The rape culture of the 1980s, explained by Sixteen Candles

[RockaFowler]

https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/9/27/17906644/sixteen-candles-rape-culture-1980s-brett-kavanaugh

The beloved romantic comedy’s date rape scene provides important context for the Brett Kavanaugh accusations.

Sixteen Candles isn’t a college sex romp like Revenge of the Nerds or Animal House. It’s a high school love story. It’s been celebrated for 34 years for its sweet, romantic heart. Yet it is entirely willing to feature a lengthy, supposedly hilarious subplot in which a drunk and unconscious girl is passed from one boy to another and then raped.

The drunk girl in question is Caroline (Haviland Morris), the girlfriend to romantic hero Jake Ryan, and if you know one thing about Sixteen Candles, it’s that Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) is perfect. He is the impossibly cool, impossibly beautiful senior guy who is dating the impossibly beautiful senior girl — and yet as soon as Jake Ryan hears that gawky, awkward sophomore Samantha (Molly Ringwald) has a crush on him, he immediately begins to like her back, defying all the laws of God, man, and high school popularity.

Jake Ryan is the embodiment of a fantasy so compelling it instantly made Sixteen Candles iconic: What if the object of all your romantic high school dreams decided to pursue you without you having to expend any effort whatsoever, just because they could see that you were, like, deeper and more special than the rest of the school? What if they somehow saw that without you ever having to have a conversation or interact with them in any way?

This is a perfect example of life in the 80's for those of us growing up then. And why I see some women of that age saying Boys will be Boys. Still doesn't make it right. And still makes Brett and his Frat Boys the bullies we all knew they were!

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Just had that discussion with out

Daughter the other night. BTW,was watching that movie on TMC when the phone rang and she talked about the same culture at the High School her and her brothers attended. We do know she and her Cousin were assaulted,or I should say attempted to,because the Girls kicked the living day lights out off their attackers. And as you say,that movie seems to be relevant for that time frame. Can only hope things have changed.