While there are no doubt some timeless classics from our childhood that remain every bit as amazing as we remember, many are straight-up cringey upon a later viewing. Really, it’s to be expected as societal viewpoints change…sort of a marker of how far we’ve collectively come.
And so, what do we do with these problematic pieces of old-school pop culture? Well, we can certainly update them to better reflect a more modern attitude, but that also comes with a set of potential problems. Or we could simply never watch them again. Certainly an option given all the content out there. But then we might miss an opportunity to better understand what seemed to work for the mainstream then, and why it doesn’t work now.
And then there’s the third option—allow ourselves to be entertained by their cringiness.
That’s certainly the route taken by Rob Anderson. Over on TikTok, Anderson has taken ultra-popular movies and television shows from his childhood and given them hilarious recaps capturing how absurd some of the storylines are.
Take, for example, “Beethoven.” Remember, the cute story about a family who adopts a stray Saint Bernard?
Yeah, as Anderson will kindly remind you, this movie is actually “so messed up.”
Not only is the family the “worst owners ever” by never bothering to train Beethoven so he won’t hop onto tables (dumb, but okay), but the dad actually convinces his wife to stop being a stay-at-home mom and start working for him (wait, what?) and, get this, the antagonist is a veterinarian who is secretly hired to test out bullets by shooting dogs in the head (WHOA WHOA WHOA).
How about “The Princess Diaries,” the movie that introduced us to Anne Hathaway and rightfully had Julie Andrews playing a queen?
After watching Anderson’s video, you’ll agree that this popular flick actually “makes no sense.”
First off, a single mom, who’s a mediocre artist at best, lives with her daughter in a beautiful three-story house in San Francisco. Okay, yes, not feasible, even in the 90s. But Hollywood often does that. Big whoop.
It gets weirder though, as Anderson notes that in this story, the fictional country of Genovia will somehow cease to exist without Hathaway taking the throne. Not to mention her character is bullied post-makeover for “being hotter,” gets in trouble with the principal for being royalty and somehow “doesn’t know what fire is.”
The biggest grievance might be towards the end, when people from all over the world gather to celebrate the Genovia Independence Ball at the San Francisco consulate.
“It’s like the U.S. Inauguration happening at our Embassy in Dublin,” Anderson jokes.
Anderson actually has an entire series dedicated to the faith-based family drama “7th Heaven.” Because, let’s face it, there’s just so much to talk about, from “taking in a homeless girl as a pet,” to flipping the bird being treated like the most catastrophic thing imaginable. Yes, these were actual storylines we have all tucked deep in the recesses of our subconscious.
Here are a few for your viewing pleasure.
Anderson’s recaps hold no punches, but at the same time are a completely lighthearted way of pointing out how ridiculous certain things from our childhood are. Sometimes, instead of getting miffed at that which is problematic, we can simply give ourselves a good laugh.
Care to see even more recaps of unhinged 90s movies? Follow Anderson on TikTok.
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