Nothing but the facts, many business fail because they don't have that bag of under the table 💰. It's that way for any venture you go into had a partnership in a bar/lounge restaurant, import business and film production. Each situation required you to have that under the table 💰 and you sure as heck better make no attempt to tell the 'proper authorities' or you may as well change your name and move to another country 😂
@@anagram8 It's not even "under the table anymore". You can check open secrets and see who is lobbying who for what. There is some degree of dark money, but a lot is legit. Musk due to having Space X based in California got dragged through the courts, because of a state law requiring more new migrants to be employed there. However this wasn't possible since you have to be a well established citizen with a background check to work in the rocketry business since they can be used for WMDs, and this is a federal law. Despite the conflict they still dragged him through the courts for months for nothing. All, because he wasn't their man anymore. Amazon put over 2m in donations behind Harris. They got billions in free funds from the Chips and Sciences Act. There are no proper authorities, when you get to the highest point they are still there, and they can destroy you and your business in a short period of time if you don't play their games.
R.I.P. Paxton Whitehead, please spread some love and heartfelt condolences to his family. The Englishman appeared 17 times over a half-century on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for Camelot, and recurred on Mad About You and Friends.
Aww man, had no idea Paxton Whitehead died. Best quote from that movie: Dr. Barbay: What did he want? Diane: What do all men want? Dr. Barbay: He wants you to dress up as Wonder Woman, tie him up with the golden lariat, and force him to tell the truth? Diane: No, just dinner, Phillip
@@Sigma0283 In many of those cases, those students have been paying on those loans for over 10 years and have long since paid off the original principal. What's being forgiven is the ridiculous compounding interest.
My dad spent the last 17 years in his career, up until he retired in 1984 as an engineer and construction/project manager, building plants all across the US. When he saw this movie he said Mellon was right on.
What I love is how these business students (probably future executives themselves) are furiously taking notes on everything Thornton says about how business really works.
Well, Thornton had built a business from the ground up and been successful, while the professor had no real world experience at all. That's why college has gone so far off the rails, all the professors are life long academics living in a bubble while the reality changes without them.
I love this scene because it adds such an important dimension to Thornton: he genuinely knows what he’s talking about. If he was “just” a party animal, then he wouldn’t be sympathetic, and people would question how such a bad student managed to become a multimillionaire. This dialogue makes it clear that Thornton IS intelligent, industrious, and has a ton of experience; he also genuinely wants the other students to learn so they can become successful, too. Rodney Dangerfield really knew how to make characters work! What an actor. :)
I also love this scene because it demonstrates the shortcomings of most education, provided by purely academic educators with no real world experience. The old saying is generally true. Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Today's universities churn out graduates with $100,000 in student loan debt who have been taught skills such as social justice virtue signaling and entitlement that have negative value for employers.
@@Liberty4Ever I had many professors with big time real world experience. One guy was president of McKesson. Another was one of the first 5 employees at Intel. Dont generalize.
@@jtaco4101Do not forget the behind close door deals, behind the scenes deals, under the table deals, lobbying funding, politicians seeing a pot of gold and wants to become part of the deal, and a lot of stuff that I have seen when I was assigned in your country under a diplomatic cover.
@Himmler Schutzstaffel Capital carrying costs ( Interest paid before the job is completed. ), insurance, security, training, fees ( Not kickbacks and bribes, just fees you have to pay. ), licenses, permits........;-) ;-) ;-)
The best is Rodney's face as he's listening to the professor's "lessons." He's trying to be patient and put up with it, but he still has the look of "this teacher is such a fool" on it. Better actor than given credit for.
@@ryanloftis1125 Try seeing him in your lobby at 2:30 a.m. in his robe, half awake, stumbling into his tour bus lighting up a normally very quiet block just east of Avenue A.
I've seen professors in big universities who have no recent field experience in the subjects they teach. Take for instance Teachers College at Columbia University: the professors of education have not taught in a high school in 20 years, so their teachings aren't really practical. But if you go to a college for working-class people (City College, local community colleges) then the "professors" are really just industry professionals who teach part-time. You have businessmen, police officers, high school principals, and healthcare professionals teaching their skills/knowledge to the next generation. They've paid their dues, and they know the score.
Agree - in community college I had a business law course taught by a bona fide attorney - most of my accounting courses there I was taught by a CPA who used to work for Coopers & Lybrand. The same school had an actual hotel manager teaching one of the hotel management courses. When i transferred to a relatively large university most of the professors were as you described. However, when I worked an extra job doing tax prep part time at H&R Block a few tax seasons, I was surprised that one of the folks helping to get our office - a brand new one - started was my former tax accounting professor!. I have a cousin, a now retired nursing professor who ended up becoming the dean of two major universities schools of nursing. Although years ago she did pay her dues, working in the trenches (hospitals) am not sure about how well she might convey practical skills. Let's say I became diagnosed with diabetes and had to learn how to give myself insulin injections. It's possible she might be able to walk me through the process on the phone (we live in different parts of the US) but I might be better off watching videos about it on you tube.
I went through college as an adult learner. One of my instructors had been a buddy of mine in high school. He'd gone to school, and was now teaching for it. He knew what he was talking about with theoreticals and the science, but he'd literally given his valedictorian speech the same day he signed his teaching contract. But I'd been involved in actually doing it for 8 years and realized I'd maxed out as for as promotions without degrees. We had conversations that were a lot like this.
When you get older. You realize just how right he was..Why Companies buy season tickets to sports events.. They pass them around to inspectors and city hall....As that building will take 10 years to build..
@@peteranserin3708I am a farmer, and I have to say that I have run into EVERY problem that Thornton mentions. One job we had issues with was during construction of a packing shed for produce. Despite legal preparations, certified builders and electricians we had loads of problems. One problem in particular: we just finished construction in time for harvest. We had bathrooms built, but the inspector decided that to meet code we were required to build 6 handicap accessable bathrooms for the watermelon harvesting crew!!! Nevermind the ridiculousness and cost, we didn't have time because the watermelons were ready!!! The inspector refused to turn the power on to the building until we built them!!! We had to go to city council meetings and beg the local politians to give us a temporary zoning variance to enable us to start packing the crop before it rotted.
When I was a kid, I liked this movie for the silly stuff. After I went to college and got into the real world, I appreciated scenes like this a whole lot more.
30 years in construction and I can tell you he is absolutely correct. Zoning laws will crush a project. Especially the annoying hidden ones. Depending on where you build, teamsters can have an impact on concrete costs lol.
Sammy the Bull Gravano has a real good video on how the union strong arming works.. I have lived thru zoning problems and it’s a very boring topic.. actually construction sucks period and it’s not worth talking about.
@@blockmasterscott I study economics and zoning laws are a literal nightmare. There's a lot of literature on this topic you can look up but the tldr is that zoning is upheld by various bureaucracies, politicians, environmental groups and current property owners for incoherent or self serving reasons. The incentives are almost only one way towards more regulation and that regulation is like a cancer that slowly diseases an entire metro area by solving very few or no problems while driving housing costs through the roof.
@@Batmangutten I remember how civil inspector wanted $400 kickback for quick house-lpan re-arrengement. But my oldman wanted to play plain n square, costed same.
I enjoyed seeing Back to School (1986) in a theater with my family in the summer of '86. This film seemed to come out of nowhere. Watching it present day brings back pleasant memories of that afternoon with my loved ones. Exiting the theater after the movie I pointed out the Coming Soon poster for Crocodile Dundee; another sleeper (well, back then no one knew what to expect) from 1986.
