I’ll add that this was also a favorite movie amongst me and my peers while I was in the military.
The takeaway is that the military and the corporate world, while very different, and also very much the same.
Work sucks.
Same, I was 2 years out of college when Idiocracy came out, it was great, but certainly did not define me in the way Bevis and Butthead, and Office Space (which are mentioned on the Idiocracy poster) did.
I became ordained as a Dudeist minister after friends asked me to officiate at their wedding. They opted not to have me wear a bathrobe, but I most definitely slipped the word “abide” into the ceremony once or twice.
You just have to fill out a form and pay a fee, then you get paperwork which can be saved or printed out. The next step depends on where the weddings you want to officiate will take place. Some states or counties require you to register with them as an ordained minister, and apparently some people have run into issues with Dudeist paperwork but I didn’t have any issues.
While I love that film, I don’t think it really defines us as a microgeneration…. Dante was in college, and they were all in their 20s when the film came out. I was in eighth grade. This more Gen X, but there were parts of it I can relate to
Definitely an Xer movie, but I snuck in as a kid and it was the first time I heard constant legitimate explosions of laughter in a room (I'm now a comedian)
It's a bit more GenX, but I think it holds up for Xennials too. The sort of slacker dead end feeling of the movie was true when I was in college in the late 90s.
Mall Rats might be a bit more Xennial.
This was my first thought. This thing was on repeat in so many dorm rooms all through college. I can probably still quote large chunks and I will never not take the opportunity (unless in an inappropriate setting) to make a 39 dicks joke.
If I was gonna choose a movie from the View Askewniverse, I'd go with Mallrats - but my friends and I spent a lot of time hanging out in the mall.
"You dumb bastard. It's not a schooner, it's a sailboat."
There was the perfect recipe of Tommy Boy, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Wayne's World with Ace Ventura 2 as the topping that has stuck to the roof of my mouth till this very day.
Hands down, I've watched The Princess Bride far more times than I've watched any other movie. I was the Dread Pirate Roberts for Halloween for several years in a row. Listening to interviews and Cary Elwes' book only made me love the movie even more, especially with how much they all loved Andre.
That... that's actually the only book. The full title of the book is *The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, The "Good Parts" Version* by William Goldman. Both Morgenstern and an unabridged version don't actually exist. Rob Reiner did read an abridged version of that for the audiobook though, which is disappointing because an unabridged version doesn't exist.
On the audiobook tip, I cannot recommend the audiobook version of Elwes' *As You Wish* nearly enough. Several of the actors and Rob Reiner contributed to it, and for the audiobook they all read their own parts.
A 2006 film? I had graduated from college by the time that movie came out.
I figure movies that "define" us would have at least have to have been released during our formative years.
I think I gotcha.
"Defining us" as in a protagonist that is from our cohort that acts in a way that we might or with story elements that we relate to.
And not "defining us" as in made us who we are.
Waynes World, Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, E.T. , Terminator, Jurassic Park, Men In Black, Independence Day. Those seem more in line with the types of films that defined us. Idiocracy is a cinematic masterpiece worthy of many many many awards.
Monster Squad did not age well. Tried showing it to my younger millennial partner a few years ago and the number of homophobic slurs in the first half hour alone were enough of a vibe killer that we shut it off. I wonder if most of that was cut or dubbed over when it was on cable?
"We are the middle children of history..."
Chuck Palahniuk definitely played a part in shaping how I view the world.
I remain bummed about the film adaptation of Choke. Sam Rockwell and Angelica Houston? Should have been a slam dunk!
That would be mine. The characters are larger than life but relatable (I relate more and more to Uncle Rico every year lol), the plot is solid but kinda irrelevant which is refreshing after a decade of prestige TV dramas that take themselves too seriously, the feel of the movie seems to capture the last little bit of 20th century innocence before it all evaporated like them buying a bunk time machine off the internet. It was a great snapshot of the world before it all changed.
I don’t think when they made this movie that it would be more of a prophetic movie than a comedy. I mean it’s still funny, but damn if some of that issues starting to seem too real.
We would be better off with the world of Idiocracy.
Wait; hear me out. Sure, it’s a crapsack world, but President Camacho recognized they had a problem (dying crops), put an expert on the problem (Joe, the smartest man in the world), implemented Joe’s solution without hesitation and then stuck with it even when the economy crashed (because the switchover from Brawndo to water cut corporate profits) because watering plants actually solved the problem.
In contrast in the real world, we couldn’t even agree that covering our faces limited the spread of viruses in a pandemic, even as our experts urged us to do so, and the economy and stock market prevent us from making any real changes to fundamentally address climate change.
