Watching films from the 1980s is like opening a time capsule. They were bright, over-the-top, and full of heart, often defining our understanding of the world, love, adventure, and friendship. Some of them are so iconic that we’re blind to their obvious clichés and dated quirks. Whether they made us laugh, cry, or cringe a bit upon retrospect, those tropes are all part of their time. Many wouldn’t meet today’s standards of sensitivity or polish, yet they carried a certain rough charm that made them hard to dislike. Here are some movie tropes that seemed totally fine in the ’80s but would likely raise a few eyebrows today.
#1: The Nerd-to-Hottie Makeover
One of the best and most ridiculous tropes of 80s movies has to be the nerd-to-hottie makeover. We’ve all seen it: Just a ponytail cut off and a new pair of contacts put in, and voila: You transform into the most popular kid at school. So many classic 80s and 90s movies have perpetuated this silly trope as viewers root for an improbable hero or heroine to transform into someone else entirely. What kind of message was it teaching us?
