National Lampoon's Pledge This! - NR
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this film treats everyone in it in a derogatory fashion. There's the Indian girl who's nicknamed "Poopoo," the horrendous stereotype of the Mexican rental agent, the drag queen geisha who's the main character's inexplicable sidekick, the promiscuous gay men, and the self-loathing fat girls. Kathy cheats on her husband, who cheated on her, and boys are depicted as mindless horndogs who are incapable of real relationships. The movie's crude sexuality -- stripteases for teachers, sex toys, dog gags, orgies, threesomes in bathroom stalls, etc., -- leads us to give it an "off" rating, even for 17+, because it's marketed to a younger audience drawn to tabloid queen Paris Hilton.
Families can talk about how girls police one another based on money, body size, race, and sexuality. Do these differences tell you anything about who the person is? Have you ever shied away from talking to someone because they were different from you? Have you ever gossiped about a girl because she didn't fit the stereotype of the tall, beautiful, blond, rich girl? Does the movie teach any good lessons at all (even indirectly) about judging others?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heather Boerner
If anyone was wondering whether class divisions are still alive and well, look no further than NATIONAL LAMPOON'S PLEDGE THIS! for definitive proof. This sorry, mean-spirited, predictable sex comedy categorizes every girl as either a nice butt, thin abs, or a disgrace for being fat. It does nothing to help girls like themselves and only promotes Paris Hilton's inexplicable celebrity.
Victoria English (Hilton) is the self-appointed queen bee of South Beach University and the president of the elite sorority Gamma Gamma. "Every year, school begins when I step out of my limo and see my shadow -- except I can't see it because I'm so thin." That's one of the opening lines of the film. And it gets worse from there.
In the hunt to win the somehow-coveted title of hottest sorority in the country from FHM magazine, Victoria realizes that she must have some "diversification" in the sorority -- you know, ugly girls. (Though they don't say it explicitly, Gamma Gamma is also one of those sororities where everyone is rich, white, and blond.)
In a bid to win the title, Victoria allows a gaggle of outcasts and losers to pledge the sorority. She also makes them eat their food from dog bowls and find 50 used condoms on the grounds of the university. Will it be enough to get her the cover of the magazine? And how long will the girls take the abuse?
National Lampoon is famous for its frat boy spoofs. Insofar as the film aims to be a satire of the Mean Girls and American Pie genre, it's successful, making explicit the implicit social rules of the teen world. It's not enough that the girls are thin, beautiful, and willing to act slavishly toward Victoria. They also have to be millionaires. Add to that the film's attitude that girls are nothing but "fresh poontang" for college boys, and you have plenty of reasons to keep teens away.
Maybe Pledge This! is trying to be a female Revenge of the Nerds, but not only is it not smart enough -- believe it or not -- but it's just plain not funny enough. There's nothing to recommend in this hastily slapped-together, cheaply shot film.
Better, smarter teen choices include Mean Girls, Bring It On, Never Been Kissed, and Sixteen Candles.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentEverything horrible you would expect. Lots of naked breasts -- including one shot of breasts scarred by implant cuts. Talk about "gangbangs," "rim jobs," and the size of boys' penises. A girl finds a vibrator and is shoved into a closet to use it for the first time. There's a threesome in a bathroom stall. Victoria has her dog lick her boyfriend's penis. There's an orgy, sucking of toes, and Victoria does a stripper dance for her teacher in the middle of class. There are also scenes of girls kissing each other and lesbians preying on straight girls. |
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LanguageLots of crude language, including "hell," "jackass," "c--k," "bitch," "s--t," "ho," "dickless wonder," "f--k," and "bulls--t." |
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Social BehaviorLots of stereotyping of an East Indian girl, Mexicans, the Japanese, fat girls, and homosexuals. A father feels up his daughter's friend. Victoria is vicious and humiliates the girls because she can. She treats everyone horribly and expects them to kowtow to her. |
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CommercialismThe film is practically a commercial for Paris Hilton's inexplicable career. Other products are also named, including FHM magazine, NetZero, Apple computers, and Classmates.com. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoKathy is constantly drinking and asks her roommate where she can get illicit drugs. Dax takes Ecstacy before trying to have sex with a girl. |
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