Comedy is one movie genre that ages the worst, and there are some beloved films that have aged so poorly that they are practically unwatchable today. Times change and so do tastes, and comedy typically ages like milk because it pokes fun at contemporary subjects. Even excellent comedies can age poorly, depending on who is the ʙuтт of the joke.
These issues are multiplied when the movie opts for raunchy humor, and intentionally blue comedy is usually most susceptible to becoming dated within only a few years. It takes a deft hand to be controversial without being harmful, and movies like Blazing Saddles stand as shining examples of complex humor that has aged well.
While some movies are universally reviled upon release for their offensive content, some were critically and commercially successful, only to fade in reputation over time. These films are the most disappointing because they work on many levels, but are held back by a few details that ruin everything. Some movies were once loved, but are tough to watch now.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the most influential movies of the latter years of Hollywood’s Golden Age, but it’s hampered by extreme racism. Audrey Hepburn turns in one of her greatest performances, and the playful rom-com helped to usher the genre into the modern age with a complex depiction of romance.
While the film was still an important milestone, the choice to cast Mickey Rooney as an Asian character was misguided even in the early 1960s. What’s more, Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi is a blatant collection of racist stereotypes, which makes the portrayal even more inexcusable. Casual racism was sadly part of ’60s culture, but Breakfast at Tiffany’s went way too far.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
John Hughes reinvented teen comedies in the 1980s, and many of his films are beloved classics today. However, Sixteen Candles is one particularly Hughes film that has aged quite poorly, and it is a tough watch compared to the timelessness of The Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink. Instead of having one glaring issue, it has several problematic elements.
Perhaps the most obvious problem is its racism, and the character of Long Duk Dong is so wildly offensive it’s almost a parody of racism itself. However, the movie is also quite cavalier about non-consensual Sєx, and features characters discussing taking advantage of a girl who is under the influence.
While it’s possible to broach the subject effectively, Sixteen Candles fumbles. It isn’t treated like a bad thing, and such moral ambiguity is not appropriate for a comedy that is meant to teach a lesson to its target audience. Considering how prescient Hughes was in his other films, Sixteen Candles hits too many sour notes to be enjoyed today.
Weird Science (1985)
Weird Science is an odd addition to the poorly-aged-comedy ranks because it seems to be aware of its own issues. The John Hughes comedy is all about the Sєxual fantasies of two teenage boys, a subject that was not all that unusual in the ’80s. However, its entire concept is rather cringe-inducing in retrospect, and makes for troublesome viewing.
The boys create a computer-generated woman, who ironically becomes a mentor as they try to act more mature than they really are. While Weird Science deserves points for subverting expectations, the Sєxism that drives the plot is dated. The implication of underage boys trying to pursue adults is also no longer acceptable, even if it was chuckle-inducing in the ’80s.
American Pie (1999)
Helping to kick off a franchise, 1999’s American Pie was the start of the raunchy comedy trend of the 2000s. It’s all about the awkwardness of Sєxuality, and has a stock-standard plot about dweeby high schoolers trying to lose their virginity. What’s surprising is that the movie almost works, but has toxic elements that have caused it to age poorly.
Beside the one-sided view of its Sєxuality (the emphasis only on male desire), it also features a scene of a girl being filmed without her consent. That casual disregard for women is a disgusting relic, especially since it is played off for laughs and not as an indictment of the male characters who are responsible for her humiliation.
Modern revisits of American Pie mostly result in frustration, because it shows potential as a humorous Sєx comedy with deeper meaning. When compared to brazenly Sєxist films like Porky’s, American Pie is squeaky clean, but it still misses the mark by a wide margin. Cutting a few key moments would have kept the movie from becoming dated.
Waiting (2005)
Waiting was intentionally offensive 20 years ago, but it sadly mixes raunchy humor with jokes that have expired in their cultural relevancy. The movie explores the exploits of wait staff at a crummy restaurant, and features characters opining on their futures. The raunchy bits are an acquired taste, but some moments are impossible to swallow in 2025.
The main character lusts after an underage co-worker, and many of the characters play a game where they expose themselves to unsuspecting victims. While the latter was simply misguided, the former was inappropriate even for 2005. Waiting is a relic of a bygone era, and a key example of how raunchy humor can work and how it can fail too.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Held in high regard by viewers of a certain age, Never Been Kissed is a quintessential movie for older millennials. Drew Barrymore leads the film as a young reporter who must infiltrate a high school to learn about teen culture. It has all the hallmarks of a classic rom-com, but has one very big and glaring problem.
Like most romantic comedies, love gets in the way of the main character’s ambitions. That’s normally fine, but Barrymore’s character falls for a man who believes she is an underage girl. They form a bond, and he is actually upset when he learns the truth. It’s so jarring and unsettling that Never Been Kissed is unwatchable today.
Get Him To The Greek (2010)
Get Him to the Greek was a decent comedy in 2010, but real-life controversy has made it painful to sit through today. The over-the-top romp involves a record company executive who is tasked with getting a belligerent rock star to an important concert date. Made in the Judd Apatow style, the movie had charm and some legitimate laughs.
Get Him to the Greek was a spinoff of Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Serious accusations against star Russell Brand have made his shtick considerably less funny, and co-star Sean Combs is in the same boat. While mostly inoffensive, there is a scene where Combs’ Sergio forces his subordinate into an unwanted Sєxual situation. That’s problematic on its own, but considering Combs has actually been accused of that kind of behavior, it’s stomach-churning.
Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)
For young geeks everywhere, Revenge of the Nerds was a perfect cathartic comedy. It concerns a group of nerds who hit the end of their rope and decide to strike back against the college jocks who are ruining their lives. While most of the film is hilarious, there is one particular moment which is borderline horrific all these years later.
One of the nerds tricks a woman into having Sєx with him by posing as someone else. At the time, it was laughed off as a prank, but it’s now seen as Sєxual ᴀssault. Overall, women being used as pawns in a revenge plot is not funny anymore, and Revenge of the Nerds is best left in the past.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is one of the movies that made Jim Carrey a household name, but it’s far from perfect in retrospect. Carrey plays the тιтular goofball who must recover the beloved mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team after it is kidnapped. The movie’s twist ending is memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
The perpetrator is revealed to be disgruntled former NFL player Ray Finkle, who has spent years posing as Lt. Lois Einhorn, a female police officer. While it’s unclear if Finkle is actually transgender, the movie perpetuates harmful stereotypes about the community. The audience is supposed to find Ace’s disgust humorous, and the finale centers on humiliating them.
Comedy movies act as the gatekeepers of humor, and Ace Ventura implies that trans people are funny and that they deserve derision. While the film tries to obfuscate that fact by never being very clear about Finkle’s idenтιтy, it’s still quite offensive. The ending ruins what is an otherwise hilarious film, and it’s hard to get past the glaring faults.
