Gen-Z teenagers have been sharing their thoughts on the original American Pie franchise, with some saying the movies are ‘deeply problematic’.
In October 1999, American Pie made overnight stars of Jason Biggs, Jennifer Coolidge and Chris Klein.
The iconic American film saw four awkward teenage boys entering a hilarious pact — lose your virginity by prom night or go risk going to college a ‘loser’.
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While the teen film joins the comedy hall of fame alongside Not Another Teen Movie, Superbad and EuroTrip — not everybody believes that Paul Weitz’s film has aged well.
In late March 2020, Vice set up an experiment and asked Gen-Z teenagers what they really thought of various nostalgic movies. The results were pretty wild.
A group of 16 to 19-year-olds were asked to watch American Pie, as well as classics like Clueless, cheerleading showdown Bring It On, and Dude, Where’s My Car.
Regarding the latter, Taylor, 16, told Vice, “I seriously can’t imagine this movie being made today for so many reasons.
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“Obviously the whole movie is completely ridiculous, but it still annoyed me because the main characters are sexist losers and don’t deserve any female attention.”
Taylor’s thoughts were similar when it came to speaking about American Pie. They told Vice that they believed the teenage comedy to be ‘completely ridiculous’.
“The only thing the male characters care about is having sex. They’re willing to say and do whatever just to convince the girls to have sex with them.
“I don’t know if that was realistic when the film came out, but I think men treat women with a lot more respect and equality now,” they added.
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However, one of Taylor’s peers definitely didn’t mince her words, “It’s bordering on incel attitudes,” Olivia, 18, said.
“I think if you were a teenage boy watching this you’d basically feel entitled to behave however you wanted to towards women,” she concluded.
One scene which was particularly ‘problematic’ according to 17-year-old Hannah, is when Jim films foreign exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) in his room.
“The part where Jim and the other male characters film the foreign exchange student in his room is deeply problematic,” said Hannah.
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“The film doesn’t even question the morality of doing this, it makes it seem like a joke and that the dudes are all ‘legends’ for getting the plan to work.
“It’s a huge violation of privacy and definitely a sexual offence for Jim to film her, let alone to then share that with his friends.
"There’s no way a teen film made now would allow it,” she concluded.
However, not everyone believes that American Pie has aged badly.
On Twitter, one user wrote, “Throwing it out there… The American Pie films are absolutely legendary.”
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Another said, “Watching the first American Pie film. A classic. Watching it at 14 Steve Stiffler is a legend. Watching it at 38, still a legend.”
A third user even said he would recommend the comedies to his teenage daughter.
“My daughter turns 15 today! As a movie buff I first associate this with the landmark occasion where she can now go see certain films without my say so!”
He added, “I’m pretty relaxed anyways & whilst I’ll recommend she checks out the American Pie series, I certainly won’t watch with her!”
For those who agree with the latter, it’s time to rejoice. There’s apparently another instalment to the American Pie franchise coming your way soon.
The Hollywood Reporter claims that a new American Pie is coming, and it will be a ‘fresh take’ on the long-standing franchise.
If it is released, it’ll be the first since 2012’s American Pie: Reunion, which saw the likes of Biggs, Klein, and Tara Reid all returning to their iconic roles.
About the potential release, THR said, “The multihyphenate is set to develop and write a new instalment of the long-running sex comedy franchise for Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.”
However, at this stage, little is known about an American Pie resurgence.
Topics: TV and Film
Ella Scott