History YMMV / RockItsYourDecision

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Due to the nature of the film many see Jeff's story as less of a movement against sin, and more the story of an innocent boy who only liked fairly harmless music [[ManipulativeBastard twisted by his controlling, fundamentalist elders]] into a bigoted {{Jerkass}}. From that point one can see Jeff as a DesignatedHero who forces his opinions on others, or a tragic JerkassWoobie whose perceptions on life were heavily warped, and ultimately ends up driving away everyone who cared about him.

* LostAesop: In the Rev. Jim Owen's first scene, he comes off as the sole voice of reason in the film. He says a lot of things that are quite reasonable, and even exposes some of Jeff's mother's blind spots. He points out that Jeff was likely listening to rock music long before his parents got him the stereo, and that he only rebelled when they started telling him he couldn't listen to it. He even points out that Mrs. Simms hasn't taken the time to figure out why Jeff likes it, or even what the lyrics really say, so it seems like her discipline is really just over opinions or taste. He then compares Jeff's music to her watching soap operas, and suggests that every argument she could make against his music, he could make against her soaps. The film should have ended here. But almost as soon as that conversation is had, it is promptly forgotten by ''everyone'', Rev. Owen included. The message preached by every "good" character, including him, from then on, is that Rock and Roll is strictly a tool of Satan and behaving like a self-righteous jackass is a good thing. Or at least it seems to be because that is literally everyone's takeaway, including other Christians.

** The film's premise counts, as while [[TheNewRockAndRoll the belief that rock music is Satanic or evil]] was already largely dead by 1982; the belief is seen as a joke even amongst Evangelical Christians, barring the most fundamentalist circles.

** The film's premise counts, as while [[TheNewRockAndRoll the belief that rock music is Satanic or evil]] was already on its way out by 1982, the belief is now mostly seen as a joke outside of highly fundamentalist circles.
** Jeff [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero citing rock musicians known to be homosexual as evidence of the alleged evils]] of rock. Nowadays such a view would get Jeff labelled a bigot, probably even within his church. In the early 80's, there was still quite a bit of rampant homophobia among rank-and-file Americans, even the non-religious, with many viewing the AIDS epidemic as proof that homosexuals were dangerous, but even then, it was a view that was starting to change.

* DesignatedHero: Jeff, although not at first. He starts out as a relatively normal kid until he slowly transforms into a bigoted hateful religious fundamentalist {{Jerkass}} who disowns rock music and tries to force everyone around him to do the same and dumps his friends for listening to the genre. He even yells at his own mother for watching soap-operas thinking they are evil.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Jeff, ironically. While he's busy worrying that he's been a hypocrite for listening to rock (and calling others that), he becomes an even bigger one concerning how he treats his friends. He continues to say that he's not trying to shove anything down anyone's throat, but never stops ranting and raving about how evil the music is and how blind his friends are for listening to it. His final speech is nothing if not a long attempt to shove his views down other teens' throats. Then there's his complaint that Marty is playing rock music at a party held at ''Marty's'' house. Why does Jeff feel like he can dictate what's played there, especially since he earlier had shut down Melissa's attempts to play a rock station in his car on the grounds that "it's my car!".

** Be willing to question what your family and authority figures tell you, rather than just accepting it uncritically and adjusting your life around what they think you're supposed to be like. Grown-ups are wrong sometimes, and you making the same mistakes as them makes you wrong too, not them right.

** Be willing to question what your family and authority figures tell you, rather than just accepting it uncritically and adjusting your life around what they think you're supposed to be like.

* EsotericHappyEnding: Jeff has renounced rock music and purified his soul, yet he's become an alienated religious fanatic with paranoid delusions about an artistic medium he once enjoyed and an even rockier relationship with his mother than he had previously. He has also lost friends over his change in attitude and for that matter despite his new found faith, Jeff has become a far worse person then when he was simply a somewhat mouthy but still seemly decent kid when he did like rock and roll.

* EsotericHappyEnding: Jeff has renounced rock music and purified his soul, yet he's become an alienated religious fanatic with paranoid delusions about an artistic medium he once enjoyed and an even rockier relationship with his mother than he had previously. He has also lost friends over his change in attitude.

** Later, Jeff gets angry with Marty for playing rock music at a party he was hosting in his own house. Yet we're expected to take Jeff's side earlier when he refuses to let Melissa listen to a rock station when he's giving her a ride in his car. Marty even rightfully tells Jeff that if it bothers him that much, he should just leave instead of staying there complaining and ruining everyone else's good time.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The main character is meant to come off as a good Christian trying to steer clear from the "sins" of rock and roll and save others from it, but instead he comes off as a closed-minded and bigoted jerkass to anyone who doesn't share the same values and interpretations of Christianity as the protagonist (and then in some cases, as many Christians have no difficulty reconciling their faith and an enjoyment of secular entertainment).

* EsotericHappyEnding: Jeff has renounced rock music and purified his soul, yet he's become an alienated religious fanatic with paranoid delusions about an artistic medium he once enjoyed and an even rockier relationship with his mother than he had previously.

