Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Wyatt From 'Weird Science'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:58:00 GMT

If you grew up in the '80s, and especially if you're a guy, you may harbor special affection for "Weird Science," the oh-so-poignant coming-of-age tale about two nerdy teenagers who become total stallions after creating a hot chick on their computer. One of those nerdy dudes was Anthony Michael Hall, and we all know what became of him (see TV's "The Dead Zone," not to mention this summer's "The Dark Knight.") But what about the other dorky kid? Whatever happened to Ilan Mitchell-Smith, the squeaky-voiced adolescent who played Wyatt?

Smith continued acting for a few years after "Weird Science" was released, playing roles in minor movies like "The Chocolate War" and bit parts in occasional TV shows. But by the early '90s, he was done with Hollywood and turned his attention to academia. He got a degree in medieval studies from University of California-Davis, followed by a master's from Fordham University and a Ph.D from University of Texas A&M. That's right: Wyatt Donnelly is Dr. Wyatt Donnelly to you. Suck on that, Chet!

In all serious, Mitchell-Smith is now an English professor at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Tex., where, according to the school's Web site, he focuses on medieval literature and gender studies, among other topics. Imdb.com's bio says he is married and has two elementary school-aged children.

So congratulations to Mitchell-Smith on his noble pursuits. It has to be hard to ditch the John Hughes alter ago, but here's hoping he has continued success doing that. With all due respect to the prof, I also must note that the guy has done exceptionally well considering he used to be a goofball who wore a bra on his head.

Rich or Rehab appears every Tuesday morning on Strollerderby.

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Images: Universal; Angelo State University

The Breakfast Club Would So Not Shop at JCPenney

Jen Chaney — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:32:00 GMT

I have a question for the marketing team at JCPenney: Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe? Or, to put it another way, do you know how offensive it is that you are completely ripping off "The Breakfast Club" in your latest back-to-school ad campaign?

I'm all for younger generations appreciating the masterful work of Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and co. Truly. Everyone should be exposed to Anthony Michael Hall's "Chicks can not hold they smoke" speech, or the elegant way Ally Sheedy flings a piece of bologna in the air. But there's a difference between that and outright co-opting the quintessential Gen X movie so you can sell some crappy American Living sweatshirts. The fact that one of the undernourished teen girls in this commercial is wearing a Nirvana T-shirt just adds further insult to injury. (See video of the debacle at the bottom of this post.)

For those of us who came of age in the mid-'80s, when "TBC" made its debut, this movie wasn't merely well-regarded or popular. It was important. It gave voice to our adolescent insecurities. It reflected the way we spoke. It acknowledged that Simple Minds was freaking awesome. And when Judd Nelson pumped his fist in that final freeze frame, it felt like a vaguely subversive triumph over The Man. You know, as much as one can triumph over The Man in a movie distributed by Universal Studios, which, as we all know, is closely affiliated with The Man.

Some things are sacred and should not be borrowed for the sake of advertising, especially for a second-rate department store. "The Breakfast Club" is one of those things.

For committing this offense, I hereby give JCPenney a full Saturday of detention. You must write an essay, of no less than a thousand words, describing to me who you think you are. And when I say essay, I mean essay. I don't mean a thousand words repeated.

Hopefully you'll learn a little something about yourself. But more than anything, I hope you learn that it is completely uncool to mess with the John Hughes canon. Your commercial claims that "every day matters." Well, this movie matters even more.

Sincerely yours,

Jen Chaney, the Breakfast Club and that dude who played Carl the janitor

Strollerderby : John Hughes

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Wyatt From 'Weird Science'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Ernie From 'My Three Sons'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Blossom?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Cousin Oliver From 'The Brady Bunch'?

The Breakfast Club Would So Not Shop at JCPenney