that it was an over-the-top R-rated slapstick comedy for adults.

5points

marianne eliza 8 months ago

"White Men Can't Jump". If it was any color other than white, the movie would have been protested right out of theaters.

5points

Orion Red 8 months ago

you...you just read an article with recent movies having blackface

1point

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Darryl King 8 months ago

I think it's important to have artistic freedom to adress even the darkest and most hideous subjects but I think how these subjects are addressed is equally important. What is wrong with some of these movies (some I would argue shouldn't be on this list) is not that they included horrible things within the narrative, it's that they portrayed them as being acceptable or irrelevant.

4points

Bina Wei 8 months ago

Yes, this is the point of most of the list. It was protrayed how it was allowed and thought to be back then a lot. Some of the fims back then could have been benefit from more progressive direction but it was the history we had to learn from.

2points

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glowworm2 8 months ago

There's a pirate film from 1942, that my dad loves called "The Black Swan"> I have not seen it in full, but he's seen it at least twice a few years ago. Needless to say, whenever the main male character, who unfortunately shares my name, mentions that he was watching the female lead in her room while she slept and at one point just roughly abducts her because he loves her despite her being betrothed to a nobleman, I kept shouting out "Bad pirate!" or mentioning how inappropriate his behavior was, pirate be damned.

4points

fasttalkingbitch 8 months ago

Bad pirate!

4points

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Cosmikid 8 months ago

Blackface - was a part of theater it is now impossible to talk about, or study. Why yes, it was horribly racist. Moving on; it was also a way to make good money performing. Very popular - so that - if you search YouTube carefully among "early Black " films/performances - you will find more than one group of highly talented Black artists - performing IN BLACKFACE. Yes, Black performers sometimes put on the same makeup - which looks about 1% less phony on them than on white folk. Why? Theater. Way to make a living. Quite likely there some venues where they would not be allowed on stage if they were just normal Black folk - but pretending to be WHITE with Black makeup - sure! What a joke! And incidentally, these guys are fantastic artists... Yes, it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

3points

Rebecca Ferguson 8 months ago

It's even worse that "black" people could only be accepted as performers by wearing black face. Just because they did it doesn't mean they enjoyed it!

0points

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Cosmikid 8 months ago

What did our parents tell us about these kinds of problems? Remember? - No you don't- because THESE problems did not EXIST for them - the technology to make old movies instantly available was barely even dreamed of. All you could see was what was in the theaters right now. And- have "Times changed"? Um. They always do. We're going to HAVE to get around to where we judge a piece of art - in it's own time context. Can we remark on changes? Sure. But if you want to accuse people in another time, of not seeing the world exactly as YOU do today - you're a wee bit infantile.

3points

black cat lesbo 8 months ago

In Hocus Pocus where the bullies mention wanting to look at girls undress through their windows but realize its too late so they get disappointed. Were we supposed to feel sorry for them?

2points

glowworm2 8 months ago

Not to mention all the virgin bashing towards the main character simply because the Sanderson sisters would return once more when a virgin lit their candle. There’s nothing wrong with being a virgin.

0points

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Random Unpopular 8 months ago

Man the comments don't disappoint. People seem to lack the ability to understand what the times were like when these movies were made and what was acceptable back then. And they say newer generations are more understanding. Ya, beg to differ here.

2points

Bina Wei 8 months ago

They understand the times well. They also understand the progress has been made in more people actually knowing and thinking this isn't okay. Back then it was less for the mainstream; media and life. That does not mean it didn't happen at all, of course. More voices isn't always a bad thing, you know. And not all the comments are calling out whole films but the scenes and the way they were protrayed or the choices the director and characters went with.

1point

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Dean H 8 months ago (edited)

No mention of Weird Science? That whole film is unfunny, racist, sexist, homophobic and problematic all around.

2points

Phoebe Bean 8 months ago

I haven't seen some of the movies mentioned here, and I don't think I ever will.

2points

Nikki Angulo 8 months ago

Why isn’t BIG on this list? Or JACK? Hello, in BIG Tom Hanks plays a KID (he may look older, but his brain is still at kid level) who eventually sleeps with an adult! And JACK was just terrible, Robin Williams was supposed to play a ten year old, but he was more like a five year old! And another one where an adult was trying to get with a child in a man’s body.

1point

black cat lesbo 8 months ago (edited)

I remeber me and my cousins watching a show(I think it was Recess) and seeing the kindergarteners and me insisting it was racist. Then, we watched one of the Recess movies, where they get taken by kindergarteners or smth and a warning came up for offensive content. I was like, buddy I told you so.

1point

fasttalkingbitch 8 months ago

I’m still weirded out by Clueless. -ducks from food being thrown-

1point

Samsquatch & Monko 8 months ago

Any movie where actors wear blackface

1point

Mark Bayliss 8 months ago

How about Short Circuit 1/2? Fisher Stevens in blackface?

1point

SBocker78 8 months ago

That was such an odd choice for a side character in the first one and then they made him the main character in the 2nd one.

