Peer Pressure: Nobody Tells Me What to Do! (Rifftrax Shorts)

Rifftrax Year:  2016
Riffers:  Bridget Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl

Peer pressure is a bad thing.  Unless my peer pressure is forcing you to read this blog.  If that's the case, then it's fucking AWESOME.

This tale of teenagers in their thirties shows several forms that peer pressure can take, as boys and girls find themselves slacking off, shoplifting, and breaking and entering just because the other kids are doing it.  Interestingly enough, it's only the peer pressure kids who get punished in the end, giving the impression to the viewer that only the bad people get caught.

It's not a terrible short, just a simplistic and very old-fashioned one.  The situations feel forced and the actors look uncomfortable playing the roles they're given.  The moral of actions having consequences is solidly executed, though not in a very interesting fashion.  There's a bonus lesson of choosing what type of person that you want to be that's appreciated as well.

"Hey audience, here's a shoplifting tip:  SUPER LOUD SHOES!"

I'm going to squeal with glee every time something from Bridget and Mary Jo comes up in the rotation of shorts or features, as I've found the duo a force to be reckoned with in the riffing world.  They have a brilliant chemistry and record their riffs with an impromptu flavor by cracking up at each other's jokes or leaving in flubs.  There is so much natural charisma in Peer Pressure right down to the end where Mary Jo sings Radar Love off key and Bridget mocks her for it.

There is a lot to make fun of in this particular short, with the over-abundance of silly clothing styles and stiff performances front and center of every scene.  They seem to have the most fun riffing the shoplifting segment with the teenage girls, as their feminine snapbacks fit in naturally with the gang seen on the screen.  Plus the airheaded running gag of "I'm Debbie!" just cracks me up every time.  But the boys get their fair share of mockery as well, since they dominate the short.  And the kooky peer pressure of trying to seem cool to a loser provides plenty of fuel for the duo.  And with everything so 80's, it's hard to not hit a home run with this short.

"I played Pac-Man for hours."
"I would only play Mrs. Pac-Man."
"Must you drag feminism into everything?"
"No, I just wanted to support her endeavor."

This is a quality short from Bridget and Mary Jo, among the best shorts Rifftrax ever released.  For those who want to start checking out the duo, this short would be a great place to start.

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