In a press release related to legislation aimed at removing the term "oriental" from official documents of the State of New York, Governor David Paterson said: "The word 'oriental' does not describe ethnic origin, background or even race; in fact, it has deep and demeaning historical roots".
This I didn't know. I just liked the sound of 'Orient' or 'The Orient'. The word, removed of any meaning, has a nice sound and I like the way it flows from my mouth when uttered. When I would hear 'The Orient', the connotations were of beauty, wealth, adventure and fun. Maybe that came from childhood viewings of 1970's Trans America airlines commercials and maybe reading about Marco Polo.
The n-word always sounded horrible and had no redeeming quality as a sound utterance.
How much of what words sound pleasant is absolutely tied to meaning or connotation is something I'm not clear on. Maybe it's been studied by some research team.
Parenting books? Parenting books, I thought that..those were a joke? - Linda Belcher

In the United States "Oriental" is often considered an antiquated, pejorative, and disparaging term. John Kuo Wei Tchen, director of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program and Institute at New York University, said the basic critique of the term developed in the 1970s. Tchen has said: "With the anti-war movement in the '60s and early '70s, many Asian Americans identified the term 'Oriental' with a Western process of racializing Asians as forever opposite 'others'." In a press release related to legislation aimed at removing the term "oriental" from official documents of the State of New York, Governor David Paterson said: "The word 'oriental' does not describe ethnic origin, background or even race; in fact, it has deep and demeaning historical roots".

No it wasn't mean. Anyone who is offended by this probably gets offended by everything anyway.
If you were watching this movie at a party with Oriental friends, they were probably laughing and enjoying the movie like most everyone else did. Except for the perpetually offended ones.
Mean spirited moments? Are you serious?
The only problem here is people who have problems with everything.
Goooooonnnnnnnggggggggg!
"check the imdb cast list before asking who portrayed who in movies please"

Yes, it was mean. Apparently the Long Duck Dong actor didn't think it would end up as racist as it did. You just never know when you make a movie.
I would feel weird watching this movie with my Asian friends at a party. I don't want them to feel bad. Asians always end up being a joke.
I haven't seen the movie in awhile so I would have to watch it again for the other mean spirited moments.
I will admit that I enjoy this film, but it has a lot of problems.

This movie was made when things weren't so PC and personally I'd prefer it if movies went back to this concept. Nobody has a backbone anymore, it's just a movie and it's meant to make you laugh. So many crude movies have been made that offend people, I guess I'm not easily offended. I've probably watched at a minimum 800 to 1000 movies and not one has ever offended me. I mean do people watch it and take it like it's a reality? People really let a movie get them upset because the jokes are not what they want or expect? If so it makes sense why the country is turning out like it is. People really need some thicker skin, the thinner skin you have must make going through life completely challenging.

The whole point of the movie is that it is NOT politically correct! It is full of stereotypes, some true and some not. That's what makes it so funny! A lot of 80's movies had that approach of poking fun at stereotypes.
Yes, the joke about violating a girl passed out is most definitely not funny. However, the way I see it is that this film was made 30 years ago. Societal behaviors about what is appropriate, and what is not, have changed and come a long way since back in the day.
John Hughes was a great filmmaker who made his movies in the time of an entirely different generation. When he died, I read how his films were aimed to deal with teen angst with humor.
Let me breathe, Let me see if my therapist is on speed dial.

We're at a better place now in this country.
That, my friend, is very much open to debate.

I'm not making excuses. I'm just trying to explain. This was a different time in this country. It's apparent throughout history that morals evolve. We're at a better place now in this country. Just look at it as a part of history, of the way people used to think, and what people used to think was OK.

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The OP is yet another example of how we all need to work to end global WHINING.
Hahahahahaha I love it ^
Attn All Units!

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The OP is yet another example of how we all need to work to end global WHINING.

I wore a Milwaukee brace for four years and I loved Joan Cusack's scenes in Sixteen Candles. She really nailed the part!! I wore the "unimproved" brace where the object was to pull the head up as high as possible (as opposed to the "improved" brace where the neck ring was there to hold the neck in place). Joan's ability to show how painful it is just to sit or stand was so vivid that I started having flashbacks the first time I watched this film. The scene with the drinking fountains was spot on; that's what I dealt with every day in a world before bottled drinking water was popular.
The only things that weren't true to my life were her social isolation and inability to speak coherently: I went to school with kids I grew up with and getting a brace didn't affect my relationships with them (but that was the sixties and perhaps a gentler time). But other than that Joan's portrayal was very realistic and I loved that a Milwaukee brace was featured in the film.

oh come on now racial stereotyping? you just discredited 60% of the film industry. and the joan cusak character you're missing another point - SHE WAS WEIRD! forget her physical handicap, and somehow Joan infused some sort of likability into the character.
jake didn't know he closed the door on her hair.
and she was the slut, remember the statment "she had to (*#$^%( about nine grades", and the way she acted he was right to blow her off
besides these depict typical high school situations - often cruel if they weren't made to look that way then they'd be 'unrealistic'.

Maybe the Geek suddenly remembered that Jake had asked him to see that Caroline got home safe, and not be left in a parking lot.

the 'hero' Jake giving his drunk girlfriend to a horny 14-year-old to drive safely home, w/the implication that he can score
I don't think there was such an implication. Ted was at first very uncomfortable with Caroline coming onto him. Next morning, when he believes that they had sex and Jake sees them together, Ted is shocked; he crosses himself and says "Oh, my God, I'm dead." I think that makes it clear that Jake didn't give Ted any "permission" to sleep with Caroline.

I grew up in the '80s and that seemed like one humiliation after another. School sometimes reminded me of a bad prison movie especially the cafeteria and gym class. That is in my rear view mirror. Whatever hassles I got at school did not bother me much. It was the hassles I got at home from family and so called friends that brought me down. Too often the people who should be pushing you up are the ones keeping you down.

Totally agree with you lizzy! Still love to watch it though

Long Duck Dong is a Vietnamese name, not a Korean name. Gedde Watanabee is an Asian American born in Ogden, Utah. He IS of Japanese ancestry.

The reason everyone thinks he's chinese is because everyone in the movie referred to him as being chinese. If you're referring to the actor himself, Gedde Watanabe is japanese, not korean.

LOL, the fact people still think he was a Chinese exchange student is racist in itself. He was a KOREAN exchange student. So, all Asians are Chinese?! THAT is racist!!!
J/K, but it does give something to think about(most people I've ran into, especially on this board, still think Long Duck Dong is Chinese). Saying a Korean is Chinese is like saying a Cuban is Mexican or saying an Irish is German. Ironic thing, that's actually what was more common back then(everybody referring to all different Asian nationalities as being "Chinese". It really hasn't change that much, has it(again, J/K, LOL).

It was realistic though. He showed it all. And it wasn't as raw vulgar as most of the stuff got in 90s and beyond and still had more heart in the end.

The world is too politically correct now. I really enjoyed this film if you want to see todays piece of trash rent Project X. It is not funny & is mean spirited unlike 16 Candles.

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