He was never tough to begin with. I’ve always been convinced that when he was making fun of the nerds home life, he was basically describing his and Bender’s description of his home life was just a front. The cigarette burn was self inflicted to add to the facade
I think people who are saying that Vernon was just putting Bender in his place and that it was good for him forget that Bender is a victim of abuse. His father hits him, he burns him with cigars, both of his parents call him horrible demeaning names, he's been put in his place enough. Vernon tells him he's gonna kick the shit out of him and no ones going to believe him which Bender knows is possible because no one believed him when he spoke up about his own parents, so it's understandable that he's scared...when he's yelling at him Bender's eyes are glazed over like his mind is in another place entirely because Vernon was probably reminding him of his father...its heartbreaking...what Bender needed was for someone to believe in him so that he could believe in himself, not for someone to beat him down even more but that's just my opinion....haha wow I wrote an essay.
as a authority figure...it was pretty fucked up for the principal to threaten violence towards a student like that. I get Bender was a shithead...but you are a grown man, you don't have to swing at every pitch made at you.
@@joel8583bottom line no offense but he's a 99% a complete D*** like he thinks he's better than everyone else in his toxic life wow what a Darren douche
This scene is poignant when you hear about his home life. Poor Bender, he’s a poorly behaved guy but his character had a lot of layers. This movie is so great. It gave us just enough to still be talking about it 33 years later.
That horrifying moment when you realize that Bender got his detentions to escape from his abusive household, but then Vernon reveals he's just as bad as Bender's father, and Bender realizes that there's no real escape from the abuse, not even in school.
well, what does Bender do to avoid it? he slam-dunks himself into it, does he avoid confrontation? no -- he initiates it, Vernon would've never even know who he is if Bender would just be invisible and avoid problems but no....he's master of his own vessel and he runs it aground every chance he gets
Bender could have easily given himself a sanctuary in school but chose not to. He chooses to drag everybody down to his level. He's violent, sociopathic, he sexually harasses girls. Abusive father or not, Bender is a danger to the other students. It must be very very very hard to learn in a class with Bender.
@@BlacKnightRising 1. He gets detention to avoid being at home. He has to do stuff in order to get detention. 2. Dealing with your problems by becoming a shy invisible cunt is a stupid way to go.
Ironically Vernon's actor Paul Gleason had a life similar to Bender's. He ran away from home when he was 16 and spent his remaining teenage years hitchhiking across Florida and sleeping on beaches.
Great actors. Even though they were each other's nemesis on screen. Behind the scenes, it was because of Paul Gleason that Judd Nelson got the role of John Bender. So the story goes, Gleason had convinced Hughes not to fire Nelson, and to keep him as Bender instead of someone else. Breakfast Club is one the best movies ever made, and should never be turned into a remake. RIP Paul Gleason and John Hughes.
This is abuse of power in its finest. Vernon is the adult in this situation, promising to beat a minor into the ground with the knowledge he would never get caught. Then he proceeds to lock the student in a closet for at least three hours, Vernon doesn't know Bender got out, he left that boy in that closet! What if there was a fire or something happened and he was locked in there?! Vernon has the power over Bender completely here, no one would believe Bender over Vernon and it is sick. This is how abuse happens and people die. If Bender fought back (ignoring the fact he is clearly terrified in this scene and flinches back) he'd be put in prision in a heart beat. This is scary and a very real situation and Vernon should not be in charge of minors.
Exactly! But unfortunately you would never see something like this today. Teachers have gotten soft. It's no wonder people have such negative stereotypes about the millennial generation, because a lot of the stereotypes are true. We as a society have come to the conclusion that we were too hard on children back in the day (which I somewhat agree with, to some extent) but now we've done a complete 180, and have landed on the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. We tell kids every day that they're "special", and a lot of parents and teachers alike do not teach any discipline to their children and students. For example, back in the day you could get some real slack for coming in late to class, but nowadays, it seems like nobody gives two hoots about it. We've gotten soft, too soft, and we can only blame millennials for so long before we realize that we have to take some of the blame ourselves too. We raised them to be soft, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that a lot of millennials lack independence. Having said that though, I do think a lot of millennials (not all mind you) have got a strong sense of self-loathing. They keep crying "whoa is me, I was never taught proper cell-phone etiquette, so why is everybody hating on me?" (or something like that) when really, they should also take some responsibility for themselves and say, "Hey, I've got social behavioural issues that need addressing, lets work on this. I can't fix it by myself, I will need help, but I'm willing to meet my instructor half way, and show them some respect" I know what I've just stated can come across as very controversial, but part of me thinks that being too hard on children has its advantages over being too soft. Ideally, neither one of these options is preferable, in a perfect world we could have a good balance, but I think if we can't find a balance, being too tough in some cases, is better than being too soft.
enterthehatch2 TLDR giant fucking wall of text. You still ignore that Bender's father is physically abusive towards him and is a major reason for his tough guy image. You still don't physically threaten a minor. You can (and should!) go to prison for that. That's not discipline, that's a crime.
James Souza Real men (grown, well-adjusted adults in general) don't talk like ignorant fucking morons like you do. You can't make an actual argument so you make childish ad hominem attacks. You're pathetic.
“But someday, someday when everyone has gone from here, and you’ve forgotten about them and they’ve forgotten about you, I’m going to be there. That’s right. And I’m going to kick the living shit out of you, man. I’m going to knock your dick in the dirt”. “You threatening me?” Haha brilliant!
At 1:35 Bender actually looked scared. If you think about it, he's really still a child getting threatened by an adult. Good acting on Judd's part! (PS- Judd Nelson not Hirshc)
Chuck Morgan No. Judd Nelson and Judd Hirsch are two different people. They are also almost 40 years apart in age. www.biography.com/people/judd-nelson-224924#synopsis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd_Hirsch Whether or not either of them is Jewish is immaterial.
This might change your mind about how you see Bender. He's not a criminal, he's a poor, delicate and innocent boy whose had the worst childhood because his dad is the real criminal because he was violent, abusive, aggressive, confronting and rude with him and his mum didn't even bother to help him, she just watched and didn't even care. The real reason he kept ranking up the detentions wasn't because he's a tight aleck, it's because he's trying to escape his abusive dad, but in this scene, he was proved wrong by Vernon because if you look at his face in this scene, Vernon was reminding him of his dad. In the end, those strangers who he met that morning turned out to be the only friends he had before he was scared to go home, back to his dad and after that, no one knows what happened on Monday. So for all of those who are on Vernon's side, you're all wrong, because Vernon clearly has no idea what he went through as a kid but if only he'd've known, maybe he would've thought twice about this scene.
Actually I heard some people saying that the janitor and Vernon discussed Bender getting abused so if that's the case Vernon knew about it and just didn't care. I don't think Vernon would've thought twice because Vernon is a vary demeaning tyrannical man. He was patronizing towards the other students too and they all acknowledge it at the end of the movie. He didn't care about the students as people he just thought of them as someone to discipline which is how a lot of school staff view students in the real world.
This is the best scene in the film and Gleason is amazing in it. All Vernon was doing, was confirming what a bully and a fraud Bender was. Vernon is a family man who’s simply doing his job, and shouldn’t endure some punk kids sick twisted amusement. Vernon had free rein to do what he wanted, as he said, but he was never going to actually hit Bender. He called his bluff. He was giving Bender a lesson in life. This is why you see Bender wince to himself after, because he knows he got completely humbled.
