I can agree because everywhere I ever worked in production once it got past being promoted to lead mechanic everything was so political that I knew some guys who took a demotion to get what they call "back on their tools", because they couldn't stand the politics.
If you believe your City/County Commissioners can afford their home, lifestyle & campaign expenses on just the salary they're given... you want to be lied to.
30 years ago as a teenager, I didn’t grasp what Rodney was saying here. Today, after many painful years in engineering and contracting, I fully appreciate and agree 100%.
Yes. I work in Social Work and also wish I had listened more closely to the lessons in this film. Rodney was talking about how school teaches you theory but life is entirely different. I learned more from a seasoned Social Worker who had worked on the streets for years than I did in all four years of my degree. I wish he had been teaching my classes as I would have been more effective when I started my career. This film is a classic.
@@driftalaska6129 you mean the 2 states with significantly higher productivity, who donate a large portion to the republican poor states through taxes and who both have a lower murder rate than Alaska per FBI 2020 for instance.
A widget is a software product. Basically if you have an iPad with a little spot that tells you the weather or the news without opening the application, that’s a widget.
When I went to college, I typically learned more from the night classes, which were taught by part-time instructors that had real day jobs in their field, than I ever did from day classes by full time educators.
I've had a mixed bag of this actually. I was once apprenticed to a individual who is supposed to show me the ropes after I took a course from that same individual at a college. When I got to the job I found out this person was really good at BSing her way through the job but really didn't do as much as you think she would being how she talked a good game. That's when I found out that sometimes when you're in the real world there are people who stick to what they know and when they do that one it's really hard to replicate because they found a system that works for them but is there sometimes really not transferable to anybody else.
@@LateLost agreed. Not all have been good, I do remember one that was awful. And I have had a few career instructors that were amazing. Was just a general rule 🙂
I went to community college, worked as an English tutor while studying, and then transferred out to UCLA. my Hierarchy Of Practical Education goes: 1) Teaching nobodies 2) Learning from nobodies 3) Elite university
I totally agree. I recently got my associates of arts as a full time traditional student. I loved night classes. I remember my psychology class. The professor had her doctorate in psychology, however her full time job was as a real estate agent. Are class was so diverse in many ways (age, jobs, race, relationship status,etc) Really made for great conversation and learning material. Also going to a community college or a small college is great because the instructors are not research bond. They actually have the time and effort to teach.
Hehe, I’m 2 years out of college working in the heavy construction industry and I can assure you, the “legitimate business “ realm *does* work like that. Rodney, a gem.
In case anyone's wondering the context, Dangerfield's character is a business owner and founder himself. The reason he's in school is to inspire his son to succeed in college, seeing as he never went.
@@leonardo899 I would imagine so that the son can cite his own credentials in his future career so people can't just accuse him of getting everything from his father.
Look genius, he said "immaterial for the purposes of our discussion here". That doesn't mean that in practise it doesn't matter, it means he's explaining principles that apply whatever the product.
@@boliusabol822 No it does matter. It matters because the first thing that your investors and customers are going to ask you is "Why don't you outsource it to China?"
@@boliusabol822 to be fair however in an academic setting and an introductory course the very high level principles are important for students to know/learn. It is remarkable how few business people actually understand these basics as well. Worse yet, don't even know what questions to ask.
@@boliusabol822 It matters, considering the first thing he went into is construction costs. Construction costs will be affected by whatever it is you're building. It affects the amount of space you need, and the type of equipment you need, and all the hidden costs Rodney brought up are a real thing.
When I went to trade school, the most interesting lecturer was a part timer. He taught electrical science, and was tough. But he showed us how to break down the problems into bite sized chunks. As he put it, try to eat the cake all at once and you will choke. Take smaller bites and it soon goes. I followed this. A few years later I was the part time lecturer. I used those teachings with my classes.
I’ve always been good at diagnosing problems in my head but I’m absolutely horrible at showing others how to do it. Most people are capable of doing it with a good teacher.
@@rwebster1234 No they are not. I have seen Toolmakers and shop employees my age (58) that look WAY older than deskbound me. Working with one's back is fine when young but get into ages 40 and 50 and the toll becomes VERY apparent. I do not care about how critical the work is. Even though that is true, I don't advise anyone to work a labor job past age 35. It wears the body down tremendously. Retirement begins on crutches and ends in knee, hip, shoulder replacement surgeries and finally a wheelchair.
bmo it means they actually had the good sense to listen to someone older with experience instead of someone who just knows what he learned from just books.
I have no idea where I read it, but in the past year I read a column that said, "GM makes loans, not cars". Something like that. They also said that it didn't matter what GM made, just so that they could get the buyer to finance it through them.
It was the very first day of business class. The teacher was just doing a "basic" warm up lesson to get the class thinking. Deciding on a product and how to produce, market, and sell it will take an entire unit to teach.
@@timbrown5576 He wanted to talk about construction costs. You don't know what it will cost until you know what size facility and what equipment you need. You don't know what size facility and what equipment you need until you know what you are producing. Therefore you should start with the product.
Of course he knows more, He's a self made multi millionaire businessman while the Professor is just another jackass talking about stuff he memorized but couldn't apply.
Tbf on the first day of school in any major, they don't immediately go into every single detail down to fencing and bribery 😂😂 generally you have to learn a little bit and expand on that. Not immediately become a multimillion dollar CEO
I love this clip. The guy who has never run a business is trying to teach the successful business man how to actually get the job done. Fantasyland indeed.
Just wanted to talk about Paxton Whitehead, who played the professor - one of the classiest and nicest guys you could ever meet. One of his first starts was at a rep company that would perform a new play every week. worked for over seven decades in the business in theater, film and tv
RetroGuy76 me: yes i would like a 5.7 million dollars loan. Bank: that is a substantial amount... me: dont worry im building a factory for widgets, i will manufacture 7000 every week and should be able to pay back the loan fully within 15 year period!! Bank: what the fuck is a widget??!! Me: a product that doesnt exist! Bank: okay sir you see the exit on the right hand side?! you have 3 minutes to leave or i will call security for wasting my time!
If Americans were forced to own a business for a year that would result in the comprehension that whenever a politician called for a tax increase Americans would immediately comprehend a ha we have an efficiency problem not a funding problem.
@Mike Fernandez Yep, very prominent during the dot com boom. You could literally walk into a board meeting with an idea on a napkin and walk out with millions of dollars from investors.
I live in Baton Rouge. Some kids down the road at LSU did a paper about opening a chicken restaurant and the professor gave them a C grade. They ended up opening it anyway and today it's worth $100 million. Raising Cane's.
And in 1962, a Yale student named Fred Smith wrote a paper for an economics class, outlining overnight delivery service in a computer information age. He doesn't remember what he got, but figures it was a C grade like he usually got. He later started something called Federal Express. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_W._Smith#Early_years
I love Raising Canes. Great food and sweet ice tea. In 1985, Houston attorney Joe Jamail won a $11 billion (yes, BILLION) verdict for his client Pennzoil against Texaco. Before that, while in law school, one of Jamail's enlightened professors gave him a bad grade on an exam and advised him to drop out and go back to Houston to work in his Lebanese family's grocery business. Smart professor (yeah, right).
I know nothing about Raising Cane's or its history, but to be fair to the professor, maybe it really was a crap proposal, and the professor's feedback helped them make it better.
I saw this in the theater when it first came out. The entire place was rolling with laughter. Rodney Dangerfield was hilarious. Great memories, funny movie.
As a Kellogg MBA, who had his own construction company, I can tell you that his input is quite accurate. NU did not prepare me for the vagaries of the construction world, that is for sure. It was a whole other education. And, it had its own form of tuition. But, it was fun.