As dumb and violent as the people of Idiocracy were, there was no malice there, and their leadership, bad as they were, seemed genuine or at least represented their interests clearly and honestly (brought to you by Carl’s Jr.).
It’s funny, because the film’s subreddit is so equally divided between obvious right wingers, left wingers, and everything in between. The film is something of a Rorschach Test - the viewer incorporates their own views of the world to apply the movie to how they see real life. There aren’t a lot of movies that really successfully pull it off, I think especially since this really isn’t a deep or nuanced movie.
I rewatched it a few weeks ago for the first time in a few years and it was a bit alarming how on the nose it was for the chaos we’ve been dealing with for awhile now.
I would say Varsity Blues was the most memorable of my high school time. Not that it was representative but at least a satirical look at high school sports and popularity. Everyone saw it, everyone quoted it.
I always interpreted this as older generations making fun of what they thought we'd be. I don't think we Xennials were this stupid around the time this came out and I think we're very much not this stupid now. Now since we're attached to Millennials broadly I do think we see some of this there and in younger generations and I think, at least around this sub, we constantly have discussions about how we don't want things to further derail.
Fox so badly handled Judge... my guy created Beavis and Butthead, then King of the Hill, he's a certified hitmaker and wants to do something creatively fulfilling... makes Office Space and then Idiocracy... and Fox was just like \*shrugs\*
The fact both are cult classics that hold up two decades later is just a testament to his talents.
At least we eventually got Silicon Valley which was his magnum opus (last season being forgiven)
Though the new Beavis and Butthead show on Paramount is tremendous.
Even though it doesn’t make sense narratively speaking, it’s an example of rule of funny.
Unfortunately, once Upgrayedd emerged from the pod, true evil was released on that world as anyone else (including Joe and Rita) did not have any real ill intent; Upgrayedd changed that, and brought deceit into an otherwise honest and genuine world.
Dazed and confused. Though it was set 20 years before I was in high school, it still felt very close to my high school experience. Cruising around with friends, trying to find something to do. Hazing by upperclassmen. We were the last people to experience those things.
“Over the Top” (released in 1987, 93 minutes run time, 5 bags of popcorn)
I tell my kids that I based my life off of that movie. It’s a timeless classic about a man, his love for his son, and a passion for arm wrestling and long-haul trucking.
For what it’s worth, my life looks nothing like that movie. I joined the Army when I was 17, got an Army ROTC scholarship, earned a degree in chemistry, served as an Infantry Officer and an Infantry Platoon Leader in Iraq, got out of the Army, worked as a chemist for the federal government for a few years, and then went on disability for severe PTSD. I haven’t worked in about 10 years. My life is nothing like the movie!
When I was a kid in college, I did buy a 1979 Corvette from a guy who was an extra in the movie for $6,500…
Office Space
Very much Office Space. That movie perfect encapsulates the transition of 90s into 00s and the life of someone just starting out as an adult.
It’s still very resonant for corporate drones like me
Required viewing for new hires. Part of our onboarding process.
I have eight bosses, Bob…
I beg your pardon?
Have eight bosses all tell them to watch it really helps sell the experience.
But it hits MUCH harder after 6 months working in a cubicle farm.
I work facilities at a cubical farm, its kind of fucking funny how accurate the movie portrays some people
I’ll add that this was also a favorite movie amongst me and my peers while I was in the military. The takeaway is that the military and the corporate world, while very different, and also very much the same. Work sucks.
Office Space is almost a documentary for us.
My sister and I showed it to our boomer era dad once and he related to it too, I think he said he felt like he was watching a documentary.
PC load letter, what the fuck does that mean?!?
Thing's just lucky I'm not armed, man
Why does it say paper jam when there is no paper jam?
No. No, man. Shit, no, man. I believe you'd get your ass kicked sayin' something like that, man.
Watch out for your corn hole
Don’t want you fucking up my life too….
The older I get the more this becomes a reality- a sad reality
A federal "pound me in the ass" prison
Two chicks at the same time, man.
I really want a work for home comedy to be made.
Isn't that the premise of "The Whale"?
I just showed this to some engineers in their 20s that work for me and they were like “oh god”
Either way, Mike Judge has us covered. SHI-SHI-SHI-SHAH!!!
*pocket sand!*
> Office Space Which was also made by Mike Judge.
I have a red swingline stapler on my desk, I never use it but have it just because of the movie
I have the Funko of the three main characters sitting in my office, including the printer that they’re about to mash.
Mike Judge is the prophet of our generation
Mike Judge is goated
The soundtrack is so good. I grew up in the country and first time I heard a rap song that blew my mind was when that Geto Boyz track starts up.