Dude I know, I don’t know why these people are saying “Oooh boo hoo bender, he’s getting abused” bender is a shithead, kids like that need to be taught a lesson, sure he had grown up from a rough family, came from an abusive home, but taking it out on other kids is not okay either and it doesn’t excuse anything. Really the principal was just using the bluff tactic and sure he might of crossed some lines but sometimes you need to because some kids need to be taught a lesson, if their father or parents isn’t there to give it to them, well they need to learn somehow, now it would be different if he just straight up went a kick his dirt, he was using the bluff tactic to give him an chance and still put him in his place for a reality check. If you guys don’t agree that’s on you.
People who route for Vernon are missing the point. This movie teaches that every generation are raised by the one before it meaning they are responsible for teaching their kids what's right and wrong. They don't realize it's people like them that make them the way they are currently.
Anyone who roots for Vernon us messed up. There's something wrong with someone who thinks that it's fine for a High school vice principal to goad a student into fighting with him.
@@robertisham5279 i don't necessarily root for Vernon, but he is not the total bad guy in this scene. I think this scene was meant to be gray which is what makes it great, meaning you are meant to sympathize with both men to some degree but not really be on the side of either. Bender is not innocent here, he disrespects Vernon at every turn and he is a bully and a jerk and brings this on himself to a large degree. and its hinted at that there is probably a history between these two. You can sympathize with the fact that he is abused at home, but not how he responds to it. Vernon clearly saw Bender as just a disrespectful punk and a bully and saw this as a way of putting him in his place. there is nothing to indicate he was aware that Bender was abused at home or I'd venture to guess this scene probably doesn't happen. I wouldn't be surprised if Vernon walked out of that closet thinking he did Bender a favor and that 'he'll thank me someday.' Of course we don't know how this scene effected Bender in the long run, but to me its just rather gray and unfortunate for both. But that is what makes it compelling, both Bender and Vernon are somewhat at fault for this whole incident, but neither is really the total bad guy.
@@joshlight6892 None is bad? Vernon is wrong here, he is the adult, the authority figure, and he has just threatened a child with hitting him saying that no one will believe him lol.
@@juliapiedra9904 calling Bender a child is a bit of a stretch. He is 16 or 17 years old in this movie, while not exactly a man yet he is old enough to know right from wrong and big enough to be disrespectful and a bully. He is taking on a man's mantle by doing all that so if you are going to do that you got to be prepared to be put in your place by a man sooner or later. Of course I think the fact that he is being portrayed by Judd Nelson who was an adult at the time may make it a little harder to perceive him as a child. I'm not without sympathy for him, but he had to be shown at some point going to school belittling others and disrespecting your teachers and principals was not the way to deal with your problems.
@@joshlight6892 I repeat it again, Vernon is the ADULT, John does NOT need to be put in his place because they already do that at home, they humiliate him, beat him and put out cigarettes on him. Vernon is threatening to hit him and saying that no one will believe him, which is not a lie because no one believed him before, added that he leaves him locked in a closet where if something happens to him, Vernon would be responsible. Are you really asking an abused child to face his problems in another way when the only one he knows is violence and contempt? You're literally justifying an adult in a power situation threatening a kid who goes to high school There's really something wrong with you lol
That's more than I'm getting a year but then again it's only me and my girlfriend I have to support I don't have children and I'm only in my mid 20s and my job isn't teaching a bunch of rebellious angsty high school kids lol
This scene always got to me because I was abused as a child and later on I had a boyfriend who would yell at me and degrade me, so when Bender looks scared shitless, it broke me inside and I teared up a little bit as I was watching it because it took me back and made me think of things. It's like a cycle that repeats itself, that's why I'm breaking it now. When you are abused as a child, you think it's normal. It's so twisted, but it happens so much in life. I'm so glad I left my ex because he treated me like shit and I got tired of putting up with it. I'm not ashamed of speaking of this, because I don't want it to affect my life anymore.
The Cebu Kid Do you realize that's $2583 a month? That's what junior software engineers make. You know nothing about life, clearly. What an idiot you are. For your information, ignoramus, the minimum wage is $10 an hour, that makes 10*8=$80 per day, *20 days=$1600 per month. When I used to work in a nuclear power plant, I used to make $1600 per month, so don't go embarrassing yourself by ignorantly saying $31K a year is poverty, when really it's a normal wage. I fucking despise kids like you who have no idea what life is all about. Get a fucking job, stupid kid.
The Cebu Kid In my country, junior software engineers don't make that ridiculous amount of money. I will also not tell you where I live, but it sure as hell is not stupid America.
He’s straight up bullying Bender for not wanting to fight back, far more childish than any how any of those kids treated him. I’m also sensing he might know about his abuse at home so then he pries at his emotions by taunting and insulting.
There’s a scene with him and Carl, the janitor where he’s looking at some confidential files and Carl catches him. Even blackmails him for 50 grand. That tells me that he knows about the abuse.
Cant Do Something Like This Today, Somebody's Liable To Get F**king Shot With This Attitude. Society These Days Is At The Verge Of Becoming A Game Of Amoung Us, 6/10 People Are Dead And Nobody Knows What The F**k To Do. :/
there are way too many comments defending Vernon; regardless of whether or not Vernon knows bender's back story-which he likely does cause it's not like bender keeps it a secret-an adult should literally never say any of this to a child like yeah sure Vernon sees bender as a bully but Vernon is an abuser
With all do respect.....you are wrong. Yes Bender is the way he is because of a shitty home life. But that does not give him the right to get in other people's face's and run his mouth. Big tough guy....who does need to be put in his place. You stand up to his bullying demeanor and call his bluff. Prison's are full of people with exactly Bender's attitude. I saw this movie 35 year's ago and loved the way Mr. Vernon put him in his place. First you strip away his bullshit tough guy act....THEN YOU HELP REBUILD HIM into a better human being. Your hugging soft approach will work on a few....but there are many,many more that will take advantage of your kindness then make fun of how weak you are behind your back. A good upbringing is dependent on both soft love AND tough discipline. The weak philosophy that took the paddle out of this countries school classrooms is directly responsible for the upturn in violence and chaos that has followed. (LOL Vernon is not an abuser)!!
@@ynp1978 - By statistics, violence has been on a downward trend over the past few decades. The 90's for example were worse than now, by the numbers. Also, whether or not you believe Vernon is an abuser, he is certainly a criminal in this scene. I'm pretty sure even in the 80's it was illegal as hell for a principal to physically threaten to beat the sh*t out of someone else's kid in school (and then lock them in a closet). So you're basically taking the side of an adult criminal over the kid.
Classic !! Teacher told me the same shit in the 8th grade. “You’re not cool Jay , Your just a punk , I’m a Man of respect around here” . This was in 1993 , so I asked him “ You think because I’m Black , The Breakfast Club wasn’t one of my favorite movies ( word for word) Dickhead “ . The ovation from the class was worth the 3 days in I.S.S
Lunatics like that should not be teaching children. I know it's a movie, but I don't think it's far from the truth sometimes. Sometimes people just want to be in control, feel that they are better than you (AKA bullies). Educators should not be bullies... I wish there was a way to screen for them. Unfortunately, it seems that the smart ones do their bullying behind closed doors... like this scene.
***** ...? So all the assholes of the world disappeared in those 32 years? You don't think there are still educators that are abusive? That seems a little naive if you ask me.
***** You're right, I'm not following. Probably because you're not making any sense. These people exist, whether it's 3 years ago, 32 years ago, or 321 years ago. In fact... the further back in time you go the crueler people are. This movie is still relevant today and all I did was make an observation based on it. When it was made is *irrelevant.* Whether or not people are "soft tissues" in this day and age is *irrelevant.*
Yes, it's a movie. I made note of that in my original comment. But for the purposes of this discussion I am using the scene as a hypothetical. The movie is fiction, but it's not sci-fi or fantasy. Nothing that is occurring here is outside the realm of possibility in the real world, whether it's the 80's or the 2010's.
