Understanding Individuality in The Breakfast Club
Articles: [https://thefederalist.com/2025/04/21/the-breakfast-club-casts-40-year-reunion-shows-why-a-modern-remake-would-never-work/ "The Breakfast Club Cast’s 40-Year Reunion Shows Why A Modern Remake Would Never Work"]
by Gage Klipper, The Federalist (April 21, 2025)
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Strangers United by Uncommon Bonds
Taglines:
Five strangers with nothing in common, except each other.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Five Strangers Discover Unexpected Connections
Taglines:
They were five total strangers, with nothing in common, meeting for the first time. A brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse. Before the day was over, they broke the rules. Bared their souls and touched each other in a way they never dreamed possible.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Life-Changing Encounter in One Day
Taglines:
They only met once, but it changed their lives forever.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Identifying Our True Selves in Detention
Brian: [voiceover]
Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are and you see us as you want to see us: In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
Andrew: [voiceover]
...and an athlete...
Allison: [voiceover]
...and a basket case...
Claire: [voiceover]
...a princess...
John: [voiceover]
...and a criminal.
Brian: [voiceover]
Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Friendship and Identity Among Outsiders
Brian: [to Allison]
Then I assume that Allison and I are better people than you guys, huh? Us weirdos... Do you, would you do that to me?
Allison:
I don't have any friends.
Brian:
Well, if you did?
Allison:
No...I don't think the kind of friends I'd have would mind.
Brian:
I just wanna tell each of you that I wouldn't do that...I wouldn't and I will not! Cause I think that's real shitty.
Claire:
Your friends wouldn't mind because they look up to us.
Brian:
You're so conceited, Claire. You're so conceited. You're so, like, full of yourself; why are you like that?
Claire: [about to cry]
I'm not saying that to be conceited! I hate it! I hate having to go along with everything my friends say!
Brian:
Well, then why do you do it?
Claire:
I don't know, I don't-You don't understand...you don't. You're not friends with the same kind of people that Andy and I are friends with! You know, you just don't understand the pressure that they can put on you!
Brian: [breaks down, begins to cry]
I don't understand what? You think I don't understand pressure, Claire? Well, fuck you! Fuck you! Know why I'm here today? Do you?! I'm here because Mr. Ryan found a gun in my locker.
Andrew:
Why'd you have a gun in your locker?
Brian:
I tried. You pull the fuckin trunk on it and the light's supposed to go on... and it didn't go on, I mean, I-
Andrew:
What's the gun for, Brian?
Brian:
Just forget it.
Andrew:
You brought it up, man!
Brian:
I can't have an F; I can't have it and I know my parents can't have it. Even if I aced the rest of the semester, I'm still only a B. And everything's ruined for me.
Brian: [bashes a nearby chair over]
Fuck! So I considered my options, you know?
Claire:
No! Killing yourself is not an option!
Brian:
Well I didn't do it, did I? No, I don't think so!
Allison:
It was a hand gun?
Brian:
No, it was a flare gun, went off in my locker.
Andrew: [laughs]
Really?
Brian: [Andrew tries to stop, but he continues laughing and everyone else begins to laugh; begins laughing]
It's not funny. Yes it is. Fuckin elephant was destroyed!
Allison: [everyone continues to laugh, now at her]
You wanna know what I did to get in here? Nothing; I didn't have anything better to do. You're laughing at me!
Andrew:
No!
Allison: [now laughing]
Yeah, you are!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Friendship Uncertainty After Shared Experience
Brian:
Um, I was just thinking, I mean. I know it's kind of a weird time, but I was just wondering, um, what is gonna happen to us on Monday? When we're all together again? I mean I consider you guys my friends, I'm not wrong, am I?
Andrew:
No.
Brian:
So, so on Monday...what happens?
Claire:
Are we still friends, you mean? If we're friends now, that is?
Brian:
Yeah.
Claire:
Do you want the truth?
Brian:
Yeah, I want the truth.
Claire:
I don't think so.
Allison:
Well, do you mean all of us or just John?
Claire:
With all of you.
Andrew:
That's a real nice attitude, Claire!
Claire:
Oh, be honest, Andy...if Brian came walking up to you in the hall on Monday, what would you do? I mean picture this, you're there with all the sports. I know exactly what you'd do, you'd say hi to him and when he left you'd cut him all up so your friends wouldn't think you really liked him!
Andrew:
No way!
Allison:
Kay, what if I came up to you?
Claire:
Same exact thing!
