Posts by Tara McNamara
Podcast: POLICE ACADEMY is Surprisingly Progressive
Police Academy (1984) was both a product and ahead of its time. Film authorities Tara McNamara, Gen X, and Riley Roberts, Gen Z, examine the ensemble comedy through the modern lens to identify how it actually overcomes stereotypes while still falling into the same old traps when it comes to portraying women.
Read MorePodcast: CLUE’s Sexual Stereotypes Were Helpful to No Boddy
Based on the popular Parker Brothers game for kid 8 and up, Clue is a shocker of a family film: nearly all of its characters are defined by their sexual transgressions. In this episode of “’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents” podcast, film authorities Tara McNamara, Gen X, and Riley Roberts,…
Read MorePodcast: WEIRD SCIENCE delivers a “Respect Women” message in the most disrespectful way.
Weird Science (1985) marks the halfway point in John Hughes’ domination of the teen film in the ’80s. The film seems to be trying to put a stop to films where women were only seen as sex objects, but he misses the mark. In this teen sex comedy, two horny high schoolers Frankenbuild the “perfect woman”… to…
Read MorePodcast: How FLASHDANCE Told Women to “Take Your Passion & Make It Happen”… by Sleeping with the Boss
’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents podcast examines the impact of FLASHDANCE (1983).
Read MoreOur Spotify Game Will Make Your Summer Road Trip Less Boring
Just like the ’80s, the family vacation means a road trip. Our musical game makes the miles less monotonous.
Read MorePodcast: 40 years later, THE BLUE LAGOON is even more unsettling.
The summer of 1980, movie critics and audiences were aghast that teen icon Brooke Shields was once again being depicted as the ultimate object of sexual desire in The Blue Lagoon. Despite the criticism, director Randal Kleiser’s follow up to Grease was a box office smash. The young model-actress’ prepubescent virginal sexuality was a constant…
Read MorePodcast: BACK TO THE FUTURE is everyone’s favorite ’80s movie – except for the part where Lorraine is sexually victimized by her future husband, her bully, and her son.
Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future (1985) is perhaps the ultimate ’80s movie: it’s so ’80s yet so timeless — and its so disturbing, in retrospect. In the “’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents” podcast, Tara McNamara (Gen X) and Riley Roberts (Gen Z) look back at what makes the Michael…
Read MorePodcast: Wanna know why there are so many police shootings? LETHAL WEAPON.
The ’70s and early ’80s saw a decrease in police-involved deaths, but starting in 1988, use of lethal force was on the rise. What happened? Lethal Weapon. On this episode of “’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents,” Tara McNamara, Gen X, and Riley Roberts, Gen Z, look back at how one bad-ass blockbuster proved to police…
Read MorePodcast: URBAN COWBOY Encouraged Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.
In this episode of ’80s Movies: a Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents podcast, URBAN COWBOY influenced America to make country cool, but the message it sent about domestic violence was anything but.
Read MorePodcast: Under-All the golfer and gopher jokes, CADDYSHACK says sexy means slutty.
Caddyshack is a film for guys with humor about golf, farts, and one-upping snobby judges. Teen and tween boys of the ’80s boys grew up watching and quoting this comedy classic over and over again, but it’s got some weird messaging when it comes to women. Film authorities Tara McNamara, Gen X, and Riley Roberts,…
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