’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents podcast

A woman in military uniform sitting on the back of a car.

Podcast: TOP GUN taught ’80s kids that rules were for losers.

By Tara McNamara / September 18, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: TOP GUN taught ’80s kids that rules were for losers.

Listen and subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher. Top Gun is an iconic ’80s action classic, a blockbuster that’s beloved, and a Tony Scott treasure that has been selected for preservation by the the National Film Registry becomes of its significance. And while it’s a great film, the hypermasculinity sent some suffocating messages to ’80s boys.…

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A person in a suit and tie next to a man.

Podcast: A 19-Year-Old Argues that AIRPLANE! Isn’t Funny Anymore — Here’s Why She’s Right.

By Tara McNamara / September 4, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: A 19-Year-Old Argues that AIRPLANE! Isn’t Funny Anymore — Here’s Why She’s Right.

American Film Institute lists Airplane! (1980) as one of the Top 10 Funniest Movies of All Time, and any Gen X’r would agree with that. Gen Z, not so much. In this episode, 19-year-old Riley Roberts explains why the David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams classic comedy isn’t funny to her generation, and explains…

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A woman in police uniform holding onto handcuffs.

Podcast: POLICE ACADEMY is Surprisingly Progressive

By Tara McNamara / August 19, 2020 / Comments Off on 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.

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Podcast: CLUE’s Sexual Stereotypes Were Helpful to No Boddy

By Tara McNamara / August 7, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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,…

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A woman in white shirt and blue underwear.

Podcast: WEIRD SCIENCE delivers a “Respect Women” message in the most disrespectful way.

By Tara McNamara / August 2, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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…

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A woman sitting on the steps in red shoes.

Podcast: How FLASHDANCE Told Women to “Take Your Passion & Make It Happen”… by Sleeping with the Boss

By Tara McNamara / July 22, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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).

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Podcast: 40 years later, THE BLUE LAGOON is even more unsettling.

By Tara McNamara / July 9, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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…

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Podcast: 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.

By Tara McNamara / July 3, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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…

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A man holding a gun in front of another man.

Podcast: Wanna know why there are so many police shootings? LETHAL WEAPON.

By Tara McNamara / June 26, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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…

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Podcast: URBAN COWBOY Encouraged Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.

By Tara McNamara / June 5, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 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.

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