The often considered classic National Lampoon's movie Animal House is a "raunchy, screwball comedy" about a "motley collection of students" belonging to the Delta fraternity at Faber College back in the early 60's. The story line has been used over and over: students are drinking, a problem arises, the students drink some more, and then they figure out a way to defeat the system and win back their pride. Movies such as PCU and National Lampoon's Senior Trip share this common story line as well. The emphasis on the students drinking and acting wildly takes center stage from almost the beginning of the movie and continues through the last frame. Is this such a good idea? With images like this will students try and live up to the crazy antics portrayed in the movie under the impression they won't be severely reprimanded?

Usually people see movies like Animal House while they are still in high school, a time when they are most likely to be influenced by images seen in movies. Seeing things like John Belushi's character Bluto drinking beers out of a two liter wine glass and smashing beer cans into his head could be an influence for people to become party

"My advise to you is to start drinking heavily."

The amount of beer and alcohol consumed in the movie is incredible (as is the amount that gets wasted by having bottles thrown into walls). At one point Bluto actually drinks an entire bottle of Jack Daniel's in one giant swig (see the cover page). It is images like this, along with the attitude towards drinking that encourages recklessness among college students.

Along with the alcohol, Animal House has college antics: pranks and other random things that college students supposedly do for fun. From the first midnight run to the dorms to wake the pledges up with fire extinguishers till the grand finally where Delta destroys the town of Cottage Grove, Animal House portrays college guys as crazy, panty raiding, horse stealing misfits. The Delta gang engages in many senseless acts, most of which, according to director John Landis, were based upon true anecdotes from the producers and writers. These acts of mischief have been, and continue to, reenacted by real college students across the country. Most every school has at least one toga party, many have frat houses similar to Delta (run down houses, abused on many occasions by drunk students), and one school has even crowded into an empty parking lot wearing togas to drink and sing "Louie, Louie" while concocting the world's largest mixed drink (as was the case at the University of Wiscons

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Approximate Word count = 944
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)