History YMMV / TheToy

* {{Tearjerker}}: The scene where Jack and Eric, fresh from the incident at the piranha pond, encounter a thoroughly soused Morehouse; turns out that Morehouse was forced by U.S. to fire an executive, who has a family, simply because he kept trying to shake U.S.'s hand, with sweaty hands. Eric meekly takes Jack's hand for comfort as he learns what kind of boss his father is, while Jack quietly tries to console Morehouse.

-->'''Jack:''' "You've got your head in this 'American Dream', and it ''works'' for you; I don't blame you. But it doesn't work for me! Things like 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' just do not ''work'' for me, okay?"

* ValuesDissonance: Let's face it: [[FairForItsDay This film wouldn't get made in the 21st century]].
** No way a concept like "rich white kid hires black man to be his personal playmate" would have made it past the development board. Let alone green-lighted. Several characters in-story, Jack included, even note how racist the arrangement sounds.

-->"You've got your head in this 'American Dream', and it ''works'' for you; I don't blame you. But it doesn't work for me! Things like 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' just do not ''work'' for me, okay?"

* ValuesResonance: The way Jack defends his choice of taking a job at U.S.'s newspaper to Eric is a picture-perfect way to discuss a concept like privilege. Jack doesn't shut the kid down or tell him he has no right to feel the way he feels, but instead reminds Eric that he can afford to take such a firm position against "selling out" because he's a fabulously wealthy young heir who will never have to worry about how to provide for himself or his family.

** The Confederate flag in U.S.'s study may not count, as it's pretty in-character for him. The Confederate flag pool lounger on display at his department store? ''Definitely'' an example of something that'd never fly today.

* ValuesDissonance:

** No way a concept like "rich white kid hires black man to be his personal playmate" would have made it past the development board. Let alone green-lighted. Several characters in-story, Jack included, even note how bad the arrangement sounds.

* Tearjerker: The scene where Jack and Eric, fresh from the incident at the piranha pond, encounter a thoroughly soused Morehouse; turns out that Morehouse was forced by U.S. to fire an executive, who has a family, simply because he kept trying to shake U.S.'s hand, with sweaty hands. Eric meekly takes Jack's hand for comfort as he learns what kind of boss his father is, while Jack quietly tries to console Morehouse.

** No way a concept like this would have made it past the development board. Let alone green-lighted. Several characters in-story, Jack included, even note how bad the arrangement sounds.

* ValuesDissonance: No way a concept like this would have made it past the development board. Let alone green-lighted. Several characters in-story, Jack included, even note how bad the arrangement sounds.

* FairForItsDay: Yes.

* ValuesDissonance: No way a concept like this would have made it past the development board. Let alone green-lighted.

* UnfortunateImplications: The very premise alone is this if one parallels it to slavery.

* UnfortunateImplications: A rich, white guy buying a black man? Yeah, saying there are UnfortunateImplications here is a fair cop. Don't go patting yourself on the back for noticing this, though: It's [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] repeatedly throughout the movie.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: It's Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in the same movie. Take your pick.

* HilariousInHindsight: While "conversing" with a roomful of stuffed toys, Jack mentions how once they start marketing him, kids won't want any [[SouthPark "Sad Pandas"]] anymore.