When i was 15 i had a PE teacher, a real mean old alcoholic fucker, pull me into his office and grab me by the collar and threaten to punch me in the face. The next week he actually shoved me backwards over a bench because i let out a swear word during class. His words were, if i remember correctly were " I've been teaching at this school for 32 years and am retiring this year, i could get away with decking you if i wanted to, you're just a punk ass kid with no respect" lol
Vernon: "That's the last time you make me look bad in front of those kids, Bender..." Mr. Vernon, seems to be not that well educated. Nobody, can make you look bad in front of others but yourself and, by your own silly actions. So, I'd watch my back after making a threat like that.... "Bullie!"
This film was about my generation. Back in the 1970's-80s if you acted like Bender (or worse like today), this was nothing. When I was a teen corporal punishment from a principal was only THE BEGINNING of what you got if you acted up. Then you got it again, Bender's Dad style, once you arrived home. This shown here is nothing.
For those of you hitting the point home that Vernon is abusing his power/being abusive that's true but the thing that's the point to have his character be this way. It's realistic, because abusive people abuse their power everyday in real life in every setting. Work, School, Government, home, etc. The moral is finding people you care about even if you are being abused. You know, someone to care about as well as share your troubles with. If you can't solve the abuse (at least at the moment) at least you can be with people who matter.
Between this scene locking Bender in a closet and having Andrew move the book case over to hold the door, he really didn’t seem to care about fire codes. This guy was a real jerk.
This movie came out in 1985, so say he bought his house in 1965 thats a 20k house. So at 31k a year he's paying that off and getting rich buying more properties. Enjoy your boomer bags
Just came to say I've used the term "gutless turd" regularly since I saw this movie. In fact, I decided to type it into CZcams just to see this scene again!
Does Vernon even know what a punk is? A punk is an inexperienced little boy, and look at Bender, he's not a little boy, he's a young man. He just has a rough family life, that's why he acts the way he does.
chrispleasantable No its not. Bender has a tendency to act tougher then he really is. Vernon knows this and calls him on it. Vernon is a stubborn rigid man but Bender needed that tongue lashing. Better now in the relative safety of highschool as opposed to the real world.
Probably the most intense scene in the movie. Vernon takes his hatred of Bender to a personal level. It's a good thing Bender was too taken aback to engage in Vernon's offer to throw a punch. He would have gotten Bender arrested and put away on assault charges.
IMHO one of the best acting scenes in movie history by Paul Gleason.You cannot watch this and not beg bender to nail him.If you didn't hate him before you do after this scene.The best line in the movie is when Emelio Esteves asks Ally Sheedy "What did they do to you" because in 5 words it sums the movie up. But this scene and Gleasons performance in particular shows you what they do to you. RIP Paul
0x28 I guess I was just trying to comment on and appreciate Gleasons skills.I am glad you are successful academically and understand why you might identify with the principal as opposed to the rebel. I feel this type of confrontation is unacceptable by a school staff member,but on that we will have to agree to disagree.I don't understand why the scum comment was necessary but there is no ill will toward you from me.Have a good day 0x28...Jim
James Gilks I once have been victim of this type of 'confrontation' myself although the professor was being the bully. He yelled so hard at me (he was a racist) that the chairs around me literally trembled. I should have reported him but I didn't.
Now that Bender is locked in the closet, his earlier, sarcastic question of "What are we supposed to do if we have to take a piss?" would actually be legitimate at this point.
This part of the movie always pissed me off. Bender wasn't acting like a tough guy,.... just a kid lashing out from being a victim of abuse. What gets me 💔💔 he wasn't able to defend himself from this Punk motherfucker who's obviously a bully.
You think this scene is hilarious? WTF is wrong with you?! This is a horrible scene!! Bender gets more than enough abuse (verbal and physical) at home from his father, and school was his escape from that. He WANTED those 8 extra detentions. After telling Vernon to eat his shorts, Vernon said, “You want another one?”, and he said, “Yes!”. You bet your ass he did. That meant that he wouldn’t be at home. This scene shows that Bender isn’t safe anywhere, because Vernon’s behavior reminded him of his father’s.
Vernon sounds a lot like a sexual abuser/harasser when he says, “Who’s gonna believe you? It’s your word against mine. Everyone likes me, no one likes you.”
This is literally abuse Bender was abused and not to mention he's a minor and this is a grown-ass adult threatening him might I say WTF this is a horrible scene It is so heartbreaking
Irl that teacher would hopefully be fired for threatening a student, and completely degrading him and abusing his power as an adult. I know it’s a movie but so messed up
This is a controversial statement and may change your presepctive of Bender forever: This is the real John Bender. John Bender is not a criminal. He acts like one. It's a front to make himself feel better. Bender's abusive home broke him. That is evident. When he goes to school and bullies students, he is trying to releash the anger built up from the abuse. He is also a teenage smoker. Smoking is where his happy place is. John Bender is an abused, depressed teenager who goes to school, looking for relief. This is evident in him giving himself eight detentions (two weeks worth of Saturdays). Including actual school days, this would give him 48 days of semi-relief. On Sundays and after school ended, he would probably hang around the school (seeing how he has to walk home). This mirage of relief was shattered in less than two minutes, where his principle mirrored his parents. Bender very clearly gave up the criminal front. His voice broke when he said "Are you threatning me?". His face was clearly altered when Vernon said, ". . . I'm gonna be there". He was scared. He was the abused child again. Everything he knew at that moment was broken. Everything but The Breakfast Club. The criminal act of John Bender began to wear off throught the rest of the movie, mainly at the end. Those strangers that he met at 7:00 AM were his real friends. He knew it. We can only wonder what happened on Monday.
Wow so let me get this straight. So basically everyone who is supposed to be important in Bender's life, his parents, the school, teachers, the principal, all of them failed him, and some people even on this thread all think this treatment is right???!! I have a question for you all, are you guys all sick?? Poor kid obviously needs love and guidance and this poor excuse for a principal literally gives him no hope whatsoever and just treats him like a worthless useless loser. Shame on him and to anyone else who agrees to this horrible treatment. There's a special place in hell for all of you. Period.
Of course he's not, he's a kid taking out his issues on other kids but this is an adult here bulling a child. (Obvious the actor isn't a child but I mean what it represents.) imagine if it was a child.
Wish you had kept the next part intact. where Vernon sighs as if to say "damn it, i didn't wanna do that. i didn't even mean that. but that little brat wouldn't respond to anything else. maybe he'll come back down to earth and realize he's not the badass he thinks he is."
Richard Vernon is just a big bad bully, he does not show respect to any of the kids especially Bender. Bender did the right thing, Vernon should learn respect anyway and sometimes he should leave the students alone.
For an administrator, 31k (~70k today) is low pay particularly in the suburbs of Chicago, where this movie happened. It's about how much a teacher makes with 5-10 years experience
The variation in pay for the same job with the same level of experience and education can vary greatly, even in the same state...it's astounding! In NYS, I've known of teachers with essentially the same background (masters degrees, same number of years in the biz, same job) getting paid vastly different salaries, because one lives in a part of the state with low cost of living, whereas the other is in a region with high cost of living. It's all relative.
I know Bender comes from abuse. Didn't think to much of this scene as a teenager. But, now many, many years later. As a father. It makes me cry and angry. How can a grown man abuse his power on an abused child. I would literally been taken away in handcuffs if I witnessed this today. No child deserves this
Man STFU I'm not about child abuse but this generation of kids are stunted emotionally... shit my biggest concern as a child was shelter/food security EVRYTHING else was a distant second if it all. Americans... no one in history has had it soooooo good and still complain.
Life doesn't care about your childhood and I think that's what Vernon was trying to show him . Like right now you have it easy dude. And it gets much worse as an adult when nobody cares and detention becomes a prison sentence.
