Rodney Dangerfield wasn’t exactly your typical leading man. Sweaty, self-deprecating, and always on the losing side of life—he made a career out of being the underdog. But in the 80s comedy Back to School, he gave us more than laughs—he gave us a lesson.
Thornton Melon (Dangerfield) is a millionaire who thinks money can buy anything—including a college degree. His first move? Bribe, cheat, and even hire Kurt Vonnegut to write a paper on… Kurt Vonnegut. Spoiler: he fails.
But with an English professor pushing him to try, and a business school dean heckling him into proving himself, Thornton finally starts doing the work. He studies, shows up, learns. And by the end, he’s delivering a commencement speech on the dangers of shortcuts and the importance of education.
So what’s the takeaway?
- Be honest about where you are.
- Accountability isn’t punishment—it builds trust.
- Shortcuts always catch up to you.
- Great teachers make all the difference.
Or as Thornton puts it: “If you don’t got an education, you got nothing.”
Who’s the teacher that changed things for you?
#humor #storytelling #RodneyDangerfield #learning #accountability
Rodney Dangerfield in the film Back to School (1986)
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