Did you know there are some current issues raised in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? It is that time of year again. The same old movies we watch year in, year out. Chevy Chase's timeless Christmas Vacation movie is an all time favourite and no doubt so popular because it showcases both the good and bad sides of Christmas. The stress, the visitors, the family fights.
Although now decades old, that film remains a classic because it taps into familiar stereotypes. Clark is frustrated, both with not receiving a raise and struggling to make the Christmas lights work. The turkey is a failure. Cousin Eddie blocks their sewage system (the shitter was full). There are so many amusing moments. But are there current issues raised in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
Chevy Chase was a hero of comedy in the 1980s. There was something quite funny and relatable about him. Comedy has also changed since then. Would they make a family Christmas movie featuring a married man fantasising about a new pool while imagining a hot girl in a bikini in his backyard these days? In light of the Weinstein scandal, the tensions between men and women have been re-examined. Can you be a feminist and still laugh at men ogling women? Can you be a feminist who wants men to ogle them? Does ogling require consent? Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation is dated now and the world has changed.
When Carrie Fisher died recently, Chevy's former costar Steve Martin Tweeted about his first impression of Fisher was her beauty only to find out later she was also funny and bright as well. Martin was attacked for this comment.
Does feminism mean we can't say what our first impressions of someone are anymore? Is calling someone beautiful sexist? The world has changed for the good in many ways, but we are also living in an age where people are hyper-sensitive. Is Clark Griswold a misogynist by today's standards? Probably.