American Pie: The Anatomy of Vulgar Teen Comedy

American Pie represents the most commercially successful example of the vulgar teen comedy, and this book analyses the film’s development, audience-appeal and cultural significance.

American Pie (1999) is a film that exemplifies that most disparaged of movie genres - the vulgar teen comedy. Largely aimed at young audiences, the vulgar teen comedy is characterised by a brazenly over-the-top humour rooted in the salacious, the scatological and the squirmingly tasteless.

In this book, consideration is given to the relationship between American Pie’s success and broad shifts within both the youth market and the film business. Attention is also given to the film’s representations of youth, gender and sexuality, together with the distinctive character of its comedy and the enduring place of such humour in contemporary popular culture. While chiefly focusing on the original American Pie movie, the book also considers the development of the franchise, with discussion of the movie’s three sequels and four direct-to-DVD releases. The book also charts the history, nature and appeal of vulgar teen comedy as a whole, providing the first concerted analysis of this generally overlooked category of youth film.

Clear, concise and comprehensive, the book is ideal for students, scholars and general readership worldwide.

Bill Osgerby is Emeritus Professor of Media, Culture and Communication at London Metropolitan University. He has published widely on twentieth-century British and American cultural history. His books include Youth in Britain Since 1945 and Youth Media.