The Mount Holyoke News

Issue date: 12/10/09 Section: Entertainment

Hollywood has a tradition of grouping its biggest stars into a sort of gang or club that beats back all competition and rises to the top in tandem. It began in the 50s and 60s with the Rat Pack, composed of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. The Rat Pack ruled Hollywood as the apex of stardom. The phenomenon continued again in the 80s, with the creation of the Brat Pack. Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy were the biggest stars of the decade thanks to films like The Breakfast Club, St Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. Following in the footsteps of the Rat Pack, these young stars became the epitome of celebrity in the 80s and are still known for their collective work.

Now, two decades after the Brat Pack, another gang of actors has established themselves as the dominant force in film. Don’t worry; they aren’t the perky High School Musical kids or the angsty Twilight cast members. Instead, it’s a group of rather average middle-aged men, dubbed “the Frat Pack.”

If you saw The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers or Tropic Thunder, you’ll know who the Frat Pack guys are. The group is made up of six core members: Ben Stiller, Luke and Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Vince Vaughn and, of course, Will Ferrell. Steve Carell hangs on the edges with his frequent appearances in the Frat Pack films, as do many others. In fact, many of today’s popular actors orbit around the six members of the Frat Pack, often appearing in their films. Teetering on the edge of the inner circle are Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man) and John C. Reilly (Talladega Nights).

I know what you’re thinking, ladies. Where are all the women? But fear not—several actresses are frequent costars of the Frat Pack, including Jennifer Aniston, Leslie Mann and Christine Taylor. Together, these women are proving that chicks can be funny, too. Amy Poehler is also admirably holding her own amongst the boys, with several appearances in Frat Pack films, including Blades of Glory with Ferrell. In fact, Poehler is considered closer to the Pack than her husband, Will Arnett, who seems to have some catching up to do.

Stiller is the acknowledged leader of the Pack (pun intended), having written, directed, produced and starred in the first true Frat Pack film, the wildly bizarre and hilarious Zoolander. From there the Pack has been built up around friends and family, with Stiller hiring the others as well as cameo-ing in many of their films (note the fight scene in Anchorman). The gang has only evolved from there, with different members appearing in many films together, each time initiating even more actors into the brotherhood.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Frat Pack is that finally we have been present during and conscious of a significant revolution in entertainment. We have watched today’s biggest stars rise to where they are and. in doing so, we have witnessed the face of comedy morph into the distinct mugs of Stiller, Ferrell, Vaughn, the Wilsons, Black and their cohorts. We may not be able to say that we saw The Breakfast Club when it first came out, but we vividly remember when Zoolander graced first the silver screen and the Frat Pack was born.

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