My 80s movie theater trips with family and friends are some of my favorite memories. Now with the streaming services, I drive my family crazy going through the lists of movies and constantly saying 'I saw that in the theater.'
"Then there is the long term cost, such as waste disposal. I don't know if your familiar who runs that business, but I assure you it's not the Boy Scouts." Mr. Soprano would like a word with you after class.
What I love about this movie, aside from being filmed at the university where i went, and the comedy of course, is the hidden message that people who don’t have a formal education or a college degree, sometimes know more about certain subjects as the people that teach. Thornton Mellon owned all those guys simply because he attended de university of hard knocks.
The only class where Thornton learned anything was the Literature class. It was the only subject in which the professor knew more than him. Of course, he worked so hard establishing his chain, that he never made time for reading.
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus i never understood networking until i got older. my father will always say its who you know and not what you know in business. He also pushed me to play golf and network.
@@santrader1707 I went to a private school for a bit with strong ties to the knights of Columbus. They pretty much made golf mandatory for every male there. I had no clue why those two things were potentially such a big deal until later in life.
Indeed. If I were able to go back in time with all the real world knowledge I've acquired over the years in both the real and business world, I'd have eaten more than half of my goddamn college professors alive in any subject or situation they presented.
Best professors I had were ones who had been in the business world. Best was a class on hazardous waste, hated the class, but the prof. knew what he was doing. He worked in the field for decades before retiring and then teaching. He had one book, a government book, and you didn't learn to memorize it, or even read chapters in it, but how to use it to look up the information you needed. In other word, real world applications. I hated it as I had decided to change my major and no longer needed the class.
It's not so much ivory tower Vs Reality. The thing is when you go to college, the first years you have to learn the very basic things, the theoretical concepts and all that. Later in the career is when you will learn the more complicated stuff including real world scenarios and practices while aproching to graduation. The only mistake this professor made was not beginning with the basics
I always liked the "why build?" question. I mean it sort of makes sense. I always thought you could definitely save money by leasing a building. I see a lot of vacant buildings that are up for sale or lease. Betting most sellers are motivated. Especially if the building has been empty for years.
Yep! Everybody that's anybody will DEFINITELY want their "cut" of your business! Mr. Meillon knew that, so he taught the "Teacher" just how things are in the REAL WORLD!!! He schooled the "Teacher" on how it is in the real business world! I love the line about "Fantasyland"! That really cracked me up!!!
@@tomv5988, & it's not just the manufacturing sector, the great majority of retail companies lease their spaces almost exclusively. When you factor in property & capital gains taxes, long term upkeep, legal liability/lawsuits/insurance, etc., it's a huge savings to lease. Any business model with a less-than-enormous profit margin virtually requires it, & corporations want every penny of profit they can scrounge going to keep the stockholders happy, not for paying taxes & repaving parking lots.
One of those great movie scenes I can watch over and over. The facial expressions on rodney and the professor as they talk and listen to each other is hilarious. Never gets old.
"Hold it, hold it! Why build? You're better off leasing at a buck and a quarter, buck and a half a square foot; take your down payment and put it into CDs or something else you can roll over every couple months." I was in a fairly important business growth strategy meeting at work, and I literally used a version of this line for a similar issue. I don't even know how right it is, but I said it with confidence and people in the meeting were like nodding their heads thinking I'm this financial genius, but I just stole it from an 80s comedy.
You are right for a fairly new venture (or new entrant from a related industry). For a bew venture, you don't want to tie up money needed in the real basics to get the product－market going (ie spend in R＆D, marketing and sales, and lease everything else, at least till the product gets going and is more predictable.
I still don't get what CDs were in the 80's. Nowadays I know the CD as the 'Compact Disc', an old one-use or multi-use storage device deprecated in favor of USB sticks and Cloud Drives. EDIT: Did he mean Credit Derivatives?
@@IllusionistsBane He meant a Certificate of Deposit, which is a savings instrument that pays the borrower a higher interest rate than ordinary savings instruments like money markets. The catch is you have to leave your money in until the maturity date (usually a year or longer - but sometimes less) or risk getting penalized by the lending institution if you withdraw the funds early.
YEAH AND IF YOU DONT COOPERATE WITH THE TEAMSTERS, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF BURIED IN CEMENT BY SOME GUY WHO IS ALL ABOUT IS KICKBACKS AND BRIBES WITH A LONG CIGAR HANGING OUT THE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH WHO JUST SPIT IN THE CEMENT THAT YOU JUST GOT SLAM DUNKED IN. WHOS NEXT MOVE IS THEN TO GO AFTER YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
@Rick O'Shay The Teamsters Union used to be controlled by the Mafia. So if you didn't do what they wanted, there was a good chance that you would 'disappear.'
Getting my degree in business, I had professors that were basically entirely business educators as a career, and I had some that had done real legitimate things in business before moving on to teach it. One was a CEO of a major corporation before parachuting out at 50 with millions of dollars, and was teaching for fun. The ones that had actually been there and done that taught the most amazing courses.
Then there's the long term costs such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it's not the boy scouts. HAHAHAHHA !! LMAFAOOOOOOOO !! Absolute best line in the movie delivered PERFECTLY by Dangerfield. I DIE every time I see this scene.
I graduated from Navy Academy school and started to work in a ship after. The first thing the crew told me was: Forget everything you learn at school . The better advice I've ever had.
A lot of stuff is like that. What they teach you in school is theory. Which can be so,so.Depending on the subject.Part of the problem is that the theory comes from books that was printed long ago.The world moved forwards the book stays the same. Also a lot of the stuff only works in theory
I went to college in my late 20’s early 30’s and knew most of the BS my professors taught would never apply in the real world. My only regret was not being a smartass to them like Rodney 😞
Correct. I’m A native New Yorker of 57 years and it’s stranglehold whilst not as tight as it used to be is nothing to be sneezed about. In fact, most major concrete firms during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s often were charged a ‘fee’ . Many people died on sights claiming ‘they took their own life’ which was a mob tactic often relating to belligerent construction officials not towing the party line
Amazing how these comedies in the 80’s and 90’s are among the funniest in film history, Dangerfield, Murphy, Candy, Farley, Sandler to name just a few icons.
2:01 “Whoah, you left out a bunch of stuff!” 2:09 “Well, first of all, You’re gonna have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up!”
One of the great perks of the graduate school I went to was that along with the professor, there was a practitioner. At Baruch, where I studied Public Administration, I had professor Doug Muzzio, one of the top political scientists and New York City historians, around; and, via his CityTalk TV program, interviewed basically every New York City political leader. The practitioner was Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx Borough President and NYC Mayoral runner-up; now vice-chair of the MTA. Both gave theoretical, and real, perspectives to the class!
@@dakotahmays1437 I WAS JUST COMING ON HERE TO SAY CADDYSHACK BUT YOU BEAT ME TO IT, RODNEY, TED KNIGHT, CHEVY CHASE AND BILL MURRAY WERE UNBEATABLE IN THAT MOVIE. WHAT AN UGLY HAT, I BET YOU GET A FREE BOWL OF SOUP WITH THAT HAT, OH...... BUT IT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU????. REMEMBER THAT LOL. I LAUGHED SO HARD AT THAT ONE AMONG MANY OTHERS, OR AT THE END OF THE MOVIE, OK JUDGE THAT'S 40,000 DOLLARS. COUGH IT UP. I OWE YOU NOTHING. NOTHING!!!!!!!! THAT MUCH I FIGURED. HEY ROCKO!!!! MOOSE!!!!!! HELP THE JUDGE FIND HIS CHECKBOOK LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL, REMEMBER THAT ONE????