Loved Back to School and all of Rodney’s movies. He was hilarious. What I loved about this scene was the sharpest contrast between the theoretical and the practical. Business in theory, vs business the way it really works! As such, “Fantasyland” was a great place for this fictitious enterprise. 😂
This is Dangerfield at his best. I love the great NYC cynicism humor that made Rodney famous. Here is Rodney in this movie in all of his comedic glory.
As a former general contractor and real estate developer, when I saw this part in that movie, I sat there in the theater laughing my ass off about how everything Rodney said WAS TRUE!!! Every job I bid on I'd add 15% to the total cost of the bid for "unknown cost"! AND I WAS SURE GLAD I DID!!! Because the only time you make any money was with Change Orders.
This movie is SOOO underrated. I remember watching it back in the 80s. I didn't quite get all the economics in this part of the movie back then but I totally understand it now.
I watched this clip because it evokes the fond memories of when I took my elderly parents to a double feature at a now closed movie theater on Miami Beach. Playing was Back to School and Crocodile Dundee. We all loved both films. What a terrific combination for a double feature.
This is true even today, there’s still this Gap between college lectures and reality. Many professors are way out of touch with the real world. That’s what Academia does. Book smarts vs street smarts etc.
@@lance862 HEY! I resemble that remark! LMAO! OK, seriously, that happens more often than not... I got blessed with being able to jump to teaching at a local college (trades - specifically automation and mechanical technologies) after 30+ years in the field. I did really well in life, and it was time to give back. We got everything paid off, figured out what we could live on comfortably, and made the jump. But yeah, I get so frustrated with the many other faculty and instructors I've run into that have no clue about the real world.
@Sigkim The, director, said that about John Lithgow during a scene he did for Buckaroo Bonzi, as the mad scientist. John read the script and took that character to a point the writers didn't put in. So yes any good actor can be catalist for the movie or show that has Oscar tagged.
This sounds more like managerial accounting than economics. Also, Mr.Melon is right. All of this needs to be considered. Not only financial matters but politics as well needs to be considered.
As my grandfather who owned a business use to say: "You're either always at war with the government or always paying for a war on someone else's business."
This is one one of my all time favorite skits. A dear friend is a commercial construction project manager and listening to his day to day, Dangerfield is dead on. The part about the "Sudden Zoning Problems" is absolutely true, until the unions get a little love, happens on every job. They add about 20% to every job for "Lubrication"...
When I was teaching I would get comments from the students that they liked the way I would teach. I would use myself as an example and talk about how to use the ideas I talked about. By the way, I taught psychology for almost 40 years.
Ironically when this was filmed if you wanted to use any concrete in NYC where the Tall & Fat HQ was, back then you DID have to pay off the mafia if you wanted concrete.
Just back then? Heck try getting something built in NYC or Atlantic city now and you still have to work with the Mob. Many of the unions there are still mafia controlled.
If your talking about NYC, its still like that today. The cosa nostra in new york has gone through a serious revival the last 5 to 8 years. They definetely control the labour unions still.
The answer for the past 20 years has been China. I am a manufacturing and supply chain consultant with 40 years of global experience. Over and over I hear the same thing - We will just outsource it to China. When I ask the question Why? the answer is always "because it's cheaper and easier". This is exactly why they need me to help them answer the question why. Many times the answer is China is not cheaper and not not not easier.
@@counciousstream As we are discovering now. Everything from China has to come in by boat. When the boats don't run or the docks don't unload fast enough, things get unreliable. There there is the problem of China.
*Even China itself has 86 cargo planes and recently launched the world's biggest cargo plane. In addition to all the cargo planes from other countries. So how exactly does everything from China come through boats?*
@@danielmcgillis270 I understand your point. SC risks have been very high since US companies moved production to China. When manufacturing moved to China these companies became essentially brands. Once the Chinese contractors had the money from making the stuff they bought the US brands. Fewer and fewer products are designed in the US now. The "trusted brand" is now entirely owned by a company in China. Companies in China are partnerships between the government and the Chinese entity. This is the problem of China and it has all been brought about by American Business people chasing lower costs and consumers buying all of the lower cost goods. We asked for this. Freight moves by aircraft in addition to ships. You would be surprised at how much.
@@counciousstream Thank you for this thread. I actually learned a little bit reading these comments (that doesn't happen often). And, yes, I'm being honest and sincere with my comment. Business, manufactoring, etc is in no way anything near my area of knowledge (let alone expertise), but I do enjoy learning new things. Thank you.
He's 100% correct. It takes real world experience to know, and Thornton Mellon knew exactly what was up in real life, not Fantasyland like that uptight asshole thinking about "legit business". It takes bribes, contributions, lawyers, assistants, teamster cooperation, multiple unions, and other kickbacks to have shit done.
bluehavencd also mr. melon made a valid point about the Japanese on the labor cost because many things are outsourced to foreign countries from the United States because of the labor costs. This guy was thinking in an earlier time the professor when manufacturing was viable but he wasn't keeping up with important trends like mr. melon was. Proves that a college education isn't everything
+mannyistheman2221 exactly a great point. But now even Japan outsources to China and India becuase Japan itself is way too expensive. This movie was made over 30 years ago, imagine how antiquated that elitist snobby economy teacher really was?
I love this. Someone I know is in an MBA program. One of the professors a year ago spent 90 minutes carefully explaining why Tesla wasn't worth even a third of its then $400 share value. I wish I could've been there - Rodney Dangerfield would've been proud. I think the market's proved any point I would've made.
LMAO. This is so very illustrative of the real difference between pointy-headed academics talking to each other in the faculty lounge, so very impressed with themselves, never ever having to live in reality, and the real world the rest of us live in. The truism that the very best comedy is based in reality is very well illustrated in this clip. Love this movie. One of my favorites.
The hardest thing I had to learn when I got out of school was realizing that what I was taught was theory and it was just a depiction of how things were supposed to be in a perfect world. Its taking that and adapting it to real life that makes for a real education. It takes another 5-10 years of experience to fully utilize that 4 year degree to its fullest because of that fact.
Rodney Dangerfield was being realistic. Some aspects of business are deeper than face value. This reminds me of a time when I was employed by a university, and a salesperson came in to show her product, and I mentioned that the university was already buying it elsewhere. When she asked why it was being bought from someone else, I joked that where I come from several states away, one can get into trouble by asking such questions!
This is my favorite scene from a really wonderful movie that had a very interesting concept; what happens when a successful middle aged man tries to relive his youth and finds out that he can't because he's not young anymore. This scene is so enjoyable not only because it is funny but it perfectly illustrates the difference between knowledge and wisdom and how the latter is infinitely more valuable. Rodney's character has lived and triumphed through the lessons that the professor preports to teach thus giving him a superior perspective.
I can't say I did not think of this movie when I went back to school 10 years ago, at age 48... got my technology degree, worked in the field for 5 years, and now am back at the school I graduated from, teaching those classes... I try every day to NOT be that stupid professor.
The dude playing the smug prof was perfect. What a composite of every nose-in-the-air elite and know-it-all higher educator who made reality with a chalkboard.
I am slightly familiar with such waste disposal problems. I worked for a company where owner moved into a building and got dumpsters from a company he found in phone book, few days later some one set the dumpsters on fire. Next day a man comes by asking if he had a waste disposal problem. Apparently, he got dumpsters from the "wrong company".
