Posted in: Movies | Tagged: movies, potts shots, superbad

Potts Shots: Gen Z Vs "Superbad" (2007)

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2019 10:15:41 -0600

Madeline Potts is a certified member of Generation Z and in "Potts Shots" she'll be watching older movies she hasn't seen before. This week? Superbad (2007).

I don't know about you but I periodically will go down an internet rabbit hole and get way too deep, my current obsession: these videos of actors recounting their most iconic character's so far. My favorite being Seth Rogen's. But here's the thing, as I was watching I suddenly realized that I had never watched what is considered to be his most iconic movie, Superbad.

Yes, Superbad. The Mclovin', coming-of-age, masterpiece.

I know, I know, it's like a sin to not have watched this cult classic but again this series is teaching me, more than anyone, that I haven't watched that many "classic" movies. What can I say: I was a rom-com, Harry Potter, Twilight kinda girl growing up.

So I sat down and watched Superbad on Netflix for the first time.

The comedy was exactly what you would expect of and love about a Rogen movie: crude and filthy. But in between scenes of porn watching, excessive profanity, and stupidity, there was a real heart to the movie. Two best friends who are practically brothers have to deal with the idea that they will no longer be together every day when they go their separate ways for college. So as one does when they don't want to show their true feelings to their best friend: they act out. The main character Seth spends a lot of time trying to create the "best night ever" with his best friend Evan and their friend Fogell. He wants them to get trashed and lose their V cards to the hottest girls in school, but in a Seth Rogen movie twist, lots of shenanigans ensue. From two not so smart cops taking McLovin' on a joy ride, to Seth and Evan crashing a college party and getting kicked out. At the height of the movie Seth and Evan get in a fight and eventually makeup with a sweet moment where they admit how important their friendship is to each other.

Above anything else, in Superbad, the thing that surprised me the most was the subtle feminism the boys displayed. Yes, there was a lot of objectification from porn to lude gestures made towards a woman, but what can you expect from a teenage boy? What surprised me is that throughout the entire story Seth keeps discussing how he is going to get his crush Jules drunk so that he can get into her pants. His friend Evan, however, immediately calls him out every time and tells him that he can't do that because she's too drunk to consent. When the time comes for Evan he refuses to have sex with his crush because she's too wasted. Seth learns his lesson when he goes to kiss his crush and finds out that she doesn't drink and isn't going to consent.

Seeing consent and dubious consent being discussed (along with condoms) in a comedy like this was so refreshing. It was also so refreshing to see two teenage male characters admitting their "friend feelings" for each other. As for the humor: I loved it, it was smart and original without being too much. The story didn't rely on slapstick moments as much as it relied on its characters and their intense personalities clashing together.

So would I watch Superbad again? 100% yes.

What is your favorite Seth Rogen movie? Let me know in the comments.

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