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I had a re-watch of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and I realized these two things: 1. Its not that funny anymore 2. The next door neighbours (Todd and Margo) are consistently portrayed as uptight yuppies who deserve to have their nights and home ruined by the rag-tag yet "real" Griswolds. The Griswolds absolutely terrorize these people through sheer ignorance and obnoxious behavior. The Griswolds are lovely loving neighbours. Todd and Margo have no children and live in a very nice suburb of Chicago. They are clearly busy professionals just trying to enjoy their time off. At one point they are seen enjoying margaritas and a cheese plate, a combination that while decidedly "un-christmas-y" sounds like a really nice respite from the stodgy egg-nog and roast being enjoyed next door. At one point, when Clark is hanging a truly obnoxious amount of Christmas lights; they hope that he might fall and break his neck. This is meant to portray them as soulless and detestable, but they've had to put up with this selfish, tradition-obsessed, disaster prone maniac for untold Christmas seasons. If my next door neighbours were pumping the blackwater from their camper trailer into the storm drain in front of my home, let alone downing trees through my windows while I'm trying to drink some booze and enjoy the DINK life with my beautiful wife who happens to be Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, I'd be more than a bit upset. I doubt I'd call the police, but I might poo poo in their new swimming pool. Cheers edit: Oh yeah and their jogging and fitness is presented as being elitist and silly instead of just a good balanced way to live. These people are completely justified in their frustration. Poohs Packin fucked around with this message at 12:25 on Jan 23, 2021 |
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Jan 23, 2021 12:22
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 06:16 |
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Reminds me of Christmas with the Kranks where you're supposed to think this middle-aged couple skipping the holiday and having to do meaningless poo poo like put up decorations or buy a whole bunch of gifts for people you barely know or are distantly related to, is somehow a really bad thing. Like they decide to go on a Caribbean cruise instead of blowing thousands of dollars like the years before and their daughter is on some Peace Corps thing or something so they don't have anyone that they're really "obligated" to share the holiday with. And it's basically an hour and a half of their neighbors tormenting and shaming them for not wanting to celebrate Christmas and go enjoy themselves on a nice cruise. I hate that movie so much.
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Jan 23, 2021 12:32
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Tbh it's an extremely nightmarish scenario to imagine a neighborhood of Christmas obsessed conservatives harassing you nonstop to force you to engage in their religious holiday. E: I would actually be interested in hearing more opinions about movies where the people made out to be bad guys are actually being treated unreasonably, and I don't mean tacky poo poo like "KILLMONGER WAS RIGHT," I mean more down to earth crap like people being assholes to the Kranks for not wanting to go to Christmas or Todd and Margo being tormented by a family of imbeciles nonstop. Lil Swamp Booger Baby fucked around with this message at 12:36 on Jan 23, 2021 |
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Jan 23, 2021 12:33
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Todd and Margo are self-insertion characters for the Harvard-educated writers of the National Lampoon, OP. The story of the Griswolds is a Christmas version of Pulp's Common People told by the wealthy, jaded elite.
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Jan 23, 2021 12:37
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Margo took the Lord's name in vain
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Jan 23, 2021 12:52
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Smugworth posted:Todd and Margo are self-insertion characters for the Harvard-educated writers of the National Lampoon, OP. I think they are really just cheap and opportunistic pariahs, that were likely decided upon becsuse "lol its 1989 nobody likes yuppies". Its like Larry the Cable Guy railing on about "hipsters" or some other nebulous group.
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Jan 23, 2021 12:53
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I watched it with my gf who never saw it before, it's actually still very funny and my families go to christmas movie
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Jan 23, 2021 13:15
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they suck op
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Jan 23, 2021 13:30
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Vincent Van Goatse posted:they suck op Y tho
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Jan 23, 2021 13:32
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Poohs Packin posted:Y tho in a cut scene todd is the guy who convinced the boss to do the jelly of the month thing to make number go up
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Jan 23, 2021 13:37
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National Lampoon movies are wildly over rated.
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Jan 23, 2021 13:50
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Vincent Van Goatse posted:in a cut scene todd is the guy who convinced the boss to do the jelly of the month thing to make number go up I dont remember that bit, but none of that is known to the Griswolds, so their behavior is still lovely. Clark's reaction to not receiving his bonus is also notably terrible and indicative of the entitlement of boomers in the 80s.
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Jan 23, 2021 13:53
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Big Beef City posted:National Lampoon movies are wildly over rated. "Animal House" is beyond awful
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Jan 23, 2021 13:54
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me --->  <--- op
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Jan 23, 2021 14:03
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 Me irl
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Jan 23, 2021 14:09
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Poohs Packin posted:I dont remember that bit, but none of that is known to the Griswolds, so their behavior is still lovely. Clark's reaction to not receiving his bonus is also notably terrible and indicative of the entitlement of boomers in the 80s. how about shut up
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Jan 23, 2021 14:20
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Sir this is an Arthur treachers drive thru. 
