Maya Biekert

(Un)Packing the 'Brat Pack' Legacy

For those who have not heard of the ‘Brat Pack,’ you are surely missing out on a significant portion of pop-cultural history. Made up of eight youthful and buoyant 1980s actors, their media, technological, and socio-cultural influence stemmed from their television popularity, coming-of-age uniqueness, upbeat genres, and abilities to demonstrate teenage angst. From The Breakfast Club (1985) to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), writer and director John Hughes paved the way for and brilliantly constructed a carefully protected movie pedestal— multigenerational and multifaceted to be succinct.