I tried college at 18....and it just wasn't for me then. 9 years later at 27, I was a Freshman....with 10 years real world experience in the IT world. It's funny how this is very close to a real life college class...talking about "the ideal setup" when in reality, it's nothing like that. My advisor back then asked me to take her "Intro to Business Data Processing" class, as there was some theory she said I needed. I even showed her my resume asking her if I needed the class, she said yes. I went to the 1st day, got the schedule for all quizzes/tests and only showed up on those days. Got a 4.0. She was mad I didn't come to all the classes, and I said "I was working at my real job". College was wicked fun for me.
"I'm in the waste management business, everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. Its a stereotype. And its offensive...And you're the last person I'd want to perpetuate it. "
Dude. My friend is fourth generation in waste management and has nothing to do with the mob today but before Chris Christie and Rudy took out the families his GrandDad had no option but to be mobbed up. The alternative was being buried in a landfill.
Exactly so a business has to be in the real world. It's better to teach how a real business is working than an invention bc in life reality brings its own challenges that imagination doesn't. Show them statements of costs breakdown, profit margins, salaries, taxes, bank fees, etc .
This was and still is my favorite comedy of all-time! I was 12yrs old when this came out, but I remember it like yesterday! I had no idea at that age what he meant by saying you had to "grease the local politicians" and all the other bribes he referenced, but it only got funnier as I got older and began understood what he meant!
One of my friends is on the Board of Directors of a major company. They decided to build a facility in a different State. After getting a long term lease on the land, architectural fees, interior design fees, and other expenses, all of which cost a few million dollars. They were refused the building permits. They had a private meeting with the head of the local political machine, slipped $65,000 in cash across the table, and the permits were issued the next morning. That's today's reality. I choose not being specific with the location, the name of the head of the political machine, or the name of the company. Too well known.
@@3182john You would lose that bet. Too many people worship politicians. There are politicians that are in it for whatever they can steal. You can believe it or not. I really don't care.
This is true. I am close to a situation where the municipality is an old line political machine. The 3 top guys(mayor and 2 others) were greased with bags of cash. Then they recommended the project and it sailed through the approval process.
I always loved this scene. Was Rodeney actually telling the viewers the truth about how business actually works. After many years after this movie originally aired I have experienced the exact truth in similar ways of what he said. No matter how much hard work or earning a higher level of education you put into being successful in achieving dreams in a career it does not reward you success unless you know somebody. There is always someone with the money and power who want to take credit for your hard work so they have a little power over you and gain more control to secure their position at the top. And if those with the power do not like you or your worldview it does not matter how much hard work, education, sacrifice, and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it. But I know the ending of the story and can be joyful. Psalm 73. Why is it that many people love the ending of this movie? Because the protagonist won the respect and adoration of everyone and also won the heart of the woman. The antoginist lost all what Rodney gained including his woman. Rise above the antoginist in your life. From the words of Rodney; "I don't take shit from anyone!"
"It's not who you know, it's who you b**w, and MAN do you SUCK!" was how it got put to a "bosses kid" one time in my presence... and it was very accurate. I know, not very Christian of me, but man it still makes me laugh to think about it... also, kid took over a couple of years later, and business flopped in a couple more... which is sad, because he was 4th gen running it, but was spoiled and didn't understand how to run.
"Doesn't matter? Tell that to the bank..." Perfect delivery. Also he isn't wrong. Try doing business in any major metropolitan area. If the politicians don't have their greasy fingers in the government contracts you'll find a lot of "unexpected costs" popping up.
@West Bay K. unions were a necessary evil with my last job. Teamsters to be exact. Company management and upper workers were a good ole boys club that tried to screw with people that weren’t part of the clique or didn’t like.
Nice! One of the few comedy movies that wasn't pure fiction from start to finish, bid Rod speaks the truth. Also a accurate portrayal of modern academia illustrating why the old adage of 'Those that can, do....Those that can't, teach' is almost always true.
No joke, my dad was in a college class similar to this, and he only went to college twice and he built his own business from scratch. The professor was exactly like this. My dad won in the end of the argument. Proud to have a dad who is more educated than the professors.
Yep. It is almost as though the vast majority of the leading businesspeople of the world...who bend over backwards to get their children into top universities, understand something that you and many other posters here do not. These universities have tremendous value.
People always like to bring up select examples of people who made success despite failing college when the vast majority of businessmen went to college.
One thing I did learn in business school is that there is a legal difference between greasing and bribing. Greasing a palm for the quickening of a labor is generally the same as tipping.
True!I worked in the Hotel business for nearly 18 years.. I would meet people ... who would say.... really! I'am taking Hotel management in College...I can't wait to do it! I would think to myself..... (Just let wait until they get a job!, It's a completely different ballgame in the Real World)
If you're going to a working class college (like Touro) and studying business, paralegal work, education, physical therapy, then the instructors all have real-life experience in the field. There are no "professors" there; the instructors are all industry professionals teaching at night or on weekends as a side gig. But in a university like this, they have porfessors who have never been out of college. They don't really understand what you face out there in the business.
I've been to 6 diff colleges in the pursuit of 2 degrees. The best education I got for the money was at a lowly community college, where none of the profs had more than a masters degree, but all had worked in their fields and in most cases were still working. At the expensive private college there were world-famous researchers who couldn't teach, refused to meet with students, were only semi literate in English, worthless as advisors, etc etc.
@@valuecalc i THOUGHT the same thing, until I got pissed at the Business Law prof ... she was an idiot, what kind of lawyer teaches part time? Sooo I looked up her salary in the school budget. (Available in your school library) AAnnnddd she was making $80,000 a semester for 3 hours work a night. Not bad.
@@SuperChuckRaney, exactly. Prima donnas like her are always paid very well. It's a big bureaucracy. She'll tell you to volunteer all your time for experience while she makes out like bandit.
I learned more about business financing from a millionaire businessman in an hour than I ever did studying the subject in college. Most teachers only know theory.
In this scene from "Back to School," Rodney Dangerfield is brilliant at distinguishing the real world from the la-la land of academia, making the prof look so old-school and out-of-it by comparison. And "Fantasyland" is right on the money, for that's essentially where Rodney got his start - at the Fantasy Lounge! Thanks for posting this great moment. Rest in peace, Rodney.
Depends on the discipline. Accounting for example, requires a standard working knowledge of financials and books BEFORE starting your career with a business. You can't just "pick it up as you go" because businesses demand specific skills before even hiring you.
You have to have accounting fundamentals down pat before starting a job. Companies don't pay you to learn Accounting 101...they are a business, not a school. You learn the accounting fundamentals, and THEN the company trains you on the specifics of the industry and company business. They aren't going to give you 4-5 years to learn accounting on their dime and with their books. You have to know it coming in. So in technical industries like accounting, engineering, medical, etc. you have to have both the academic and the experience to do your job. In non-technical "soft skill" jobs like sales, marketing, etc. you can get away with a lack of academic knowledge because in those fields you really just needs to learn your clientele and how they click...it's more of a "people" field and less of a technical skill field.
Trey Warnock would you consider an accountant fresh out of school to be potentially equal in skill to one that has skill and a body of experience after working in the field of accounting? I would consider the schooled accountant with experience to be more knowledgeable that one just graduated. the latter accountant has academic and experiental, empirical, experience.
zee339 Both of the people in your example have academic backgrounds. That's my point. There is no such thing as a accountant/CPA who didn't go to college. I'm am agreeing with your original post..you nailed it. This scene seems to insinuate that college and academics are a complete waste of time because you learn everything "in the real world" anyway. You suggested that is not necessarily true, and I am using examples to agree with you. These "book learnin' don't mean nothin'" people would want a doctor about to operate on them learning everything "as he does along" rather than already have the medical school training before hand.