John:
YOU ARE A BITCH!
Claire:
Why? Cause I'm telling the truth, that makes me a bitch?
John:
NO! Cause you know how shitty that is to do someone, and you don't got the balls to stand up to your friends and tell them you're gonna like who you wanna like.
Claire:
Okay, what about you, you hypocrite! Why don't you take Allison to one of your heavy metal vomit parties? Or take Brian out to the parking lot at lunch to get high? What about Andy? Does that matter, what about me? What would your friends say if we were walking down the hall together? They'd laugh their asses off and you'd probably tell them you were doing it with me so they'd forgive you for being seen with me.
John:
Don't you ever talk about my friends. You don't know any of my friends. You don't look at any of my friends. And you certainly wouldn't condescend to speak to any of my friends. So you just stick to the things you know: shopping, nail polish, your father's BMW, and your poor, rich drunk mother in the Caribbean.
Claire:
SHUT UP!
John:
And as far as being concerned about what's gonna happen when you and I walk down the hallways of school together, you can forget it cuz it's never gonna happen. Just bury your head in the sand and wait for your fuckin prom.
Claire: [crying]
I hate you!
John:
Yeah? Good!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confrontation Among Friends in The Breakfast Club
John: [after Claire performs her lipstick trick, claps sarcastically]
Wow, Claire. That was great. My image of you is totally blown.
Allison:
You're a shit. Don't do that to her, you swore to God you wouldn't laugh.
John:
Am I laughing?
Andrew:
You fuckin prick!
John: [turns to Claire]
What do you care what I think anyway? I don't even count, right? I could disappear forever and it wouldn't make any difference. I might as well not even exist at this school, remember? And you...don't like me anyway.
Claire:
You know, I have just as, many feelings as you do and it hurts so much when someone steps all over them.
John:
God! You're so pathetic. Don't you ever, ever compare yourself to me, okay. You got everything, and I got shit. Fuckin Rapunzel, right? School would probably fuckin shut down if you didn't show up. Queenie isn't here. I like those earrings, Claire.
Claire:
Shut up.
John:
Are those real diamonds Claire?
Claire:
Shut up.
John:
I bet they are. Did you work for the money for those earrings?
Claire:
Shut your mouth.
John:
Or did your daddy buy those for you?
Claire: [shouts]
SHUT UP!
John:
I'll bet he bought those for you. I bet those were a Christmas gift. Right? You know what I got for Christmas? Oh, it was a banner fucking year at the old Bender family. I got a carton of cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and said, "Hey, smoke up Johnny." All right? So go home and cry to your Daddy. Don't cry here, okay?
Andrew:
My God, are we gonna be like our parents?
Claire: [about to cry]
Not me...ever.
Allison:
It's unavoidable; it just happens.
Claire:
What happens?
Allison:
When you grow up, your heart dies.
John:
So, who cares?
Allison:
I care.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Embracing Our Inner Bizarre Personalities
Andrew:
What's bizarre? I mean, we're all pretty bizarre! Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.
Claire:
How are you bizarre?
Allison:
He can't think for himself.
Andrew: [Claire shakes her head no; Claire laughs]
She's right...do you guys know what uh, what I did to get in here? I taped Larry Lester's buns together. :
Brian:
That was you?!
Andrew:
Yeah, you know him?
Brian:
Yeah, I know him.
Claire: [softly]
Oh my god.
Andrew:
The bizarre thing is, is that I did it for my old man...I tortured this poor kid, because I wanted him to think that I was cool. He's always going off about, you know, when he was in school, all the wild things he used to do. And I got the feeling that he was disappointed that I never cut loose on anyone, right? So, I'm...I'm sitting in the locker room, and I'm taping up my knee. And Larry's undressing a couple lockers down from me. Yeah...he's kinda...he's kinda skinny, weak. And I started thinking about my father, and his attitude about weakness. And the next thing I knew, I, uh...I jumped on top of him and started wailing on him. And my friends, they just laughed and cheered me on. And, afterwards, when I was sittin in Vernon's office, all I could think about was Larry's father. And Larry havin to go home and...and explain what happened to him. And the humiliation...fucking humiliation he must've felt. It must've been unreal...I mean, I mean, how do you apologize for something like that? There's no way...it's all because of me and my old man. Oh, God, I fucking hate him! He's like this...he's like this mindless machine that I can't even relate to anymore. "Andrew, you've got to be number one! I won't tolerate any losers in this family. Your intensity is for shit! Win. Win! Win!!" You son-of-a-bitch! You know, sometimes, I wish my knee would give...and I wouldn't be able to wrestle anymore. And he could forget all about me.