This scene is good directing from Bender looking scared to Vernon threating him to the eerie music. Vernon symbolises Bender's abusive father. The eerie background music symbolises the abuse Bender gets. Bender's scared looks symbolise his fears of own father.
It's about $75k adjusted for inflation, which actually isn't really comparable to a high school Principal salary in the modern day. Most of them tilt in the 90k+ range. May have to do with increased level of competition and educational requirements. Most all today have a doctorate degree.
I went to H.S. in the late 70's and was about 70% John Bender and 30% Jeff Spicoli at that point in my life. I had a very antagonistic relationship with my sub school principal (large high school w a head principal and 4 sub school principals) that was similar to Bender and Vernon but it never went as far as what you see in this scene. That's the problem I have with this scene. In most cases, if a teacher even had the nerve to do something like this, a guy like Bender would have taken him up on getting in the first hit and would have knocked that teacher out cold. I actually saw a very angry Bender like student punch a 6' 2" gym teacher who was solid muscle, in the middle of a crowded hallway for far less than what Vernon does here (didn't go well for the student LOL). I understand the point that they were trying to make in this scene; i.e. Vernon is as despicable as John Bender's father but the way it plays out just doesn't wash in real life. Per my antagonistic relationship with my sub school principle, he was so angry at me for my refusal to go to a 4th period class that he put me in an empty class room for 4th period LOL. Students would walk by and ask what I was doing there; i.e. "shouldn't you be in class?!" and in my VERY defiant / John Bender demeanor, YES wearing a flannel shirt over a white thermal shirt with my feet up on the desk I would arrogantly answer - "yeah well, this is my 4th period class" LOL.
He wanted to see if Bender was really a tough guy or a wuss. Vernon would've been allowed to beat up Bender in an act of self defense had Bender actually hit him (yeah I guess you could say Vernon was instigating him).
"I'm a swell guy" is probably the farthest thing from the truth that Vernon could say. I wish Bender had at least pointed that out. Doesn't look like he was able to say anything at this point though.
Apparently Judd Nelson was actually scared of Paul Gleason in this scene and that flinch at 1:25 was real because he actually thought Paul was gonna hit him
find that hard to believe. Judd Nelson was older than the part he was playing and more experienced than Bender. He was just as much a hard ass as Paul Gleason.
ToxicFlame707 I don't know bud. It's crazy with the public schools anymore. The inner city ones with the goon like security guards might as well be prisons. Now that I think of it ALL public schools are like prisons: They have SS cop guards, metal detectors, check points, they system as a whole is disgusting, and the kids have to dress very similar like it's Russia!
+ejr23 In my father's day school faculties were still allowed to use corporal punishment to discipline kids. And now with all of today's ideals on abusing children, standards have seriously slipped.
To me this is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the movie, when you see past the tough guy facade and realize he's just a scared damaged kid
Exactly. Well said, LawlietStudios
Vernon’s “tough guy facade” wasn’t even convincing.
It’s freaking hilarious
This is the best scene in the movie for that exact reason.
He was never tough to begin with. I’ve always been convinced that when he was making fun of the nerds home life, he was basically describing his and Bender’s description of his home life was just a front. The cigarette burn was self inflicted to add to the facade
Paul Gleason was so underrated ,what a fantastic actor he was and this scene proves it .
God bless him, I was so happy seeing him in Die Hard, IDC if he was in it for a little bit.
He Was Bad Ass In Die Hard Too!
I think people who are saying that Vernon was just putting Bender in his place and that it was good for him forget that Bender is a victim of abuse. His father hits him, he burns him with cigars, both of his parents call him horrible demeaning names, he's been put in his place enough. Vernon tells him he's gonna kick the shit out of him and no ones going to believe him which Bender knows is possible because no one believed him when he spoke up about his own parents, so it's understandable that he's scared...when he's yelling at him Bender's eyes are glazed over like his mind is in another place entirely because Vernon was probably reminding him of his father...its heartbreaking...what Bender needed was for someone to believe in him so that he could believe in himself, not for someone to beat him down even more but that's just my opinion....haha wow I wrote an essay.
And, when you say essay, you mean essay. You do not mean a single word repeated a thousand times.
+Thomas Huffman haha good one!
Thanks. Hakuna Matata!
as a authority figure...it was pretty fucked up for the principal to threaten violence towards a student like that. I get Bender was a shithead...but you are a grown man, you don't have to swing at every pitch made at you.
Mssuresure beautiful
You know what sold me? How Bender flinches when Vernon mimics a punch at around 1:26. He was scared shitless, man.
It fits too, Bender's used to getting beaten by his father and Vernon was acting just like how Bender described him to the others.
Totally. Bender's truly scared of Principal Vernon as it reminded him of his old man. I have sympathy for Bender.
Irl Judd Nelson thought the actor was really gonna punch him.
Judd Nelson said he was really scared of Paul Gleason in this scene and that flinch was 100% real cause he thought he was actually gonna hit him.
@@rossdiamondthief6627
Really? The mark of a true great actor.
Im 100% sure Bender was having ptsd from his father abusing him so he was too caught up in his thoughts during this moment
Hey Mista
@@francescawhite4166 Pleas e everytime i comment EVERYBODYYY comments either "yo mista" or "4" and honestly im at my limit
@@bruhchill2263 lol I usually don't but felt like I should since I also have a jojo profile pic
this scene always makes me so upset.
Of course it's upsetting. Vernon has really crossed the line there.
@@joel8583bottom line no offense but he's a 99% a complete D*** like he thinks he's better than everyone else in his toxic life wow what a Darren douche
This scene is poignant when you hear about his home life. Poor Bender, he’s a poorly behaved guy but his character had a lot of layers. This movie is so great. It gave us just enough to still be talking about it 33 years later.
That horrifying moment when you realize that Bender got his detentions to escape from his abusive household, but then Vernon reveals he's just as bad as Bender's father, and Bender realizes that there's no real escape from the abuse, not even in school.
well, what does Bender do to avoid it? he slam-dunks himself into it, does he avoid confrontation? no -- he initiates it, Vernon would've never even know who he is if Bender would just be invisible and avoid problems but no....he's master of his own vessel and he runs it aground every chance he gets
It’s part of the “Fight/Flight” idea with abuse.
Bender could have easily given himself a sanctuary in school but chose not to. He chooses to drag everybody down to his level. He's violent, sociopathic, he sexually harasses girls.
Abusive father or not, Bender is a danger to the other students. It must be very very very hard to learn in a class with Bender.
@@BlacKnightRising 1. He gets detention to avoid being at home. He has to do stuff in order to get detention.
2. Dealing with your problems by becoming a shy invisible cunt is a stupid way to go.
@@cowboybeboop9420 the hell are you talking about
Ironically Vernon's actor Paul Gleason had a life similar to Bender's. He ran away from home when he was 16 and spent his remaining teenage years hitchhiking across Florida and sleeping on beaches.
Great actors. Even though they were each other's nemesis on screen. Behind the scenes, it was because of Paul Gleason that Judd Nelson got the role of John Bender. So the story goes, Gleason had convinced Hughes not to fire Nelson, and to keep him as Bender instead of someone else. Breakfast Club is one the best movies ever made, and should never be turned into a remake.
RIP Paul Gleason and John Hughes.
The Breakfast 2: The Brunch Club
Thank GOD for him sticking up for Nelson - he totally makes the movie and I honestly think it wouldn't be as well remembered with any other actor.
This is ten years old but you are still about ten years late in hoping they don’t remake it.
Not Another Teen Movie.
No movie needs a remake unless it was a great idea but a trash film. Who cares if they remake it? Don’t watch it. I won’t be.