This movie is the PERFECT example of academia v the REAL world. Sure you get into the door with that degree, but EXPERIENCE will make you successful. College won't tell you to "grease the local politician for zoning problems", but I assure you people like Harry Reid will tell you it is needed...
@@jackbrennan1125 That's funny, I'm in a high-demand STEM field in Dallas, a tech/telecom hub of a city, and all the companies demand at least a 3.0 GPA just to intern with them. It's worse in liberal arts. I would love to know what your mother studied.
@@braceyourselvesfortruth2492 With experience, gpa doesn't matter. I know several people in FAANG who didn't do great in highschool and/or didn't go to college. Don't be an ass.
When I was in college and knew plenty of friends who were majoring in business. I always wondered how the professors could teach business classes when they themselves had never worked in or owned a business themselves as they had never done anything but get degrees and worked for universities.
I will listen to Rodney before I will ever listen to a professor who knows nothing about the real world. I have two degrees, but I learned a lot more outside the classroom.
“Greasing the local politicians for all the sudden zoning problems that come up” Nothing could be more realistic than this.
I can agree because everywhere I ever worked in production once it got past being promoted to lead mechanic everything was so political that I knew some guys who took a demotion to get what they call "back on their tools", because they couldn't stand the politics.
Ah, you must also be from Texas.... lol 😂😆😂😂😂
Liberal beaurocrats
How about protection money
If you believe your City/County Commissioners can afford their home, lifestyle & campaign expenses on just the salary they're given... you want to be lied to.
30 years ago as a teenager, I didn’t grasp what Rodney was saying here. Today, after many painful years in engineering and contracting, I fully appreciate and agree 100%.
The sacred and the propane
I live in Hackensack NJ. Town is run by wealthy Italian 'families'. Both Construction, and Waste Disposal.
@@davebartosh5 but If they weren’t Italian you wouldn’t mind?
@@scottsodyssey2485 I have news for you. There's a thing called the Italian mafia. I've got no problem with law abiding Italians. I love Italian food.
Yes. I work in Social Work and also wish I had listened more closely to the lessons in this film. Rodney was talking about how school teaches you theory but life is entirely different. I learned more from a seasoned Social Worker who had worked on the streets for years than I did in all four years of my degree. I wish he had been teaching my classes as I would have been more effective when I started my career. This film is a classic.
I always thought Rodney's bit was funny, but 30 years later and after opening 5 businesses this is absolutely HYSTERICAL and SPOT ON!!!!
You must be in NY, CA or one of the five swing states.
Z
@@driftalaska6129 North Carolina
@@driftalaska6129 it's almost in all states sadly. Corruption has grown like a cancer in this country
@@driftalaska6129 you mean the 2 states with significantly higher productivity, who donate a large portion to the republican poor states through taxes and who both have a lower murder rate than Alaska per FBI 2020 for instance.
As a 34 year Widget builder, I can assure you Rodney was dead on.
What’s a Widget ?
It's just like a Fidget only different
Widgets actually exist. They're a mini app for a smart phone to do common tasks with one click.
It’s a fictional product… it…doesn’t…matta 🤣
A widget is a software product. Basically if you have an iPad with a little spot that tells you the weather or the news without opening the application, that’s a widget.
When I went to college, I typically learned more from the night classes, which were taught by part-time instructors that had real day jobs in their field, than I ever did from day classes by full time educators.
I've had a mixed bag of this actually. I was once apprenticed to a individual who is supposed to show me the ropes after I took a course from that same individual at a college. When I got to the job I found out this person was really good at BSing her way through the job but really didn't do as much as you think she would being how she talked a good game. That's when I found out that sometimes when you're in the real world there are people who stick to what they know and when they do that one it's really hard to replicate because they found a system that works for them but is there sometimes really not transferable to anybody else.
@@LateLost agreed. Not all have been good, I do remember one that was awful. And I have had a few career instructors that were amazing. Was just a general rule 🙂
I went to community college, worked as an English tutor while studying, and then transferred out to UCLA.
my Hierarchy Of Practical Education goes:
1) Teaching nobodies
2) Learning from nobodies
3) Elite university
I totally agree. I recently got my associates of arts as a full time traditional student. I loved night classes. I remember my psychology class. The professor had her doctorate in psychology, however her full time job was as a real estate agent. Are class was so diverse in many ways (age, jobs, race, relationship status,etc) Really made for great conversation and learning material. Also going to a community college or a small college is great because the instructors are not research bond. They actually have the time and effort to teach.
@@ruhtra-k 🙂🙂🙃
Hehe, I’m 2 years out of college working in the heavy construction industry and I can assure you, the “legitimate business “ realm *does* work like that. Rodney, a gem.
Yeah, it's an unfortunate reality that grift and graft are essential parts of business operation, but reality none the less
And in every single mandatory corporate training, grift & graft "are not tolerated."
Riiiiight.
So that's why I am having so much trouble trying to get my house built. I've been silly enough to be legitimate.
I was in electrical construction for over 15 years. It's just as Mr. Melon put it.
Mafia payoffs hA ha
In case anyone's wondering the context, Dangerfield's character is a business owner and founder himself. The reason he's in school is to inspire his son to succeed in college, seeing as he never went.
It's is just a movie. A comedy.
Vietnam is not the . Mo I I8
@@jmark7390 he just explained that it's a character. Can you understand English?
He was able to succeed without college. So why does he want his son to go to college?
@@leonardo899 I would imagine so that the son can cite his own credentials in his future career so people can't just accuse him of getting everything from his father.
The line about product not mattering, "Tell that to the bank" So on point.
Look genius, he said "immaterial for the purposes of our discussion here". That doesn't mean that in practise it doesn't matter, it means he's explaining principles that apply whatever the product.
That’s a fact!!
@@boliusabol822 No it does matter. It matters because the first thing that your investors and customers are going to ask you is "Why don't you outsource it to China?"
@@boliusabol822 to be fair however in an academic setting and an introductory course the very high level principles are important for students to know/learn. It is remarkable how few business people actually understand these basics as well. Worse yet, don't even know what questions to ask.
@@boliusabol822 It matters, considering the first thing he went into is construction costs. Construction costs will be affected by whatever it is you're building. It affects the amount of space you need, and the type of equipment you need, and all the hidden costs Rodney brought up are a real thing.
When I went to trade school, the most interesting lecturer was a part timer. He taught electrical science, and was tough. But he showed us how to break down the problems into bite sized chunks. As he put it, try to eat the cake all at once and you will choke. Take smaller bites and it soon goes. I followed this. A few years later I was the part time lecturer. I used those teachings with my classes.
I’ve always been good at diagnosing problems in my head but I’m absolutely horrible at showing others how to do it. Most people are capable of doing it with a good teacher.
Sorry to hear you went into a trade.
Very cool. I’m sure he would be pleased
@@randymillhouse791 lol. Trade schools are more critical and practical than most college degrees.
@@rwebster1234 No they are not. I have seen Toolmakers and shop employees my age (58) that look WAY older than deskbound me. Working with one's back is fine when young but get into ages 40 and 50 and the toll becomes VERY apparent. I do not care about how critical the work is. Even though that is true, I don't advise anyone to work a labor job past age 35. It wears the body down tremendously. Retirement begins on crutches and ends in knee, hip, shoulder replacement surgeries and finally a wheelchair.
I love how the students are turning around and taking notes while Dangerfield is talking
Yeah that professor don't know shit LOL
Writing down "kick backs to the carpenters...that'll cost you." Scribbling furiously.
bmo it means they actually had the good sense to listen to someone older with experience instead of someone who just knows what he learned from just books.
bmo. TRUMP FOR UNIVERSITY DIRECTOR
Paul Leger. Doesnt know shit
I teach Finance, and that line about how the product "doesn't matter" always drove me insane. The product ALWAYS matters.
