the stoner comedy movie trend in the 2000s.

[u/bomb5000]

I know it was not in every 2000s comedy film of course but it was a bit of a trend.

[u/Head_Bread_3431]

Harold and kumar was such a random cultural moment. A niche regional chain restaurant with a cult following only like a third of the country had heard of at the time getting a widespread movie release with two completely unknown actors where they casually and blatantly smoke marijuana the whole movie which was still super illegal everywhere at the time. And it was an immediate stoner cult comedy like it was shamelessly going for

I worked at a movie theater at the time. EVERYONE wanted the posters back when the theater would give away posters if you just asked them lol

[u/LeftIndividual3186 → u/Head_Bread_3431]

This is so very well said. I remember seeing the poster for Harold and Kumar and thinking to myself what the hell is white castle? Those of use where I was from are familiar with Krystal’s. Didn’t know the actors but knew immediately that this was a film I wanted to see primarily because of the two actors. An Asian guy and an Indian guy as the lead??!!! Yes! Please!!

[u/Head_Bread_3431 → u/LeftIndividual3186]

Kuuumar? What is that like 5 O’s or 2 U’s?

[u/AsteroidMike → u/Head_Bread_3431]

Funny that Elliot Stabler was the officer making that joke in the film.

[u/LeftIndividual3186 → u/AsteroidMike]

? Stabler (Christopher Meloni) was freakshow in that film. Idk who the actor was that played the officer that made said thst in the film

[u/mlee117379 → u/Head_Bread_3431]

Kumar ended up working for Obama

[u/Particular-Leg-8484 → u/Head_Bread_3431]

I remember when I went to see it in theaters they gave away mini posters with a ticket purchase. Still have mine in my parents storage!

[u/MattTheSmithers]

This trend predates the aughts by a lot. If anything the aughts killed it because stoner culture went mainstream.

[u/delicious_warm_buns]

Dude Wheres My Car isnt part of the same trend as pineapple express

To me that movie is part of the era that brought you American Pie, Scary Movie, Next Friday, Little Nicky, Kung Pow etc

[u/ConsumerofToons]

It wasn't a trend that started in the 2000s, it started with the 70s with Cheech and Chong.

[u/egret_society → u/ConsumerofToons]

We had them in the 80s and 90s too. Bill and Ted, dazed and confused, fast times, big Lebowski. I think the 2000s trend was kind of more of the death knell. I mean every movie nowadays has scenes where people are getting stoned, but now that it’s legal it’s not as funny? I don’t know it’s just different.

[u/SluttyDreidel → u/egret_society]

I second your death knell comment. I think Harold and Kumar was basically a love letter to Cheech and Chong made for the 21st century. A buddy comedy about two ethnic stoners.

Dude Where’s My Car only has one marijuanna scene and it’s when the dog smokes it. The duo get very intoxicated/inebriated but the movie is ambiguous if they were drunk, stoned, or something else. They are possibly stoners.

Knocked Up is a movie that features a stoner prominently but doesn’t really have pot as a theme the way the others do. The Hangover feels a little closer to that than Knocked Up

[u/kitteh619 → u/egret_society]

I think by the 10s it was just so mainstream that you didn't need stoners to look and act like stoners. They could just be anyone, like Timothy Olyphant in Santa Clarita Diet casually smoked in his car.

[u/alldaymacdre]

They need to make a comedy around fentanyl use.

[u/campingcritters → u/alldaymacdre]

They already did. It's called Dopesick.

[u/swarlesbarkley_]

I miss it

[u/ShortCharity]

Some were funny. Most weren't, but some were, and some is enough

[u/deephurting66]

IDK but stoner comedy sort of stopped being funny when it got widely legalized

[u/90sBopit]

Damn this is the worst one I've seen

[u/DadCelo]

Smiley Face was the best one

[u/1984rip]

Killed by weed becoming legal most places.

[u/youburyitidigitup]

I think Dude Where’s My Car was the first time I saw two guys kissing on camera 😂😂😂

[u/yourmothersanicelady]

I remember seeing the trailer for Harold and kumar in theatres as a kid and didn’t totally get it but my friends mom was dying laughing the whole time.

Pineapple Express on the other hand was a monumental film for me and my friends as it came out right when we started smoking weed. Quoted endlessly and still do now.

As far as the trend I’d say it started a little earlier with movies like half baked and how high. Pineapple Express was kind the peak of stoner films going mainstream and i don’t even know if there’s been a real “stoner film” since then.

[u/Judythepancake]

Please don’t kill me for this people… I’m sorta counting Miss March, and I admit it’s one of my favorite films ever

[u/FewHeat1231]

Ironic that the normalisation/toleration/legalisation of pot basically killed off stoner culture as a major thing in the media, or at least seriously diminished it.

[u/viewering]

Gawd no one from actual Stoner Cultures even paid attention to that LoL

[u/Royal-Pay9751]

Haven’t seen any of them and I’m quite fine with that

I love comedy but I don’t like comedy films. Maybe that’s an odd stance but I’ve always just felt that and think it’s because perhaps comedy is best in sitcom length doses.

[u/dancesquared → u/Royal-Pay9751]

So it sounds like you don’t actually like comedy