@@maliant16That wasn't a remake. That was a spoof movie.
This is abuse of power in its finest. Vernon is the adult in this situation, promising to beat a minor into the ground with the knowledge he would never get caught. Then he proceeds to lock the student in a closet for at least three hours, Vernon doesn't know Bender got out, he left that boy in that closet! What if there was a fire or something happened and he was locked in there?! Vernon has the power over Bender completely here, no one would believe Bender over Vernon and it is sick. This is how abuse happens and people die. If Bender fought back (ignoring the fact he is clearly terrified in this scene and flinches back) he'd be put in prision in a heart beat. This is scary and a very real situation and Vernon should not be in charge of minors.
he left a kid in a closet dude
Exactly! But unfortunately you would never see something like this today. Teachers have gotten soft. It's no wonder people have such negative stereotypes about the millennial generation, because a lot of the stereotypes are true. We as a society have come to the conclusion that we were too hard on children back in the day (which I somewhat agree with, to some extent) but now we've done a complete 180, and have landed on the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. We tell kids every day that they're "special", and a lot of parents and teachers alike do not teach any discipline to their children and students. For example, back in the day you could get some real slack for coming in late to class, but nowadays, it seems like nobody gives two hoots about it. We've gotten soft, too soft, and we can only blame millennials for so long before we realize that we have to take some of the blame ourselves too. We raised them to be soft, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that a lot of millennials lack independence. Having said that though, I do think a lot of millennials (not all mind you) have got a strong sense of self-loathing. They keep crying "whoa is me, I was never taught proper cell-phone etiquette, so why is everybody hating on me?" (or something like that) when really, they should also take some responsibility for themselves and say, "Hey, I've got social behavioural issues that need addressing, lets work on this. I can't fix it by myself, I will need help, but I'm willing to meet my instructor half way, and show them some respect" I know what I've just stated can come across as very controversial, but part of me thinks that being too hard on children has its advantages over being too soft. Ideally, neither one of these options is preferable, in a perfect world we could have a good balance, but I think if we can't find a balance, being too tough in some cases, is better than being too soft.
Yeah Bender’s a total prick at his high school and gets away with it. Weekly detentions weren’t doing much. Discipline, not abuse is what he got.
enterthehatch2
TLDR giant fucking wall of text.
You still ignore that Bender's father is physically abusive towards him and is a major reason for his tough guy image.
You still don't physically threaten a minor. You can (and should!) go to prison for that. That's not discipline, that's a crime.
James Souza
Real men (grown, well-adjusted adults in general) don't talk like ignorant fucking morons like you do. You can't make an actual argument so you make childish ad hominem attacks. You're pathetic.
Damn, Paul Gleason really deserved a major role in a film, incredibly underrated.
He went on to play the deputy in die hard.
He deserved an Oscar for this. He was _100% convincing_ in this role. Not _once_ did it seem like he was just "acting".
“But someday, someday when everyone has gone from here, and you’ve forgotten about them and they’ve forgotten about you, I’m going to be there. That’s right. And I’m going to kick the living shit out of you, man. I’m going to knock your dick in the dirt”.
“You threatening me?” Haha brilliant!
He’s the quintessential douche bag. If you had a character in an 80’s movie that’s just a total jerk, Paul Gleason is your man.
At 1:35 Bender actually looked scared. If you think about it, he's really still a child getting threatened by an adult. Good acting on Judd's part! (PS- Judd Nelson not Hirshc)
its judd nelson
***** He's a Jew who probably changed his name.
Chuck Morgan No...it's Judd Nelson.
He's a Jewish actor.
Chuck Morgan No. Judd Nelson and Judd Hirsch are two different people. They are also almost 40 years apart in age.
www.biography.com/people/judd-nelson-224924#synopsis
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd_Hirsch
Whether or not either of them is Jewish is immaterial.
Best scene in the movie. Judd Nelson is heart-breaking in it.
"You're a gutless turd!" = Best Line In Cinematic History
This might change your mind about how you see Bender. He's not a criminal, he's a poor, delicate and innocent boy whose had the worst childhood because his dad is the real criminal because he was violent, abusive, aggressive, confronting and rude with him and his mum didn't even bother to help him, she just watched and didn't even care. The real reason he kept ranking up the detentions wasn't because he's a tight aleck, it's because he's trying to escape his abusive dad, but in this scene, he was proved wrong by Vernon because if you look at his face in this scene, Vernon was reminding him of his dad. In the end, those strangers who he met that morning turned out to be the only friends he had before he was scared to go home, back to his dad and after that, no one knows what happened on Monday. So for all of those who are on Vernon's side, you're all wrong, because Vernon clearly has no idea what he went through as a kid but if only he'd've known, maybe he would've thought twice about this scene.
Actually I heard some people saying that the janitor and Vernon discussed Bender getting abused so if that's the case Vernon knew about it and just didn't care.
I don't think Vernon would've thought twice because Vernon is a vary demeaning tyrannical man. He was patronizing towards the other students too and they all acknowledge it at the end of the movie.
He didn't care about the students as people he just thought of them as someone to discipline which is how a lot of school staff view students in the real world.
This scene straight up breaks my heart.
Why?, Bender brought it on himself. Sometimes you have to cruel to be kind.
He does'nt have to like Dick he just has to learn his lesson
Paul Gleason did some ACTING in that scene. Bender didn't want that smoke.
Really makes you see bender in a different way and you really feel sorry for him. Judd Nelson really captured this scene let alone his role!!!
Venon: One shot, come on, one shot.
Bender: I AM NOT THROWING AWAY MY SHOT
This is the best scene in the film and Gleason is amazing in it.
All Vernon was doing, was confirming what a bully and a fraud Bender was.
Vernon is a family man who’s simply doing his job, and shouldn’t endure some punk kids sick twisted amusement.
Vernon had free rein to do what he wanted, as he said, but he was never going to actually hit Bender.
He called his bluff. He was giving Bender a lesson in life. This is why you see Bender wince to himself after, because he knows he got completely humbled.
Dude I know, I don’t know why these people are saying “Oooh boo hoo bender, he’s getting abused” bender is a shithead, kids like that need to be taught a lesson, sure he had grown up from a rough family, came from an abusive home, but taking it out on other kids is not okay either and it doesn’t excuse anything.
Really the principal was just using the bluff tactic and sure he might of crossed some lines but sometimes you need to because some kids need to be taught a lesson, if their father or parents isn’t there to give it to them, well they need to learn somehow, now it would be different if he just straight up went a kick his dirt, he was using the bluff tactic to give him an chance and still put him in his place for a reality check. If you guys don’t agree that’s on you.
Man back in the day when 31,000 meant something
That is a lot for educator. Especially back then
Aww poor bender his expression in this scene is sad, especially when he flinched when vernon raised his fist x
People who route for Vernon are missing the point. This movie teaches that every generation are raised by the one before it meaning they are responsible for teaching their kids what's right and wrong. They don't realize it's people like them that make them the way they are currently.
Anyone who roots for Vernon us messed up. There's something wrong with someone who thinks that it's fine for a High school vice principal to goad a student into fighting with him.
@@robertisham5279 i don't necessarily root for Vernon, but he is not the total bad guy in this scene. I think this scene was meant to be gray which is what makes it great, meaning you are meant to sympathize with both men to some degree but not really be on the side of either. Bender is not innocent here, he disrespects Vernon at every turn and he is a bully and a jerk and brings this on himself to a large degree. and its hinted at that there is probably a history between these two. You can sympathize with the fact that he is abused at home, but not how he responds to it. Vernon clearly saw Bender as just a disrespectful punk and a bully and saw this as a way of putting him in his place. there is nothing to indicate he was aware that Bender was abused at home or I'd venture to guess this scene probably doesn't happen. I wouldn't be surprised if Vernon walked out of that closet thinking he did Bender a favor and that 'he'll thank me someday.' Of course we don't know how this scene effected Bender in the long run, but to me its just rather gray and unfortunate for both. But that is what makes it compelling, both Bender and Vernon are somewhat at fault for this whole incident, but neither is really the total bad guy.