** Stay away from [[TheFundamentalist fundamentalist Christianity]], or else you'll end up becoming a bigoted jerk and losing all your friends in the process.

** For that matter, when people like Jeff already have ConfirmationBias towards something like Rock and Roll, they will easily twist the meaning and interpretation of a song to fit their own biased view points, even when it clearly is not the intended meaning of a song. [[IRejectYourReality A fundamentalist will only ever see what]] ''[[IRejectYourReality they]]'' [[IRejectYourReality want to see, regardless of the actual facts]].

** [[SoapboxSadie Don't force your beliefs down other peoples' throats]]. No matter what your views are, it is not your place to tell people what to think or believe. Likewise, don't be shocked if your judgmental attitude only drives people away from you when you act like that.

** Be willing to question what your family and authority figures tell you rather than just accepting it uncritically and adjusting your life around what they think you're supposed to be like.
** Talk to your kids about concerns you have, especially about the media they consume, and listen to them when they explain their views on the subject rather than being an authoritarian or just pawning them off on someone else who might fill their heads with not so great ideas or accidentally get them to start acting in a way that isn't healthy.
** For that matter when people like Jeff already have ConfirmationBias towards something like Rock and Roll, they will easily twist the meaning and interpretation of a song to fit their own bias view point even when it clearly is not the intended meaning of a song. A fundamentalist will only see what they want to see regardless of the actual facts.
** Jeff loses all his friends as the movie progress and this movie wants to use it to show how Jeff is to be admire for sticking to his beliefs. The thing is the reason Jeff starts losing all of his friends is because he repeatedly tries to force his views onto people and jump on them when they don't share the same beliefs. Understandable his friends get sick of his judgmental attitude and want nothing to do with him. Instead of the movie making you admire Jeff, it can be use to show how when you just attack and vilify people for enjoying something you don't like, no sane person will tolerate what you are doing. If Jeff simply just respected his friends opinions instead of attacking their viewpoints, they would have done the same for him.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Due to the nature of the film many see Jeff's story as less of a movement against sin, and more the story of an innocent boy who only liked fairly harmless music twisted by his controlling, fundamentalist elders into a bigoted {{Jerkass}}. From that point one can see Jeff as a DesignatedHero who forces his opinions on others, or a tragic JerkassWoobie whose perceptions on life were heavily warped, and ultimately ends up driving away everyone who cared about him.

* DesignatedHero: Jeff, although not at first. He starts out as a normal kid until he slowly transforms into a bigoted hateful religious fundamentalist {{Jerkass}} who disowns rock music and tries to force everyone around him to do the same and dumps his friends for listening to the genre. He even yells at his own mother for watching soap-operas thinking they are evil.

** Melissa seems pretty justified in being angry with Jeff for cancelling his plans to go to a rock concert with her (plans made months in advance for her birthday) because of a deal with his youth pastor he made only recently. Threatening to take another guy to the concert may seem a bit harsh, but she does apologize for it later.

** Reverend Owen, at one point, tells Jeff's mom how Jeff could easily use bible quotes as a argument for why soap operas are as bad as rock and roll. While the movie wants to use this as a point to show that Jeff's mom is a hypocrite, [[WindmillCrusader both rock and roll and soap operas are harmless, enjoyable forms of entertainment]]. If anything, Owen making that claim just instead shows how easily someone can use a bible quote to condemn anything they dislike as a means of justification, no matter how silly or irrelevant it might be as an argument.

** One could also read Jeff's hate filled speech in the end where he completely misses the point of the songs he list off, as a example of how hateful people with their mind made up can misinterpret the meaning of anything to fit their bias agenda.
** Reverend Owen at one point tells Jeff's mom how Jeff could easily use bible quotes as a argument for why soap operas are as bad as rock and roll. While the movie wants to use this as a point to show that Jeff's mom is a hypocrite, the thing is both rock and roll and soap operas are harmless enjoyable forms of entertainment. If anything Owen making that claim just instead shows how easily some one can use a bible quote to condemn anything they dislike as a means of justification no matter how silly it might be as a argument.
** Don't shove your beliefs down other peoples throat. No matter what your views are, it is not your place to tell people what to think or believe. Likewise don't be shocked if your judgmental attitude only drives people away from you when you act like that.

** Jeff loses all his friends as the movie progress and while this movie wants to use it to show how Jeff is to be admire for sticking to his beliefs. The thing is the reason Jeff starts losing all of his friends is because he repeatedly tries to force his views onto people and jump on them when they don't share his viewpoints. Understandable his friends get sick of his judgmental attitude and want nothing to do with him. Instead of the movie making you admire Jeff, it can be use to show how when you just attack and vilify people for enjoying something you don't like, no sane person will tolerate what you are doing. If Jeff simply just respected his friends opinions instead of attacking their viewpoints, they would have done the same for him.

** Jeff loses all his friends as the movie progress and while this movie wants to use it to show how Jeff is to be admire for sticking to his beliefs. Instead this can be use to show how when you just attack and vilify people for enjoying something you don't like, no sane person will tolerate what you are doing. If Jeff simply just respected his friends opinions instead of attacking their viewpoints, they would have done the same for him.