Why does so much of the swearing in The Goonies debuted in 1985 as a family-friendly adventure comedy, following a group of kids who go on a hunt for a sunken ship and its treasure on the Oregon coast. As the Astoria “Goon Docks” kids, led by Mikey Walsh, begin their journey with Mikey’s teenage brother and his friends for One-Eyed Willy's fortune, they bite off a little more than they can chew when a group of notorious criminals tries to beat them to the punch.
Based on a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg, The Goonies follows in his typical coming-of-age formula as it features a group of rambunctious, clever, snarky kids. The dynamics between the kids and their teenage accomplices in the frustration of their life-or-death mission are so enjoyable that one almost forgets they’re simply children. In typical ‘80s movie fashion, some of ' kids have the maturation of their behind-the-scenes adult creators, engaging in a lot of vulgar humor and swearing that demote its family-friendly branding but also reflect the true-to-life interactions of the types of kids The Goonies celebrates.
Although some of The Goonies’ fun was the kids trying to act more mature through their language, the creators had to strategically place their colorful words within the film so that certain venues could easily reduce the audibility of the swearing. As a family-friendly movie, certain broadcasters and channels want the light-hearted adventure story available to children, but can’t have so much cursing on the air. This is why most of the swearing in The Goonies occurs during extremely noisy scenes, so that television broadcasters can easily increase the background action volume to drown out their words.
It’s typically more exciting, especially for nostalgic adults, to go back and watch Richard Donner's The Goonies in its full experience, but television broadcasters or other venues that can't show the children swearing need an alternative. By having the noisy action coincide with the natural swearing, it makes it easier for television broadcasters to go back and edit the film without distractingly removing or dubbing over dialogue. The subtle quips and colorful injections of the kids during action sequences in The Goonies can easily be removed: either by cutting out a few seconds or by increasing the sound effects to drown out the offending language. For example, when Mouth flies out of the natural waterslide into the cave, his prolonged screaming of "s***" can easily be muffled by increasing the sound of the running water.
The Goonies is an exciting and beloved movie that continues to be ed down to generations by those who grew up with it, especially with continual callbacks in shows Stranger Things, though when looking at reviews on Common Sense Media, many parents aren’t too happy with the constant swearing, sexual innuendo, and drug references from the kids. Although much of the innuendo and profanity is really meant for the adults watching, some parents still want a way to give their kids the experience of a fun adventure without the inappropriate dialogue. By placing The Goonies’ profanity in especially noisy scenes, the film can appease TV broadcasters and cautious parents.
