Porky’s (1981): “Boys Will Be Boys” Locker-Room Laughs & Voyeurism, in the Reagan-Era

In this episode, we revisit Porky’s (1981), the hugely successful teen sex comedy set in 1954 Florida, to ask the important question: was this ever actually funny, and could it possibly be made today?

Alongside the film, we take a trip through 1981 in our Culture Corner, covering everything from Charles and Diana’s wedding and the UK inner-city riots to the Scarman Report, the devastating tornado outbreak, and a year packed with cultural milestones including “Ghost Town,” “Don’t You Want Me,” Bucks Fizz, Cats, Only Fools and Horses, Brideshead Revisited, Chariots of Fire, and the first London Marathon.

We break down the Porky's obsession with sex, voyeurism, revenge plots, and locker-room humour while unpacking its male gaze, racism, antisemitic subplot, fat jokes, and deeply juvenile tone—ultimately finding it far duller, and strangely tamer, than its scandalous reputation suggests.

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