Brings back memories from college. I went in to the army right out of high school and was a 21 year old freshman in college and been in the real world while most of my professors had been professors for years. Led to a lot of debates like this.
So true. Kudos to the university professors who instill the foundation basics to Bus.Admin. Economics, Accounting and marketing students in a manageable understanding fashion. Later out on the street, where the actual world steps into the lives of the graduates the "newbie" has a solid grounding from which to encounter and successfully address the rapidly of American business.
My mom is an actual law professor who’s been in courtrooms and still practices on the side. Half of those people she works with she doesn’t even talk to. And a lot of em are like this professor. He’s spent his whole life in Academia with no business experience and has never owned a business. And stayed in Academia because all of them, including him were too afraid to go out into the real world
These people earn boatloads of money, for practically part-time work, most with tenure. Why would they? Their real goal is indoctrination of the next generation.
As an MBA graduate who attempted (and failed) to run his own business, this rings so true. The classroom might try to replace and replicate real world experience and knowledge, but they come nowhere close.
As my father had a company that installed fire suppression systems in buildings, that's yet another cost that needed to be added to the laundry list Thornton rightly identifies.
@@TheYaegerjeusmc is it true that most universities I really teaching you how to work for someone as opposed to working for yourself? With exception Harvard Business and others
You seem to be falling for confirmation bias: successful business people are successful. The spectrum of people who have made scads of money is broad. But you are ignoring the vast majority of business people without any training who try to succeed but fail. You are biasing your evaluation by including only people who have already succeeded. Any decent engineering program teaches the time value of money. If you can't do better than investing in a basic security fund, you are not optimizing your use of money. In other words, if you can't make more money building a better widget than you can by investing in a diversified fund, don't waste time trying to make the better widget.
The scene from Back to School is a great example of the tension between academic theories and real-world practices. Here’s a breakdown of the accuracy and nuance in the scene: 1. Academic Approach (Professor’s Perspective): • Theory-driven: The professor is focused on teaching the students the technicalities of constructing and operating a business based on established business theories and formulas. His approach includes standard costs like materials, labor, utilities, and land, which are key in academic settings. • Idealized Version of Business: The professor’s world reflects a sanitized version of business, focusing on efficiency, planning, and legal frameworks. His model leaves out many practical challenges like political influences, corruption, or unforeseen difficulties that can affect real-world business decisions. • Limitation: The academic approach may neglect the unpredictable, messy realities that actual businesses face. It works in a controlled environment but might not fully prepare students for dealing with the complex problems entrepreneurs face in real life. 2. Thornton Melon’s Perspective (Real-World Businessman): • Street-smart Realism: Melon, as a businessman, interjects with a more grounded perspective. His points about bribery, kickbacks, dealing with unions, and waste disposal issues-while delivered humorously-are not far from realities in many industries, especially those involving large-scale construction. • Political and Regulatory Challenges: Many businesses must navigate local zoning laws, permits, and even deal with political or regulatory “greasing” (e.g., lobbying, soft bribery). These aren’t typically discussed in classrooms but are often significant hurdles in real-world operations. • Unions and Cartels: Melon’s mention of unions, organized crime, and control over waste disposal isn’t random. In certain industries and areas (especially mid-20th century America, when the movie was made), powerful unions and criminal enterprises like the mafia did have influence over sectors such as construction and waste management. Although exaggerated for comedic effect, his comments reflect real challenges some businesses face. • Short-Term Financial Tactics: His advice to put money into CDs or other rolling investments speaks to cash flow management strategies that some businesspeople prioritize. While not necessarily relevant to a first-year business class, it’s a real financial approach used in corporate settings. 3. Nuance and Accuracy: • Legitimate Business vs. Corruption: While the professor dismisses Melon’s remarks as illegitimate and unethical, the reality is that many industries, even today, are influenced by corruption, monopolies, or other unsavory practices. It’s a reminder that textbook approaches sometimes assume a level playing field that doesn’t always exist. • Exaggeration for Humor: While Melon’s points are grounded in reality, they are exaggerated for comedic effect. Not every business in construction is dealing with bribes or mobsters, but there are instances where political lobbying, local unions, or waste disposal regulations can present major challenges. • Pragmatism vs. Idealism: The scene highlights the difference between the professor’s idealistic view of a perfect business world and Melon’s pragmatic, cynical view. Neither view is entirely accurate-real business operates somewhere between these two extremes. Business ethics do matter, but so does understanding how the world actually works. Summary: The scene plays off the balance between theory and practice. The professor’s academic perspective is accurate but simplified, while Melon brings a gritty, real-world perspective that exaggerates the challenges businesses face. In reality, both are important: businesses should strive for ethical practices, but they must also be prepared for the complexities and roadblocks that don’t fit neatly into a classroom lecture.
I always think of this scene when I tell someone I was a business major in college, like today, I had to see if it was on YT... It's even better than I remember
its the tiny little subtle things that Rodney does, like the ever brief little wipe of his forehead and eye roll at 2:35 that sells his performance, proving that he's more than just a comedian.
This is one of the best scenes in all of movie history. I don't know if it was luck, skill, or serendipity, but Dangerfield's expressions during the exchange are perfect.
About what? Based on how adamantly he refuses to think abstractly he must also respond to the question, “Suppose that in the far north, where there is snow, all bears are white, and the town of Novy Rosikov is in the far north - what color are the bears in Novy Rosikov?” by exclaiming “Why don’t you ask someone who’s been there!” at which point we all applaud him for his insightful and yet cavalier practical wisdom
@@volvob1884 Yes, but that wasn't my point. The teacher's pronunciation was măfia, using the short "a" sound rather than mâfia using the tall "a" sound. I just thought it would be more understandable to the reader if I used an extra "f". I was wrong again.
Saw this in the theater, thought it was hilarious. Decades later, went back to school myself and realized I was this guy, always bringing in complications when people were trying to learn basics. I am certain I was widely hated, and eventually quit. I didn't quit complicating things, I quit school. Tremendous waste of time as it turns out. Now I just kayak. Much better people involved.
@Rockmaster2112 Economics specifically. Fortunately the prof who bore the brunt of it was Island and chill/based AF and let me wreck some teenage wannabe communists' pet ideas. Still, GTFO of most college. It's a waste of life.
@@kensei1972 I’m currently an economics student at a “prestigious” university. I’m in my third year and I really resonate with what you’re saying. I’ve found that my professors have a bunch of credentials but the classes are completely devoid of real world/ pragmatic advice. It’s just regurgitated info that is completely useless and you get the feeling that nobody wants to be in class including the professor. I’ve really grown to resent higher education. Idk that’s my personal take I’m sure people have different views, maybe it’s just not for me.
@@Hevted Amazing how the coof sorted out what people really want-dudes just wanted to grill (and all that implies), chicks just wanted to make bread and grow a garden...
Paxton Whitehead is great in this scene. His alternating smugness and annoyance as the proceedings fluctuate between his mastery and loss of control of his lecture is a real joy to behold- great casting.
I teach business and I'm afraid all too often the classes are something like that (on the professor's side). Occasionally you do get a Rodney Dangerfield type student, which is good because it makes you think more about the hard edges of business around the world. Hollywood used to write intelligent and realistic (though humorous) scripts -- I wish they would again.
I love how Rodney takes the reigns by adding a dose of realism. The students start zoning in on his comments and begin taking notes etrc. The academic then loses all credibility with Rodney's "Fantasyland" barb.. Priceless. Much like Rodney's character I am street educated and went to trade school. Some academics have been out of the loop and protectively cocooned by "fantasyland" AKA Higher Education that they have no clue about reality. They have been locked up in the Ivory Tower for decades.
