History YMMV / Airplane

* TheScrappy: The constant {{Troll}} in the airport tower who eventually pulls an important plug at a vital moment, apparently because he ''wants'' to make life harder for everyone. It's even worse when you consider that [[KharmaHoudini he manages to get away with everything.]] But then, he's ''probably'' supposed to be hated....

* The Scrappy: The constant [[Troll]] in the airport tower who eventually pulls an important plug at a vital moment, apparently because he ''wants'' to make life harder for everyone. It's even worse when you consider that [[KharmaHoudini he manages to get away with everything.]] But then, he's ''probably'' supposed to be hated....

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The tag line "...and able to hit tall buildings at a single bound", and the plane running into and destroying a radio tower on a building.

** In ''The Sequel'', George Wendt has a small bit part at the start of the film as a baggage handler.

* {{Sequelitis}}: Neither Jim Abrahams nor the Zuckers were involved; most of the jokes and plot were recycled.
** In the commentary for the first film, they admit they have never even seen this one.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The naked woman [[{{Gainaxing}} who bounces her naked breasts]] ([[ValuesDissonance in a PG film!]]) in front of the camera as the passengers are panicking.

** The full-body scanners that can see through clothing (and are obviously being used to ogle the women). Ugh...

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: At the time, the entire joke with Leslie Nielson's character was seeing a serious actor bringing every bit of his usual gravitas to such ridiculous material. [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome Nielson proceeded to make this kind of material his bread and butter]], so that viewers these days will likely just be surprised that he's not playing the lead role.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: At the time, the entire joke with Leslie Nielson's character was seeing a serious actor bringing every bit of his usual gravitas to such ridiculous material. Nielson proceeded to make this kind of material his bread and butter, so that viewers these days will likely just be surprised that he's not playing the lead role.

** "I peek the wrong week to quit smoking, drinking..."

** The film also parodies many of the subplots from the ''{{Airport}}'' film series.

** An Indian man (either a Hindu or a Sikh) douses himself in gasoline and lights a match, in a desperate attempt to get away from one of Ted's anecdotes. Granted, significantly different from an Arab/Muslim, but the fact that he ends up blowing up...
*** This was likely a reference to the protestors who deliberately set themselves on fire during the Vietnam War, many of whom where Indian or Tibetan.

* ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs: ''MontyPython'' plus Creator/MelBrooks on speed.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Several gags, but particularly the "[[GetAholdOfYourselfMan hysterical woman gets slapped]]" one, not to mention stewardess Randy's disastrous attempt to cheer up the LittlestCancerPatient; both are played as DeadBabyComedy.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The Zuckers and Abrahams were actually disappointed when the film ended up with a genuinely good score, rather than a cheesy one that would add to the parody. They probably shouldn't have hired {{Elmer Bernstein}}.

*** With TSA, this is now a cross between [[TruthInTelevision Truth In Television]] and [[ScienceMarchesOn Science Marches On]].

* ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs: ''MontyPython'' plus MelBrooks on speed.

** The film also parodies many of the subplots from the ''{{Airport}}'' film series.

* GeniusBonus: Manny Mota at the time held baseball's record for pinch hits.

* RetroactiveRecognition: David Leisure (''EmptyNest'', Joe Isuzu) is one of the Hare Krishna.

* AcceptableTargets: [[BadGuyBar "It was filled with every lowlife from Bombay to Calcutta...]] [[TakeThat it was worse than]] [[PlaceWorseThanDeath Detroit."]]
** The various new-agey religions being pitched in the airport, especially when Kramer starts charging through them all.
** "WZAZ in Chicago, where disco lives forever!" [plane smashes through radio tower]

* LeslieNielsenSyndrome: The film marked the start of Nielsen's and Lloyd Bridges' comedic career.

* {{Narm}}: The line from ''Zero Hour'' (We need to find someone who can not only fly this plane but who didn't have fish for dinner" convinced the Zuckers to make ''Airplane!''.

* UnfortunateImplications: An El Al plane has a yarmulke and a beard, implied extreme violence against a hysterical woman, black Africans excelling as basketball players; although these scenes could easily be considered DeadBabyComedy.
** The basketball player part may have been played for irony, since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played one of the pilots (and was criticized for his playing).
*** Actually, it was played completely as BreakingTheFourthWall. [[strike:Murdock]] Jabbar even specifically calls out Bill Walton and Bob Lanier.
** The El Al plane is a bit of SelfDeprecation, since the filmmakers are all Jewish.
* ValuesDissonance: Parodied. At the "Ronald Reagan Hospital for the Mentally Insane", the sign reads ''"We Cure People the Old Fashioned Way"''. Cut to a bunch of orderlies beating a patient with slapjacks, while telling him "It's for your own good!"