Ronald Reagan: American Slasher | Renegade Cut

Slasher movies in the 1980's, particularly the Friday the 13th film series, told us a lot about the values of the United States under the Ronald Reagan administration. Support Renegade Cut Media through Patreon: / renegadecut
#fridaythe13th #halloween #ronaldreagan
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Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/leonthomas/
Patreon: / renegadecut
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING:
www.thebillfold.com/2016/08/h...
theconversation.com/3-myths-a...
theweek.com/articles/781320/h...
www.msnbc.com/politicsnation/g...
www.nytimes.com/2018/07/16/op...
www.salon.com/2018/07/02/the-...
listverse.com/2015/01/15/10-r...
soapboxie.com/us-politics/21r...
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/31/op...
www.salon.com/2014/05/18/the_...
theintercept.com/2018/05/12/o...
• Video
• Nightmares in Red, Whi...

[@demh7823]

And just like people look back fondly on Reagan and conviently forget the nefarious and hurtful policies, so too are people like Ellen DeGeneres doing with George W. Bush today.

[@snakesnoteyes]

Dem H78 rehabbing our monsters is the great US pastime, hence the worship of the founding fathers

[@kleptopolarbear1609]

correct...its why Bush is going to be fully rehabilitated in a few years and Trump will probably be rehabilitated in the public eye in a few years as well

[@verdantmischief7092]

Ellen is only doing that because she's rich and his friend.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

@@verdantmischief7092 Kimberly Nicole Foster "Ellen's politics are rich white lady politics"

[@chadalpha7983]

And they will with Trump tommorow

[@curiousworld7912]

The Reagan administration not only saw the beginnings of 'disposable people' based on sex and drugs; but the poor, as well. 'It must be their own moral failings, if people are poor' seemed to be the growing message. Bill Clinton worsened the situation with his 1994 Crime Bill, that sent thousands more to prisons, widely expanded the use of the death penalty and instituted mandatory sentencing. As discussed in an earlier episode of Renegade Cuts, many of our comments showed how movies reflect the dominant culture around them. Ronald Reagan representing the actions of 'Jason' and Nancy Reagan's as 'Jason's mother' is perfect - I'd never looked at the '80s slasher films that way, but you're absolutely right.

[@floppy280]

I wasn't alive during the Reagan years, but the more I hear about him the less I like him. It doesn't sound like he did anything good for the US.

[@rodriguistamemer4406]

That's because he didn't do any good to the people of the US.

[@marthlink5015]

@@rodriguistamemer4406 Corps love Ronald though. In alot of my Academic pursuits I'd get confused at the varying opinions on reagan, it took me nearly a decade to find out why. And it's scary.

[@BP-vc4em]

If he did nothing good, that would’ve been a huge improvement over what that creature actually did.

[@snakesnoteyes]

Reagan was a moral monster and the fact that both parties talk about how great he was shows how doomed the US is

[@cosmojenkins3020]

floppy280 He was absolutely terrible. He was a sociopathic criminal kingpin, and a war mongerer. And his propaganda game was STRONG because of his “polite” demeanor and faux-empathy. 0/10 president, 10/10 actor.

[@bossbabyhyeju5774]

3:19 “The victims smoke weed in part two, and do cocaine in part five!” now that’s what I call character development

[@the_demon_cat337]

they are certenly developing somthing

[@SatanasExMachina]

True to life scenario there.

[@boilingsnowwater2121]

Highs and lows for every character arc

[@irishcajun85]

@@boilingsnowwater2121 mostly highs

[@isabelavasco9321]

it feels like a perfect microcosm of the cultural transition from the 70s to the 80s lol

[@josemiguelmaciasvocar2690]

there isn't a day that passes that i don't find out how much of a real life monster Reagan was

[@onalos1271]

True. I was a teen then and he was the beginning of the end for the U.S. as he brought in the neoliberals and the whole country shifted right and hasn't had a real left wing government since the 70s.

