A Laugh From The Past

Credit: Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels

Growing up as a millennial in the early 2000's, I'm glad to have experienced the greatest era of comedy films ever made. Yes, I said it: EVER MADE! I say this for plenty of reasons, which I will elaborate on here. 

During this time - not just in film, but in all aspects of pop culture, such as in television, video games, and music - entertainment had a tendency to push the envelope and evoke a sense of shock for American consumers. My theory is that in the decades prior to the 2000's (specifically in the 80's and 90's) there were many musical artists, television producers, and filmmakers who have, figuratively speaking, walked the plank to controversy. Musical artists such as Judas Priest, Marilyn Manson, NWA, and many others had tested the boundaries of free speech by expressing their distaste for societal norms.

Following this was the creation of television programs in the late 1990's such as South Park, Family Guy, The Sopranos and many others. These would become some of the first shows in history to introduce mature content such as cursing, nudity, and off-color/dark humor.

I'm not implying that all of these components are necessary for great comedy, but the originality and introduction of this never-been-seen-before crudeness characterized some of the greatest comedy films ever made. 

Think about how quotable these films were: "Milk was a bad choice" Anchorman (2004), "We're the three best friends that anybody can have" The Hangover (2009), and "Mom, the meatloaf, F**k!" Wedding Crashers (2004). I don't know if its just in the nature of us millennials to cling onto a funny moment in a film and memorize it to the point where it becomes an inside joke amongst us, or if its something that sticks out about these films that keeps us remembering them for the rest of our lives. All I know is that I've never heard my parents quote the Breakfast Club or Animal House as we do with the films we grew up watching. 

That said, there's one last point that I'd like to make about the comedy films of my generation: this era of comedy fell among the last couple of good years before the wave of political correctness that has plagued our society. For a long while (estimated between around 2013-2020), it was looked down upon to make light of things that highlighted our differences (such as weight, race, gender etc.). This reluctance to break taboos, in my humble opinion, has ruined the fabric of our freedom of expression for a long time. 

In recent years, however, I've noticed that many millennials and zoomers have been opening their eyes to all of this and are taking a stand against it. Now, for better or worse, the pendulum is being swung in the complete opposite direction. This has, in turn, led to the rise of people like Andrew Tate who, in my opinion, are poisoning the minds of young men, leading them to think they have to constantly live in a state of "warrior-mentality," where life can't simply be cherished and enjoyed.   

The 2000's comedy era holds a special place in our hearts, not only because of the jokes and the satire, but because it takes us back to a simpler time in our lives. It serves as an important reminder to all of us that life shouldn't be taken so seriously no matter how hard things get.