Iconic Scenes with Conservative Biases

5 Tropes 5 Movies
Table Of Contents

Conservative Trope Examples

  • There's Something About Mary (1998)
    Mary (Cameron Diaz) greets Ted (Ben Stiller) at his door and sees "hair gel" hanging from his ear. She apparently needs some so she grabs it from him and puts it in her hair with disastrous results not realizing it is obviously *NOT* hair gel.
    Staff Aside
    A very funny iconic scene, but Cameron Diaz is the butt of the joke. And we can't think or a similar type joke they'd do with roles reversed.
  • Wall Street (1987)
    In Gordon Gekko's (Michael Douglas) iconic "Greed is Good" speech, he argues that "greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind." He also blames the troubles for Teldar Paper on bloated, bureaucratic executives.
    Staff Aside
    The "Greed is Good" speech has been a rallying cry for those against railing in some of the excesses of Wall Street. The speech is given in a way that defends greed by associating greed for money with positive things to be "greedy" for such as life, love & knowledge and also criticizing "bad people with money" which is the vice presidents at Teldar Paper. It is not satire and helps give cover to people fairly accused of being greedy.
  • Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
    Monotone voiced teacher Ben Stein calls out Bueller three times while the students look completely and utterly bored. Later, he bores the students more with a quirky lecture style, "In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone?... the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work."
    Staff Aside
    It's an iconic funny scene. Which also perpetuates an anti-teacher, anti-intellectual mindset through comedy. We all know it's a joke but some students may use this as an excuse to mock teachers rather than learn. Conservatives benefit from a less educated voter base. The smarter they are the less likely they'll vote for today's Republican party.
  • Top Gun (1986)
    Maverick (Tom Cruise) makes a bet with his best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards) about whether he can have "carnal knowledge" of a woman at a bar. He and Goose do their routine and Maverick sings "You've Lost That Love & Feeling" to Charlie (Kelly McGillis) as his fellow pilots join in. She declines his invitation to join him and goes to her date's table instead. Undeterred, Maverick follows her into the women's restroom to try again to get her to go out with him. He "crashes and burns" but eventually his over pursuing works and they start a relationship.
    Staff Aside
    Imagine how many times women had to put up with overly aggressive men who won't take no for an answer after having this iconic scene eventually pay off for Maverick in Top Gun. Or guys making bets about having sex -- oops I mean *carnal knowledge" -- with a woman you meet at a bar. Picture this same scene replacing 'carnal knowledge' with 'sex' and it becomes awkward and weird.
    Other Tropes: Women Attracted to "Bad Boys" | Overly Aggressive Pursuit of Women Works | Men Pursuing Women Despite Known Relationships
  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
    Brad (Judge Reinhold) imagines Linda (Phoebe Cates) taking off her red bikini top and kissing him as "Moving in Stereo" by the Cars plays in the background.