Media Rumspringa: Youth Frivolity as a Last Hurrah in Teen Movies Anonymous College

In the twentieth century, the advent of film meant that a new medium was used to identify and unify youth culture. Whereas previously youth experiences were significantly different based on where an individual lived, the medium of film created a specific youth culture in which teenagers could experience similar media. This essay examines two youth-oriented films, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and Clueless (1995) in order to suggest that these depictions of carefree youth are actually less humorous and comedic than they appear. These humorous depictions instead emphasize the more serious aspects of American life in the late twentieth century: by emphasizing the frivolity of teenage youth, they mark a contrast between the youth culture the media wanted to portray and depict, and the serious adult culture that was marked largely by soulless work, career, and materialism.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (directed and written by John Hughes) has become something of a classic or pop culture phenomenon. The film depicts the hijinks of Ferris, an otherwise nerdy high school senior who orchestrates an elaborate day of playing hooky with his girlfriend and his best friend in order to ultimately encourage his friend Cameron to take more time...