A band of no-good punks beat a guy for driving too slow and steal his mechanical pencil, before arriving to pick up their missing member Jamie, the son of the man they've just beaten. Twist! Has the rare honor of being riffed by both Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax.
For the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode see here.
Tropes used in this short:
- Car Chase: A very, very minor one, but when Jamie and the other students race to the Mayor's office, the gang chases after them, getting into their own cars to do so.
- Disproportionate Retribution: One of the city council members, in response to the five-man gang's mischief, decides to punish all teens by eliminating all events for teens.
- Dumb Muscle: The other punks don't seem able to comprehend just what exactly made Jamie quit the gang and storm off, despite him all but confirming that they just rolled his dad, and are only shown to have understood the situation by the following school day.
- They also plan on "visiting" the city council, seemingly thinking that all four of them can somehow intimidate the local government, despite the fact that the council controls the police. Even beyond that, the council and the others adults at the meeting easily outnumber them.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: The gang doesn't seem to get that Jamie actually cares about his dad, trying to talk him into rejoining on the basis that it could have been one of their dad's. They also don't get that Jamie had legitimately realised what they were doing was wrong, so simply saying they didn't know the man they beat up was his dad isn't a good apology.
- Gang of Hats: A more realistic example. The gang all wear the same jacket with a patch identifying them as part of the gang. Jamie's father even realises Jamie had been part of the gang when he notices the threads left on Jamie's jacket from when he tore off his patch. Despite this, the gang has somehow gotten away with their crimes for so long that the city council is resorting to punishing all teens.
- Heel–Face Turn: Jamie was one of the members of the group and possibly did some bad stuff, but when his father got beaten up, that was enough.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Implied; when the gang hears about a statue being vandalized, one says "We didn't kick over any statue!" and the leader gives him an annoyed look. Nothing comes of it though.
- Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: When Jamie pulls off his Heel–Face Turn, he tears off the gang's insignia from his jacket.
- Memento MacGuffin: The mechanical pencil, which Jamie knows well enough to immediately recognize as "just like" the one his dad has.
- No Ending: Being an educational short, it breaks off suddenly and leaves the ending up to the class for group discussion.
- Questioning Title?: What About Juvenile Delinquency?
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The principal of the high school, who is able to recognize that they shouldn't punish all teens for the crimes of a few, and even invites several of his students who approached him to speak at the city council meeting to give the regular teens a voice.
- Teens Are Monsters: One of the City Council members thinks this and wants them all punished.
