Content Warning: This article contains discusses mature topics that include sex and underage drinking.
Superbad is one of the quintessential teen comedies from the 2000s. It tells the story of three high school seniors: Seth, Evan, and Fogell (a.k.a McLovin). On a night they’ll never forget, they desperately try to get alcohol for a party and hopefully hook up with their crushes.
At first glance, one might think that Superbad is just another juvenile sex comedy. But it’s quite the opposite. Despite its incessant vulgar and racy dialogue, the movie is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale with some great messages. It also has a great understanding of what it's like to be a teenager, something that not all teen films can capture.
The Lack Of A Social Hierarchy In High School
A lot of teen films portray high school as having a hierarchy of popularity. The most notorious example of this is in the 2003 film Love Don’t Cost A Thing, where one hallway was reserved only for the cool kids. Losers weren’t even allowed to sit in the home section during basketball games.
But while this is true at some schools, this couldn’t be further from the truth at others and Superbad depicts a more realistic version of high school. Yes, there were students who are clearly more popular than others, but most of them didn’t view themselves as above anyone else. Even the character of Jesse, who spits on Seth, is a more realistic version of a high school bully - someone who no one really likes and is a jerk to most people.
Being So Insecure That You Don’t Realize Someone Likes You
It’s clear to almost everyone that Becca actually likes Evan. The only person that doesn’t seem to realize this is Evan, himself. The same could also be said about Seth and Emma Stone's Jules. Throughout the film, viewers can see that Jules does like Seth for who he is. She enjoys being around him and laughs at his jokes. She even invited Seth to the party even before the fake I.D. was brought up.
Seth is just so caught up in his own insecurities that he can’t believe a girl like her would get with a guy like him. Many teenagers are so self-conscious that they have this specific image of themselves and can’t fathom the idea that certain people could be even remotely interested in them.
Being Awkward Around A Crush
As a teenager, there’s nothing more stressful than talking to a crush, and the tension can be unbearable before finally mustering up the courage. This can sometimes result in teenagers acting extremely awkward while trying to maintain a normal conversation.
This is shown the most with Evan and Becca; Evan just tends to say the most random things that come to his mind, as he’s too shy to "act normal." When a crush asks about meeting up at a party, perhaps saying, “Full throttle, Charlie’s Angels 2” isn’t the best answer.
Being Obsessed With Sex While Knowing Nothing About It
Most of the conversations Seth, Evan, and Fogell have are about sex and girls. In the first five minutes, they’re discussing which adult website they plan to subscribe to in college. This is a common theme for teenagers, especially teen boys, and everyone knows that one kid that seems to know all of the most risqué words and has all the grandiose stories about their sexual exploits.
But the fact is, just because a teenager can name every known sex position doesn’t mean they know what they're talking about. They just think it’s cool to talk about sex, as they think it makes them look more mature than they actually are.
Feeling Pressured To Have Sex Before College
Superbad’s main plot does have the usual teen sex comedy trope: having sex for the first time before graduating. After getting invited to Jules’s party, all three main characters think this is their opportunity to finally score.
Other teen comedies, such as American Pie, show the main protagonist being victorious by the end. Superbad goes against this trope. It shows that not only is it not that important to have sex before college, it may not even happen, and this is totally fine.
That First Time Might Be Very Awkward
Movies often make sex look like this magical event where everything goes perfectly. This is shown in many high school movies of the past, where the main character finally does it and they feel like the king of the world.
Superbad shows the actual reality of sex and that it’s not always perfect. In fact, it can be extremely awkward and weird. Evan finds this out during his hilarious encounter with an intoxicated Becca. Thankfully, Evan doesn’t go through with it and does not take advantage of her.
Being Totally Fine The Day After Drinking
In most films, they show alcohol having pretty much no effect on the characters the next morning, unless it services the plot. Adults know this to be a straight-up lie. In real life, people have to make sure they stay hydrated, or else it’s going to be a miserable morning.
Younger life is different, though, and many people may being able to overindulge (to say the least) and wake up the next day, able to do anything. Evan and Becca both seem totally fine the next day, despite being completely drunk the night before.
Swearing In Almost Every Sentence
The majority of Seth’s dialogue may come off as crude and immature, yet it’s very accurate for someone his age. When a teen starts learning all the new swear words, they tend to be a major part of their vocabulary.
The script for Superbad does not hold back on having the teenagers talk how they normally would around each other. In fact, the film has a total of 176 F-bombs in the film, with Seth definitely saying it in most of his sentences. He even manages to slip one in while complaining to his Home Ec teacher.
The Fear Of Losing Friends After High School
Seniors face a ton of pressure during the last semester of school. Many of them are already legal adults and they need to figure out what they’re doing with their life. It’s either college or a job.
That said, one of the biggest fears many teenagers have is losing their friends once high school is over. Friends may end up going their separate ways. This is the reason Seth acts the way he does throughout the film. He knows that he and Evan’s friendship might have an expiration date as they go off to different schools, which causes him to be even more jealous when he finds out Evan and Fogell are rooming together.
A Best Friend In High School Is Your First Love
This is something that may be only realized in retrospect. Teenagers are so preoccupied with dating that they may not grasp the fact that their first true love is their best friend. But this is one of the more obvious messages that Superbad wants to get across.
Even as Seth and Evan both finally have a chance to spend some time with the girls they’ve been crushing on for years, they still cherish their friendship above all of that. Girlfriends and boyfriends may come and go, but a best friend is the one who will always hold a special place in anyone's heart.