[@BethDiane]

@@onalos1271 I'd say, not since the 1950s with Senator McCarthy.

[@tripfisk4246]

Nancy too

[@omegapointil5741]

iNVITED PINOCHET TO OUR WHITE HOUSE

[@brina6680]

Same

[@lefteyereport6354]

The war on drugs isn't accidentally increasing drug use. When Bolivia kicked out the DEA, illegal coca exports dropped by 25%

[@ricarlab.967]

For me, one of the more horrifying things is that everyday people end up being at the shit end of malicious, and sometimes powerful peoples wrath, either for something petty, stupid, or just for the latter's own amusement, and most of the time, those powerful, malicious people never get punished for their transgressions.

[@ShubhamBhushanCC]

Reagan kicked the window of discourse so far to the right that it has still not recovered

[@inyobill]

As illustrated by how people view the Clintons as "Left". If anything, it has only continued in that direction.

[@eve36368]

This video's discussion on AIDS makes me think about climate change "discussions" today even though the climate collapse has been happening since the 1950s at the very least

[@CartoonManWhoo]

the climate collapse started in 187os with the Industrial Revolution.

[@gSlover4reel]

Never understood all the love for Reagan. He was really an incompetent monster.

[@michealforguson5317]

I guess my Music Teacher was a fan of him, because we watched his funeral live on the day he died.

[@vladcassidy8313]

He should have been locked up.

[@inyobill]

People still don't understand the cost of his Voodoo Economics to working America.Forty years of failed promise should convince even the most loyal.

[@red-qd2mn]

i feel like i know more about american history, media, and politics than that of my own country's thanks to your videos

[@TheGamingVillas]

Well, I think it's obvious he is American and many of his videos are on American films so that might be why.

[@snakesnoteyes]

The US is really bad at education and very good at its own mythology

[@medes5597]

I genuinely wrote an essay on this exact thing in high school, this is officially my favourite episode.

[@shoesncheese]

My mom worked at a law firm in downtown Memphis in the early 80s and I remember the increase in police presence because of all of the mentally ill people that got turned out when Reagan made them homeless. One of my mom's friends lost her job at such a hospital because it was closed down. I guess we can thank Reagan for the schizophrenic bag lady stereotype.

[@theshrimp1657]

Truth be told it was more the Carter administration and media uncovering decades of abuse in mental hospitals across the country.

[@jamiemiller1482]

There’s actually a show deadly class that used that as the backdrop for the protagonist I recommend it was a pretty good show

[@tpu55]

that closeup of Nancy makes me think the They Live aliens were an homage to her

[@CartoonManWhoo]

they were!

[@BP-vc4em]

I want to see a slasher movie where ronald reagan is in hell being tormented by jason, myers, and kruger. What’s their motive? reagan’s victim count is far higher than jason, myers, and kruger’s combined.

[@MyFilmJunkie]

The series has a large LGBT fanbase. Horror in general has a large LGBT fanbase. I always could relate to the final girls and growing up as a gay man I admired their strength. Laurie Strode, Ripley, Nancy etc. it’s funny how these films have a somewhat conservative element and yet found a huge fanbase in a marginalized community. Great video as always.

[@InfernoBlade64]

I love how these movies secretly threw shade at reagan

[@theuglyone6520]

80's slasher movies are a lot scarier than I realized ...

[@Koaldan86]

For some weird reason, you're one of the few leftie channels I'm always eager to watch and which never makes me feel depressed but more resolute, keep being yourself and thank you!

[@FairyPrincessNia]

One time someone arguing with me said that they needed "receipts" on Reagan being homophobic. I'm...

[@wordsofdv]

Title: "Ronald Reagan: American Slasher" Me: Yes.

[@dilapidatedcastillo500]

I was a little kid when he was president. Even as a kid something didn't seem right about him. Like he was a shady character. Every time I see his face I can't help but think of the Genesis video Land Of Confusion, which featured horrifying puppets, including a grisly Reagan puppet. Not until later did I realize the meaning behind the song, which was them (Genesis) questioning the wisdom of the world leaders at that time. What a great song and video.