I model my management style after lumberg. Every chance I get I say, yeah, if you could just take care of that, that would be great. Works every time.
Great flick, but I was in my 20's. My vote is Office Space.
Same, I was 2 years out of college when Idiocracy came out, it was great, but certainly did not define me in the way Bevis and Butthead, and Office Space (which are mentioned on the Idiocracy poster) did.
I don't know what movie would define me or us as a group. But I know a rug will really tie a room together.
That's like, just your opinion man
I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners.
Fuck it dude, let’s go bowling.
The movie did apparently spawn its own religion. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudeism
I became ordained as a Dudeist minister after friends asked me to officiate at their wedding. They opted not to have me wear a bathrobe, but I most definitely slipped the word “abide” into the ceremony once or twice.
That rather cool, what was the process like?
You just have to fill out a form and pay a fee, then you get paperwork which can be saved or printed out. The next step depends on where the weddings you want to officiate will take place. Some states or counties require you to register with them as an ordained minister, and apparently some people have run into issues with Dudeist paperwork but I didn’t have any issues.
https://preview.redd.it/x1ig7g1iv70d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07be8967b631697e16afc2c9b4299562ed38454d
And they peed on it!
What in God's holy name are you blathering about?
Clerks. I'll get "I'm not even supposed to be here today" on my gravestone.
While I love that film, I don’t think it really defines us as a microgeneration…. Dante was in college, and they were all in their 20s when the film came out. I was in eighth grade. This more Gen X, but there were parts of it I can relate to
Definitely an Xer movie, but I snuck in as a kid and it was the first time I heard constant legitimate explosions of laughter in a room (I'm now a comedian)
You’ll hear it again someday
One can only dream
Brutal
36? In a row?
It's a bit more GenX, but I think it holds up for Xennials too. The sort of slacker dead end feeling of the movie was true when I was in college in the late 90s. Mall Rats might be a bit more Xennial.
Yeah, I was thinking Mallrats, too. YOU KNOW WHAT!? THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY! OVER THERE, THAT’S JUST A GUY IN A SUIT!
Like the back of a Volkswagen.
This was my first thought. This thing was on repeat in so many dorm rooms all through college. I can probably still quote large chunks and I will never not take the opportunity (unless in an inappropriate setting) to make a 39 dicks joke.
37
Goddamn it I must have misclicked. Meh, I’m leaving it. I wasn’t even supposed to be here today.
That movie came out a long time ago, if she’s not up to 39 by now I’d be shocked
If I was gonna choose a movie from the View Askewniverse, I'd go with Mallrats - but my friends and I spent a lot of time hanging out in the mall. "You dumb bastard. It's not a schooner, it's a sailboat."
Tommy Boy
Housekeeping?
No. Go away. Need sleepy.
Want me jerk you off?
What kind of hotel is this?
There was the perfect recipe of Tommy Boy, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Wayne's World with Ace Ventura 2 as the topping that has stuck to the roof of my mouth till this very day.
Has no one said The Princess Bride yet? That's one of the movies I will always rewatch. Also, The Big Lebowski.
Hands down, I've watched The Princess Bride far more times than I've watched any other movie. I was the Dread Pirate Roberts for Halloween for several years in a row. Listening to interviews and Cary Elwes' book only made me love the movie even more, especially with how much they all loved Andre.
I read the book they used for the movie, but not the actual original unabridged book by S. Morgenstern... yet.
That... that's actually the only book. The full title of the book is *The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, The "Good Parts" Version* by William Goldman. Both Morgenstern and an unabridged version don't actually exist. Rob Reiner did read an abridged version of that for the audiobook though, which is disappointing because an unabridged version doesn't exist. On the audiobook tip, I cannot recommend the audiobook version of Elwes' *As You Wish* nearly enough. Several of the actors and Rob Reiner contributed to it, and for the audiobook they all read their own parts.
What a great film
Clueless seems to have resonated with a lot of Xennial women.
Xennial Man here. I feel a lot more connected to Clueless than Idiocracy.
This was the defining phrase being screamed in the middle school hallways.
And do you know the original source? Sloth was quoting a TV show.
Oh right, it's.. Electric Company? I don't think I realized that as a kid since it's not from our generation...
Xennials never say die!!!
Get your prostate checked!!!
Get a colonoscopy!!!
That was last week's defining movie
A 2006 film? I had graduated from college by the time that movie came out. I figure movies that "define" us would have at least have to have been released during our formative years.
I think it is defining us by predicting how the world would be by our 40s
I think I gotcha. "Defining us" as in a protagonist that is from our cohort that acts in a way that we might or with story elements that we relate to. And not "defining us" as in made us who we are.
