Pump Up the Volume (1990) | How Woke Is It?

Our VerdictNot Woke

18%

Pump Up the Volume1990

In a free society the right to critique art is essential and protected speech. These reviews reflect personal opinions and not statements of fact.

What We Think

“Pump Up the Volume” is a time capsule from before Hollywood’s ‘woke’ wave. Its anti-authority spirit feels more Gen X than anything modern, with little sign of the box-ticking identity politics that dominate today’s scripts. Pretty non-woke by 2024 standards.

Score Breakdown

Compromised:Narrative Integrity

Not Woke

What is this?

“Pump Up the Volume” focuses on a teenage outcast using pirate radio to discuss issues relevant to high schoolers. Character arcs are rooted in personality, rebellion, and coming-of-age, not identity checkboxes. There’s little to no forced representation or identity-first casting here, a relic of a less ideologically driven Hollywood era.

Compromised:Cultural Foundations

Mildly Woke

What is this?

The film questions authority and critiques parts of the school system, but doesn't target religion, family, or tradition. Its main push is anti-conformity, which, while rebellious, isn’t overtly anti-cultural in a ‘woke’ sense. Traditional structures aren’t the enemy, bureaucracy is.

Compromised:Ideological Monoculture

Not Woke

What is this?

While the film is anti-establishment, it’s not pushing a specific ideological monoculture of the modern sort. Dissent and debate are central, not mocked. The closest it gets is painting adults as out of touch, but even this isn’t used to promote contemporary progressive talking points.

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Disclaimer: In a free society the right to critique art is essential and protected as a form of free speech and freedom of expression. The reviews and commentary on this site represent personal opinions and interpretations. They are not statements of fact and should not be taken as factual claims about any individual, company, or creative work.