John:
I think your old man and my old man should get together and go bowling.
Brian:
It's like me, you know, with my grades. Like, when I, when I step outside myself kinda, and when I, when I look in at myself you know? And I see me, and I don't like what I see: I really don't.
Claire:
What's wrong with you? Why don't you like yourself?
Brian:
Cause I'm stupid...'cause I'm failing shop. See, we had this assignment, to make this ceramic elephant, and um...and we had eight weeks to do it and we're supposed to, and it was like a lamp, and when you pull the trunk, the light was supposed to go on. My light didn't go on; I got an F on it. Never got an F in my life. When I signed up, you know, for the course, I mean-I thought I was playing it real smart, you know. Cause I thought, "I'll take shop; it'll be such an easy way to maintain my grade point average.
John:
: Why'd you think it'd be easy?
Brian:
Have you seen some of the dopes that take shop?
John:
I take shop. You must be a fuckin idiot!
John:
No, you're a genius because you can't make a lamp.
Brian:
What do you know about Trigonometry?
John:
I could care less about Trigonometry.
Brian:
Bender, did you know without Trigonometry, there'd be no engineering?
John:
Without lamps, there'd be no light.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Discussing Private Lives Among Strangers
Allison:
Have you ever done it with a normal person?
Claire:
Didn't we already cover this?
John:
You never answered the question.
Claire:
Look, I'm not going to discuss my private life with total strangers.
Allison:
It's kind of a double edged sword, isn't it?
Claire:
A what?
Allison:
Well, if you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have, you're a slut. It's a trap. You want to but you can't, and when you do, you wish you didn't, right?
Claire:
Wrong.
Allison:
Or are you a tease?
Andrew:
She's a tease.
Claire:
I'm sure. Why don't you just forget it.
Andrew:
Oh, you're a tease and you know it. All girls are teases.
John:
She's only a tease if what she does gets you hot.
Claire:
I don't do anything.
Allison:
That's why you're a tease.
Claire:
Okay, let me ask you a few questions.
Allison:
I already told you everything.
Claire:
No. Doesn't it bother you to sleep around without being in love. I mean, don't you want any respect?
Allison:
I don't screw to get respect. That's the difference between you and me.
Claire:
It's not the only difference I hope.
John:
Face it, you're a tease.
Claire:
I'm not a tease.
John:
Sure you are. Sex is your weapon. You said it yourself. You use it to get respect.
Claire:
No, I never said that; she twisted my words around.
John:
What do you use it for then?
Claire:
I don't use it period.
John:
Oh, are you medically frigid or is it psychological?
Claire:
I didn't mean it that way. You guys are putting words into my mouth.
John:
Well, if you'd just answer the question.
Brian:
Why don't you just answer the question?
Andrew:
Be honest.
John:
No big deal.
Brian:
Yeah answer it.
Andrew:
Answer the question, Claire.
John:
Talk to us.
Everyone:
C'mon, answer the question. Come on. Answer it.
John:
C'mon, it's easy. It's only one question.
Claire:
No, I Never did it!
Allison:
I never did it either. I'm not a nymphomaniac, I'm a compulsive liar.
Claire: [shocked]
You are such a bitch!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Unexpected Disruption in the Classroom
John: [crawling on the ceiling; chuckles; the ceiling breaks, and he falls through]
A naked blonde walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm...and a two-foot salami under the other. She lays the poodle on the table. Bartender says, "I suppose you won't be needing a drink." Naked lady says- OHHH, SHI-I-I-IT!
Vernon: [hearing the crash]
Jesus Christ Almighty!
John: [to students]
Forgot my pencil.
Vernon: [enters the library, and John hides under Claire's desk]
Goddamn it! What in God's name is goin on in here? What was that ruckus?
Andrew:
Uh, what ruckus?
Vernon:
I was just in my office and I heard a ruckus.
Brian:
Could you describe the ruckus, sir?
Vernon: [John bangs his hand under Claire's desk, and Andrew bangs "Shave and a Haircut"; Andrew imitates a zipper sound]
Watch your tongue, young man, watch it. What is this? What is that? What-What is that-What is that noise?
Andrew:
What noise?
Claire: [moans and crushes John's hand, and makes an exaggerated sneeze and coughing sound, and the other students cough]
Really, sir, there wasn't any noise. That noise? Was that the noise that you're talking about?
