MovieChat Forums > Little Darlings (1980) Discussion > Did anybody else think this was a LITTLE...

Did anybody else think this was a LITTLE inappropriate?

posted 16 years ago by jenni_doll_1
31 replies | jump to latest

Maybe I'm a little overly prudent, but a bunch of fully developed teenage girls doing jumping jacks in bathing suits in front of a male counselor? Something just doesn't seem quite right about that and I would have felt a little uncomfortable if I was one of those girls OR the male counselor for that matter. Especially when one of the girls made the comment, "Mr. Callahan, doesn't Ferris have great legs?" If nothing else, that right then and there should have been a sign to him that it would probably be a good idea for him to get a female counselor to lead this activity or at least be present for it. I'd also like to know why he didn't think twice about allowing 15 year old Ferris all alone into his cabin late at night with no one else there. The appearances alone of that left alot of assumptions and accusations to be made and things said that shouldn't be, things that could have gotten him not only fired but arrested. I would think for that reason alone the camp would have had rules against that type of fraternization. The rumors that insued by her lying to her friends were harmful enough, but it could have been worse. What if after rejecting her, she got mad and decided to get even with him by saying he tried to rape her? It really shouldn't have surprised him that his lack of judgment caused him trouble. The minute that girl showed up, he should have told her to go right back to her cabin, not let her inside. CYA GUYS! NEVER allow yourself to be alone in a private setting with an underage girl you don't know well. It's a recipe for potential disaster.

[–] hodie 16 years ago

It would never happen today. I'm not exactly sure what Mr. Callahan was doing there in the first place. The camp did have rules and Callahan got into trouble. But it was daft of him to even let Ferris past the front door.

God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety

[–] Pynapple 16 years ago

Love the 'Village Green Preservation Society' quote. :)

[–] hodie 15 years ago

<<Love the 'Village Green Preservation Society' quote. :)>>

Thank you. It's rare that someone recognizes it. But to be honest, I didn't know it myself, until I saw "Hot Fuzz." And I had thought I knew my Kinks!

God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety

[–] lroy77 14 years ago

Today in 2010, if you watch Meatballs it's "almost" the same as Rudy spending all that time with Tripp...alone (jogging, playing Blackjack etc.).

Yeah, I know...nothing happened but the fact that they're alone together would raise eyebrows and alleged accusations these days. Maybe if it was a CIT who was only 10 years older than the kids themselves, not a middle-aged ADULT that would be a little bit different.

[–] shakeyspizza70 16 years ago

it would not happen today, however, males teach classes in gyms to women everyday. The movie was good and lighthearted. We as a society are to afraid to talk about sex. Mr. Callahan would not have slept with Whitney. This was about teenage crushes. geesh.

[–] knight-in-black-leather 15 years ago

Maybe I'm a little overly prudent, but a bunch of fully developed teenage girls doing jumping jacks in bathing suits in front of a male counselor? Something just doesn't seem quite right about that and I would have felt a little uncomfortable if I was one of those girls OR the male counselor for that matter. Especially when one of the girls made the comment, "Mr. Callahan, doesn't Ferris have great legs?"

So true, and yet it never occurred to me before.

On a serious note, how ironic that we live in a society that promotes and
glamourizes blatant sexuality, where young girls copy the 'hooker' look and
young boys like to be thought of as 'pimps'...and yet the things in this movie
from 1980, would be considered risque TODAY. Go figure.

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[–] mittenkg 15 years ago

Think of it this way: "Inappropriate" is often a reality and a fact of life. So the scene might be inappropriate, yes; but unrealistic? No.

This is an R-rated movie made in the 1970s (released in 1980) when sex was definitely not sacred, films were grittier and more accurately portrayed reality, and actors and actresses regularly bared boobs and butts (Endless Love, The Blue Lagoon, et al).

As for the reality of the scene, most teenage girls (and boys) are total horndogs; sex is all we thought and talked about in school and at summer camp—we just had no clue what we were talking about! Girls rarely understand the power of their sexual prowess when they tease and flirt; they usually don't believe that gross old guys would actually go for it with them. So as a grownup watching that scene, we think it's inappropriate, but as a kid watching that scene I thought it was funny.

That said, I did have friends who thought older men were sexy, and the young-girl/old-guy theme was prevalent in 70s movies (Manhattan being the most famous), so I don't think the scene is too far off base.