Right, if you don’t have a good product that you can make a good margin on and actually sell, then you’re screwed!
I have no idea where I read it, but in the past year I read a column that said, "GM makes loans, not cars". Something like that. They also said that it didn't matter what GM made, just so that they could get the buyer to finance it through them.
It was the very first day of business class. The teacher was just doing a "basic" warm up lesson to get the class thinking. Deciding on a product and how to produce, market, and sell it will take an entire unit to teach.
@@timbrown5576 He wanted to talk about construction costs. You don't know what it will cost until you know what size facility and what equipment you need. You don't know what size facility and what equipment you need until you know what you are producing. Therefore you should start with the product.
Yeah lol, even a yard sale ain't going to amount to much if you're selling a bunch of shit 😁
Love how the students are taking notes when Rodney speaks proving he knows more than the professor lol
Of course he knows more, He's a self made multi millionaire businessman while the Professor is just another jackass talking about stuff he memorized but couldn't apply.
Put Rodney in law school on The Paper Chase and he would have had Professor Kingsfield sobbing like a baby.
Tbf on the first day of school in any major, they don't immediately go into every single detail down to fencing and bribery 😂😂 generally you have to learn a little bit and expand on that. Not immediately become a multimillion dollar CEO
I love this clip. The guy who has never run a business is trying to teach the successful business man how to actually get the job done. Fantasyland indeed.
Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach.
Maybe bribes and kickbacks is what you do but it’s not part of the legitimate youtube world
@@jacobo9611 tell that to Nasty Piglosi and any elected official, because once you decide to build your factory all of a sudden the red zones rise up
@@joshuatift4640 haha, she needs to go, that life long congressman hack
That's college in a nutshell for you
Just wanted to talk about Paxton Whitehead, who played the professor - one of the classiest and nicest guys you could ever meet. One of his first starts was at a rep company that would perform a new play every week. worked for over seven decades in the business in theater, film and tv
Such a well written scene! Rodney delivers! Everything he said is spot on....HE should've taught the class!
By his 3rd or 4th intervention you see kids taking notes from Rodney, not the teacher.
He did.
… this is why written “business plans” are a pure BS, waste of time.
Doesn't matter, tell that to the bank....lmao
RetroGuy76 me: yes i would like a 5.7 million dollars loan.
Bank: that is a substantial amount...
me: dont worry im building a factory for widgets, i will manufacture 7000 every week and should be able to pay back the loan fully within 15 year period!!
Bank: what the fuck is a widget??!!
Me: a product that doesnt exist!
Bank: okay sir you see the exit on the right hand side?! you have 3 minutes to leave or i will call security for wasting my time!
@@jakep1979 brilliant absolutely brilliant hahaha
,
If Americans were forced to own a business for a year that would result in the comprehension that whenever a politician called for a tax increase Americans would immediately comprehend a ha we have an efficiency problem not a funding problem.
@Mike Fernandez Yep, very prominent during the dot com boom. You could literally walk into a board meeting with an idea on a napkin and walk out with millions of dollars from investors.
I live in Baton Rouge. Some kids down the road at LSU did a paper about opening a chicken restaurant and the professor gave them a C grade. They ended up opening it anyway and today it's worth $100 million. Raising Cane's.
And in 1962, a Yale student named Fred Smith wrote a paper for an economics class, outlining overnight delivery service in a computer information age. He doesn't remember what he got, but figures it was a C grade like he usually got. He later started something called Federal Express.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_W._Smith#Early_years
I love Raising Canes. Great food and sweet ice tea. In 1985, Houston attorney Joe Jamail won a $11 billion (yes, BILLION) verdict for his client Pennzoil against Texaco. Before that, while in law school, one of Jamail's enlightened professors gave him a bad grade on an exam and advised him to drop out and go back to Houston to work in his Lebanese family's grocery business. Smart professor (yeah, right).
I know nothing about Raising Cane's or its history, but to be fair to the professor, maybe it really was a crap proposal, and the professor's feedback helped them make it better.
Mostafa , Chick-Fil-A?
Smart kids! (Stupid Professor)!!!
I saw this in the theater when it first came out. The entire place was rolling with laughter. Rodney Dangerfield was hilarious. Great memories, funny movie.
This 🎥 has class.
As a Kellogg MBA, who had his own construction company, I can tell you that his input is quite accurate. NU did not prepare me for the vagaries of the construction world, that is for sure. It was a whole other education. And, it had its own form of tuition. But, it was fun.
So how much cereal did you get during your MBA?
It's not so much Rodney is wrong so much as these sort of details aren't appropriate for an into level class.
@@benconrad5127 You sound like a butthurt academic.
@@benconrad5127 you must be a teacher. you realize it is a comedy movie, right?
at least Kellogg wasn't a quant jock factory.... lucky bastard
/kgsb @ pitt, back before it went downhill
Loved Back to School and all of Rodney’s movies. He was hilarious. What I loved about this scene was the sharpest contrast between the theoretical and the practical. Business in theory, vs business the way it really works! As such, “Fantasyland” was a great place for this fictitious enterprise. 😂
This is Dangerfield at his best. I love the great NYC cynicism humor that made Rodney famous. Here is Rodney in this movie in all of his comedic glory.
As Mark Twain said - “I've never let my school interfere with my education.”
So true. It reminds me of a line in a song called Prime by The Siege. “Go to school to make a living or teach yourself to make a fortune.”
I don’t disagree, but Mark Twain did not originate this saying.
I believe it was I never let schooling get in the way of a good education.
I never let governmental indoctrinational camps nor mainstream media propaganda interfere with my critical thinking
- Michael Brownlee
Churchill was reported to have said: the only time my education was interrupted- was when I went to school.
As a former general contractor and real estate developer, when I saw this part in that movie, I sat there in the theater laughing my ass off about how everything Rodney said WAS TRUE!!!
Every job I bid on I'd add 15% to the total cost of the bid for "unknown cost"!
AND I WAS SURE GLAD I DID!!!
Because the only time you make any money was with Change Orders.
This movie is SOOO underrated. I remember watching it back in the 80s. I didn't quite get all the economics in this part of the movie back then but I totally understand it now.
As an unemployed bum living in my parents basement, I can tell you that this scene is so on point and inspirational
Get a job stop loafing around
@@careditor No, don't be silly. He's gotta have dough to loaf, and for that he needs to join a union.
@@careditor LOL.
"It doesn't matter." tell that to the bank.
I watched this clip because it evokes the fond memories of when I took my elderly parents to a double feature at a now closed movie theater on Miami Beach. Playing was Back to School and Crocodile Dundee. We all loved both films. What a terrific combination for a double feature.
THAAAAT'S not a note book? THIS IS A NOTEBOOK ! Crikkey.
"Doesn't matter...Tell that to the bank."
I love it!
RIP Rodney
I love that line "How about fantasy land"?!? Hilarious!!!!
Tell it to your investors
More like: “Dudnt matta… Heh, tell dat to da bank!”
This is true even today, there’s still this Gap between college lectures and reality. Many professors are way out of touch with the real world. That’s what Academia does. Book smarts vs street smarts etc.
Those who can't do... teach.
@@lance862 HEY! I resemble that remark! LMAO! OK, seriously, that happens more often than not... I got blessed with being able to jump to teaching at a local college (trades - specifically automation and mechanical technologies) after 30+ years in the field. I did really well in life, and it was time to give back. We got everything paid off, figured out what we could live on comfortably, and made the jump. But yeah, I get so frustrated with the many other faculty and instructors I've run into that have no clue about the real world.