1point

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Marion Vambre 7 months ago

Animal cruelty sucks... it sucked then and it sucks now. It's not fu*king funny 🤮

0points

Marnie 8 months ago

I think there is a subtle problem with how people are viewing many of these complaints. Let's say 18% of the people disliked the racist jokes in Sixteen Candles. It's not as if there weren't people who saw how gross it was. Now, you say that we know better. But it might still only be 20% of the people that really care or object to it. But they say it online now, so now we say, "See, people finally recognize how bad it was." With most of these there were always people who didn't like, were grossed out by, were offended by, or objected to a lot of these things when the movies were released. It wasn't everybody then. And it wouldn't be everybody now.

0points

copycontentbylola 8 months ago

Definitely should add 2. McClintock where John Wayne's character spanks his wife in front of the whole town whilst they all cheer him on. And Blythe Spirit where the medium goes on about how native Americans are frightfully lazy.

0points

Rayne OfSalt 8 months ago

The number of people parroting incel/men's rights activist/white supremacist "great replacement" conspiracy talking points in the comments of these is bloody disturbing. "Imagine if the genders were reversed", "white face is ok but black face isn't, boo hoo", etc etc... good gods.

0points

Brindle Nutter 8 months ago

at least some good movies were made before the fun police generation showed up

0points

JayWantsACat 8 months ago

And this is why most of these films are from 20+ years ago. That doesn't mean there aren't problematic films and films with some problematic scenes but it's a good thing we've moved past a lot of these, at least as comedic and narrative crutches, for the most part.

0points

Angrykitten 8 months ago

Im surprised ground hog day and Ghostbusters isn't on here. I tried watching both recently and couldn't get passed first few minutes.

-1point

Steve Hall 8 months ago

Haters gonna hate.

-2points

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Aiden Brough 8 months ago

I would argue 'context' for a lot of these as I do whenever I hear the screeches of 'WHY IS HISTORY BAAAD'. But to be honest, most of these films were pretty awful even when they were released...

21points

Carsten Petersen 8 months ago

The rape scene in Saturday Night Fever :-(

13points

Sans Serif 8 months ago

I had forgotten about that when I thoughtlessly sat down with my kids to watch it...

5points

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Greenmantle 8 months ago

Yeah, I don't know why that hasn't been mentioned. That was awful

5points

Marnie 8 months ago

That was treated seriously, so I don't know why you think anything has changed. That was a very dark movie. Are you saying they don't make dark movies these days?

2points

MagicJacket 8 months ago

9points

Bina Wei 8 months ago

1point

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Brandon Parisien 8 months ago

Not a movie, but Celiene Dion met her husband when she was 12...and he was about 30.

6points

fasttalkingbitch 8 months ago

5points

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Carl Roberts 8 months ago (edited)

5points

marianne eliza 8 months ago

"White Men Can't Jump". If it was any color other than white, the movie would have been protested right out of theaters.

5points

Orion Red 8 months ago

you...you just read an article with recent movies having blackface

1point

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Darryl King 8 months ago

4points

Bina Wei 8 months ago

2points

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glowworm2 8 months ago

4points

fasttalkingbitch 8 months ago

Bad pirate!

4points

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Cosmikid 8 months ago

3points

Rebecca Ferguson 8 months ago

It's even worse that "black" people could only be accepted as performers by wearing black face. Just because they did it doesn't mean they enjoyed it!

0points

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Cosmikid 8 months ago

3points

black cat lesbo 8 months ago

In Hocus Pocus where the bullies mention wanting to look at girls undress through their windows but realize its too late so they get disappointed. Were we supposed to feel sorry for them?

2points

glowworm2 8 months ago

0points

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Random Unpopular 8 months ago

2points

Bina Wei 8 months ago

1point

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Dean H 8 months ago (edited)

No mention of Weird Science? That whole film is unfunny, racist, sexist, homophobic and problematic all around.

2points

Phoebe Bean 8 months ago

I haven't seen some of the movies mentioned here, and I don't think I ever will.

2points

Nikki Angulo 8 months ago

1point

black cat lesbo 8 months ago (edited)

1point

fasttalkingbitch 8 months ago

I’m still weirded out by Clueless. -ducks from food being thrown-

1point

Samsquatch & Monko 8 months ago

Any movie where actors wear blackface

1point

Mark Bayliss 8 months ago

How about Short Circuit 1/2? Fisher Stevens in blackface?

1point

SBocker78 8 months ago

That was such an odd choice for a side character in the first one and then they made him the main character in the 2nd one.

1point

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Marion Vambre 7 months ago

Animal cruelty sucks... it sucked then and it sucks now. It's not fu*king funny 🤮

0points

Marnie 8 months ago

0points

copycontentbylola 8 months ago

0points

Rayne OfSalt 8 months ago

0points

Brindle Nutter 8 months ago

at least some good movies were made before the fun police generation showed up

0points

JayWantsACat 8 months ago

0points

Angrykitten 8 months ago

Im surprised ground hog day and Ghostbusters isn't on here. I tried watching both recently and couldn't get passed first few minutes.

-1point

Steve Hall 8 months ago

Haters gonna hate.

-2points

“Everyone Just Laughed It Off”: 26 Movie Scenes That Definitely Didn’t Age Well

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