[@dilapidatedcastillo500]

@@thefearhawk8805 I actually forgot about that song. You're right. That's a good one as well. Thanks for the reminder.

[@georgekostaras]

I always hated Reagan and it’s good to see people tell the truth about him

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

How to beat drug addiction: Just say no lol.

[@andrewjacks2716]

How to stop being mentally ill: just stop being mentally ill lol.

[@johnnyscifi]

I really wish id thought of that one before i started sticking needles in my arm...fuck

[@jmitterii2]

And the entire time it was Reagan and his administration that was the boogie man.

[@CartoonManWhoo]

as a matter of fact, it was!

[@antoniusbritannia8217]

It's not lost on me that many of the people who claim to be servants of Christ, find so many people to be disposable. Read the 4 Gospels again, then tell me if you find that to be his message.

[@Vivi2372]

"it is surprising that the president could remain silent as 6,000 Americans died." Fall 2020 saying hi right now.

[@chairmanranma9214]

Joker went over the cutting funds of mental health services perfectly

[@Doktorlady]

What anime is your thumbnail from?

[@suiteblaq]

WenLi Yang And when WenLi says that, they mean that literally, before anyone jumps on them for being Transphobic. The character shifts between both genders in the series. It’s a great show! Watch it!

[@ProfessorH]

Hey Ronnie Reagan, I'm black and I'm pagan, I'm gay and I'm left and I'm free. I'm a non-fundamentalist environmentalist, Please don't bother me. - Christy Moore

[@laurenbastin8849]

I think this is the first time I’ve heard RC genuinely not be able to control his laughter (at officer Dorf lmao) and it was very endearing

[@rawjawbone]

If you have a chance, you should check out Wes Craven's 1991" People under the Stairs" The villains are obvious Reagan parallels, and it eschews a lot of horror cliches.

[@georgekostaras]

Richard Becker that’s one of my favorite Craven movies

[@sunkissedking]

You definitely taught me something I didn't know about Reagan's reign. This was such an original take too; I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I hope you continue more spooky essays for spooky season. You have a great understanding of the genre.

[@DensetsuVII]

Having never been interested in horror and been born after this time, another fascinating analysis of the meaning behind an era's films. I'm sure there are resources/essays for this, but it'd be fascinating to view how the horror of various eras has changed to accommodate changing politics - perhaps there's something to be gleaned from the sense that modern 'trope-aware' horrors and even films like Whedon's Cabin in the Woods aren't just post-modern because of when they were made, but because of the zeitgeist as a whole reexamining what the horror of past-eras represented? Anyways, lovely work as always.

[@TheEndKing]

There's a great book that my friend has about this very topic, it shows that when times are good, the horror movies become hokey and kind of bad(with the exception of some gems). But when times are good? That's when you get the good shit.

[@slipwagon7944]

What a unique and fantastic look at politics and culture during the 80s. I never thought to tie horror movies of the time with conservative values.

[@ZephyrusAsmodeus]

History seems like it's about to repeat itself again too, crazy how fast people forget history

[@o0Avalon0o]

I could have listened to talk about this for an hour and never been bored

[@cameronwilliamloomis]

This video covers almost the entirety of our current political epoch. Americans to this day, express much concern about what people 'deserve' or more often, 'don't deserve'. I can't think of a better YT video from this year

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Wow this was an amazing analysis of the 80s slasher and Reagan love it

[@acnbk]

Shoutout to The Tripper (2006) for having the killer use a Ronald Reagan mask while murdering hippies lmao

[@morningstar9818]

i listened to the first part of the dollop on reagan recently, guy was a psychopath. like, i used to think american psycho connection to reagan was just neoliberalism (beginnings) of the 80s but nah, it was the wholesale patrick bateman character.

[@cow_tools_]

Love that line about "stop hitting yourself!"

