Miroua Week 4: The Reflections of Classic Movies

“Oh, I don’t really watch movies.”

What?!

As someone who absolutely loves watching movies, I’m shocked when people say such a thing. How can you possibly not watch movies? 


Now, if you’re genuinely a “film connoisseur,” you might want to stop reading now. Because when I say I like movies, I do mean classics. In other words, movies that are quite literally known for their popularity over time. Think The Breakfast Club, When Harry Met Sally…, Back to the Future, Love Actually. These movies are typically (but not limited to) coming-of-age, rom-com, or sci-fi movies that are noted for their nostalgia of 80s, 90s, or 2000s culture. 


So far, I’ve watched 43 out of the 56 movies on my growing list of classics. During my extensive movie watching, I’ve noticed how much standards have changed over a period of 20 to 40 years. When I say standards, I don’t mean that movies are terrible now or were terrible then. I mean that movie content has changed a lot.


First off, there are so many clearly offensive jokes in classic movies. For example, the entire character of Long Duk Dong (the name should tell you enough) from Sixteen Candles is based on racial stereotypes. He’s meant to be someone to laugh at because he’s weird and not cool like all the other (white) characters; no one wants to be around him. Specifically, he’s shown not knowing how to use a fork and spoon, using them as chopsticks instead. Also, every scene he’s in is denoted by the sound of a gong. Because of these things (among others), an article from NPR describes Long as “one of the most offensive Asian stereotypes Hollywood ever gave America.” 


Sixteen Candles movie poster from Wikipedia

Secondly, I've learned to not trust the ratings of movies from the 80s or 90s. A lot of movies that were released as PG or PG-13 would definitely be considered PG-13 or R-rated respectively with its content. For instance, I’m currently watching The Sixth Sense. When I saw that it was a horror film that was PG-13, it didn’t make any sense. (Also, classics are rarely horror films.) I immediately thought that those don't go together, so it can’t possibly be a horror. 


The Sixth Sense movie poster from Wikipedia


Boy, was I wrong. I’ve covered my eyes and lowered the volume more during the 45 minutes that I have watched The Sixth Sense than during the entirety of The Conjuring or It. This is all to say that standards for what is acceptable for different age groups to watch has also significantly changed within a 40-year time frame.


Ultimately, movies reflect what society believes is acceptable: whether it be racist jokes or for a 13-year-old to watch a horror film that’s actually kind of scary. And it’s interesting to think about the stark contrast between what was acceptable merely 40 years ago (when most of our parents were children) and what is acceptable now. 


What about you? Do you watch movies?

Comments

  1. Tejesh KothakotaOctober 8, 2026 at 7:54 PM

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  2. Tejesh KothakotaOctober 8, 2026 at 7:54 PM

    Hello Miroua! I will be completely honest with you, I don’t actually watch movies. Like if you were to ask me what my favorite movie is, I would probably struggle for a hot minute before giving you a half-baked response.

    In fact, just last week, I was asked this very question. For reference, I am an officer of our school’s Speech and Debate club. The other officers were working to create an instagram post with all of the officers and their favorite movies. When I received a notification from one of the others asking me this, I put my phone down and went up to my mom to ask her what the last movie we watched together as a family was (which, if you were curious, was Dune: Part One).

    The reason I don’t watch movies is honestly because of how intense life has been lately with school, balancing extracurriculars on the side, and standardized test preparation. My belief was that they were a waste of time. Looking back now after reading your blog, I realize that movies are more than just sitting in front of a screen to watch a story play out that isn’t yours.

    I find it intriguing that these classic movies reflect society as a whole throughout time. I find modern-day horror movies (when I do rarely watch them), such as the ones you mentioned in your blog, to be, quite frankly, not that scary at all. I looked online at a movie trailer for The Sixth Sense, and I will admit that it was most definitely scarier than I expected it to be. In my free time, I will try to watch one of these movies with my family, since it has been way too long!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ethan ZhangOctober 8, 2026 at 9:05 PM

    Hi Miroua, I also love watching movies! Every week, I try to squeeze in one 2 hour movie whenever I can. Just like you, I have a bucket list of movies that I want to watch. In fact, today I just watched The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan. Watching a movie feels like living in a new world, and that's why I adore movies so much.
    Regarding your take on how movies have drastically changed over time, I also completely agree with you; movie ratings are completely different from what it actually shows. I remember watching an old film rated PG and it was so graphic and violent. I thought to myself, “ How in the world could this be rated just PG?” The way morals, ideals, and norms evolve really fascinates me, and I think you captured a great example of it.
    I also admire your taste for “the classics.” I don’t usually watch older movies, but the way you described The Sixth Sense has really intrigued me. The poster design is really interesting too. I might have to add that onto my bucket list.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pranav PandeyOctober 9, 2026 at 12:52 PM

    Hi Miroua! I also love watching movies just like you; however, I hardly watch classics. This blog motivated me to try one out, and I'm planning to watch In Cold Blood this weekend(if that counts as a classic movie).
    I also don't understand how people can't watch movies. They only take up around 1-3 hours of your day, and most of the time, you're entertained the whole time. I love your writing style as it answers any and all questions I may have.
    I wish you luck on your classics journey. Amazing Blog; I hope to read more from you int he future.

    ReplyDelete

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