I guess your question might be: Is it responsible for Hollywood to put inappropriate scenes in R-rated movies? (I say, "yes!")

[–] screaminalleycat 15 years ago

You're looking at this too much from today's point of view instead of then. I'm not saying that inappropriate things didn't happen then, but from the point of view of the movie and the times, none of what was going on was weird.

[–] thinker1691 15 years ago

Jenni Doll 1:

Your remarks struck me as odd. It's very interesting as Educated
males, like Counselors, Swimming Instructors and Physical Education
teachers are always the first to suggest that youths boys and girls
should be kept separated. We point out the observations you made and
stress the fact that Girls should be taught or instructed by female
teachers and males should be taught by men.

You have no idea how loudly the female co-ordinators blantly refuse
our warnings, citing sexism and male chauvanism when we seek such
safe guards as you suggested. However they are the ones who insist
on having Adult men in female classroom setting and outdoor recreational
sports.

So if there are any boundries crossed or inferred or situations arise
where your concerns might be seen as 'areas' as off limits or forbidden
and rules are not obeyed by either students or staff, then blame your own
'liberated' women who insist on not keeping the sexes segregated.

later

"If you make the world your enemy, you'll never run out of reasons to be miserable"

[–] jenni_doll_1 15 years ago

Yes, I think there's some truth to that thinker1691. I've never cared to identify myself as a feminist and I think modern "women's lib" has really caused more harm than good. I understand gender equality to an extent, but I think we've more than accomplished as much as we could reasonably ask for and it's time to back down a little. I believe God made two genders of people for a reason. Men and women are vastly different and do, in fact, have different purposes in this life, so, like it or not, there ARE bound to be areas where we cannot truly have 100% equality. Segregating men and women is completely appropriate where matters of privacy are concerned, as long as they both have access to the same opportunity, what should it matter? It's an issue of safety and respect, not equality.

[–] thinker1691 15 years ago

Jenni doll;

I agree.

later

"If you make the world your enemy, you'll never run out of reasons to be miserable"

[–] kimboland-1 15 years ago

I think people over analyse these things way too much.

[–] jenni_doll_1 15 years ago

Well, I guess if we didn't, there wouldn't be much purpose for these boards.

[–] ceebeegee 14 years ago

You clearly have a big chip on your shoulder vis a vis feminism (with your bitter remarks about "loud" "liberated" women). Not sure why you expect the "liberated" women with whom you worked to speak for every situation or every camp. Is-sues.

[–] PimpSmackersGOM 15 years ago

The only reason why you think it "just doesn't seem quite right" is because you are looking at this movie and those situations through "modern" eyes. Back then there was nothing inappropriate about those things because they weren't yet conditioned to think of all men as potential sex offenders. Who knows? Maybe 30 years from know we'll all look back at this time when we still allowed boys and girls to swim in the same pool and think these times "just didn't seem quite right".

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[–] stopsign9999 15 years ago

Our culture has become much more conservative since 1980 and with the explosion of talk shows in the last few decades, there has been more open discussions of adult/teen sexual abuse.

So yes, it was a VERY different time when this movie came out. If it were made today the treatment would be completely different!

[–] Tigerlilly9 15 years ago

I went to an all-girl's summer camp in the '70s and '80s with just a few men on the staff. Believe me - what's portrayed in this movie was inappropriate 30-some years ago! As it would be today.

This is a movie. If it weren't for the situations created there wouldn't have been a movie. Think about it. Was Porky's realistic? Revenge of the Nerds? No. It's supposed to be a fun teen romp and that's all.

You want controversial - read and watch both versions of Lolita. Which, believe it or not, is way more realistic than Little Darlings.

[–] hppg 15 years ago

I thought the inappropriate part was the whole "OMG you're 15 and haven't had sex yet it's normal to do it at 13-14 so make a bet and go do it".

I still can't get my head around it...I'm sure it happens in some social groups but why make a film about it? The whole thing just seemed weird to me. I've only seen half the film, it was kinda funny to watch Tatum's character and the other one interact, but the girl who was bullying them about virginity was very strange. Nothing like that ever happened to me in high school in any of the friendship groups I was part of, and most people I know didn't have sex until after 16 (mostly after 18 actually).