Seriously, Teenagers, You're Throwing 'Project X' Parties?

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In the UK, kids have Skins parties (or, at least, they once did — the show was recently canceled after a precipitous ratings drop). That makes sense; Skins is generally a great show, full of the kind of teenage debauchery you might want to imitate. But we’re finding it a little more difficult to defend American high schoolers, who are apparently now throwing parties inspired by stupid, sexist found-footage romp Project X.

As Slashfilm notes, a number of reports have surfaced of kids staging wildly destructive celebrations in vacant homes. Although we tend to be skeptical of media hysteria linking teen misbehavior to the music they listen to, video games they play, or movies they watch, the evidence connecting these parties to Project X is fairly damning: An 18-year-old in Florida, for example, spray painted the film’s title on the walls of a foreclosed house where he would later host a gathering of something like 2000 people. Meanwhile, in Houston, 13 kids were arrested for vandalizing uninhabited homes and confessed that they got the idea from Project X. Slashfilm also cites a disturbing ABC report of a “spring break rave,” also in Houston, where one attendee was shot and killed, but points out that it’s unfair to make the connection between the movie — which, to its credit, doesn’t advocate random murder — and the violence that ensued.

Now, we’re the last ones to complain about movie-themed parties. We think they’re great! And really, felonies aside, who are we to judge teenagers for making mischief? We’ve certainly been there. All we’re saying is, can’t you guys find a less terrible film to recreate?