special guest curator, Sara Bynoe
25 years ago I made a website with my brother: TeenAngstPoetry.com. I created and found the content and he made the code and design. My dream was to have an online archive of funny, bad, and cringeworthy poetry from people’s teen years. I thought it was silly and hilarious. I also wrote a lot of bad poetry during adolescence and I had to do something with it, right?
To launch that website I had an event where I got a bunch of people together to read from our teenage poetry books and diaries. That night we laughed so hard that some people literally peed themselves.
Ever since then I’ve been hosting “Teen Angst Nights” where people read from their teenage notebooks – not just old poetry. There are 3 rules for the show: 1 – You must have written what you share. 2 – It must have been created by you between the ages of 10-19 years old. 3 – You cannot be proud of what you share. It should be embarrassing. It’s a comedy night, afterall.
For the East Van Vodville, I have collected a bunch of retro TV and movie clips that feel teen angsty to me. Me, an elder millennial. So enjoy the nostalgia, Gen X’ers and Millennials! Gen Z and Alpha, gaze upon a world pre iPhones.
If Teen Angst Night has taught me anything it’s that these feelings of despair, loneliness, hurt, and “no one understands my pain” are universal, it’s just the pop culture references that change.
- Sara Bynoe
10 Things I Hate About You 1999
It’s Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew but set in the late 90s. In this clip, Kat reads a poem to the class.
Directed by: Gil Junger Written by: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith Edited by: O. Nicholas Brown
Anne of Green Gables 1985
It’s the 1880s in PEI; Anne is an orphan with red hair and Gilbert, a boy in her class, called her “carrots” and hurt her feelings.
Directed by: Kevin Sullivan Written by: Kevin Sullivan, Joe Wiesenfeld Edited by: James Lahti, Mairin Wilkinson
Bend It Like Beckham 1985
A young football (better known as soccer in Canada) player is a girl and her family disapproves, until her father speaks up for her.
Directed by: Gurinder Chadha Written by: Gurinder Chadha, Guljit Bindra, Paul Mayeda Berges Edited by: Justin Krish
Booksmart 2019
This is the only modern movie on this list. It’s a great film about teenagers, so I had to include it. In this scene a girl overhears people talking about her in the bathroom.
Directed by: Olivia Wilde Written by: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman Edited by: Jamie Gross, Brent White
But I’m a Cheerleader 1999
This is a legendary satiric coming-of-age movie about queer kids. In this scene a cheerleader arrives at “True-directions” and is confronted about her feelings for other girls.
Directed by: Jamie Babbit Written by: Brian Peterson. Jamie Babbit Edited by: Cecily Rhett
Can’t Hardly Wait 1998
Two high school students from different cliques find themselves locked in a bathroom during a high school house party.
Directed by: Harry Elfont; Deborah Kaplan Written by: Deborah Kaplan; Harry Elfont
Clueless 1995
This is the best movie of all time. You should watch the whole thing. In this scene Cher, the lead of the movie, has to do a high school debate.
Directed by: Amy Heckerling Written by: Amy Heckerling Edited by: Debra Chiate
Dazed and Confused 1993
It’s 1976 and junior high kids are being hazed by senior high school students. Side note: If Dazed and Confused were made today, it would be set in 2008.
Directed by: Richard Linklater Written by: Richard Linklater Edited by: Sandra Adair
Dead Poets Society 1989
A teacher makes a student write a poem.
Directed by: Peter Weir Written by: Tom Schulman Edited by: William M. Anderson
School’s Out! (Degrassi) 1992 – (after 8pm only)
If there’s one scene people I know still talk about from Degrassi Jr. High it’s the one with the line “You were F-ing Tessa Campanelli.” This Canadian show is a classic.
Directed by: Kit Hood Written by: Yan Moore Edited by: Robert de Lint
A New Start (Degrassi High) 1989 – (after 8pm only)
Degrassi covered so many issues that teenagers sometimes have to deal with. Like unplanned pregnancies. Good thing Spike is around to talk about this.
Directed by: Kit Hood Written by: Yan Moore Edited by: Robert de Lint
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986
A kid skips school and takes his friends on a joy-filled day around Chicago. One catch, he makes his best friend take out his father’s sports car. This is the scene after their joyride adventure has ended.
Directed by: John Hughes | Written by: John Hughes | Edited by: Paul Hirsch
Pretty in Pink 1986
A love story about two high school kids from different cliques. She works in a record store. He is a preppy rich guy whose friends think she’s beneath them.
Directed by: Howard Deutch Written by: John Hughes Edited by: Richard Marks
Mean Girls 2004
It’s like Clueless only different. This is the scene when everyone finds out about the Burn Book.
Directed by: Mark Waters | Written by: Tina Fey | Edited by: Wendy Greene Bricmont
The Breakfast Club 1985
There have been a lot of serious clips in this curation. This one is just a fun dance scene because teens, even ones from different groups, can have fun together.
Directed by: John Hughes | Written by: John Hughes | Edited by: Dede Allen
The Craft 1996
“We are the weirdos, mister.” What is it about teenage girls and witchcraft? It just feels right, right?
Directed by: Andrew Fleming | Written by: Peter Filardi, Andrew Fleming | Edited by: Jeff Freeman