@@joshlight6892
None is bad? Vernon is wrong here, he is the adult, the authority figure, and he has just threatened a child with hitting him saying that no one will believe him lol.
@@juliapiedra9904 calling Bender a child is a bit of a stretch. He is 16 or 17 years old in this movie, while not exactly a man yet he is old enough to know right from wrong and big enough to be disrespectful and a bully. He is taking on a man's mantle by doing all that so if you are going to do that you got to be prepared to be put in your place by a man sooner or later. Of course I think the fact that he is being portrayed by Judd Nelson who was an adult at the time may make it a little harder to perceive him as a child. I'm not without sympathy for him, but he had to be shown at some point going to school belittling others and disrespecting your teachers and principals was not the way to deal with your problems.
@@joshlight6892 I repeat it again, Vernon is the ADULT, John does NOT need to be put in his place because they already do that at home, they humiliate him, beat him and put out cigarettes on him.
Vernon is threatening to hit him and saying that no one will believe him, which is not a lie because no one believed him before, added that he leaves him locked in a closet where if something happens to him, Vernon would be responsible.
Are you really asking an abused child to face his problems in another way when the only one he knows is violence and contempt?
You're literally justifying an adult in a power situation threatening a kid who goes to high school There's really something wrong with you lol
Shows how old this movie is when u gloating bout making $31,000/yr.
That's more than I'm getting a year but then again it's only me and my girlfriend I have to support I don't have children and I'm only in my mid 20s and my job isn't teaching a bunch of rebellious angsty high school kids lol
It’s worth about 75,000/yr now
@@Tylerboyd2001 Since it's a public school, he probably belongs to a union and also gets decent benefits such as health insurance.
@@dcavalli9 and likely a pension I assume.
Lmao
This scene always got to me because I was abused as a child and later on I had a boyfriend who would yell at me and degrade me, so when Bender looks scared shitless, it broke me inside and I teared up a little bit as I was watching it because it took me back and made me think of things. It's like a cycle that repeats itself, that's why I'm breaking it now. When you are abused as a child, you think it's normal. It's so twisted, but it happens so much in life. I'm so glad I left my ex because he treated me like shit and I got tired of putting up with it. I'm not ashamed of speaking of this, because I don't want it to affect my life anymore.
31k a year used to be a decent amount lol
$31,000 a year....nowadays, that's near poverty level...LOL!!
The Cebu Kid Do you realize that's $2583 a month? That's what junior software engineers make. You know nothing about life, clearly. What an idiot you are. For your information, ignoramus, the minimum wage is $10 an hour, that makes 10*8=$80 per day, *20 days=$1600 per month. When I used to work in a nuclear power plant, I used to make $1600 per month, so don't go embarrassing yourself by ignorantly saying $31K a year is poverty, when really it's a normal wage. I fucking despise kids like you who have no idea what life is all about. Get a fucking job, stupid kid.
0x28 it's poverty level for a household income and family of 5 or more people..aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/15poverty.cfm
The Cebu Kid In my country, junior software engineers don't make that ridiculous amount of money. I will also not tell you where I live, but it sure as hell is not stupid America.
The Cebu Kid You are now blocked for being an ignorant fuck. Bye bye and I hope your life becomes miserable. ;-)
0x28 If you went to University are 50 and make $31,000 a year you fucked up somewhere.
Judd Nelson reaction was real when he said "You're threaten me?", he thought Paul Gleason was actually going to hit him.
BULLSHIT!
i wanna cry when i see this scene everytime, he’s so scared 🥺
I would be absolutely scared of Vernon if I were like Bender.
Hey did you go to George Washington Carver school of Arts and sciences.
He’s straight up bullying Bender for not wanting to fight back, far more childish than any how any of those kids treated him. I’m also sensing he might know about his abuse at home so then he pries at his emotions by taunting and insulting.
There’s a scene with him and Carl, the janitor where he’s looking at some confidential files and Carl catches him. Even blackmails him for 50 grand. That tells me that he knows about the abuse.
This scene made me feel so helpless and terrible. I just wanted to help him. I feel terrible.
I dont know why, but this is my favorite scene from the movie. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, that's a very adult way of dealing with the situation. -_-
Are you being sarcastic?
@@robertisham5279 yes haha
Cant Do Something Like This Today, Somebody's Liable To Get F**king Shot With This Attitude.
Society These Days Is At The Verge Of Becoming A Game Of Amoung Us, 6/10 People Are Dead And Nobody Knows What The F**k To Do. :/
Paul Gleason always reminded me of Vince McMahon, more so in this scene than any.
So goddamn tearjerking.
there are way too many comments defending Vernon; regardless of whether or not Vernon knows bender's back story-which he likely does cause it's not like bender keeps it a secret-an adult should literally never say any of this to a child like yeah sure Vernon sees bender as a bully but Vernon is an abuser
it doesn't matter if bender is an ass, he doesn't deserve this literal abuse from an adult
Does Vernon deserve Bender's abuse?
With all do respect.....you are wrong. Yes Bender is the way he is because of a shitty home life. But that does not give him the right to get in other people's face's and run his mouth. Big tough guy....who does need to be put in his place. You stand up to his bullying demeanor and call his bluff. Prison's are full of people with exactly Bender's attitude. I saw this movie 35 year's ago and loved the way Mr. Vernon put him in his place. First you strip away his bullshit tough guy act....THEN YOU HELP REBUILD HIM into a better human being. Your hugging soft approach will work on a few....but there are many,many more that will take advantage of your kindness then make fun of how weak you are behind your back. A good upbringing is dependent on both soft love AND tough discipline. The weak philosophy that took the paddle out of this countries school classrooms is directly responsible for the upturn in violence and chaos that has followed. (LOL Vernon is not an abuser)!!
@@ynp1978 - By statistics, violence has been on a downward trend over the past few decades. The 90's for example were worse than now, by the numbers. Also, whether or not you believe Vernon is an abuser, he is certainly a criminal in this scene. I'm pretty sure even in the 80's it was illegal as hell for a principal to physically threaten to beat the sh*t out of someone else's kid in school (and then lock them in a closet). So you're basically taking the side of an adult criminal over the kid.
@@Kryptic1046
There’s been a downward trend since the 90s, but the 90s is when it *peaked.*
Abuse of power. Happens more often than you think.
Classic !! Teacher told me the same shit in the 8th grade. “You’re not cool Jay , Your just a punk , I’m a Man of respect around here” . This was in 1993 , so I asked him “ You think because I’m Black , The Breakfast Club wasn’t one of my favorite movies ( word for word) Dickhead “ . The ovation from the class was worth the 3 days in I.S.S
wow, you sound cool.
what part of he's "a swell guy" didn't you understand?
I forgot how great this movie is (I saw it on AMC last night).
Thumbs up if you think that this movie should never ever be remade.
Lunatics like that should not be teaching children. I know it's a movie, but I don't think it's far from the truth sometimes. Sometimes people just want to be in control, feel that they are better than you (AKA bullies). Educators should not be bullies... I wish there was a way to screen for them. Unfortunately, it seems that the smart ones do their bullying behind closed doors... like this scene.
***** ...?
So all the assholes of the world disappeared in those 32 years? You don't think there are still educators that are abusive? That seems a little naive if you ask me.