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Jan 23, 2021 14:21
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Vincent Van Goatse posted:how about shut up Sorry you couldn't get your family that in ground pool.
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Jan 23, 2021 14:28
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Lil Swamp Booger Baby posted:Tbh it's an extremely nightmarish scenario to imagine a neighborhood of Christmas obsessed conservatives harassing you nonstop to force you to engage in their religious holiday. 
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Jan 23, 2021 15:00
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Um, ok.
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Jan 23, 2021 15:32
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No santa, or tree, or snowman Issue the christian fatwa
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Jan 23, 2021 15:42
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Inverted Icon posted:No santa, or tree, or snowman In the words of Sean Paul, no steam fish nor no green banana.
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Jan 23, 2021 15:44
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Lil Swamp Booger Baby posted:In the words of Sean Paul, no steam fish nor no green banana. Down in jamaica make it hot like a sauna
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Jan 23, 2021 15:46
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the national lampoon documentary on Netflix is a good watch because it makes you realize what shits all those people were
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Jan 23, 2021 15:46
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Poohs Packin posted:I dont remember that bit, but none of that is known to the Griswolds, so their behavior is still lovely. Clark's reaction to not receiving his bonus is also notably terrible and indicative of the entitlement of boomers in the 80s.
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Jan 23, 2021 16:33
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Big Beef City posted:National Lampoon movies are wildly over rated. van wilder is a cinematic masterpiece. citizen kane for a modern era
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Jan 23, 2021 16:35
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Curmudgeons ITT
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Jan 23, 2021 16:44
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Poohs Packin posted:I dont remember that bit, but none of that is known to the Griswolds, so their behavior is still lovely. Clark's reaction to not receiving his bonus is also notably terrible and indicative of the entitlement of boomers in the 80s. look at this fuckin idiot defending the actual villain of the movie while trying to ham handedly defend minor antagonists. buhhh the griswolds are stupid because clark wanted to get paid for his labor dumbass.
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Jan 23, 2021 17:09
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Slugworth posted:Common misconception in America, but wanting to be compensated for your labor is actually not entitled behavior. If it has been established that the bonus is a percentage of profits or otherwise based on his performance, then so be it, but it is portrayed as a cost cutting measure by the boss. So to cut costs, he pays his employees less, and without warning. Clark lives in a huge house in the Chicago suburbs and his expected "bonus" is enough to pay for a swimming pool. He's not an oppressed member of the proletariat.
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Jan 23, 2021 17:47
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Poohs Packin posted:"Animal House" is beyond awful 
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Jan 23, 2021 17:51
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PeterCat posted:Clark lives in a huge house in the Chicago suburbs and his expected "bonus" is enough to pay for a swimming pool. oh then i guess it's ok to steal his wages because he can afford a pool with a huge cash bonus
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Jan 23, 2021 17:52
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Well, at least the frat guy didn't rape his drunk underage date. The he does get called a "homo" for his choice.
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Jan 23, 2021 17:53
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MY INEVITABLE DEBT posted:oh then i guess it's ok to steal his wages because he can afford a pool with a huge cash bonus Who's wages are getting stolen? He got paid his normal salary, a bonus is extra by definition.
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Jan 23, 2021 17:53
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PeterCat posted:Clark lives in a huge house in the Chicago suburbs and his expected "bonus" is enough to pay for a swimming pool. so what
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Jan 23, 2021 17:54
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PeterCat posted:Who's wages are getting stolen? drat i was having fun posting in this thread but you're actually stupid :/
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Jan 23, 2021 17:58
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I'd like to 'seize the means of production' of most of the posts on this page, if you know what I mean
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Jan 23, 2021 17:58
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It's pretty much the same gimmick as Married With Children. The Bundy's are the deplorable neighbors featured as the heroes, and the Darcy's are the well intentioned, courteous yuppie people treated as the big dummies. That's how I remember it at least, been a decade or two since I saw it.
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Jan 23, 2021 17:58
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Married With Effluvium
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Jan 23, 2021 18:01
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Lil Swamp Booger Baby posted:Effluvium Hey, I just learned a new word! Wonders never cease. Thanks 
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Jan 23, 2021 18:03
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MY INEVITABLE DEBT posted:drat i was having fun posting in this thread but you're actually stupid :/ You're talking about stealing his wages, what about that? How about the poor pool installer who Clark was trying to defraud by floating a check to get his new pool in as early as possible?
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Jan 23, 2021 18:03
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