Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the worst film ever made

This film is about a character who never takes nor is forced to take responsibility for his actions. It is about a character who gets away with things he knows he shouldn’t but does them anyway, and we are supposed to applaud him for his cunning and ingenuity in doing these things. In fact we are supposed to root for a character who has no discernable morality, except one of imposed sense of entitlement that makes every character who stands in his way of having a good time an asshole, an effete, or a poor person. And we are supposed to forgive his lying, betrayals, and all other sorts of bad behavior because he is likable. He has a smile. And the film seems to support his behavior by suggesting that the nicest character who is opposed to him should ignore the fact that he gets away with it because it shouldn’t be her concern. And the audience is supposed to be envious. The audience is supposed to want to do what he does, and get away with things the way he does?

This film is celebrated as a classic, but (in essence) it supports all the things that have come to be harmful to the world, because it suggests “victimless crimes” are okay because no one gets hurt. FERRIS BUELLER should have been president of Enron. Bueller is not one pulling one over on “the man.” He is a member of the bourgeois, or at least the upper middle class. Obviously. He is a child of privilege who has more than most, wants more than most, and feels he deserves more than most.

Discuss, or defend.

Are the worst films in the world the ones that are inept, or the ones that foster inane and wrong ideologies and support morally bankrupt characters who were supposed to applaud in their actions? Which is, for me why films like Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump and this are inherently evil and awful. They're ideologically evil.

The idea of excusing a film with no sense of morality becuase it's fun is ludicrous, though I'd be lying if I didn't expect that response. When I saw Catwoman a woman said you should turn your brain off watching films like it. I don't turn my brain off, ever. I recommend most people do the same. That's not to say I can't enjoy a film that isn't Bergman, I just don't enjoy being offended by awfulness for the sake of itself.

And an undeserved sense of entitlement is, arguably, what leads people to take advantage of others for purpose of monetary gain. Bueller is a sociopath. Though he isn't to the level of Enron yet, it would be the next step as the son who gets in through his college connections, and has no sense of empathy except for people who are willing to get ahead.

I do agree that Election plays as a semi-sequel, and I like that about Election.

Joey: "I thought it was a film about some kid taking a day off?"

Nine times. The implication is he's done this eight times previous and is trying to change the school records so he can do it again.

Joey: "Haven't met many teenagers, have you? It's a real life thing. The average person as a teeneger loved getting away with things they shouldn't. It's a good plot device."

If one continues your argument, celebrating getting away with things one shouldn't is probably not a good idea. Bueller is a corrupting force in the film. He encourages others to ignore their responsibilties. How is this a good thing? Because of self-created rules of youth?

In response to : "...except one of imposed sense of entitlement that makes every character who stands in his way of having a good time an asshole, an effete, or a poor person."

Joey: "Such language... Oh, was he trying to say that the Ferris Beuller character was of poor moral judgement?"

I'm suggesting that there is no sense of getting one over on "the man," which is generally the reason why stories like this exist. Bueller is a "the man" in training, which makes his acts all the more reprehensible. Bueller is not acting out any form of protestation or sabotague, he simply does it because it suits him. Why are we supposed to applaud his swindling of someone else's reservation? Because A) it's unlikely he's named Abe Froman therefore making his scheme absurd, and B) the desk guy acts like an asshole. But it's not Ferris's reservation. It's not his to take. Yet we are supposed to applaud anyway.

Again, it's the whole argument of flexible morality that this film prescribes to. There's right and wrong, but if the gray is gray enough, it doesn't matter to Ferris. That is the moral code set up by this film. But isn't that simply self justification for "victimless crimes?"

In response to : "And we are supposed to forgive his lying, betrayals, and all other sorts of bad behavior because he is likable"

Joey: Well, I never really watched the movie as an in depth study of moral decay and life as you apparently did, but yes, I guess you are correct. A little extreme, but correct according to the letter of your law.

Here is the obvious response: Look at our current president. Heck, one could lob the same critiques at Clinton if one was disposed. In a culture with a cult of personality, shouldn't we listen instead of look at the smile and the swagger? It seems a lot has been pulled over on the American public because of Ferris Buellers.

Joey: My goodness. It is celebrated as a classic because most peopel who watch it relax thier spincter muscles and get a laugh or two out of it. If watching this movie made you want to go out and commit some crime, you should stay away from any movie not rated G and check yourself into the psychiatric ward!

The fun defense is bullshit. There are plenty of "fun" movies. I understand fun, but this is a film about saying "there are rules that don't have to obeyed every day, and if you break the rules (which no one really cares about) you'll have a great time." I think we've all taken "sick days" that were excuses to A)Not work, B) play catch up with other things while we were not sick. Sure. But with Ferris everything goes back to the "nine times" part. He does this all the time. He'd like to do it more. Skipping school for Ferris is a lifestyle choice, one that is meant to be celebrated. The guy who gets away with it. Why shouldn't Ferris learn consequences? Because it ruins the fun? Ferris says he wants to go to school, and yet, it's the most unbelieveable line in the film.

Joey: Wow. I feel the hate. IF ferris bueller were a real person and not a fictional character, he would have probably made a great CEO. If you mean that he would be crooked and steal large amounts of money from innocent peopel, remember that the character did have a conscience. Borrowing a ferrari to loosen up your best friend is a far cry from embezzlement.

Ferris Bueller celebrates a sociopath. It's an unironic American Psycho without murder. Or that is to say, this sort of personality is what that other film and its source book are commenting on. But most people see the fun and applaud it. But this sort of "no one gets hurt" mentality is surely applicable to a lot of white collar crime.

In response to: "He is a member of the bourgeois, or at least the upper middle class. Obviously. He is a child of privilege who has more than most, wants more than most, and feels he deserves more than most. "

Joey: Umm.. when i was little, we still had the 'communist threat'. You sound like some of the more radical red flag wavers there were back then. Again, we are talking about a FICTIONAL CHARACTER here. I think yo uare taking this movie (and possibly life as a whole) way too seriously."

If Ferris Bueller was a character not of privilege and got to experience privilege for a day, that might be something. Celebrating a spoiled character who gets away with it because society lets him is just gross. Everything he does he could do at any other time. He is already privileged and wants more privilege. That is why the film is morally wrong.

Rottenjesussaid : "There's a reason that the film is lauded as an 80s classic, it's FUN.

Apparently your sense of fun died a long time ago."

Joey said: Amen, brother.

FUN is not a defense, it's an excuse not to think.

Joey: P.S. Andre tries to come off sounding like a holier than thou activist, anyone notice his sig and tag line? Yeah, the pillar of a moral society he is!

When you attack the arguer and not the argument, you've already lost the debate. How does my moral place in society reflect on what Ferris Bueller's Day Off stands for?