[@catsmom129]

Patti Davis, the Reagans’ daughter, once claimed that Nancy Reagan had a prescription pill problem. She thought the Just Say No campaign might have been her mom’s warped way of dealing with her own addiction.

[@Incredible_Mister_J]

I noticed in some 80s movies, authority is not seen or felt like a good thing.

[@zombie_reagan]

"Jason Voorhees and his mother before him felt like Ronald and Nancy Reagan, respectively." i mean, he did call nancy mommy, so that fits

[@sebulia1]

This video is spot on. I lived in that time, and that was exactly how it went down. Reagan was a monster. A smiling, charismatic monster, but a monster all the same.

[@ornos3133]

I was skeptical to one argument i had with someone that slashers were apolitical. This video not only, in one way, disprove that, but was the most fun exploration of making you realize they are terrifying.

[@anuvedantham7689]

Still watching, but thanks for the consistently well thought out videos. These have been incredibly eye opening, and the research for each video is incredible.

[@grim524]

We're still living in the Reagan era. Much of what's wrong with today's politics, including the decline of unions, mass incarceration, and the Democrats' embrace of neoliberalism, can be traced back to Reagan. Trump was the logical conclusion of Reaganism.

[@Aliexster]

So when are we going to cut out the middle man and have Zombie Regan? Alzheimer ate his brain, so now he wants to eat ours!!!!! Also props on the Hobgoblins quote.

[@BethDiane]

There's a wonderful book about the 80s called The Clothes Have No Emperor, that perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the Reagan years. At least it matches up pretty well with my memories of it.

[@Nihilistic_Narcissist]

Hippies reassemble! We can all come together again!

[@JaeLCR13]

When I was a teenager, I was fascinated with the late 60s and 70s-everything from the music to the fashion to the politics and everything in between. When I watched 80s movies however, I noticed things got suddenly lamer and tamer than in previous decades, and spent years trying to figure out why. That's about the time I began to learn about Reagan. He was a liberal democrat until General Electric hired him to host a TV show they had in the 50s, and Reagan suddenly started expressing pro-big business views. His political career officially began in the 60s; after endorsing Goldwater's 1964 campaign, he ran for governor of California two years later on an anti-welfare and anti-counterculture platform. Many policies passed by Reagan when he was governor remain in effect today, and can be considered a major reason why Cali has gotten so expensive over the years. His presidency was even worse. Like many GOP policies, the war on drugs disproportionally targeted communities of color, and a lot of his economic policies further aggravated de-industrialization in the midwest and rust belt, including cities like Detroit and Cleveland. He can be considered responsible for the fall from grace these cities-and others like them-have endured since the 50s. Maybe he could've helped fix these problems, but he was too busy dealing with fake communist threats overseas to deal with actual issues abroad. My dad-who came of age in the 60s and is a staunch working-class FDR democrat-is one of the few boomers I know who absolutely despises Reagan (once offhandedly remarking he was pissed when he survived his assassination attempt) Morning in America? More like MOURNING FOR AMERICA Reagan's legacy is built on lies, deceit, and blood. The day America realizes he was not a good president will be a great day in history.

[@whollycarp3254]

Hey, I'm here in October 2020. I wanted to point out a new similarity between Donald Trump and his idol, Reagan. Now, we can say that they both presided over an epidemic that could have been blunted had action been taken.

[@vphiameradisogaarwa]

This is blowing my mind. I hated those movies growing up - I think I know why now. Wow.

[@momijithelesbianleftie6578]

Reagan and Nixon are both different presidents, but I can never keep them apart in my head.

[@dansmoothback9644]

I take comfort in thinking that if there is a hell, reagan is there and he is suffereing greatly, until time ceases

[@angryhobo212]

First! This is so weird because I've been seeing Reagan come up a lot today. I just watched a video about how American CEOs got so rich that mentioned Reagan, and after that I listened to the song Reagan by Killer Mike. So it's weird to see Reagan pop up again so soon. PS the biggest figure of the 1980s wasn't Reagan or Jason, it was Michael Jackson :)

[@alexanderson4497]

He's one of the biggest monsters in American politics, part of the rot that currently plagues all branches of government culminating in the ultimate Capitalist, conservative media made imbecile currently in office.

