The 1980s, Hollywood and the Rambo-ization of American Youth: Taps

Unlike "Stripes" which approached things with humour, the late 1981 film "Taps" did so more seriously. The movie is about long standing military school which faces closure and that closure becomes more definite when a local boy is accidentally shot and killed in a fight between students at the school and some local townspeople. Of course, the townspeople are all a bunch of long haired drunken yobs. The students decide that they don't want to lose their beloved school so, they take up arms to defend it. Thus starts a long siege with the state police and then the national guard before it all comes to bloody end.

"Taps" deals with two main topics. From the point of view of the students, they believe in old fashioned traits like duty, honour and country. They see themselves as noble people with an honouralbe cause. However, their sense of honour is truly tested and strained throughout the film. Furthermore, they are further skewed by the view of the peace loving civilians who care little for the noble traits the students have. To them, the students are all brainwashed radical warmongers. What I did like about the film, though the point of this is not to rate it, is how the colonel of the national guard points out that the value system of the students is off base. That a true soldier wants to live and not die for their cause.

While the film comes to a bloody end, it's not full of action packed combat scenes. In fact, the film was slated by critics for having the siege drag on a bit too long. What "Taps" is trying to ram home is that American values like duty, honour, courage and loyalty to one's country aren't something that should go away. It does a good job of building sympathy towards those serving in uniform and serving isn't something bad. That was exactly what the purpose of the film was.

The 1980s: Hollywood and the Rambo-ization of American Youth- Stripes

It may seem odd that the first film I would choose in my look at the Rambo-ization of American youth in the 1980s would be the comedy spoof "Stripes." For those who have never seen this 1981 comedy classic, it stars Bill Murray as the bumbling John Winger who joins the army because he has no other alternatives in life. As soon as he joins, he finds that his antics cause him to fall foul of old time army drill sergeant Sgt. Hulka leading to some hilarious confrontations and mishaps. After comically saving his platoon at basic training graduation, they are all posted to Europe to train with the army's latest combat vehicle, the M150. After Winger and his friend take the vehicle to Germany to spend a romantic weekend with two female MPs, the rest of the platoon, led by the incompetent Captain Stillman, go off to find them and bring them back. The Captain gets lost and they end up in Czechoslovakia and are captured by the Russians. When Murray, his friend and the two ladies discover this, they take the vehicle with all its new weapons and rescue their comrades, which they do and return home as heroes. It is all very comically well done and there are laughs galore throughout the entire film. One of the most famous parts is when Murray responds to a question asked by a general with "That's the fact, Jack!"

Films like "Stripes" prove that Americans have a fantastic sense of humour. Nothing is more funnier than watching watching Bill Murray and pals bumble their way through the film and very comically defeat those nasty Russians. Especially as no one actually gets killed in the film. I have watched this film many times and I still laugh just as loudly as when I saw it for the very first time.

Those of you who have seen "Stripes" maybe asking how a film like this could like this could Rambo-ize youth. The answer is that standing alone, the film doesn't. It's actually quite harmless taken in context. However, many people the world over like to approach things with a bit of humour. Sure, we all laughed through the film and despite what I am writing here will do so should I see it again. The film is quite harmless in a war sense but since the film approaches things with humour, it formed a base for future films when they would become much more serious. What better way to get American youth to think in a more militaristic way than by laughing at the antics of comedy hero Bill Murray while he serves his country and becomes a hero.

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