Vernon: [Allison laughs; to Claire]
No, it wasn't. That was not the noise I was talking about. Now, I may not have caught you in the act this time, but you can bet I will. You make book on that, Missy. And you! I will not be made a fool of.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Satirical Take on Family Dynamics
John:
PB&J with the crusts cut off. Well, Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch; all the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry, Mr. Rogers?
Brian:
Uh, no. Mr. Johnson.
John: [kiss, then mimes punching]
Ah. Here's my impression of life at Big Bri's house: "Son?" "Yeah, Dad?" "How was your day, pal?" "Great, Dad! How's yours?" "Super! Say, how would like to go fishing this weekend?" "Great, Dad! But I got homework to do." "That's okay, son! You can do it on the boat!" "Gee!" "Dear, isn't our son swell?" "Yes, dear. Isn't life swell?
Andrew:
All right, what about your family?
John: [mimes punching]
My family? Oh, that's easy. "Stupid, worthless, no good, goddamned, free loading son-of-a-bitch! Retarded, big mouth, know-it-all asshole jerk!" "You forgot ugly, lazy, and disrespectful." "Shut up, bitch! Go fix me a turkey pot pie!" "What about you, Dad?" "Fuck you!" "No, Dad, what about you?" "Fuck you!" "No, Dad, what about you?!" "Fuck you!
Brian:
Is that for real?
John:
You wanna come over some time?
Andrew:
That's bullshit. It's all part of your image; I don't believe a word of it.
John:
You don't believe me?
Andrew:
No.
John:
No?
Andrew:
Did I stutter?
John: [approaches Andrew, lifts his sleeve to show a burn on his arm. Claire and Andrew look away; knocks down the books in anger, and climbs up the ladder to calm himself down]
Do you believe this? Huh? It's about the size of a cigar. Do I stutter? You see, this is what you get in my house when you spill paint in the garage. See, I don't think that I need to sit with you fuckin dildos anymore.
Claire: [to Andrew]
You shouldn't have said that.
Andy:
How was I supposed to know? He lies about everything anyway!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Janitor's Perspective on High School Life
John:
Carl? How does one become a janitor?
Carl:
You wanna be a janitor?
John:
No, I just want to know how one becomes a janitor. Because, you see, Andrew here is very interested in pursuing a career in the custodial arts.
Carl: [pause]
Oh, really? You guys think I'm just some untouchable peasant? Serf? Peon? Well, maybe so. But following a broom around after shitheads like you for the last eight years, I've learned a couple of things. I look through your letters. I look through your lockers. I listen to your conversations: you don't know that but I do. I am the eyes and ears of this institution, my friends. By the way, that clock's 20 minutes fast.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Introduction of Characters in The Breakfast Club
Claire:
What's your name?
John:
What's yours?
Claire:
Claire.
John:
Claire?
Claire:
Claire. It's a family name.
John:
No, it's a fat girl's name.
Claire: [sarcastically]
Oh, thank you.
John:
You're welcome.
Claire:
I'm not fat.
John: [imitates vomiting, and Claire gives him the "Fuck you!" middle finger]
Well, not at present, but I could see you really pushing maximum density. You see, I'm not sure if you know this, but there are two kinds of fat people. There's fat people that were born to be fat, and there's fat people that were once thin, but they became fat, so when you look at them you can sort of see that thin person inside. You see, you're gonna get married, you're gonna squeeze out a few puppies and then, uh... Oh, obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl.
Claire:
I'm not that pristine.
John:
Are you a virgin? I'll bet you a million dollars that you are. Let's end the suspense. Is it gonna be a...white weddin'?
Claire:
Why don't you just shut up?
John:
Have you ever kissed a boy on the mouth? Have you ever been felt up...over the bra, under the blouse, shoes off, hoping to God your parents don't walk in?
Claire:
Do you want me to puke?
John:
Over the panties...no bra...blouse unbuttoned, Calvin's in a ball on the front seat past 11:00 on a school night?
John:
You gonna make me?
Andrew:
Yeah.
John: [stands in front of Andrew]
You and how many of your friends?
Andrew: [pins on him]
Just me. Just you and me. Two hits. Me hitting you, you hitting the floor. Anytime you're ready, pal.
John: [gets pinned to the floor]
I don't want to get into this with you, man.
Andrew: [gets off of John]
Why not?