[@mikelomez9313]

@@rsync9490 I don't think we've even seen the terrible final results of it yet. I believe it's going to culminate in something much worse unfortunately

[@nicholasnora139]

Keep up the quality content Leon your on fire recently!

[@unconditionalprong]

For a slasher in 1980's that goes the total opposite of Friday the 13th, check out Night Warning (AKA Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker) from 1981. The good character is friends with a gay gym teacher and has premarital sex with his girlfriend. The teacher is also not played for laughs, which was against the norms of the era. The bad characters are a homophobic cop who harasses the lead and his psychotic aunt. The aunt gets angry when the lead and his girlfriend have sex. She's also very repressive about sex in general and you get the idea that she is incestuous and possessive. Probably one of the most forward thinking horror films of its time. If you can find it, see it!

[@inyobill]

I was appalled when I saw how popular Reagan was. Could not believe it when he was elected governor.

[@jesserivera9704]

I love this channel. It's like a Jim Can't Swim about pop/modern culture.

[@jandrashriker5861]

There are a few videos on this website that I keep watching regularly. I re-watch them to the point that I start remembering lines. One of them is Jack Saint's Beastars analysis and second is this. What an amazingly interesting video! I am definitely not an American but the English TV channels would occasionally telecast Slasher movies at night. I would watch it to defy my parents orders as I grew I stopped watching it. But I think it's time to re-watch them with a different pov. Thanks!

[@nevskislake]

I always wondered why the far-right often speaks out against horror movies and consider them a threat to society. The horror genre has, in large part, been punitive towards minorities, women (most especially) and young people stepping outside of 'traditional' values. I would think the genre would be wish fulfillment porn for some of the 'moral majority'.

[@deucalion5168]

I think that what they don't like about the slasher genre is that it is not the "form" they are comfortable with. A lot of Christian cinema espouse the same values, but presented in a more "sanitized" way that they like more.

[@AliceOfSherwood]

And I thought Thatcher was the worst world leader of the 80s

[@vphiameradisogaarwa]

At 13:22 he says "clearly it was a bad time to have a new epidemic to appear in June of 1981. . . this was an administration committed to doing one thing above all else and that's to keep the lid on domestic spending", I am viewing this on Jan 1, 2021; how prophetic is this audio.

[@hMusic-tb8hl]

PERFECT TIMING as it is the core of the new season of American Horror Story. THANK YOU.

[@rickiex]

Man, these are so top quality analysis. Great job

[@ShmazProducts]

I like the video a lot. And I felt the audio mixing was really great.

[@golansmith4868]

" But this is a New Era of time now"

[@iconoclast137]

your stuff is always interesting, keep up the great work!

[@ironiconion]

this is a great video! id say that the protagonization of freddy in the nightmare series honestly only really happens after the 3rd film, but its kind of funny the degree that freddy became a pop culture icon, considering the first 2 films in particular very much dont treat him even with the pov shots that michael myers and jason have. i think the move towards the "ironic" deaths and nancy's death in the 3rd film really shifted the focus towards him in the same way jason was focused on.

[@Mabrur100]

This is great, great stuff. Please do more of these.

[@MSmith-fe7ie]

excellent video as always man. also love how smart the comment section is

[@Matizicov]

Another good video 👌 And I'm not surprised you could pass up playing 'Motorcycle Cop' when you brought up Officer Dorf

[@jade3866]

Such a great video, I had no idea about a lot of these things.

[@dmc2107]

I love this video. A great distillation of ideas, and an enjoyable critique. And I definitely appreciate the inclusion of Crispin Glover's crazy-ass dance at the end. I also wanted to point out that David Arquette directed a movie in 2006, called The Tripper, about a slasher in a Reagan mask killing hippies at a music festival. It's been a while, but I might have to rewatch that now, along with Friday the 13th.

