Gen Z reacts to watching “American Pie” for the first time and finds issues with its content.
Released in 1999, American Pie quickly became a hit comedy, leading to four sequels. Together, the franchise earned $990 million globally on a modest budget of $147 million.
While many still enjoy its crude humor, Gen Z believes the movie would not hold up in today’s society.
Some online critics have dismissed these opinions, with one person saying, “That’s funny. I find ‘woke teens’ extremely problematic.” Another added, “If I don’t like something on TV or a movie, I just don’t watch it. There are millions of other people who enjoy it.”
Despite these views, many of American Pie‘s controversial moments have been questioned before.
One notable scene is when Jim (played by Jason Biggs) secretly films Nadia, the exchange student played by Shannon Elizabeth. The footage is accidentally sent to their entire school, violating Nadia’s privacy. In the movie, Nadia is deported, but the boys face no consequences.
Reflecting on the scene, Shannon Elizabeth told Page Six, “If this came out after the #MeToo movement, it would have been a problem.” She also shared how filming it was uncomfortable, being new to the industry. “It was a closed set with just me and the boom guy. I tried to make light of it to ease the nerves.”
Seann William Scott, who played Stifler, also acknowledged that American Pie wouldn’t work today. He told Jake’s Takes, “You could never make this movie now. Some jokes would get you arrested.” He added that broader comedies like this are no longer popular, as people prefer “witty, smart humor.”
Gen Z’s response to American Pie aligns with these reflections. In a 2020 Vice experiment, teens aged 16 to 19 critiqued the movie. Taylor, 16, said, “I don’t know if it was realistic then, but men now treat women with more respect.” Olivia, 18, called it “borderline incel attitudes.”
Hannah, 17, pointed out the scene with Nadia, saying, “It’s a huge violation of privacy. There’s no way a teen film would allow this today.”