Ski School (1991): Re-living the old fraternity days

Not all sports movies of the 80s era focused on the actual sport the movie is based on; Ski School epitomizes this truth.“ Skiing is partying, and partying is skiing.” I could stop after this quote, but there is so much juicy goodness to explore in this film. On the surface this movie seems like a poor attempt to recreate Animal House, only a decade later and in a different context. I was first attracted to this movie because of the outrageous pastels and neons. Any movie with full pastel jumpsuits, pink Oakley goggles, and neon yellow hats is enough for me. The movie is full of sex, drinking and debauchery. Girls, you would have to take this movie with a grain of salt because of the extreme objectification of women. It is definitely not for everyone, but there is a great deal of meaning to a shift in attitude coming into the early 90s (the film is technically 1991).Throughout the 1980s, status and wealth might as well have been the only characteristics that mattered. However, in the late 1980s and early 90s, not taking life too seriously and goofing off became a recurring theme.

Does this look like fun?

Ski School is farfetched, but it does give rise to a new set of ideals of what qualities are attractive of men. The protagonists should seem like total losers by yuppie standards in the mid 80s (not particularly attractive, no ambition, do not care about status), but they are the ones who are with all of the girls. Section 1 represent the dying yuppie breed, who assume that since they are in the first section, that is all they need to get girls. While section 8 is in a hot tub full of girls, we see section 1 alone with each other in a hot tub. Even though they are with a bunch of dudes, they still seem to believe they are above everyone else. “Because who we are, the best, that’s what makes us attractive.” Here is the demise of status and wealth in society, and a greater shift to personality. I can say with great confidence that there are probably no more than one thousand people in the country that have not only stuck through this whole movie, but also analyzed it to the point of being able to get a point out of it. The pastels, partying, sex, and lack of motivation dampen the focus on a shift in times. Think of Zac Morris, a poster boy for late 1980s and early 90s. The characteristics in ski School run parallel to that of Zac Morris, but with an R rating. I think to look over this part of culture for teens and college students would be ignorant. Personally, I enjoyed this movie for what it was: one big fraternity party that did not try to be anything more than a representation of an attitude at a certain time.