Ya that applies to most liberal lefties college professors. They are so out of touch with reality they have become delusional and their delusions have become dangerous and psychotic.
The problem is that this was a beginning business course. The teacher may have been teaching them the basics before getting into more specific options like leasing. After all, knowing that leasing is a better idea hinges on actually understanding the costs that go into construction.
@@gregoryabass Yeah, this is a professor having a hypothetical exercise in an entry-level course, and some jackass insisting on treating it as reality.
I'll never forget all the "fees" I ended up paying. The "special licensed inspections" I had to pay for. The remodel was about 50 k in material and labor. That bonus stuff cost another 60 k. Including a handicapped bathroom for 20 k that wasn't open to the public. It had a hand rail by the John. Getting shaken down by the state is a real thing.
I remember my old man telling me this in roughly 1975. Boy am I glad I listened. It's save me decades of learning the hard way.
Nothing but the facts, many business fail because they don't have that bag of under the table 💰. It's that way for any venture you go into had a partnership in a bar/lounge restaurant, import business and film production. Each situation required you to have that under the table 💰 and you sure as heck better make no attempt to tell the 'proper authorities' or you may as well change your name and move to another country 😂
@@anagram8 It's not even "under the table anymore". You can check open secrets and see who is lobbying who for what. There is some degree of dark money, but a lot is legit. Musk due to having Space X based in California got dragged through the courts, because of a state law requiring more new migrants to be employed there. However this wasn't possible since you have to be a well established citizen with a background check to work in the rocketry business since they can be used for WMDs, and this is a federal law. Despite the conflict they still dragged him through the courts for months for nothing. All, because he wasn't their man anymore.
Amazon put over 2m in donations behind Harris. They got billions in free funds from the Chips and Sciences Act.
There are no proper authorities, when you get to the highest point they are still there, and they can destroy you and your business in a short period of time if you don't play their games.
R.I.P. Paxton Whitehead, please spread some love and heartfelt condolences to his family. The Englishman appeared 17 times over a half-century on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for Camelot, and recurred on Mad About You and Friends.
Aww man, had no idea Paxton Whitehead died. Best quote from that movie:
Dr. Barbay: What did he want?
Diane: What do all men want?
Dr. Barbay: He wants you to dress up as Wonder Woman, tie him up with the golden lariat, and force him to tell the truth?
Diane: No, just dinner, Phillip
Underrated, underappreciated, but a class act. RIP.
@@brndnwilks - Great comment. No one could have played it just had he had.
And a few episodes of Frasier...Great actor indeed.
He was also good in the Animaniacs as the King.
"Doesn't matter?? Tell that to the bank." That line kills me every time. Oh, how true.
I say that every time I hear a politician saying they want to cancel student loan debt.
@@Sigma0283 In many of those cases, those students have been paying on those loans for over 10 years and have long since paid off the original principal. What's being forgiven is the ridiculous compounding interest.
@@Ugh-Fudge_Bwana And the people who actually foot the bill are the ones who went and already repaid their loans because they weren't dipshits.
My dad spent the last 17 years in his career, up until he retired in 1984 as an engineer and construction/project manager, building plants all across the US. When he saw this movie he said Mellon was right on.
Didactics vs. heuristics. In school you learn a lesson then take a test. In the world you are tested then learn a lesson.
You get the courage to do a thing after you've done it. Strange isn't it?
bruh, best quote i've seen all day. so true.
Well put!
The simplest quotes are often the most true
Wow, that's very true.
What I love is how these business students (probably future executives themselves) are furiously taking notes on everything Thornton says about how business really works.
Well that is sadly how we students do it. I learned more from real life experiences than from college
Well, Thornton had built a business from the ground up and been successful, while the professor had no real world experience at all. That's why college has gone so far off the rails, all the professors are life long academics living in a bubble while the reality changes without them.
ian, yes! That was a scream! But maybe it's a more realistic approach with college.
I loved it too 😂😂😂😂
_furiously taking notes on everything Thornton says_
Which probably wouldn't even happen , but the producers would like you to believe it would.
I love this scene because it adds such an important dimension to Thornton: he genuinely knows what he’s talking about. If he was “just” a party animal, then he wouldn’t be sympathetic, and people would question how such a bad student managed to become a multimillionaire. This dialogue makes it clear that Thornton IS intelligent, industrious, and has a ton of experience; he also genuinely wants the other students to learn so they can become successful, too. Rodney Dangerfield really knew how to make characters work! What an actor. :)
100% truth
I also love this scene because it demonstrates the shortcomings of most education, provided by purely academic educators with no real world experience. The old saying is generally true. Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.
Today's universities churn out graduates with $100,000 in student loan debt who have been taught skills such as social justice virtue signaling and entitlement that have negative value for employers.
@@Liberty4Ever You hit the nail on the head!!!!
@@Liberty4Ever I had many professors with big time real world experience. One guy was president of McKesson. Another was one of the first 5 employees at Intel. Dont generalize.
@@jtaco4101Do not forget the behind close door deals, behind the scenes deals, under the table deals, lobbying funding, politicians seeing a pot of gold and wants to become part of the deal, and a lot of stuff that I have seen when I was assigned in your country under a diplomatic cover.
"It doesn't matter?? Tell that to the bank."
@Himmler Schutzstaffel spot on
@Himmler Schutzstaffel So are you going to teach everything in one class?
@Himmler Schutzstaffel Capital carrying costs ( Interest paid before the job is completed. ), insurance, security, training, fees ( Not kickbacks and bribes, just fees you have to pay. ), licenses, permits........;-) ;-) ;-)
Dan Kelly In one class, no, but the first thing that should be discussed is the product.
It doesn't matta.
The funniest part is when he sees the students taking notes on Rodney Dangerfield’s kick back advice. Very funny, subtle comedic effect 😂🤣
But all true
I would have taken nots from Rodney Danderfield as well. He knows what he is talking about .
“Don’t forget a little something for the building inspectors” 😂
@@JamesQMurphy Yes that as well. I loved this scene and watch it many times.
Cement was also run by the same guys that ran the waste disposal company.
The best is Rodney's face as he's listening to the professor's "lessons." He's trying to be patient and put up with it, but he still has the look of "this teacher is such a fool" on it. Better actor than given credit for.
His "questioning" look is hilarious.
His role in "Natural Born Killers" showed he could tackle dramatic roles, too. He was genuinely frightening in that movie.
@@ryanloftis1125 Try seeing him in your lobby at 2:30 a.m. in his robe, half awake, stumbling into his tour bus lighting up a normally very quiet block just east of Avenue A.
Thank god you said it, Steven Fallon!!!
I've seen professors in big universities who have no recent field experience in the subjects they teach. Take for instance Teachers College at Columbia University: the professors of education have not taught in a high school in 20 years, so their teachings aren't really practical. But if you go to a college for working-class people (City College, local community colleges) then the "professors" are really just industry professionals who teach part-time. You have businessmen, police officers, high school principals, and healthcare professionals teaching their skills/knowledge to the next generation. They've paid their dues, and they know the score.
Agree - in community college I had a business law course taught by a bona fide attorney - most of my accounting courses there I was taught by a CPA who used to work for Coopers & Lybrand. The same school had an actual hotel manager teaching one of the hotel management courses. When i transferred to a relatively large university most of the professors were as you described. However, when I worked an extra job doing tax prep part time at H&R Block a few tax seasons, I was surprised that one of the folks helping to get our office - a brand new one - started was my former tax accounting professor!. I have a cousin, a now retired nursing professor who ended up becoming the dean of two major universities schools of nursing. Although years ago she did pay her dues, working in the trenches (hospitals) am not sure about how well she might convey practical skills. Let's say I became diagnosed with diabetes and had to learn how to give myself insulin injections. It's possible she might be able to walk me through the process on the phone (we live in different parts of the US) but I might be better off watching videos about it on you tube.
