MovieChat Forums > Dazed and Confused (1993) Discussion > Why did Clint get pissed off at Mike for...

Why did Clint get pissed off at Mike for his comment?


I don't think Clint had any reason to get pissed off at Mike for making a comment about someone toking reefer, I also felt they did a total 180 on Clint's character from the scene where he and Wooderson were talking about cars to the scene where he gets pissed off at Mike for his comment.

I wish Mike would have told Clint that he should be given a huge collection of exotic automobiles, millions of $, his own mansion and a bunch of nice vacations just for even being nice to him, I also wish Pink and Wooderson would have punched Clint in the nose for being an a-hole towards Mike.

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The thing is Clint probably would have completely forgotten about it as the night wore on but Mike took being called out by him a little too personally and initiated the fight. So Mike is as much to blame for the ass kicking he got as Clint was for taking Mike's statement the wrong way.

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As it happens with every fight, both people are to blame. The whole reason the scene escalated was for Mike's story arc. As much as he was maybe a dislikable guy to some people (he's my favorite character, but I DID identify with him the most). Mike was a nerd whose only reason for being out that night was to try to mingle. He was that guy that wanted to be part of the party. He and Tony knew that the irresponsible, popular kids were kind of...you know...irresponsible, but they still wanted to fit in. The classic nerd type, really. Mike finally realizes he can't fit in, I think, and not only does he realize that, but he realizes he has been pushed around this whole time and is tired of it. He starts that fight to show both Clint and himself that he won't stand for it anymore.

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Clint represents a certain breed of individual that I remember well from the 70s.

He's looking for a fight. Plain and simple. I remember encountering guys like this. Even if Mike didn't say anything, Clint would have made something up or come up with another reason. I remember guys like this at school just coming up to me and pushing me saying, "you wanna die?" for no reason, whatsoever. And I wasn't "bullied" or some little scrawny weakling. If anything, I may have seemed too confident or whatever, which these type of guys often see as a challenge.

The 70s were just a very different time. Kids were not policed in the way they are now on what to think and say. In so many ways, it was a much, much freer time. As much as I prefer that freedom (and I do!), there is, of course, a cost along with all the benefits. Kids were injured more, didn't have as many places to run (besides each other) and could be a lot more cruel in these ways. But we learned quicker.

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Those guys have been around since the beginning of time, but I think there are more of them running around now though. You can see these guys coming a mile away - hat on backwards, pants sagging, Tapout tshirt, usually driving a ricer. They just look for a reason to be "dissed" by someone, and seem to be at the low end of the IQ scale.

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Clint was not pissed off at Mike. Clint is nothing more than you typical high school douche bag bully. He was the guy you gave a wide berth to in the hallways in high school if you saw him walking towards you. He likes to scare and harass kids not as cool has him or weaker than him. He new he could harass Mike and Mike would not do anything. He did not expect Mike to poor the beer on him and punch him later.

Clint just wanted to bully Mike, show off for his friends. He could have cared less about Mike's comment. If Pink made that comment Clint would have laughed.

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Simple. Clint saw Mike as an easy target, didn't think Mike would do anything and wanted to show off in front of his friends. A few adult beverages didn't help either. As far as why he was different around Wooderson, I really thought he wasn't much different but he knew Wooderson wouldn't put up with him long.

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Exactly! Notice how earlier he also takes a shot at Slater since he is a skinny stoner who also would not do anything.

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Mike should've just asked Clint for a puff. Problem solved.

"Hey I'm smoking pot. You gotta problem with that?"
"Only if you don't pass that joint this way, bro."

Boom. problem solved.

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Re-watching the scene and it felt like Clint had animosity towards Mike before the incident. Not to excuse what Clint did but Mike isn't always the most likable person.

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Maybe Clint thought Mike was Jewish, and disliked him for it? I'm not a liberal kook either, but just throwing this out there.

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Mike should've just asked Clint for a puff. Problem solved.

"Hey I'm smoking pot. You gotta problem with that?"
"Only if you don't pass that joint this way, bro."

Boom. problem solved.


Clint doesn't like kids like Mike because he felt like they were nerdy and not part of his "group", which are other kids that like to drink beer and smoke pot.

Mike making to comment was all it took to get Clint really pissed off, because he took it as an insult. I agree that by Mike acting like he was all for smoking some weed also, it would have totally defused the situation.

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csweetleaf2: I don't think Clint had any reason to get pissed off at Mike for making a comment about someone toking reefer,


Well, while Clint didn't have a "good" reason to get pissed off at Mike but, considering the scene happened at a high school party where all the teenagers are getting drunk and stoned. Clint really doesn't need a "good" reason to get pissed-off at anyone. Even if they were establish friends before the party, the beer and reefer consumption can make people (especially teenagers) behave in very irrational and aggressive ways.

csweetleaf2: [sic]...I also felt they did a total 180 on Clint's character from the scene where he and Wooderson were talking about cars to the scene where he gets pissed off at Mike for his comment.


I think the scene where Clint and Wooderson are talking about cars prior to the high school party helped established Clint as an actual character who isn't trying to throw down on everybody in every single situation. Instead, Clint's character is part of the hot-rod, grease monkey tough guy click who's always jockeying for position as the alpha male among the tough guy cool group that he hangs with.

Where as Mike on the other hand, despite having a poker friendship with the high schools QB (Pink) Mike clearly belongs almost entirely to the nerd click of the school, and more than likely is only slightly aware of Clint's existence from various classes and Clint's school reputation.

So, later when Clint goes ballistic over Mike making a casual personal remark under his breath while passing by Clint and his tough guy group at the party. It was simply a case of the stoned drunken cool kid looking to score a few easy tough guy points by picking a fight with a school nerd. That doesn't in no way justify Clint's behavior, it just makes it very understandable. And, something that I've personally witnessed on many of occasions.

Later, after Clint and Mike start fighting and Wooderson and Pink rush in to break it up. While, Wooderson probably doesn't know Mike very well, and normally wouldn't care about the fight between Clint and Mike, accept to assist Clint if the fight got way out of hand.

But, Wooderson jumps in anyway to help his close friend Pink break-up the fight between Pink's friend (Mike) and Wooderson's fellow muscle car enthusiast friend Clint. But, it's important to note that, Wooderson never throws any punches during the process of breaking up that fight, and only assists in pulling them a part. Therefore, Wooderson successfully assists Pink in rescuing his friend Mike, without attempting to injure his own friend Clint.


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Clint was a miserable little bitch. I know what happened afterwards but Mike still sent his ass to the ground with one punch.

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Anyone who participated in that arena (and I did) knew "Clints". Hell, I remember guys who, if they couldn't goad anyone else into a fight, would actually try to pick a fight with the guy that they rode there with!

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any sucker punch can knock one down...Mike deserved a beating after hitting Clint.

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The REASON he got ticked? None. He's a punk-a drunk one at that-looking for trouble.

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I wanna see Clint and O'Bannon go at it.

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Mike was kind of a mouthpiece in the movie though. At the the start of the movie when one guy is walking away he says "what does that make you, deepthroat?" Also listen to the tone and the way he says "somebody's toking some reefer"

Seemed like he made one too many "observations" until someone finally told him off. Then of course he sucker punches the guy later only to get shown the floor and beat down. This is a situation where Mike kinda got what he deserved.

We can imagine later on in life Mike kept his mouth shut.

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