I miss Rodney. He’s always made me laugh and still does with this clip. Thanks.
Paxton Whitehead too. Of course I've always preferred Englishmen anyway.
More truth was spoken by Rodney than most are willing to admit.
Rodney got real good writing.
This is the difference between academic experience and real world know how.
@@Ryooken How true, but he had help with two other writers.
@Sigkim The, director, said that about John Lithgow during a scene he did for Buckaroo Bonzi, as the mad scientist. John read the script and took that character to a point the writers didn't put in. So yes any good actor can be catalist for the movie or show that has Oscar tagged.
How yah doin' Barney.
The students taking notes from RODNEY'S lecture - I love it!
Rest in Peace, Paxton Whitehead, He worked really well with Rodney Dangerfield in this scene and in the movie.
RIP Rodney Dangerfield
RIP Burt Young
RIP M. Emmet Walsh
RIP Sam Kinison
RIP Sally Kellerman
RIP Kurt Vonnegut
RIP Ned Beatty
This sounds more like managerial accounting than economics. Also, Mr.Melon is right. All of this needs to be considered. Not only financial matters but politics as well needs to be considered.
Thank you for sharing!
RIP Rodney Dangerfield.
The most accurate assessment of what I've faced trying to open a business in NY , NJ, or almost any other D run region.
Good humor is based on reality, this was HILARIOUS even more so today. Rodney Dangerfield (and whoever wrote the script) were spot on.
As my grandfather who owned a business use to say:
"You're either always at war with the government or always paying for a war on someone else's business."
Id rather be at war with the government.
@@roamer1389 That's a war you can't win.
The business owner is the government's favorite target.
@@Archedgar and you wonder why small business owners commit suicide.
@@roamer1389 Yep, my friend and I have a startup and government is easily our biggest headache, and we're working with lasers and crap
@@Archedgar SMALL business owner. And they're only government's target because the government is in the hands of corporations.
This is one one of my all time favorite skits. A dear friend is a commercial construction project manager and listening to his day to day, Dangerfield is dead on. The part about the "Sudden Zoning Problems" is absolutely true, until the unions get a little love, happens on every job. They add about 20% to every job for "Lubrication"...
Look for the UNION LABEL :) SING IT !!
There is a lot of truth in this scene, both how business really operates, and the out of touch arrogant professor.
Says he's not going to waste their time with useless theory. Proceeds to perpetuate the theory of "legitimate business world."
When I was teaching I would get comments from the students that they liked the way I would teach. I would use myself as an example and talk about how to use the ideas I talked about. By the way, I taught psychology for almost 40 years.
There's such a thing as real life that Dangerfield brings up and then there is school which teaches you things as if it's a perfect world.
Classic example of someone who has actually been engaged in real life business, versus a professor full of himself and his theories.
Went thru similar situational scenario w/F&B instructor. ALMOST came to debate-level classroom "exercise!"-lol
Ironically when this was filmed if you wanted to use any concrete in NYC where the Tall & Fat HQ was, back then you DID have to pay off the mafia if you wanted concrete.
Just back then? Heck try getting something built in NYC or Atlantic city now and you still have to work with the Mob. Many of the unions there are still mafia controlled.
Great name Duffer
SJWs for the protection of Tall & Fat people would skewer this movie if it came out today.
If your talking about NYC, its still like that today. The cosa nostra in new york has gone through a serious revival the last 5 to 8 years. They definetely control the labour unions still.
Philly is the same way. You have concrete ordered but you're not union? You don't get yours until every single union job gets theirs first.
Still great after all these years! 🤣 Miss ya' Rodney! Standing ovation 👏👏👏👏
How about Fantasy Land?
Great line.
Beautiful!
Lol
Such a classic 80s movie! 😅 But is it just me or is this college professor a superb actor or what?
I don't remember his name but he was in Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Paxton Whitehead. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy does not show in his credits.
Yes. People just see the character and forget he's playing the part. Which is the essence of good acting.
I specially love the crisp precise way he enunciates his words, he is truly a great actor.
He does a great job too. And don’t forget Sam Kinison!
Teacher: The next question is....where to build our factory?
Rodney: How about fantasy land. 😂
The answer for the past 20 years has been China. I am a manufacturing and supply chain consultant with 40 years of global experience. Over and over I hear the same thing - We will just outsource it to China. When I ask the question Why? the answer is always "because it's cheaper and easier". This is exactly why they need me to help them answer the question why. Many times the answer is China is not cheaper and not not not easier.
@@counciousstream As we are discovering now. Everything from China has to come in by boat. When the boats don't run or the docks don't unload fast enough, things get unreliable. There there is the problem of China.
*Even China itself has 86 cargo planes and recently launched the world's biggest cargo plane. In addition to all the cargo planes from other countries. So how exactly does everything from China come through boats?*
@@danielmcgillis270 I understand your point. SC risks have been very high since US companies moved production to China. When manufacturing moved to China these companies became essentially brands. Once the Chinese contractors had the money from making the stuff they bought the US brands. Fewer and fewer products are designed in the US now. The "trusted brand" is now entirely owned by a company in China. Companies in China are partnerships between the government and the Chinese entity. This is the problem of China and it has all been brought about by American Business people chasing lower costs and consumers buying all of the lower cost goods. We asked for this.
Freight moves by aircraft in addition to ships. You would be surprised at how much.
@@counciousstream Thank you for this thread. I actually learned a little bit reading these comments (that doesn't happen often). And, yes, I'm being honest and sincere with my comment. Business, manufactoring, etc is in no way anything near my area of knowledge (let alone expertise), but I do enjoy learning new things. Thank you.
"Back to School" a classic.
So true Walter. I personally liked just a smidge more than Caddy Shack.
@@davidrichter9164 yes, but it had notably less in the way of a topless Cindy Morgan
Rodney was being very realistic.
That's why teachers, teach and don't do.
He's 100% correct. It takes real world experience to know, and Thornton Mellon knew exactly what was up in real life, not Fantasyland like that uptight asshole thinking about "legit business". It takes bribes, contributions, lawyers, assistants, teamster cooperation, multiple unions, and other kickbacks to have shit done.
bluehavencd also mr. melon made a valid point about the Japanese on the labor cost because many things are outsourced to foreign countries from the United States because of the labor costs. This guy was thinking in an earlier time the professor when manufacturing was viable but he wasn't keeping up with important trends like mr. melon was. Proves that a college education isn't everything
+mannyistheman2221
exactly a great point. But now even Japan outsources to China and India becuase Japan itself is way too expensive. This movie was made over 30 years ago, imagine how antiquated that elitist snobby economy teacher really was?
JamesFrancesco oh shut the hell up
I love this. Someone I know is in an MBA program. One of the professors a year ago spent 90 minutes carefully explaining why Tesla wasn't worth even a third of its then $400 share value. I wish I could've been there - Rodney Dangerfield would've been proud. I think the market's proved any point I would've made.
LMAO. This is so very illustrative of the real difference between pointy-headed academics talking to each other in the faculty lounge, so very impressed with themselves, never ever having to live in reality, and the real world the rest of us live in. The truism that the very best comedy is based in reality is very well illustrated in this clip. Love this movie. One of my favorites.
I teach at a college - but I don't hang out with most of the faculty... you nailed why.
Arguably the BEST scene in the film! Rodney was the King of the 1980s! He absolutely killed in everything he touched!
I need to go find the scene in this movie where Sam Kennison was teaching history!