*****
You're right, I'm not following. Probably because you're not making any sense. These people exist, whether it's 3 years ago, 32 years ago, or 321 years ago. In fact... the further back in time you go the crueler people are. This movie is still relevant today and all I did was make an observation based on it. When it was made is *irrelevant.* Whether or not people are "soft tissues" in this day and age is *irrelevant.*
*****
Of course I agree. That was what I was complaining about, that someone like him was hired in the first place.
Yes, it's a movie. I made note of that in my original comment. But for the purposes of this discussion I am using the scene as a hypothetical. The movie is fiction, but it's not sci-fi or fantasy. Nothing that is occurring here is outside the realm of possibility in the real world, whether it's the 80's or the 2010's.
When i was 15 i had a PE teacher, a real mean old alcoholic fucker, pull me into his office and grab me by the collar and threaten to punch me in the face. The next week he actually shoved me backwards over a bench because i let out a swear word during class. His words were, if i remember correctly were " I've been teaching at this school for 32 years and am retiring this year, i could get away with decking you if i wanted to, you're just a punk ass kid with no respect" lol
Vernon: "That's the last time you make me look bad in front of those kids, Bender..."
Mr. Vernon, seems to be not that well educated. Nobody, can make you look bad in front of others but yourself and, by your own silly actions. So, I'd watch my back after making a threat like that.... "Bullie!"
People are missing one key aspect here...vernon is begging bender to "take the first swing". Bender was smart. He knew what Vernon was trying to do
i always felt like this movie was missing about 15 more minutes
This film was about my generation. Back in the 1970's-80s if you acted like Bender (or worse like today), this was nothing. When I was a teen corporal punishment from a principal was only THE BEGINNING of what you got if you acted up. Then you got it again, Bender's Dad style, once you arrived home. This shown here is nothing.
If I come home and my parents found I was the slightest disrespectful to my teachers. I be running my ass back to school
Ooh so scared
Whether is was Breakfast Club, Trading Places, or Die Hard, Paul Gleason was one of the best ever at playing a dick.
Maverikk68 "Hold on. Fuck off"
"Jesus Christ, Powell! He could be a fucking bartender, for all we know!"
For those of you hitting the point home that Vernon is abusing his power/being abusive that's true but the thing that's the point to have his character be this way. It's realistic, because abusive people abuse their power everyday in real life in every setting. Work, School, Government, home, etc.
The moral is finding people you care about even if you are being abused. You know, someone to care about as well as share your troubles with.
If you can't solve the abuse (at least at the moment) at least you can be with people who matter.
Between this scene locking Bender in a closet and having Andrew move the book case over to hold the door, he really didn’t seem to care about fire codes. This guy was a real jerk.
0:06 31k a year and owns a house. WILD
This movie came out in 1985, so say he bought his house in 1965 thats a 20k house. So at 31k a year he's paying that off and getting rich buying more properties. Enjoy your boomer bags
Just came to say I've used the term "gutless turd" regularly since I saw this movie. In fact, I decided to type it into CZcams just to see this scene again!
Does Vernon even know what a punk is? A punk is an inexperienced little boy, and look at Bender, he's not a little boy, he's a young man. He just has a rough family life, that's why he acts the way he does.
And ? Plenty of people have had rough lives that not an excuse to be an asshole.
But I just it's wrong for Vernon to treat Bender like that.
chrispleasantable No its not. Bender has a tendency to act tougher then he really is. Vernon knows this and calls him on it. Vernon is a stubborn rigid man but Bender needed that tongue lashing. Better now in the relative safety of highschool as opposed to the real world.
I just thought it was wrong for Vernon to pick a fight. He's supposed to be the example and encourage kids and not bring them down.
@@godking Maybe on planet mars. You should get a cat scan
Bragging about 31k is so funny in 2023
Back then inflation wasn't as rampant. 😑
Probably the most intense scene in the movie. Vernon takes his hatred of Bender to a personal level. It's a good thing Bender was too taken aback to engage in Vernon's offer to throw a punch. He would have gotten Bender arrested and put away on assault charges.
IMHO one of the best acting scenes in movie history by Paul Gleason.You cannot watch this and not beg bender to nail him.If you didn't hate him before you do after this scene.The best line in the movie is when Emelio Esteves asks Ally Sheedy "What did they do to you" because in 5 words it sums the movie up. But this scene and Gleasons performance in particular shows you what they do to you. RIP Paul
0x28 I guess I was just trying to comment on and appreciate Gleasons skills.I am glad you are successful academically and understand why you might identify with the principal as opposed to the rebel. I feel this type of confrontation is unacceptable by a school staff member,but on that we will have to agree to disagree.I don't understand why the scum comment was necessary but there is no ill will toward you from me.Have a good day 0x28...Jim
James Gilks I once have been victim of this type of 'confrontation' myself although the professor was being the bully. He yelled so hard at me (he was a racist) that the chairs around me literally trembled. I should have reported him but I didn't.
GET ON YOUR FEET PAL!!
Now that Bender is locked in the closet, his earlier, sarcastic question of "What are we supposed to do if we have to take a piss?" would actually be legitimate at this point.
This part of the movie always pissed me off. Bender wasn't acting like a tough guy,.... just a kid lashing out from being a victim of abuse. What gets me 💔💔 he wasn't able to defend himself from this Punk motherfucker who's obviously a bully.
This is my favorite scene because it's so hilarious. I've never seen a teacher get that worked up lol
Bender looks at him like... "WTF is wrong with this asshole!?"
I thought it was sad. His voice and face go soft like you see him being vulnerable for once.
And oh I've seen it, they do!
You think this scene is hilarious? WTF is wrong with you?! This is a horrible scene!! Bender gets more than enough abuse (verbal and physical) at home from his father, and school was his escape from that. He WANTED those 8 extra detentions. After telling Vernon to eat his shorts, Vernon said, “You want another one?”, and he said, “Yes!”. You bet your ass he did. That meant that he wouldn’t be at home. This scene shows that Bender isn’t safe anywhere, because Vernon’s behavior reminded him of his father’s.
@@mattslupek7988 I get all that but just seeing a teacher get this worked up is funny to me.
What I saw was a scared shitless boy being confronted by a bully school principal. Explain the humor in that.
I don’t think Vernon needs any help making him look bad from the other kids. He’s excellent doing that himself. 0:02
Vernon sounds a lot like a sexual abuser/harasser when he says, “Who’s gonna believe you? It’s your word against mine. Everyone likes me, no one likes you.”
1:30 Me when I look at myself in the mirror
This is literally abuse Bender was abused and not to mention he's a minor and this is a grown-ass adult threatening him might I say WTF this is a horrible scene It is so heartbreaking
Irl that teacher would hopefully be fired for threatening a student, and completely degrading him and abusing his power as an adult. I know it’s a movie but so messed up
This is a controversial statement and may change your presepctive of Bender forever: This is the real John Bender.
John Bender is not a criminal. He acts like one. It's a front to make himself feel better. Bender's abusive home broke him. That is evident. When he goes to school and bullies students, he is trying to releash the anger built up from the abuse. He is also a teenage smoker. Smoking is where his happy place is.
John Bender is an abused, depressed teenager who goes to school, looking for relief.
This is evident in him giving himself eight detentions (two weeks worth of Saturdays). Including actual school days, this would give him 48 days of semi-relief. On Sundays and after school ended, he would probably hang around the school (seeing how he has to walk home). This mirage of relief was shattered in less than two minutes, where his principle mirrored his parents. Bender very clearly gave up the criminal front. His voice broke when he said "Are you threatning me?". His face was clearly altered when Vernon said, ". . . I'm gonna be there". He was scared. He was the abused child again. Everything he knew at that moment was broken. Everything but The Breakfast Club.
