Sixteen Candles: Hughes's Most Problematic...or Misunderstood?

Okay, so I'm on a Hughes kick, naturally working my way through the man's filmography in order. Finally tackled Sixteen Candles last night and...wow. I knew it had aged poorly, but actually watching it in 2024 is a different experience. It's hard to ignore the casual racism of Long Duk Dong, you know? Makes it almost unwatchable at times. And Jake Ryan, while presented as the dream boi, is essentially trading Samantha around like...property? Eugh. I'm curious, though. I almost feel bad for Hughes, not because he's blameless (obviously not), but more because he was reflecting the times. Is the movie trying to be offensive, or is it just a snapshot of the casual awfulness of the 80s? I'm not excusing it, just genuinely wondering if there's nuance I'm missing, or if I'm giving him too much credit. I'm not saying we should ignore the issues, but I'm curious if other Hughes fans can seperate the problematic elements from the (admittedly few) genuinely sweet and relatable parts of Samantha's angst. Specifically, does anyone else find the scene where Samantha is waiting for Jake to stop at her door after the party, but he doesn't, is just... gut-wrenching even with all the rest of the stuff around the movie? It's such a quiet, realistic portrayal of teen disappointment. Or is that just me trying to look too deep for substance where there isn't any? Also, did anyone else want to slap Carolyn for being so self-absorbed on her wedding day? Anyway, I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Am I being too forgiving here? Is Sixteen Candles just a complete write-off due to its outdated and offensive content, or is there something redeemable underneath all the bad?