Gen Z is watching “American Pie” for the first time—and they have concerns.
The movie, released in 1999, became a hit comedy and led to four sequels. Together, the franchise made $990 million worldwide on a budget of just $147 million.
While the film is known for its crude humor, many younger viewers believe it wouldn’t be accepted today.
Some people online disagree with Gen Z’s views. One person commented, “I find ‘woke teens’ extremely problematic.” Another wrote, “If I don’t like a movie, I just don’t watch it. Other people enjoy it, so get over it.”
A third supporter of the movie added, “Who cares if they’re offended? It’s a classic and hilarious!”
The film has faced criticism before. Shannon Elizabeth, who played the exchange student Nadia, spoke about a scene where her character is secretly filmed while changing. Jim (Jason Biggs) and his friends watch without her knowledge.
The situation gets worse when the video is accidentally shared with their entire school. Instead of facing consequences, the boys continue their lives, while Nadia is sent back to the Czech Republic.
Looking back, Elizabeth admitted the scene would be viewed differently today. She told Page Six, “If this came out after #MeToo, it would have been a big problem.”
She also shared that filming the scene was uncomfortable since she was new to acting. “It was a closed set, just me and the boom guy,” she recalled. “I tried to joke with the directors to ease the tension.”
Seann William Scott, who played Stifler, thinks not. He told Jake’s Takes, “If you did some of those things in real life, you’d get arrested.”
Scott believes modern audiences prefer smart and witty humor over crude jokes. He added, “I don’t think movies like this would work now.”
A 2020 experiment by Vice asked 16- to 19-year-olds about nostalgic movies like “American Pie.” Their responses show how views have changed.
Taylor, 16, said, “I don’t know if this was realistic back then, but today, men treat women with more respect.”
Olivia, 18, had a stronger opinion: “It promotes bad behavior. A teenage boy watching this might think he can act however he wants toward women.”
Hannah, 17, focused on the secret filming scene: “This is a huge violation of privacy. The movie treats it like a joke, but it’s not. A teen movie today wouldn’t include this.”
While “American Pie” remains a classic, the way audiences view its humor has changed. Would a film like this be made today? Probably not.