So in hindsight you actually get a better education for a cheaper cost at a community college?
@@nicholasolivas317 Yes, but you won't be able to play football, join a fraternity, or get drunk in the dorm.
That'll be quite enough, Mr. Melon! 😅
"The next question for us is where to build our factory?"
"How about Fantasyland!?"
😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
MY FAAAAAVORITE PART LOLOLOLOLOL
I went through college as an adult learner. One of my instructors had been a buddy of mine in high school. He'd gone to school, and was now teaching for it. He knew what he was talking about with theoreticals and the science, but he'd literally given his valedictorian speech the same day he signed his teaching contract. But I'd been involved in actually doing it for 8 years and realized I'd maxed out as for as promotions without degrees. We had conversations that were a lot like this.
Sorry, but this comments section is reserved only for things that actually happened.
When you get older. You realize just how right he was..Why Companies buy season tickets to sports events.. They pass them around to inspectors and city hall....As that building will take 10 years to build..
Always loved this scene! I’ve been a businessman now for nearly 40 years and it still rings true! 😄
Which part?
@@peteranserin3708I am a farmer, and I have to say that I have run into EVERY problem that Thornton mentions.
One job we had issues with was during construction of a packing shed for produce. Despite legal preparations, certified builders and electricians we had loads of problems. One problem in particular: we just finished construction in time for harvest. We had bathrooms built, but the inspector decided that to meet code we were required to build 6 handicap accessable bathrooms for the watermelon harvesting crew!!! Nevermind the ridiculousness and cost, we didn't have time because the watermelons were ready!!! The inspector refused to turn the power on to the building until we built them!!! We had to go to city council meetings and beg the local politians to give us a temporary zoning variance to enable us to start packing the crop before it rotted.
That's one big problem with colleges. They teach book theory, not real world
peteranserin3708 Everything except Fantasyland.
Just watch the tv show from Jeremy Clarkson’s farm to get an idea of what they are talking about. Season 2 really gives more detail
This is the reason I dropped out, started my own business instead of going into debt, and didn't look back.
Thanks Rodney, RIP!
same
Is your business still going strong with these economic shutdowns?
But, what's your product? Widgets?
No wait, they make those in Flint, Mi.
@@joelsmith3797 I almost laughed at this, then remembered it's true
@@Smudgeroon74 business is all about making money every challenge means theirs more money!
When I was a kid, I liked this movie for the silly stuff. After I went to college and got into the real world, I appreciated scenes like this a whole lot more.
Good God, college. What a waste of time and $$$ lol. Went twice.
As we change so does the meaning of films...
30 years in construction and I can tell you he is absolutely correct. Zoning laws will crush a project. Especially the annoying hidden ones. Depending on where you build, teamsters can have an impact on concrete costs lol.
Wow, that's really interesting! Can you go a little more in detail, I really am curious about the behind the scenes, nuts and bolts of this!
Sammy the Bull Gravano has a real good video on how the union strong arming works.. I have lived thru zoning problems and it’s a very boring topic.. actually construction sucks period and it’s not worth talking about.
@@blockmasterscott I study economics and zoning laws are a literal nightmare. There's a lot of literature on this topic you can look up but the tldr is that zoning is upheld by various bureaucracies, politicians, environmental groups and current property owners for incoherent or self serving reasons. The incentives are almost only one way towards more regulation and that regulation is like a cancer that slowly diseases an entire metro area by solving very few or no problems while driving housing costs through the roof.
@@Batmangutten I remember how civil inspector wanted $400 kickback for quick house-lpan re-arrengement. But my oldman wanted to play plain n square, costed same.
And don't forget, eminent domain can crop up when you least expect it
Best part of this scenes is the quick camera-pan to the students taking NOTES based on what Dangerfield’s character is saying 😄🤣
... and the students are so serious!
I enjoyed seeing Back to School (1986) in a theater with my family in the summer of '86. This film seemed to come out of nowhere. Watching it present day brings back pleasant memories of that afternoon with my loved ones. Exiting the theater after the movie I pointed out the Coming Soon poster for Crocodile Dundee; another sleeper (well, back then no one knew what to expect) from 1986.
My 80s movie theater trips with family and friends are some of my favorite memories. Now with the streaming services, I drive my family crazy going through the lists of movies and constantly saying 'I saw that in the theater.'
Your so right I was 9 and went with my uncle who was 12 and my aunt who was she was 21 they were laughing so hard great memories
@orionh3000 Oh, yeah.
My older brother came back from the movie and practically gave me a synopsis of the whole movie word for word. I loved it before I even saw it
@@JayBuccola Oh, that sounds like me!
"Then there is the long term cost, such as waste disposal. I don't know if your familiar who runs that business, but I assure you it's not the Boy Scouts." Mr. Soprano would like a word with you after class.
Tony's cool with Mr. Thornton. He's a good earner.
I think Borko would like a word, he does t like when you disparage legitimate businessmen
Chuck Rizzo, Dino Bucci and Anthony Marrocco can testify to this, if they hadn't taken the 5th.
Barone Sanitation.
Well Mr Soprano never had the makings of a Boy scout.
What I love about this movie, aside from being filmed at the university where i went, and the comedy of course, is the hidden message that people who don’t have a formal education or a college degree, sometimes know more about certain subjects as the people that teach. Thornton Mellon owned all those guys simply because he attended de university of hard knocks.
The only class where Thornton learned anything was the Literature class. It was the only subject in which the professor knew more than him. Of course, he worked so hard establishing his chain, that he never made time for reading.
Go Badgers!
Professor: Bribes and kickbacks are NOT part of this business model.
Me: Yeah, you really never built a business from the ground up, have you, pal?
I wish Rodney had replied with that.
Greasing palms and net working will always matter as much as the product does
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus i never understood networking until i got older. my father will always say its who you know and not what you know in business. He also pushed me to play golf and network.
@@santrader1707 I went to a private school for a bit with strong ties to the knights of Columbus. They pretty much made golf mandatory for every male there. I had no clue why those two things were potentially such a big deal until later in life.
Knights of Columbus
And they are just the top 50 groups in the world you gotta play golf with😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
An excellent exposition on some of the differences between ivory tower academia and harsh reality.
The students clearly listened to him as would I.
Indeed. If I were able to go back in time with all the real world knowledge I've acquired over the years in both the real and business world, I'd have eaten more than half of my goddamn college professors alive in any subject or situation they presented.
Best professors I had were ones who had been in the business world. Best was a class on hazardous waste, hated the class, but the prof. knew what he was doing. He worked in the field for decades before retiring and then teaching. He had one book, a government book, and you didn't learn to memorize it, or even read chapters in it, but how to use it to look up the information you needed. In other word, real world applications. I hated it as I had decided to change my major and no longer needed the class.
@@hisdudeness8328 Ah but you just admitted that you didn't learn everything in one hour.
It's not so much ivory tower Vs Reality. The thing is when you go to college, the first years you have to learn the very basic things, the theoretical concepts and all that. Later in the career is when you will learn the more complicated stuff including real world scenarios and practices while aproching to graduation. The only mistake this professor made was not beginning with the basics
Rodney was truly one of the elite greats of comedy! A brilliant,comedic legend! R.I.P.
and his writers, don't forget them
Rodney slayed the professor with real world business 😄😎
I always liked the "why build?" question. I mean it sort of makes sense. I always thought you could definitely save money by leasing a building. I see a lot of vacant buildings that are up for sale or lease. Betting most sellers are motivated. Especially if the building has been empty for years.