John: [stands up]
Because I'd kill you. It's real simple: I'd kill you, and your fucking parents would sue me, and it'd be a big mess, and I don't care enough about you to bother.
Andrew: [John pulls out his switchblade, and slams it on Allison's table; Allison takes John's switchblade]
Chickenshit. Let's end this right now. You don't talk to her, you don't look at her, and you don't even think about her! You understand me?
John:
I'm trying to help her.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confrontation Between Authority and Rebellion
Vernon:
I expected a little more from a varsity letterman. You're not fooling anybody, Bender. The next screw that falls out is gonna be you.
John: [under his breath]
Eat my shorts.
Vernon:
What was that?
John:
Eat...my...shorts.
Vernon:
You just bought yourself another Saturday, Mister.
John:
I'm "crushed".
Vernon:
You just bought one more, right there.
John:
Well, I'm free the Saturday after that. Beyond that, I'm gonna have to check my calendar.
Vernon:
Good! Because it's gonna be filled. We'll keep goin'. You want another one? Say the word, just say the word. Instead of goin to prison, you'll come here. Are you through?
John:
No.
Vernon:
I'm doin society a favor.
John:
So?
Vernon:
That's another one right now. I've got you for the rest of your natural born life if you don't watch your step! You want another one?!
John:
Yes.
Vernon:
You got it! You got another one right there! That's another one, pal!
Claire: [mouths]
Cut it out! Stop!
Vernon:
You through?
John:
Not even close, bud!
Vernon:
Good. You got one more right there.
John:
You really think I give a shit?
Vernon: [John stares angrily]
Another. You through?
John:
How many is that?
Brian:
That's seven including one when we first came in and you asked Mr. Vernon here whether Barry Manilow knew that he raided his closet.
Vernon: [to Brian]
Now it's 8. You stay out of it.
Brian:
Excuse me, sir, it's 7.
Vernon: [Brian obediently remains silent; gives John the horns]
Shut up, peewee. You're mine, Bender. For two months, I gotcha. I gotcha.
John: [sarcastically]
What can I say? I'm "thrilled".
Vernon: [John mouths what Vernon says; leaves the library as Allison watches; he opens the door, gives the horns to John again, then closes the door]
Oh, I'm sure that's exactly what you want these people to believe. You know somethin', Bender? You oughta spend a little more time trying to do something with yourself and a little less time trying to impress people. You might be better off. Alright, that's it! I'm going to be right outside those doors. The next time I have to come in here, I'm crackin skulls.
John: [Vernon sighs and goes to his office; whispers]
FUCK YOU!!! Fuck.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Tensions Rise Among Friends in The Breakfast Club
Andrew:
Look, you guys keep up your talking and Vernon's gonna come right in here. I got a meet this Saturday and I'm not gonna miss it on account of you boneheads.
John:
Oh and wouldn't that be a bite, huh? Missing a whole wrestling meet!
Andrew:
Well, you wouldn't know anything about it, faggot! You never competed in your whole life!
John:
Oh, I know. I feel all empty inside because of it. I have such a deep admiration for guys that roll around on the floor with other guys.
Andrew:
Ahhh, you'd never make it. You don't have any goals.
John:
Oh, but I do!
Andrew:
Yeah?
John:
I wanna be just...like...you. I figure all I need's a lobotomy and some tights!
Brian:
You wear tights?
Andrew:
No, I don't wear tights. I wear the required uniform.
Brian:
Tights.
Andrew:
Shut up!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Debate Over Door Closure in Classroom Setting
John:
What do you say we close that door? We can't have any kind of party with Vernon checking us out every few seconds.
Brian:
Well, you know the door's supposed to stay open.
John:
So what?
Andrew:
So why don't you just shut up? There's four other people in here, you know.
John:
God, you can count. See, I knew you had to be smart to be a...a wrestler.
Andrew:
Who the hell are you to judge anybody, anyway?
Claire:
Really.
Andrew:
You know, Bender, you don't even count. I mean if you disappeared forever it wouldn't make any difference. You may as well not even exist at this school.
John: [Claire and Andrew chuckle]
Well, I'll just run right out and join the wrestling team. Maybe the prep club, too. Student council.
Andrew:
Nah. They wouldn't take you.
John:
I'm hurt.
Claire:
You know why guys like you knock everything?
Claire:
It's cause you're afraid.
John:
Oh, God. You richies are so smart; that's exactly why I'm not heavy in activities.
Claire:
You're a big coward.
Brian:
I'm in the math club.