The criminal act of John Bender began to wear off throught the rest of the movie, mainly at the end.
Those strangers that he met at 7:00 AM were his real friends. He knew it.
We can only wonder what happened on Monday.
$31,000 a year is poverty now 😂
it was a trap
There were times I wish Principal Skinner would give Bart this kind of treatment.
I'd see Jack Lassen doing this to Bart only 100 times worse
Homer strangles him all the time so it's even
barbiquearea wtf it’s abuse and Bart already gets strangled constantly by homer
Bender should've took the hit when he got the chance
Wow so let me get this straight. So basically everyone who is supposed to be important in Bender's life, his parents, the school, teachers, the principal, all of them failed him, and some people even on this thread all think this treatment is right???!! I have a question for you all, are you guys all sick?? Poor kid obviously needs love and guidance and this poor excuse for a principal literally gives him no hope whatsoever and just treats him like a worthless useless loser. Shame on him and to anyone else who agrees to this horrible treatment. There's a special place in hell for all of you. Period.
The way I see it, he wasn't actually going to beat up Bender. I think he was trying to prove that he's not as tough as he says he is.
Yep, him, like most teens, covet and carefully craft their fragile self identities and egos. Image is everything in your teenage years, everything.
he wanted him to give him a punch so he could charge him
Lionel Hutz but... but the principal said that he was tired of looking bad in front of the other kids, so he cares about his image as well.
Of course he's not, he's a kid taking out his issues on other kids but this is an adult here bulling a child. (Obvious the actor isn't a child but I mean what it represents.) imagine if it was a child.
He looks scared here. Imagine how he would look with his own parents.
"Alright Tough Guy!"
Wish you had kept the next part intact. where Vernon sighs as if to say "damn it, i didn't wanna do that. i didn't even mean that. but that little brat wouldn't respond to anything else. maybe he'll come back down to earth and realize he's not the badass he thinks he is."
Richard Vernon is just a big bad bully, he does not show respect to any of the kids especially Bender. Bender did the right thing, Vernon should learn respect anyway and sometimes he should leave the students alone.
This scene gave me my online name. Forever a legend, RIP Principal Vernon
I think he knows full well that Bender is getting abused and he isn't doing anything.
Unfortunately that's how it is in real life sometimes.
Makes the movie realistic.
For an administrator, 31k (~70k today) is low pay particularly in the suburbs of Chicago, where this movie happened. It's about how much a teacher makes with 5-10 years experience
The variation in pay for the same job with the same level of experience and education can vary greatly, even in the same state...it's astounding! In NYS, I've known of teachers with essentially the same background (masters degrees, same number of years in the biz, same job) getting paid vastly different salaries, because one lives in a part of the state with low cost of living, whereas the other is in a region with high cost of living. It's all relative.
I know Bender comes from abuse. Didn't think to much of this scene as a teenager.
But, now many, many years later. As a father. It makes me cry and angry.
How can a grown man abuse his power on an abused child.
I would literally been taken away in handcuffs if I witnessed this today.
No child deserves this
Man STFU I'm not about child abuse but this generation of kids are stunted emotionally... shit my biggest concern as a child was shelter/food security EVRYTHING else was a distant second if it all.
Americans... no one in history has had it soooooo good and still complain.
Didn't know so many people want to live like we're in ancient Rome.
Richard Vernon looks like the real life Mark Fuhrman.
Life doesn't care about your childhood and I think that's what Vernon was trying to show him . Like right now you have it easy dude. And it gets much worse as an adult when nobody cares and detention becomes a prison sentence.
This scene is good directing from Bender looking scared to Vernon threating him to the eerie music.
Vernon symbolises Bender's abusive father.
The eerie background music symbolises the abuse Bender gets.
Bender's scared looks symbolise his fears of own father.
That was very low of Vernon. Goading a student to fight him.
31k was a LOT back in his day.
It's about $75k adjusted for inflation, which actually isn't really comparable to a high school Principal salary in the modern day. Most of them tilt in the 90k+ range. May have to do with increased level of competition and educational requirements. Most all today have a doctorate degree.
@@oldtwinsna8347 wow, that’s really interesting.
@@oldtwinsna8347Vernon is actually the vice principal who make a little less than the main principal does.
You can't live off of 31 thousand a year nowadays in wherever this movie takes place.
Shermer Illinois, in the year 1984 lol.
@@mzthisonetime 1985 but yeah.
@@Cacowninjamovie released in 1985, but is set in the spring of 1984.
I went to H.S. in the late 70's and was about 70% John Bender and 30% Jeff Spicoli at that point in my life. I had a very antagonistic relationship with my sub school principal (large high school w a head principal and 4 sub school principals) that was similar to Bender and Vernon but it never went as far as what you see in this scene. That's the problem I have with this scene. In most cases, if a teacher even had the nerve to do something like this, a guy like Bender would have taken him up on getting in the first hit and would have knocked that teacher out cold. I actually saw a very angry Bender like student punch a 6' 2" gym teacher who was solid muscle, in the middle of a crowded hallway for far less than what Vernon does here (didn't go well for the student LOL). I understand the point that they were trying to make in this scene; i.e. Vernon is as despicable as John Bender's father but the way it plays out just doesn't wash in real life. Per my antagonistic relationship with my sub school principle, he was so angry at me for my refusal to go to a 4th period class that he put me in an empty class room for 4th period LOL. Students would walk by and ask what I was doing there; i.e. "shouldn't you be in class?!" and in my VERY defiant / John Bender demeanor, YES wearing a flannel shirt over a white thermal shirt with my feet up on the desk I would arrogantly answer - "yeah well, this is my 4th period class" LOL.
At 1:20 his eyes looked so demonic and it's almost like a demon took hold of him horrifying af.
That's just what boomers look and acted like, gen x was a bunch of hippie punks
I like this guy.
He wanted to see if Bender was really a tough guy or a wuss.
Vernon would've been allowed to beat up Bender in an act of self defense had Bender actually hit him (yeah I guess you could say Vernon was instigating him).
Brilliant acting.
Jeez I need to watch this movie
"I'm a swell guy" is probably the farthest thing from the truth that Vernon could say. I wish Bender had at least pointed that out. Doesn't look like he was able to say anything at this point though.
What Vernon meant was that among his peers and coworkers, he’s well liked, which is probably true. He couldn’t care less what Bender thought of him.
He probably is a swell guy, when shitbags that pull knives on other children aren't making life worse for everybody around him.
Apparently Judd Nelson was actually scared of Paul Gleason in this scene and that flinch at 1:25 was real because he actually thought Paul was gonna hit him
find that hard to believe. Judd Nelson was older than the part he was playing and more experienced than Bender. He was just as much a hard ass as Paul Gleason.
I also remember when a teacher put me in a closet with him alone, it went differently...
Great acting from Bender and Vernon.
Ive never noticed till now that the principal kind of looks like Chris Hansen haha
If a teacher/principal did this today they'd either be sued or they'd have their throats slit but the punk ass kid!
The kid would probably walk in with a gun the next day and kill some teachers lol not that this is a laughing matter but you know what i mean.
ejr23 "be sued", like Veron said, nobody will really believe Bender.
ToxicFlame707 I don't know bud. It's crazy with the public schools anymore. The inner city ones with the goon like security guards might as well be prisons. Now that I think of it ALL public schools are like prisons: They have SS cop guards, metal detectors, check points, they system as a whole is disgusting, and the kids have to dress very similar like it's Russia!
Kids today need this now more then ever!!
+ejr23 In my father's day school faculties were still allowed to use corporal punishment to discipline kids. And now with all of today's ideals on abusing children, standards have seriously slipped.
"I'm a swell guy"
Proceeds to threaten student. Mmmhmm
At least the principal finally came out of the closet