@Joe Kinchicken and those who can't teach, teach gym
Yep! Everybody that's anybody will DEFINITELY want their "cut" of your business! Mr. Meillon knew that, so he taught the "Teacher" just how things are in the REAL WORLD!!! He schooled the "Teacher" on how it is in the real business world! I love the line about "Fantasyland"! That really cracked me up!!!
@@tomv5988, & it's not just the manufacturing sector, the great majority of retail companies lease their spaces almost exclusively. When you factor in property & capital gains taxes, long term upkeep, legal liability/lawsuits/insurance, etc., it's a huge savings to lease. Any business model with a less-than-enormous profit margin virtually requires it, & corporations want every penny of profit they can scrounge going to keep the stockholders happy, not for paying taxes & repaving parking lots.
I love this movie and Rodney is perfect in it!
The reality of business is never so clean as the classroom says.
@Lizzie Allen reality is that it is ruthlessly pragmatic.
@Crunchy 🤣😂🤣😂
I play this for my Sports Management class at the beginning of each semester.
One is theory the other is reality
Those people have spent their lives in academia because they were afraid to go out into the real world
One of those great movie scenes I can watch over and over. The facial expressions on rodney and the professor as they talk and listen to each other is hilarious. Never gets old.
For me it's Sam Kinison will always be funny.
@@johnlozauskas778 Sam's not in this scene. My comment is about this scene.
"Hold it, hold it! Why build? You're better off leasing at a buck and a quarter, buck and a half a square foot; take your down payment and put it into CDs or something else you can roll over every couple months."
I was in a fairly important business growth strategy meeting at work, and I literally used a version of this line for a similar issue. I don't even know how right it is, but I said it with confidence and people in the meeting were like nodding their heads thinking I'm this financial genius, but I just stole it from an 80s comedy.
CDs had high interest in the 80s but today they’re almost worthless. Better to invest in an index stock like S&P 500
@@electrictroy2010 Vanguard
You are right for a fairly new venture (or new entrant from a related industry). For a bew venture, you don't want to tie up money needed in the real basics to get the product－market going (ie spend in R＆D, marketing and sales, and lease everything else, at least till the product gets going and is more predictable.
I still don't get what CDs were in the 80's. Nowadays I know the CD as the 'Compact Disc', an old one-use or multi-use storage device deprecated in favor of USB sticks and Cloud Drives.
EDIT: Did he mean Credit Derivatives?
@@IllusionistsBane He meant a Certificate of Deposit, which is a savings instrument that pays the borrower a higher interest rate than ordinary savings instruments like money markets. The catch is you have to leave your money in until the maturity date (usually a year or longer - but sometimes less) or risk getting penalized by the lending institution if you withdraw the funds early.
When he yells out Fantasyland, it is awesome. Classic scene.
1986 was one of the best years
It sure was.
The entire decade of the 80s was a great time.
The absolute best of Rock & Roll, too. Big hair and all the rest.
Charlie Henry yep
For some, I suppose.
2:18 “I’m sure the Teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya’” lol
YEAH AND IF YOU DONT COOPERATE WITH THE TEAMSTERS, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF BURIED IN CEMENT BY SOME GUY WHO IS ALL ABOUT IS KICKBACKS AND BRIBES WITH A LONG CIGAR HANGING OUT THE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH WHO JUST SPIT IN THE CEMENT THAT YOU JUST GOT SLAM DUNKED IN. WHOS NEXT MOVE IS THEN TO GO AFTER YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
@Rick O'Shay They drive the cement trucks (at least that's the implication). Whether that's still true, I don't know.
@Rick O'Shay The Teamsters Union used to be controlled by the Mafia. So if you didn't do what they wanted, there was a good chance that you would 'disappear.'
@Rick O'Shay the Teamsters union is a union of trade jobs. I'm sure construction workers that put in cement are in that union
@@xohjn5072 just like Jimmy Hoffa; and coincidentally, his son, Jimmy Hoffa Jr, currently runs the teamsters 👍🏼
“How about fantasy land”. Perfect!
That one finally shut the idiot professor up! LOL
Getting my degree in business, I had professors that were basically entirely business educators as a career, and I had some that had done real legitimate things in business before moving on to teach it. One was a CEO of a major corporation before parachuting out at 50 with millions of dollars, and was teaching for fun. The ones that had actually been there and done that taught the most amazing courses.
1:10 “Doesn’t matter! Tell that to the bank!” 1:32 “Why Build? You’re better off leasing!”
Then there's the long term costs such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it's not the boy scouts. HAHAHAHHA !! LMAFAOOOOOOOO !! Absolute best line in the movie delivered PERFECTLY by Dangerfield. I DIE every time I see this scene.
I was coming back to it and literally was thinking he was gonna go with "they are not choir boys" but "it's not the boy scouts" hits much better lol
I graduated from Navy Academy school and started to work in a ship after.
The first thing the crew told me was:
Forget everything you learn at school .
The better advice I've ever had.
A lot of stuff is like that. What they teach you in school is theory. Which can be so,so.Depending on the subject.Part of the problem is that the theory comes from books that was printed long ago.The world moved forwards the book stays the same.
Also a lot of the stuff only works in theory
I went to college in my late 20’s early 30’s and knew most of the BS my professors taught would never apply in the real world. My only regret was not being a smartass to them like Rodney 😞
Took a class in concrete design with a professor who DID have real world experience.
That Mafia bit is no joke! XD
Correct. I’m
A native New Yorker of 57 years and it’s stranglehold whilst not as tight as it used to be is nothing to be sneezed about. In fact, most major concrete firms during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s often were charged a ‘fee’ . Many people died on sights claiming ‘they took their own life’ which was a mob tactic often relating to belligerent construction officials not towing the party line
"I don't know if you know who runs that business, but I assure you it's not the Boy Scouts." Classic
Rodney Dangerfield is the king of one liners..a true comedic genius..
“How about fantasyland”! A sentence I use to this day to people who are oblivious to the obvious.
Legitimate business world? Well that's an oxymoron and a half. Mr Mellon's breakdown of how business works IS the business world!
To a certain extent. But definitely not an everyday thing. Or every project thing. You’ve been watching to much tv
@@davestuddaman8127 Enron? Worldcom? Arthur Anderson?
@@edwardflickinger949 that's 3 businesses
Theres literally thousands of businesses in the us
@@davestuddaman8127 I recited 3 examples. I'm quite sure that there's many more that haven't been caught yet
@@edwardflickinger949 and I can counter everyone that you give me, sweetheart
I like when the students were quickly writing down what melon was saying...the truth😅 lol..
He is missed and appreciated more now that he's gone. Truly underated.
This short segment satirically illustrates the difference between Theory and the real world it is timeless
That scene, the scene with Kinison as the history professor and the marine biology scene were the best.
What's a bath without bubbles...
@@waynedoyle2421 "Come over here, Bubbles!"
Damn!
Bubbles was HOT!!! 🔥 🔥 🔥
What Rodney says still holds up. University's exist in their own reality.
Apostrophe abuse.
How about fantasy land! Love it!
Then why are young people still stampeding their way into them and willing to go into debt for an education?
@@basilmarasco1975 Because indoctrination tells you beautiful lies instead of ugly truths. They go deep into debt to be indoctrinated.