Claire:
See, you're afraid that they won't take you. You don't belong, so you just have to dump all over it.
John:
Well, it wouldn't have anything to do with you activities people being assholes, now would it?
Claire:
Well you wouldn't know; you don't even know any of us.
John:
Well, I don't know any lepers, either, but I'm not gonna run out and join one of their fucking clubs.
Andrew:
Uh, let's watch the mouth, huh?
Brian:
I’m in the Physics Club, too.
John: [to Brian]
Excuse me a sec. What are you babbling about?
Brian:
Well, what I said was that I'm in a Math Club, uh, the Latin Club, and the Physics Club-Physics Club.
John:
Hey, Cherry. Do you belong to the Physics Club?
Claire:
That's an academic club.
John:
So?
Claire:
So, academic clubs aren't the same as other kinds of clubs.
John: [to Brian]
Ah, but to dorks like him, they are. What do you guys do in your club?
Brian:
In physics, well, we, we, uh, we talk about physics. Uh, properties of physics.
John:
So it's sort of social. Demented and sad, but social, right?
Brian:
I guess you could consider it a social situation.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Tensions Rise in High School Detention
Andrew:
Look, just because you live in here doesn't give you the right to be a pain in the ass. So knock it off!
John:
It's a free country.
Claire: [to Andrew]
He's just doing it to get a rise out of you. Just ignore him.
John: [Claire turns around to John; she turns back, annoyed]
Sweets. You couldn't ignore me if you tried. So...So...are you guys like boyfriend-girlfriend? Steady dates? Lovers? Come on, sporto. Level with me. Do you slip her the hot-beef injection?
Claire:
GO TO HELL!!!
Andrew:
ENOUGH!!!
Vernon: [from his office; no response; gets back to reading.]
Hey! What's going on in there? Spoiled little pricks.
Andrew:
Scumbag.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Detention: A Lesson in Self-Reflection
Vernon:
Well, well, here we are. I wanna congratulate you for being on time.
Claire: [raises her hand; nervously]
Excuse me, sir? I think there's been a mistake. I know it's detention, but, um...I don't think I belong in here.
Vernon: [checks his watch; John spits and catches saliva, and Claire gasps in disgust; points at Claire; to Brian; points at John, then snatches the chair from under his feet]
It is now 7:06. You have exactly 8 hours and 54 minutes to think about why you're here. Ponder the error of your ways. And you may not talk. You will not move from these seats. And you... ...will not sleep. All right, people, we're gonna try something a little different today. We are going to write an essay... of no less than a thousand words...describing to me who you think you are.
John:
This a test?
Vernon:
And when I say "essay", I mean "essay". I do not mean a single word repeated a thousand times. Is that clear, Mr. Bender?
John:
Crystal.
Vernon:
Good. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll even decide whether or not you care to return.
Brian: [raises hand; stands up]
Uh, yeah, you know, I can answer that right now, sir. You know, that'd be "no." "No" for me, cause-
Vernon:
Sit down, Johnson.
Brian: [sits back down]
Thank you, sir.
Vernon:
My office...is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?
John: [[w:Barry Manilow|Barry Manilow]
Yeah, I got a question. Does ] know that you raid his wardrobe?
Vernon: [warningly; leaves]
I'll give you the answer to that question, Mr. Bender, next Saturday. Don't mess with the bull, young man, you'll get the horns.
John: [about Vernon; 33 seconds later, after he and the other students see and hear Allison biting her fingernails; Allison bites another fingernail, and spits it out]
That man...is a brownie hound. If you keep eating your hand, you're not gonna be hungry for lunch. I've seen you before, you know.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Question About Barry Manilow's Wardrobe
John Bender:
Yeah, I got a question. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Parental Manipulation and Personal Identity
John Bender: [to Claire]
You know how you said before that your parents use you to get back at each other? Wouldn't I be outstanding in that capacity?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Questioning Fairness in Group Dynamics
John Bender: [[anarchy]
Hey, how come Andrew gets to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up…it'll be ]!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Embracing the Imperfections of Life
John Bender:
Screws fall out all the time; the world is an imperfect place.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Observations on Smoking and Gender Stereotypes
Brian Johnson:
Chicks cannot hold their smoke, dat's what it is.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Identity and Perception in Detention
Brian Johnson: [first lines]
Saturday, March 24, 1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062. Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? And you see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.