@@aarongranger exactly
@@hdn4nd ruclips.net/video/k9DO26O6dIg/видео.html
What a national treasure Rodney was.
The hardest thing I had to learn when I got out of school was realizing that what I was taught was theory and it was just a depiction of how things were supposed to be in a perfect world. Its taking that and adapting it to real life that makes for a real education. It takes another 5-10 years of experience to fully utilize that 4 year degree to its fullest because of that fact.
"Doesn't matter , tell it to the bank" haha , he was being for real even when he wasnt doing comedy he was making $$$$
Rodney Dangerfield was being realistic. Some aspects of business are deeper than face value. This reminds me of a time when I was employed by a university, and a salesperson came in to show her product, and I mentioned that the university was already buying it elsewhere. When she asked why it was being bought from someone else, I joked that where I come from several states away, one can get into trouble by asking such questions!
This is my favorite scene from a really wonderful movie that had a very interesting concept; what happens when a successful middle aged man tries to relive his youth and finds out that he can't because he's not young anymore.
This scene is so enjoyable not only because it is funny but it perfectly illustrates the difference between knowledge and wisdom and how the latter is infinitely more valuable. Rodney's character has lived and triumphed through the lessons that the professor preports to teach thus giving him a superior perspective.
I can't say I did not think of this movie when I went back to school 10 years ago, at age 48... got my technology degree, worked in the field for 5 years, and now am back at the school I graduated from, teaching those classes... I try every day to NOT be that stupid professor.
I love this scene......LOVE Dangerfield !
The dude playing the smug prof was perfect. What a composite of every nose-in-the-air elite and know-it-all higher educator who made reality with a chalkboard.
"...the TEAMSTERS are gonna wanna have a little chat with you" LOL
I am slightly familiar with such waste disposal problems. I worked for a company where owner moved into a building and got dumpsters from a company he found in phone book, few days later some one set the dumpsters on fire. Next day a man comes by asking if he had a waste disposal problem. Apparently, he got dumpsters from the "wrong company".
snakeguy76 I'd have told him no, as long as the garbage continued to get burned I had no disposal problems.
Was it Palumbo d.b.a. Orange Crush?
I heard of a similar system for marketing cloth towel service to small restaurants back in the 1960s.
I tried college at 18....and it just wasn't for me then. 9 years later at 27, I was a Freshman....with 10 years real world experience in the IT world. It's funny how this is very close to a real life college class...talking about "the ideal setup" when in reality, it's nothing like that. My advisor back then asked me to take her "Intro to Business Data Processing" class, as there was some theory she said I needed. I even showed her my resume asking her if I needed the class, she said yes. I went to the 1st day, got the schedule for all quizzes/tests and only showed up on those days. Got a 4.0. She was mad I didn't come to all the classes, and I said "I was working at my real job". College was wicked fun for me.
Rodney nailed it here, Kickbacks, bribes and payoffs ARE business. How do think a lot of business owners got rich?
And you know who runs that business, I can assure you it's not the Boy Scouts
"I'm in the waste management business, everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. Its a stereotype. And its offensive...And you're the last person I'd want to perpetuate it. "
Dude. My friend is fourth generation in waste management and has nothing to do with the mob today but before Chris Christie and Rudy took out the families his GrandDad had no option but to be mobbed up. The alternative was being buried in a landfill.
@@1noetic yeah but it sure was in the 80s..
The reason it is a stereotype now is because it was a reality back then.
The professor taught the class, Rodney lived it.
The true difference between book smart & street smart
Great scene. Rodney Dangerfield R.I.P. But important distinction--This is a business class, not an economics class. Very different.
Exactly so a business has to be in the real world. It's better to teach how a real business is working than an invention bc in life reality brings its own challenges that imagination doesn't. Show them statements of costs breakdown, profit margins, salaries, taxes, bank fees, etc .
I still cant believe Rodney Dangerfield is gone
lol how about fantasy land
Where did he go?
@@MrDasmaster he died in 15 years ago
I can that man was born in the early 1920s lol
His legacy is immortal, and beloved.
This was and still is my favorite comedy of all-time! I was 12yrs old when this came out, but I remember it like yesterday! I had no idea at that age what he meant by saying you had to "grease the local politicians" and all the other bribes he referenced, but it only got funnier as I got older and began understood what he meant!
One of my friends is on the Board of Directors of a major company. They decided to build a facility in a different State. After getting a long term lease on the land, architectural fees, interior design fees, and other expenses, all of which cost a few million dollars. They were refused the building permits. They had a private meeting with the head of the local political machine, slipped $65,000 in cash across the table, and the permits were issued the next morning. That's today's reality. I choose not being specific with the location, the name of the head of the political machine, or the name of the company. Too well known.
Yeah I bet this didn't happen. No name no location no nothing that anyone can purport as true.
@@3182john You would lose that bet. Too many people worship politicians. There are politicians that are in it for whatever they can steal. You can believe it or not. I really don't care.
This is true. I am close to a situation where the municipality is an old line political machine. The 3 top guys(mayor and 2 others) were greased with bags of cash. Then they recommended the project and it sailed through the approval process.
@Ralph Macchiato Tell that to the bank!
I always loved this scene. Was Rodeney actually telling the viewers the truth about how business actually works. After many years after this movie originally aired I have experienced the exact truth in similar ways of what he said. No matter how much hard work or earning a higher level of education you put into being successful in achieving dreams in a career it does not reward you success unless you know somebody. There is always someone with the money and power who want to take credit for your hard work so they have a little power over you and gain more control to secure their position at the top. And if those with the power do not like you or your worldview it does not matter how much hard work, education, sacrifice, and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it. But I know the ending of the story and can be joyful. Psalm 73. Why is it that many people love the ending of this movie? Because the protagonist won the respect and adoration of everyone and also won the heart of the woman. The antoginist lost all what Rodney gained including his woman. Rise above the antoginist in your life. From the words of Rodney; "I don't take shit from anyone!"
I thought he always said, "I don't get no respect!"
"It's not who you know, it's who you b**w, and MAN do you SUCK!" was how it got put to a "bosses kid" one time in my presence... and it was very accurate.
I know, not very Christian of me, but man it still makes me laugh to think about it... also, kid took over a couple of years later, and business flopped in a couple more... which is sad, because he was 4th gen running it, but was spoiled and didn't understand how to run.
When I was in grade school, I took Rodney to heart on this. Glad I did.
"Doesn't matter? Tell that to the bank..."
Perfect delivery. Also he isn't wrong. Try doing business in any major metropolitan area. If the politicians don't have their greasy fingers in the government contracts you'll find a lot of "unexpected costs" popping up.
An excellent criticism of the modern educational system, as well as a funny and enjoyable skit.
I love how all the students start taking notes from Thornton, as if he's giving the test, 🤣🤣🤣
"the teamsters will want to have a lit t le chat with you" speaking as the son of a union leader That is a headache no business man can afford.
@West Bay K. unions were a necessary evil with my last job. Teamsters to be exact. Company management and upper workers were a good ole boys club that tried to screw with people that weren’t part of the clique or didn’t like.
@@jondstewart something the teamsters created. Create the problem then provide the solution
Unions have their purpose in some areas, but in others they just become the big guy themselves.
@@wlonsdale1 This is also true of politicians.
This is why no one uses union labor anymore. And it's much better for it.
Nice! One of the few comedy movies that wasn't pure fiction from start to finish, bid Rod speaks the truth.
Also a accurate portrayal of modern academia illustrating why the old adage of 'Those that can, do....Those that can't, teach' is almost always true.
