Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

I really wanna ask you guys, what do u think about these new comedies that come up every now and then but they are not really funny or fun to watch.
The 80s comes to mind with the amount of amazing teen comedies or comedies in general, to name a few:
Porkies
Fast times at ridgemont high
Caddyshack
Planes trains and automobiles
The great outdoors
Ferris bueler s day off
The sure thing
Better off dead
This is only a list on top of my head, these movies are simply amazing,
Have your say

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Probably a mix of:

1) Seeing them during formative years.

2) The fact that you're thinking of all the best comedies over an entire decade and comparing them to all modern comedies. All the dreck from the 80s goes down the memory hole.

Time makes classics of us all.

Some of my favorite comedies that aren't from the '80s are the American Pie movies.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

For me comedies of the 90s I really like. It seems that the 80s were good, but a bit corny in parts, where as the 2000s, were good but a bit too stupid and overdone, but the 90s was a real sweet spot. Just my opinion though, and I grew up then, so that could be it too.

Have you seen Cemetery Man?

There's certainly something unique about 80's comedies. They often contain very edgy humor, yet also have a goodspirited charm to them at the same time.

I also like 90's comedies. While they do share some traits to those from the 80's, they're not afraid to get a little cynical as well, which since I like that kind of humor works well for me.

The way they are now, I still think there are some gems, but I don't watch as many of the ones that come out. Part of the reason for this is because I think there's been an overreliance on party movies, where people get drunk and/or high and do crazy ****. There's nothing wrong with that style of humor as well, but there has to be some more variety. I don't mind a comedy having an actual plot along with the jokes.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Because they didn't have to walk on eggshells for fear of offending anybody like they do today. Remember the character from Sixteen Candles "Long Duk Dong"? :)

So true.

I remember him being a very good argument for why '80s comedies aren't inherently funnier than modern ones.

Anyway, gonna agree with Yoda that it's easier to remember the relatively few films that stood the test of time (at least in terms of memorability if not quality) while the bad stuff is rightfully forgotten.

No I haven't seen it. When I say I like a lot of 90s comedies, better, it's hard to explain, or put into words, when I say that the 90s comedies were even better cause they are like they 80s ones, but without the cheese so much. 80s ones are still good too though.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Humour changes with the time I guess. Movies back then could get away with a lot of stuff they can't now, in the name of comedy. An out-n-out slapstick comedy might not fly these days. Look at Sandler. His career has gone down the toilet. Generations change, so do humour. And who is to say last two decades haven't been good? Give it time, 20 years from now, probably we will remember them pretty fondly. Probably 90s was a bit dull. But that is all I can say.


I have always been a fan of dry, sarcastic British humour, and they still seem to do it pretty well.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Why has humor changed though that Sandler's career has gone down the toilet? My friends all love Happy Gilmore and 50 First Dates. It's not like they look back and say, how immature we were for liking those movies. They still like them. So why won't people accept him now then?

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

I thought Sandler was just a case of diminishing returns where he does increasingly lazy variations on his best work, which was already fairly juvenile in the first place. You could say the same about a lot of the different comedy stars who hit their prime in the '80s and '90s (Eddie Murphy being another example). In contrast, you have someone like Bill Murray moving away from the high-key SNL-style work he was doing in the '80s towards more off-beat stuff in recent years.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

It is that for sure. Playing the same man-child in every movie does get old really fast. But there are very few doing something even remotely similar these days. Coz I think producers think people won't buy it anymore. I think people now prefer comedies which are a little nuanced than that. That's why movies like Lady Bird, Booksmart and the likes garner so much appreciation. Even Melissa McCarthy's career has gone down the same road. Although none of her movies were overwhelming successes to begin with.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Wait overgrown man-child and I just remembered Paul Blart!!! :p

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Oh okay, so it's not that people's tastes in comedy have changed, so much as Sandler's quality has down a lot since?

I feel like McCarthy's dilemma is that she is miscast in a lot of movies maybe. Her casting seemed correct in Bridemaids but it feels really off in The Happytime murders, and Spy, and The Heat maybe.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

You could look at the other way and say Sandler didn't move with the time too.

Re: Why are comedies of the 80s much funnier?
 

Well as far Sandler moving with the times go, it seems that their have hardly been any comedies this past decade, as their use to be, unless I am wrong, and I just missed them?

2010 Easy A
2011 Paul
2012 The Dictator
2013 The World's End
2014 Walk of Shame
2015 Sisters
2016 The Nice Guys
2017 Fist Fight
2018 Destination Wedding
2019 Booksmart