After watching the iconic teen movie American Pie for the first time, a group of modern-day teenagers shared their thoughts on the film.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, bargain bins in supermarkets were overflowing with DVDs of cheesy teen movies like American Pie, Road Trip, and Eurotrip. These films revived the genre and often featured simple storylines of college kids on the hunt for sex.
Released in 1999, American Pie is considered by many to be the quintessential raunchy teen movie. It was a huge commercial success, grossing $235 million at the box office on a budget of only $11 million. The film follows the story of five high school seniors who make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation.
The plot includes embarrassing encounters with attractive women, Stifler’s mother, and even a pie, which some find amusing. If you haven’t seen it before, you can check out the trailer below. It’s hard not to feel ancient when you realize it’s been over two decades since the movie’s release.
American Pie Trailer:
As someone who watched American Pie during my teenage years in the mid-2000s, I found it to be one of the funniest movies I had ever seen. However, in today’s increasingly socially conscious and liberal climate, will the film still resonate with younger audiences in 2023?
To explore this question, journalist Rosie Hewittson from Vice gathered a group of teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 to watch several classic teen movies, including American Pie, Clueless, and Dude, Where’s My Car? The results of the experiment were predictable, given the current attitudes of teens.
According to Taylor, a 16-year-old reviewer, American Pie is “completely ridiculous.” She also remarked that “men treat women with a lot more respect and equality now,” indicating a shift in social norms since the film’s release.
During the discussion, 17-year-old Hannah criticized the scene in which Jim tries to broadcast Nadia online as “deeply problematic.” She further added that the film fails to address the morality of such an act, despite it being a significant breach of privacy and a clear instance of a sexual offense. According to Hannah, a modern teen movie would never include such a scene.
In addition to the group’s criticisms, 18-year-old Olivia commented that American Pie contains “incel attitudes” because the male characters feel entitled to sex. She expressed concern that teenage boys watching the movie might believe they have the freedom to mistreat women.
Curious about how others perceive the film in 2023, I conducted a brief search on Twitter. Some of the most noteworthy responses to people watching American Pie for the first time are as follows:
Even Shannon Elizabeth, who played Nadia in the American Pie franchise, believes that the film would struggle to gain acceptance in the current cultural climate. During an interview earlier this year with Michael Rosenbaum on Inside of You, she remarked that “If this had come out after the #MeToo movement, there would definitely be a problem.”
She went on to say that the scene in which she is unknowingly streamed while undressing would be viewed differently today. It is evident that American Pie would never be made in today’s social climate. However, I suspect that I will never be able to watch it without feeling like a giggly teenager.
#American Pie #Woke teens
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