@@NostalgicGamerRickOShay By chance, is your comment the beginning of a "Colleges and universities are bastions of liberalism" screed?
Amazing how these comedies in the 80’s and 90’s are among the funniest in film history, Dangerfield, Murphy, Candy, Farley, Sandler to name just a few icons.
i opened up a business workshop with this clip and 50% were laughing.... that's how i filter those who were my clients 🎯
2:01 “Whoah, you left out a bunch of stuff!” 2:09 “Well, first of all, You’re gonna have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up!”
He was always a crack up and one of the last true funny men in comedy history. We all miss you Rodney.
Rest in peace. You have our respect.
He,Rodney hit the nail on the head. Every one has there hand out . When you are doin business.
One of the great perks of the graduate school I went to was that along with the professor, there was a practitioner. At Baruch, where I studied Public Administration, I had professor Doug Muzzio, one of the top political scientists and New York City historians, around; and, via his CityTalk TV program, interviewed basically every New York City political leader. The practitioner was Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx Borough President and NYC Mayoral runner-up; now vice-chair of the MTA. Both gave theoretical, and real, perspectives to the class!
How bout fantasy land! 😂
zippos79 it was either that or Reseda 👌
That part still cracks me up 😂
Classic!
lol, and fantasy land is exactly what these students are living in until they get out of that classroom and start paying taxes :)
One of the best lines in the movie imho.
Paxton Whitehead was very good as the snobby professor.
He was near-perfect! Great casting!
He's been typecast on name alone.
@@meadster308
How do I know he has in a couple of movies he did those parts so well it definitely came off as the real thing
Rodney's best film!!!
rene hernandez 2nd best , 1st was easy money 1983
I like this one, but for me, nothing beats Caddyshack
Best film that ain't all that dirty like some of his other films I mean don't get me wrong I love all his films but they are crude whereas this wasn't
@@dakotahmays1437 I WAS JUST COMING ON HERE TO SAY CADDYSHACK BUT YOU BEAT ME TO IT, RODNEY, TED KNIGHT, CHEVY CHASE AND BILL MURRAY WERE UNBEATABLE IN THAT MOVIE. WHAT AN UGLY HAT, I BET YOU GET A FREE BOWL OF SOUP WITH THAT HAT, OH...... BUT IT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU????. REMEMBER THAT LOL. I LAUGHED SO HARD AT THAT ONE AMONG MANY OTHERS, OR AT THE END OF THE MOVIE, OK JUDGE THAT'S 40,000 DOLLARS. COUGH IT UP. I OWE YOU NOTHING. NOTHING!!!!!!!! THAT MUCH I FIGURED. HEY ROCKO!!!! MOOSE!!!!!! HELP THE JUDGE FIND HIS CHECKBOOK LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL, REMEMBER THAT ONE????
This scene is a perfect example of how "real world business" operates while "fantasy land business" should operate.
Brings back memories from college. I went in to the army right out of high school and was a 21 year old freshman in college and been in the real world while most of my professors had been professors for years. Led to a lot of debates like this.
[SARCASM ALERT] According to the professor, an actual millionaire businessman doesn’t know how actual business works in the real world… Right
This movie was ahead of its time!
You assumed.
You... you know this is fake, right?
Truth yes I do
That's why the professor is teaching instead of running a business.
So true. Kudos to the university professors who instill the foundation basics to Bus.Admin. Economics, Accounting and marketing students in a manageable understanding fashion.
Later out on the street, where the actual world steps into the lives of the graduates the "newbie" has a solid grounding from which to encounter and successfully address the rapidly of American business.
My mom is an actual law professor who’s been in courtrooms and still practices on the side. Half of those people she works with she doesn’t even talk to. And a lot of em are like this professor. He’s spent his whole life in Academia with no business experience and has never owned a business. And stayed in Academia because all of them, including him were too afraid to go out into the real world
Now I know what they mean about Boyce Watkins. Lol
These people earn boatloads of money, for practically part-time work, most with tenure. Why would they? Their real goal is indoctrination of the next generation.
@@JustBree716 Bingo!!! Excellent reference!!! I wish can like this comment a thousand times!!!💯💯💯
Hence why Rodney made the remark of "Fantasy Land" I have to say. 🤔
This is a great clip from a great movie!!! Rodney is sorely missed, the comedians these days can’t hold a candle to his talent
Comedians are no longer allowed to perform his type of humor... They might hurt someone's feeling.
@@timberry4709 HOW FAR WE HAVE FALLEN TIM.
Such an underrated Dangerfield performance.
I didn't realize how good his acting was when I saw this as a kid in the 80's.
I cannot think of any spot on the planet where this professor's mythical company would succeed.
Agreed. Most successful businesses begin with a finished prototype or even selling the product out of a garage or small rented shop.
@@jeffdude6088 that's not what I mean. You can game out a plan but his suppositions are all wrong even for the 1980s.
How about Fantasyland ???
Well, that's because you don't know how useful a widget is.
The perfect example of the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is sterile, but wisdom adds experience to knowledge.
As an MBA graduate who attempted (and failed) to run his own business, this rings so true. The classroom might try to replace and replicate real world experience and knowledge, but they come nowhere close.
Such a good scene. So true. Comedy is at it's best when it exposes the truth
As my father had a company that installed fire suppression systems in buildings, that's yet another cost that needed to be added to the laundry list Thornton rightly identifies.
If you've never been to college imagine this scene and then imagine half the subjects have nothing to do with what you want to learn.
Remember seeing this in high school and as always Rodney is hilarious. A true one of a kind you are sorely missed by alot of people Rodney! ❤
A man teaching a business class that has never built anything!!..thats whats wrong with college!
Most of my professors for my BS in Finance were experienced experts, what was your experience at University?
@@TheYaegerjeusmc is it true that most universities I really teaching you how to work for someone as opposed to working for yourself? With exception Harvard Business and others
Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach.
@@eddavis9704 Ooh, did you make up that gem on your own?
How about you prove that claim?
You seem to be falling for confirmation bias: successful business people are successful. The spectrum of people who have made scads of money is broad. But you are ignoring the vast majority of business people without any training who try to succeed but fail. You are biasing your evaluation by including only people who have already succeeded.
Any decent engineering program teaches the time value of money. If you can't do better than investing in a basic security fund, you are not optimizing your use of money. In other words, if you can't make more money building a better widget than you can by investing in a diversified fund, don't waste time trying to make the better widget.
The scene from Back to School is a great example of the tension between academic theories and real-world practices. Here’s a breakdown of the accuracy and nuance in the scene:
1. Academic Approach (Professor’s Perspective):
• Theory-driven: The professor is focused on teaching the students the technicalities of constructing and operating a business based on established business theories and formulas. His approach includes standard costs like materials, labor, utilities, and land, which are key in academic settings.
• Idealized Version of Business: The professor’s world reflects a sanitized version of business, focusing on efficiency, planning, and legal frameworks. His model leaves out many practical challenges like political influences, corruption, or unforeseen difficulties that can affect real-world business decisions.
• Limitation: The academic approach may neglect the unpredictable, messy realities that actual businesses face. It works in a controlled environment but might not fully prepare students for dealing with the complex problems entrepreneurs face in real life.
2. Thornton Melon’s Perspective (Real-World Businessman):
• Street-smart Realism: Melon, as a businessman, interjects with a more grounded perspective. His points about bribery, kickbacks, dealing with unions, and waste disposal issues-while delivered humorously-are not far from realities in many industries, especially those involving large-scale construction.