Some teachers who teach literacy, math, science discovery, etc....can benefit students. But some just are waiting to retire.
"You have to grease a local politician" 😂 so true
Rodney is right!
I> talkin to a professor
Rodney got real good writing.
I remember seeing this at the theater. Loved his dorm after the remodel.
OG MTV Cribs.. complete with Oingo Boingo
"Bribes... are not part of the legitimate business world."
Yeah... about that.
It's funny how Rodney is so much more right every step of the way!
No joke, my dad was in a college class similar to this, and he only went to college twice and he built his own business from scratch. The professor was exactly like this. My dad won in the end of the argument. Proud to have a dad who is more educated than the professors.
Dane Insane did your dad hire an accountant
Those who can't do...teach
@@davidackermam5826 And that is what is wrong with the system. If they can't hack it, then they don't know enough to teach what they don't know.
@@davidackermam5826 And those who can't teach........ Administrate
College makes you educated but it doesn’t make you smart.
I can't believe it's going to be thirty years since this movie came out "Hey you're a Melon."
Not only has it been 30 years, but everything Rodney says here still rings true............
Marc I love ur profile pic
My father grew up in poverty went to work at age 16 as a tradesman. Today he’s a deca millionaire/ entrepreneur. Very similar to rodneys character
Funny how families everywhere shell out so much money for their kids to learn to do business in Fantasy land...
What do you mean
He doesn't know
Yep. It is almost as though the vast majority of the leading businesspeople of the world...who bend over backwards to get their children into top universities, understand something that you and many other posters here do not. These universities have tremendous value.
Funny how many of those children become successful while you're writing RUclips comments on a movie scene believing it to be reality.
People always like to bring up select examples of people who made success despite failing college when the vast majority of businessmen went to college.
Love how all the students turn around and take notes on what he's saying...Totally shutting out the so-called professor...
Oh yeah it was totally in the script
One thing I did learn in business school is that there is a legal difference between greasing and bribing. Greasing a palm for the quickening of a labor is generally the same as tipping.
That’s what I hated about college, they teach perfect world and fantasy ideas, the exact opposite of real world business.
80% of my professors are all successful businessman that use real world experience.
Remember Dan Ackroyd's line from Ghostbusters where he says "I've worked in the real world,they expect results."
Well, they _can't_ teach the parts that are illegal.
@@americanrroyalty "what's the products?" drug trafficking doesn't count Jose.
True!I worked in the Hotel business for nearly 18 years.. I would meet people ... who would say.... really! I'am taking Hotel management in College...I can't wait to do it! I would think to myself..... (Just let wait until they get a job!, It's a completely different ballgame in the Real World)
If you're going to a working class college (like Touro) and studying business, paralegal work, education, physical therapy, then the instructors all have real-life experience in the field. There are no "professors" there; the instructors are all industry professionals teaching at night or on weekends as a side gig. But in a university like this, they have porfessors who have never been out of college. They don't really understand what you face out there in the business.
MondoBeno , right. I would never take their classes.
I've been to 6 diff colleges in the pursuit of 2 degrees. The best education I got for the money was at a lowly community college, where none of the profs had more than a masters degree, but all had worked in their fields and in most cases were still working. At the expensive private college there were world-famous researchers who couldn't teach, refused to meet with students, were only semi literate in English, worthless as advisors, etc etc.
@@valuecalc i THOUGHT the same thing, until I got pissed at the Business Law prof ... she was an idiot, what kind of lawyer teaches part time?
Sooo I looked up her salary in the school budget. (Available in your school library)
AAnnnddd she was making $80,000 a semester for 3 hours work a night. Not bad.
@@SuperChuckRaney, exactly. Prima donnas like her are always paid very well. It's a big bureaucracy. She'll tell you to volunteer all your time for experience while she makes out like bandit.
It's about time somebody gives him some respect! Better late than never R.I.P. Rodney!
I learned more about business financing from a millionaire businessman in an hour than I ever did studying the subject in college. Most teachers only know theory.
And the difference between a teacher and someone who actually knows how to do things has grown even greater to this day.
Most of the time, you're sadly correct.
So much hate for teachers nowadays. It’s sad.
In this scene from "Back to School," Rodney Dangerfield is brilliant at distinguishing the real world from the la-la land of academia, making the prof look so old-school and out-of-it by comparison. And "Fantasyland" is right on the money, for that's essentially where Rodney got his start - at the Fantasy Lounge! Thanks for posting this great moment. Rest in peace, Rodney.
I know this scene is a demonstration of academic knowledge vs. empirical knowledge, but honestly, you kind of need both.
Depends on the discipline. Accounting for example, requires a standard working knowledge of financials and books BEFORE starting your career with a business. You can't just "pick it up as you go" because businesses demand specific skills before even hiring you.
eventually you will end up with both
You have to have accounting fundamentals down pat before starting a job. Companies don't pay you to learn Accounting 101...they are a business, not a school. You learn the accounting fundamentals, and THEN the company trains you on the specifics of the industry and company business. They aren't going to give you 4-5 years to learn accounting on their dime and with their books. You have to know it coming in. So in technical industries like accounting, engineering, medical, etc. you have to have both the academic and the experience to do your job.
In non-technical "soft skill" jobs like sales, marketing, etc. you can get away with a lack of academic knowledge because in those fields you really just needs to learn your clientele and how they click...it's more of a "people" field and less of a technical skill field.
Trey Warnock would you consider an accountant fresh out of school to be potentially equal in skill to one that has skill and a body of experience after working in the field of accounting? I would consider the schooled accountant with experience to be more knowledgeable that one just graduated. the latter accountant has academic and experiental, empirical, experience.
zee339 Both of the people in your example have academic backgrounds. That's my point. There is no such thing as a accountant/CPA who didn't go to college. I'm am agreeing with your original post..you nailed it. This scene seems to insinuate that college and academics are a complete waste of time because you learn everything "in the real world" anyway. You suggested that is not necessarily true, and I am using examples to agree with you. These "book learnin' don't mean nothin'" people would want a doctor about to operate on them learning everything "as he does along" rather than already have the medical school training before hand.
"What's a widget?"
"It's a fictional product, it doesn't mat-tah!"
"Tell thet to theh bank."
1:51 😂😂😂😂 the look on Rodney’s face. Priceless!
This movie is the PERFECT example of academia v the REAL world. Sure you get into the door with that degree, but EXPERIENCE will make you successful. College won't tell you to "grease the local politician for zoning problems", but I assure you people like Harry Reid will tell you it is needed...
Reid and the rest with their hands out.
@@jackbrennan1125 That's funny, I'm in a high-demand STEM field in Dallas, a tech/telecom hub of a city, and all the companies demand at least a 3.0 GPA just to intern with them. It's worse in liberal arts. I would love to know what your mother studied.
What's the name of the movie?
@@daniellopez-vd8pm Back to school
@@braceyourselvesfortruth2492 With experience, gpa doesn't matter. I know several people in FAANG who didn't do great in highschool and/or didn't go to college. Don't be an ass.
When I was in college and knew plenty of friends who were majoring in business. I always wondered how the professors could teach business classes when they themselves had never worked in or owned a business themselves as they had never done anything but get degrees and worked for universities.
One of the most brilliant scenes ever filmed.
When your student's age far exceeds yours, watchout!
I'm sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya!!😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 😆😆😆😆😆 😁😁😁😁😁
Rick O'Shay ringleaders? Lol
I saw this at the theater and I laughed throughout the whole movie this is a classic
I will listen to Rodney before I will ever listen to a professor who knows nothing about the real world.
I have two degrees, but I learned a lot more outside the classroom.