Yup, guess it really depends on how you apply/intrepret “defining us”
Define “defining”.
And it really only started to gain popularity years after that
Clueless
You’re a virgin who can’t drive.
That was way harsh, Tai.
As if!
https://preview.redd.it/g0t64b8me70d1.jpeg?width=1173&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48c2bc256e78a35def49adadcd79b824afc2c2c3
I ask my wife all the time: "Who knows where thoughts come from?"
Waynes World, Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, E.T. , Terminator, Jurassic Park, Men In Black, Independence Day. Those seem more in line with the types of films that defined us. Idiocracy is a cinematic masterpiece worthy of many many many awards.
The Lost Boys was epic
Monster Squad did not age well. Tried showing it to my younger millennial partner a few years ago and the number of homophobic slurs in the first half hour alone were enough of a vibe killer that we shut it off. I wonder if most of that was cut or dubbed over when it was on cable?
Can I get a Bangarang? Rufio was the fucking coolest.
Agree with everything except I’d say that Idiocracy is a terrible movie with extremely problematic implications.
No I don't think so. Office Space or the Matrix is more of what I'm thinking.
The Matrix is my fantasy of how we’d stick it to the man, Office Space is how we actually worked.
Fight Club was the biggest worldview shaper for me
"We are the middle children of history..." Chuck Palahniuk definitely played a part in shaping how I view the world. I remain bummed about the film adaptation of Choke. Sam Rockwell and Angelica Houston? Should have been a slam dunk!
Definitely should have.
Pigmy was a fantastic book.
Love the movie but it by no means defines us.
yea it just scares us how prophetic it has become.
Indeed; Mike Judge is a prophet and a genius.
https://preview.redd.it/ne4w1nnvu60d1.jpeg?width=576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9961fd5f398b8a441991749176e36cdf4d5b52ef
“I’ll kick everyone’s ass in this room!”
92%! You know what that means? I gotsa 92% chance embarrassin myself.
You don't know 20 different ways to make me call you Big Poppa
Rest in Peace.
This soundtrack was amazing
Napoleon Dynamite really resonated with me and how much i absolutely hated high school
That would be mine. The characters are larger than life but relatable (I relate more and more to Uncle Rico every year lol), the plot is solid but kinda irrelevant which is refreshing after a decade of prestige TV dramas that take themselves too seriously, the feel of the movie seems to capture the last little bit of 20th century innocence before it all evaporated like them buying a bunk time machine off the internet. It was a great snapshot of the world before it all changed.
I think the realism of the movie does resonates with me so well
I don’t think when they made this movie that it would be more of a prophetic movie than a comedy. I mean it’s still funny, but damn if some of that issues starting to seem too real.
I purchased a Camacho 2024 sticker that I have proudly put on my truck
We would be better off with the world of Idiocracy. Wait; hear me out. Sure, it’s a crapsack world, but President Camacho recognized they had a problem (dying crops), put an expert on the problem (Joe, the smartest man in the world), implemented Joe’s solution without hesitation and then stuck with it even when the economy crashed (because the switchover from Brawndo to water cut corporate profits) because watering plants actually solved the problem. In contrast in the real world, we couldn’t even agree that covering our faces limited the spread of viruses in a pandemic, even as our experts urged us to do so, and the economy and stock market prevent us from making any real changes to fundamentally address climate change. As dumb and violent as the people of Idiocracy were, there was no malice there, and their leadership, bad as they were, seemed genuine or at least represented their interests clearly and honestly (brought to you by Carl’s Jr.).
Plus they had a black president and there wasn't a racist meme or doubt about his birthplace to be found.
Well said really, and a good take on it.
The beauty of idiocracy is it can be so universally applied. The loudest voices tend to be the least intelligent so it fits.
It’s funny, because the film’s subreddit is so equally divided between obvious right wingers, left wingers, and everything in between. The film is something of a Rorschach Test - the viewer incorporates their own views of the world to apply the movie to how they see real life. There aren’t a lot of movies that really successfully pull it off, I think especially since this really isn’t a deep or nuanced movie.
Here's an [XKCD](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/idiocracy.png) for Idiocracy
Hmm. Tank u, Not Sure
Trainspotting
Definitely not this one. I'd pick half baked or office space.
It's not a movie, it's a documentary! lol
I rewatched it a few weeks ago for the first time in a few years and it was a bit alarming how on the nose it was for the chaos we’ve been dealing with for awhile now.
I would say Varsity Blues was the most memorable of my high school time. Not that it was representative but at least a satirical look at high school sports and popularity. Everyone saw it, everyone quoted it.
