11 Unapologetic '80s Comedies That Ignore Whether You'll Be Offended (and One That Actually Cares)

      These ’80s comedies were created at a time when audiences had a greater tolerance for edgy jokes.

      Eleven of them show no remorse — though the last one does, somewhat.

      Porky’s (1981)

      Credit: 20th Century Fox

      It continues to amuse us that Bob Clark, the acclaimed director of Porky’s, also directed A Christmas Story. (He also made the horror film Black Christmas and the children’s movie Baby Geniuses. What a diverse portfolio!)

      Porky’s is among those ’80s comedies that kids were usually shielded from, which makes sense in hindsight: Although marketed as a raucous comedy, it contains awkward humiliations often of a sexual nature, including a peeping scene that clearly does not align with today’s standards of consent.

      Yet, in the spirit of A Christmas Story, Bob Clark didn’t hold back.

      Additionally: We completely forgot that Kim Cattrall (above) is in it. Crazy.

      Trading Places (1983)

      Credit: Paramount

      At one point, Dan Aykroyd dons a disguise as a Jamaican. That’s not ideal. Some have also criticized the sequence where a gorilla takes a villain as a mate. Perhaps that’s not so humorous when viewed through a modern lens.

      However, other aspects of Trading Places are exceptional, including the film’s clever exploration of nature versus nurture and insightful commentary on societal assumptions regarding who is worthy of wealth.

      We appreciate its contemporary twist on the screwball comedies from the 1930s, and Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Lee Curtis all deliver outstanding performances. It remains one of our favorite comedies from the ’80s.

      Better Off Dead (1985)

      Credit: Warner Bros.

      John Cusack stars as Lane Meyer, a teenager who repeatedly tries to end his life after being dumped by his girlfriend, Beth Truss (Amanda Wyss), for the arrogant blonde Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier).

      This entire storyline wouldn’t be acceptable today, nor would the slapstick humor surrounding a teenage boy’s suicidal attempts. Nevertheless, the film is such a brilliantly absurd comedy that no rational person could take it seriously.

      As with many films from that era, it includes some questionable Asian characters; however, at least they excel in racing and have girlfriends. By high school standards, they seem much cooler than the unfortunate Lane.

      Additionally, Diane Franklin (above, with Cusack) excels as Monique, a noticeably intelligent, competent, and appealing dream girl. So there’s that. This is another of our beloved ’80s comedies.

      The Man With Two Brains (1983)

      Credit: Warner Bros.

      The premise of this dark screwball comedy may strike some as slightly misogynistic: Steve Martin portrays a quirky neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr, who falls for femme fatale Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner) but grows resentful when she refuses to consummate their marriage.

      At the same time, he develops affection for a disembodied brain, Anne (voiced by Sissy Spacek), and searches for a suitable body for her. Along the way, he wishes one attractive woman would perish and considers killing another. It all culminates in a joke aimed at compulsive eaters.

      While it may not reach the heights of The Jerk, a previous collaboration between Steve Martin and director Carl Reiner, it does contain some genuinely funny moments.

      Heathers (1988)

      Credit: New World Pictures

      Heathers stands out as the darkest of ’80s comedies, embodying the fatalistic attitude of Generation X. Written by Daniel Waters, it serves as a counterpoint to the generally lighter John Hughes films of the time.

      The film features Christian Slater as a charmingly unhinged teen who involves popular girl Veronica in his scheme to eliminate prominent students, staging the deaths to appear as suicides — utilizing devious props like mineral water to enhance the crime scenes’ credibility.

      Keep in mind, this was the ’80s, when the notion of lethal suburban high school students seemed absurdly funny.

      A recent attempt to adapt Heathers into a TV series faced delays and cancellation due to various incidents of real-life school violence, rendering the premise decidedly unamusing to contemporary viewers.

      Coming to America (1988)

      Credit: Paramount

      Coming to America, a brilliantly outrageous film, has the potential to offend nearly everyone as it targets nearly every demographic while still respecting various hustles. Eddie Murphy utilizes Richard Pryor’s technique of portraying multiple characters within the same scene, brilliantly enhanced by makeup.

      The film contains numerous jokes that modern audiences may find shocking, but they were equally startling when it premiered. Eddie Murphy and his team were unapologetic, aiming for hearty laughs, and they achieved that.

      Airplane (1980)

      Credit: Paramount

      Coming to America features an array of offensive humor that can irritate almost anyone, as it pokes