[@fernandese]

your videos are great.I became a fan of your work already.

[@rbdriftin]

"In midst of this madness it's madmen that win, even when we vote the opposite it all reverts to Reagan." - Dälek, Asylum (Permanent Underclass)

[@CptKosher]

The satanic panic is having a recent resurgence with Lil Nas X but this time we get to actually see direct responses (by the artist) to the criticisms of moral failings being lobbed at him by the religious right.

[@horricule451]

I would love to see a slasher flick where reagan's the killer

[@naggu1243]

Nah that’s just real history

[@DrGregoryHouseIT]

And a gay man as the Final Boy.

[@minivergur]

Aren't they all though?

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Go look up the tripper there is a Reagan like killer looks and sounds like him

[@fuckoffannoyingutube]

that was an unexpected but welcome surprise. well done, dude

[@matthewkuchinski1769]

Great video! It is also interesting that most works on the Iran-Contra Scandal that was a big part of the Reagan years, does not also mention the fact that genocide was also a part of the scandal. For, with few exceptions, many of the Contras waged war against innocent civilians, primarily women, children, and the elderly, particularly living amongst Mayan villages, so as to "break the back" of the Sandinistas and their nascent government. These actions were further supported by the Reagan Administration, who launched propaganda campaigns to make the Contras good in the public image while showing the Sandinistas and the Contras' innocent victims as pure evil.

[@oldmanmillennial1980]

I really appreciate and respect your perspective of the history we have been told especially through pop culture. If the play Kiss my Aztec were this big commercial success, or if it is one day, I would have loved to have heard your thoughts on it.

[@AvelierPlays]

I would really like to see the topic of migration talked about on one of your episodes. Perhaps the movie District 9 could be useful for this?

[@AvelierPlays]

Joe Francis Thats how a lot of people see migrants, the often used term of “migrant hordes” and such are very similar to a swarm of bugs. Im a migrant myself, although I migrated legally, but I still understand how its like to move out of your country and adapt to a new place and culture. I was lucky enough to not migrate to a country who hated mine, but there were several instances when I grew up where hateful comments were made. Migrants are human beings, but that doesn’t mean that some people see them as less than human.

[@bardsolas]

Oh, and don't forget Oliver North was elected president of the NRA in 2018

[@GorgonautAnimation]

This is great, as always, but I think it's important to emphasize that the films themselves, though, are clearly in alliance with the audience in casting the reactionary violence as an oppressive threat, and gleefully embraces the more hedonistic pleasures of Horror. F13 isn't moralizing, it's casting moralizers as monsters. The films love nudity and sorta-transgressive violence (the filmmakers, at least - the studio censors, famously not so much). The culture war at the time was very much Horror + Metal + D&D vs. Evangelical Republicans.

[@niteowl9491]

this video is great -- the credits song is perfect

[@DwRockett]

This is really interesting, great video

[@CaptainPreferences]

Awesome videos dude!

[@calebhoneycutt8467]

Love the use of Jarre by the Moderns in this. Love that band.

[@brassen]

It's not quite a coincidence but this is exactly what is going on in Brazil. Our Jason's mom is Justice Minister Sérgio Moro, it seems

[@sofvetjosh4397]

I’ve been saying this for years! Thank you.

[@JeevesAnthrozaurUS]

Ronald(6) Wilson(6) Reagan(6)

[@ryancier]

Turns out the best script for a horror-flick was, in fact, the Tanakh.

[@theodoremartin9333]

That was a interesting piece. Well done

[@Agos226]

One of your best

[@unclegumbald989]

02:52. THANK YOU for knowing that. I sing that on almost a daily basis.

[@linkeragon7885]

how dare you demonize Jason by comparing him to Reagan grate as always subscribed

[@tbdaemon]

Anyone else catch the song used in part 1 while talking about Iran-Contra and their funding through the sale of crack? "Temperance" by Occam's Laser - nice touch!

[@rohitgurehsrez3961]

We British had it bad too with Thatcher.