• Political and Regulatory Challenges: Many businesses must navigate local zoning laws, permits, and even deal with political or regulatory “greasing” (e.g., lobbying, soft bribery). These aren’t typically discussed in classrooms but are often significant hurdles in real-world operations.
• Unions and Cartels: Melon’s mention of unions, organized crime, and control over waste disposal isn’t random. In certain industries and areas (especially mid-20th century America, when the movie was made), powerful unions and criminal enterprises like the mafia did have influence over sectors such as construction and waste management. Although exaggerated for comedic effect, his comments reflect real challenges some businesses face.
• Short-Term Financial Tactics: His advice to put money into CDs or other rolling investments speaks to cash flow management strategies that some businesspeople prioritize. While not necessarily relevant to a first-year business class, it’s a real financial approach used in corporate settings.
3. Nuance and Accuracy:
• Legitimate Business vs. Corruption: While the professor dismisses Melon’s remarks as illegitimate and unethical, the reality is that many industries, even today, are influenced by corruption, monopolies, or other unsavory practices. It’s a reminder that textbook approaches sometimes assume a level playing field that doesn’t always exist.
• Exaggeration for Humor: While Melon’s points are grounded in reality, they are exaggerated for comedic effect. Not every business in construction is dealing with bribes or mobsters, but there are instances where political lobbying, local unions, or waste disposal regulations can present major challenges.
• Pragmatism vs. Idealism: The scene highlights the difference between the professor’s idealistic view of a perfect business world and Melon’s pragmatic, cynical view. Neither view is entirely accurate-real business operates somewhere between these two extremes. Business ethics do matter, but so does understanding how the world actually works.
Summary:
The scene plays off the balance between theory and practice. The professor’s academic perspective is accurate but simplified, while Melon brings a gritty, real-world perspective that exaggerates the challenges businesses face. In reality, both are important: businesses should strive for ethical practices, but they must also be prepared for the complexities and roadblocks that don’t fit neatly into a classroom lecture.
Brilliant!
Widgets, ACME, and Dewey, Cheatam, and Howe.
Bribes, kick backs and mau-fey-uh payoffs 😂😂
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." (Einstein)
SPOT.....ON....TRUTH!!!!!
I always think of this scene when I tell someone I was a business major in college, like today, I had to see if it was on YT... It's even better than I remember
2:59 HAHAHAHAHA!
I watched this movie back in the 80s... still funny today!
Mr. Melon's face when he says, what's a widget?!
Like he never heard of it before 🤣🤣
its the tiny little subtle things that Rodney does, like the ever brief little wipe of his forehead and eye roll at 2:35 that sells his performance, proving that he's more than just a comedian.
This is one of the best scenes in all of movie history. I don't know if it was luck, skill, or serendipity, but Dangerfield's expressions during the exchange are perfect.
I know it's a comedy, but Rodney is 100% right here.
About what? Based on how adamantly he refuses to think abstractly he must also respond to the question, “Suppose that in the far north, where there is snow, all bears are white, and the town of Novy Rosikov is in the far north - what color are the bears in Novy Rosikov?” by exclaiming “Why don’t you ask someone who’s been there!” at which point we all applaud him for his insightful and yet cavalier practical wisdom
@@jamesfrancese6091 About the overall market realities, the business plan, the execution, this missing costs, everything.
One of my most favorite movie scenes ever.
Rodney just proved that not everything is or can always be done by the book.
This clip never disappoints. I dont know if it's the "delivery" of the last line, or the "deliverer"?
I always laugh when the professor says “mafia payoffs” 😂
*maffia
@@20alphabet It's both Mafia and maffia
@@volvob1884
Yes, but that wasn't my point. The teacher's pronunciation was măfia, using the short "a" sound rather than mâfia using the tall "a" sound. I just thought it would be more understandable to the reader if I used an extra "f". I was wrong again.
it's never Maffia, just Mafia. Only Americans misspell it as Maffia for reasons that escape me
@@20alphabet Sorry that your phonetic cue was wasted. If it's any consolation, I saw what you were going for
Saw this in the theater, thought it was hilarious. Decades later, went back to school myself and realized I was this guy, always bringing in complications when people were trying to learn basics. I am certain I was widely hated, and eventually quit. I didn't quit complicating things, I quit school. Tremendous waste of time as it turns out. Now I just kayak. Much better people involved.
@Rockmaster2112 Economics specifically. Fortunately the prof who bore the brunt of it was Island and chill/based AF and let me wreck some teenage wannabe communists' pet ideas. Still, GTFO of most college. It's a waste of life.
@@kensei1972 I’m currently an economics student at a “prestigious” university. I’m in my third year and I really resonate with what you’re saying. I’ve found that my professors have a bunch of credentials but the classes are completely devoid of real world/ pragmatic advice. It’s just regurgitated info that is completely useless and you get the feeling that nobody wants to be in class including the professor. I’ve really grown to resent higher education. Idk that’s my personal take I’m sure people have different views, maybe it’s just not for me.
@@kensei1972 and I love the outdoors, just want to hike and camp lol
@@Hevted Amazing how the coof sorted out what people really want-dudes just wanted to grill (and all that implies), chicks just wanted to make bread and grow a garden...
Yeah, in general your hobbies or maybe your work will attract people who are more appropriate in your life.
Finally a time when Rodney got some respect!
Paxton Whitehead is great in this scene. His alternating smugness and annoyance as the proceedings fluctuate between his mastery and loss of control of his lecture is a real joy to behold- great casting.
I actually loved this scene, theory vs reality, with reality dominating
I teach business and I'm afraid all too often the classes are something like that (on the professor's side). Occasionally you do get a Rodney Dangerfield type student, which is good because it makes you think more about the hard edges of business around the world. Hollywood used to write intelligent and realistic (though humorous) scripts -- I wish they would again.
My all time favorite movie. I keep a supply to give out as gifts.
If you plan on using any cement in this building I'm sure the Teamsters would like to have a little chat with you and that'll cost you
'our telephone lines cost $50 a month.'
'it's for a business.'
'oh! did i say $50? i meant $150!'
He looked at Mellon and just knew he was going to destroy him! Lol
Total backfire🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I love how Rodney takes the reigns by adding a dose of realism. The students start zoning in on his comments and begin taking notes etrc. The academic then loses all credibility with Rodney's "Fantasyland" barb.. Priceless. Much like Rodney's character I am street educated and went to trade school. Some academics have been out of the loop and protectively cocooned by "fantasyland" AKA Higher Education that they have no clue about reality. They have been locked up in the Ivory Tower for decades.
Ya that applies to most liberal lefties college professors.
They are so out of touch with reality they have become delusional and their delusions have become dangerous and psychotic.
The problem is that this was a beginning business course. The teacher may have been teaching them the basics before getting into more specific options like leasing. After all, knowing that leasing is a better idea hinges on actually understanding the costs that go into construction.
@@gregoryabass
Yeah, this is a professor having a hypothetical exercise in an entry-level course, and some jackass insisting on treating it as reality.
I'll take someone with Street smarts over Book smarts any day!
@@johnschober1819
It kinda depends on whether I want this person to fix my car or build a nuclear reactor.
GREAT movie, a true CLASSIC!
The difference between academics and real world experience.
I'll never forget all the "fees" I ended up paying. The "special licensed inspections" I had to pay for. The remodel was about 50 k in material and labor. That bonus stuff cost another 60 k. Including a handicapped bathroom for 20 k that wasn't open to the public. It had a hand rail by the John. Getting shaken down by the state is a real thing.
Oh it's no joke, especially if you have a disgruntled employee that calls OSHA without telling anyone.