I’m told that Superbad is one hysterical movie, but it appears that not everyone’s a fan. The Oregon Partnership, which is dedicated to ending underage drinking, thinks the movie is going to corrupt America’s youth—according to an “Action Alert” sent out today entitled “Superbad is Superbad for Underage Drinking”:

Parents and Community Leaders, Join Oregon Partnership in Protesting the Message in this Movie that Underage Drinking is Harmless and Perfectly Okay!

Superbad is an R-Rated movie that is a box office hit. Virtually all the reviewers found it charming and funny. Despite its rating, most kids will see it, especially when it comes out in video. It portrays heavy underage drinking as popular, normal and expected. It never suggests there might be lasting consequences to such heavy-duty partying. Girls are treated as devices for “scoring” with the idea that you need to get a girl very drunk to “score.” Finally, there is no sense that it is wrong to break the law and we’re not just talking about underage drinking. One boy used fake ID to buy alcohol and the boys in the movie stole alcohol from one party to supply another.

These Actions are Suggested:

Write Sony Entertainment and protest these messages. Write to:
Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO
Sony Pictures Entertainment
10202 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232-3195

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about these kinds of movies which encourage our kids to engage in bad behavior (click here to view the opinion piece which Oregon Partnership sent to several papers).

Use this movie as a “teachable moment” to talk to your kids about:
- Why they should not drink until age 21 and why heavy drinking is unhealthy and dangerous.
- How to treat young women with dignity and respect.
- The importance of our system of laws and why we should follow them.

I think I found an easier solution—forcing minors to watch the dubbed German version of Superbad. Because in German, every syllable sounds like a punishment.