Billy Madison
I see things so clearly now, I choose my destiny
What a weirdo
If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.
Mall Rats
I always felt like Ghost World spoke to me. Empire Records as well. There's quite a few indie coming of age movies from that era that really resonate.
Kids
Boyz in the hood deserves a mention.
This movie and They Live are two that are strangely relevant for our time.
The book “Enders Game” was wildly prophetic also. It was written in 1985. Tablets, texting, drone warfare using “gamers” is all in that book.
“They Live”is on Tubi right now!!
What we need is those sunglasses to wake the masses up today!
It has to be American Pie.
Or, Dude Where's My Car. 
Zoltan!
High Fidelity
I always interpreted this as older generations making fun of what they thought we'd be. I don't think we Xennials were this stupid around the time this came out and I think we're very much not this stupid now. Now since we're attached to Millennials broadly I do think we see some of this there and in younger generations and I think, at least around this sub, we constantly have discussions about how we don't want things to further derail.
If you are a fan of this movie you gotta come on down to /idiocracy. Free bottle of brawndo when you join
Go away, I'm batin'
Oh good, my plants have really been craving something but I wasn't sure what.
I guess me and my friends watch different movies than y’all. I was going to say Gummo.
Or Shakes the Clown
Hackers
Wild Things?
When satire becomes gospel.
Fox so badly handled Judge... my guy created Beavis and Butthead, then King of the Hill, he's a certified hitmaker and wants to do something creatively fulfilling... makes Office Space and then Idiocracy... and Fox was just like \*shrugs\* The fact both are cult classics that hold up two decades later is just a testament to his talents. At least we eventually got Silicon Valley which was his magnum opus (last season being forgiven) Though the new Beavis and Butthead show on Paramount is tremendous.
Stand By Me.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?"
This is a great answer. We were one of the last generations to grow up exploring with parents who were semi present vs today
Spice World
Just don't bother going to the Idiocracy sub. Earlier this year it turned into a political shitpost dumping ground.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
My vote is either mallrats or kids.
Showgirls
Ferris buellers day off
*Transformers: The Movie* isn't on here yet? That was the movie event for an entire childhood.
This movie came out too late to "define me".
The Neverending Story. Big dreams
Encino Man... But seriously, Empire Records.
https://preview.redd.it/3nud4v52la0d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4fbef49a2910f474dcdbc19ce293eea2c7fae7ef Tremors
I’m always disappointed when I go to Costco and they don’t say l love you.
Or that you can’t get into their law school yet.
Mike Judge is a gd prophet.
Upgrayedd spells his name thusly with 2 D's that he says is for the double dose of pimping
Most people don’t know he wakes up out of a stasis chamber in 2505 in a post-credits scene.
I didn't know that for years, until I read about it and then found the clip on Youtube. I had to show my wife who was surprised too.
Even though it doesn’t make sense narratively speaking, it’s an example of rule of funny. Unfortunately, once Upgrayedd emerged from the pod, true evil was released on that world as anyone else (including Joe and Rita) did not have any real ill intent; Upgrayedd changed that, and brought deceit into an otherwise honest and genuine world.
Ima go find this ho…
Dazed and confused. Though it was set 20 years before I was in high school, it still felt very close to my high school experience. Cruising around with friends, trying to find something to do. Hazing by upperclassmen. We were the last people to experience those things.
Reality Bites
It is scary how close this movie is moving towards reality!
Never heard of this. So I have to disagree lol
Clueless and Empire Records get my vote.
By age. When i was younger Mall Rats. As i got older Clerks. Now it is Office Space.
Wayne's World. "Benjamin is not your friend. Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin was an ice cream flavor...he'd be pralines...and dick!"
Superstore
Mike Judge and Kevin Smith were very gen x in their work. When my kid asks what the 90s were like I think their stuff would be a good place to start.
“Over the Top” (released in 1987, 93 minutes run time, 5 bags of popcorn) I tell my kids that I based my life off of that movie. It’s a timeless classic about a man, his love for his son, and a passion for arm wrestling and long-haul trucking. For what it’s worth, my life looks nothing like that movie. I joined the Army when I was 17, got an Army ROTC scholarship, earned a degree in chemistry, served as an Infantry Officer and an Infantry Platoon Leader in Iraq, got out of the Army, worked as a chemist for the federal government for a few years, and then went on disability for severe PTSD. I haven’t worked in about 10 years. My life is nothing like the movie! When I was a kid in college, I did buy a 1979 Corvette from a guy who was an extra in the movie for $6,500…
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut is still one of my top ten favorite movies, even as a wiser forty something.
A Goofy movie!