Finally, science has addressed something that many cat owners have been claiming for a long time – that cats really do recognize their own names. Until now, scientists had only scratched the surface of what was scientifically proven about the inner world of cats. New research recently published by Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, offers data showing that there may be more going on between those adorable ears than previously thought.

In what may be one of the cutest-sounding scientific studies ever conducted, Atsuko Saito observed 78 cats in Japanese homes and at a cat café.  She used the concept of habituation –  the phenomenon of the psychological or emotional effect of a stimulus waning after repeated exposure –  as the basis of the study. The theory was that because a name is associated with reward and punishment, like being called for feeding time or being yelled at for ruining the sofa, it would not be prone to habituation and would provoke a unique response in cats, thus causing them to “recognize” their names.

To test the theory, Saito set up several experiments in different settings to compare the cats’ responses to their name with their responses to four other ordinary words. The difference in responses – indicated by ear moving, head moving, tail moving, vocalizing, and changing locations – would indicate the cat’s ability to differentiate their name from the other words.

Overall, the study showed that cats – both domestic and those living at the café – could actually distinguish their names from ordinary words, proving something that most cat owners already knew. However, cats who lived at the café had trouble telling apart their names from the other cats’ names, giving a clue about how cats’ development can be affected by their environment (and, we hope, good reason for future, equally adorable scientific studies). Either way, this study is still the first of its kind, and as the study authors wrote, has given us “the first experimental evidence showing cats’ ability to understand human verbal utterances.” Con-cat-ulations!

Movies have the power to make us laugh, cry and feel a large range of emotions. While there have been numerous good films that have contributed to the betterment of society, there have been a few bad apples in the lot as well. Today, we look at these films that could never be made today due to their controversial nature or inappropriate material.

Whoever thought that making this movie was a genius idea was terribly mistaken. First of all, the movie’s storyline was as bizarre as it could get. The movie revolves around a group of babies who can speak fluently, plot against the adults, and even know karate.

The movie is so bad that it has a 24% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on nearly 50,000 ratings. Just don’t watch this with someone who doesn’t like kids, as they might end up hating children even more after watching this.

Mac and Me has an IMDB score of 3.4 out of 10. The movie is based on the relationship between an extraterrestrial creature and a boy bound in a wheelchair. The movie is regarded as one of the worst movies ever made.

Apparently, each scene of the movie is so bad that it is actually good, if you get the drift. The movie also reads like an advertisement for McDonald’s, Coke, and other large companies — making you wonder if you are watching one long advertisement instead of a movie.

For those who don’t know what the word guru means, let us help you out. The guru can mean a master of anything. So the title essentially means someone who is the master of love. The movie is about a guru that returns to the United States after spending a considerable amount of time in India.

The movie is cultural appropriation at its best, and portrays India in a stereotypical way. Critics also panned the hideous, and inaccurate, costumes that the characters sport throughout the poorly-conceived film.

Mariah Carey’s Glitter is famous for being a really terrible film. The movie is about a young singer who has to choose between her career and romance as she begins to gain popularity.

One of the reasons why this movie is so terrible is that it basically says that a successful woman cannot have it all. Aside from being bad, the movie is boring to say the least. We say skip it!

This film might have become a cult favorite, but some of the film’s writing is quite problematic. The movie is laden with several scenes of bullying. In addition to those controversial scenes, several racial slurs can be heard in certain scenes.

The film’s lead character is often shown to be drinking and swearing at the drop of a hat. Many people think that this movie needs to be sent back to the editing room, and possibly to the storyboarding stage, to make up for its issues.

Disney’s Aladdin includes many scenes that can be construed as racist. Many critics believed that the film perpetuated offensive Middle Eastern stereotypes. In the movie, Middle Easterners are shown to be evil, unsophisticated, and brutish.

In one scene, a character describes the region as a place “Where they cut off your ear If they don’t like your face. It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.” These problematic lyrics were seen as especially offensive to those of Middle Eastern origin. It’s hard to imagine that this is a children’s movie!

This movie may have been a popular its era, but in reality, many of the film’s scenes can be construed as being racist, homophobic and misogynist. Many people believe that Animal House is a result of sloppy writing to say the least.

The film often veers towards comedy of a derogatory kind — the one that involves laughing at someone’s expense. If you happen to rewatch the movie, feel free to cringe at its dated humor. If not, avoid.

This is another movie that has an abundance of violence scenes. In addition to those scenes, the movie features substance abuse, adult language and humor that borders on crassness. The film included dialogue that can be considered insensitive to the Aboriginal people of Australia.

Crocodile DundeeMany scenes can be considered misogynistic. For instance, the character of Sue, played by Linda Kozlowski, repeatedly encounters misogynistic attitudes despite the fact that she plays the role of a successful journalist.

It is said that good things (movies included) get better with age. Unfortunately, the same cannot always be said about movies like Forrest Gump. The movie seems problematic every time you decide to re-watch it.

The movie is also believed to whitewash certain parts of American history in the attempt to present a more attractive picture of the United States. In addition to that, the film’s special effects aren’t particularly good.

This film is considered to be a classic film of the 1980s. The movie tells the story of Veronica Sawyer, a teenager who is part of a popular clique called the Heathers. Many critics felt that the movie trivialized the issue of someone taking their own life.

Though the film is considered to be a cult film today, it was widely panned when it was released. Many people felt that the film normalized bullying, making it sound like a rite of passage for every student.

The storyline of this film explores what would happen if gender-based responsibilities and expectations underwent a switch owing to certain circumstances. On the surface, Mr. Mom reads like a progressive film.

Unfortunately, the film had one too many issues. The name of the movie was one of them. The title suggests in a way suggests that a woman’s place (especially a mother’s place) is in a domestic sphere – something that will not resonate with the audiences of today.

Blazing Saddles is a 1974 film that deals with an unjust politician as he tries to evict an entire town for his own personal motives. The movie is laden with inappropriate humor and doesn’t shy away from using derogatory terms directed at various ethnicities.

While the film may have been considered one of the funniest movies of the 1970s, we can’t imagine it being popular today. The stereotypical characters, and derogatory words used throughout the film, would make make many people consider it a very problematic film.

Three Men and a Baby, as you might have guessed, is about the story of three men named Jack, Peter and Michael – and a baby who turns their life upside down upon arrival. This movie went on to become a box office hit back in 1987.

Yet looking at the film decades later, did it deserve to be that popular? Probably not, as it was filled with a sub-plot featuring substance abuse, regressive attitudes and a few more problematic scenes.

The Master of Disguise was a 2002 release that followed the journey of Pistachio as he dons many disguises to save his friends from evil. The movie is over-the-top and devoid of any humor, even in the scenes that are supposed to be funny.

Speaking of the disguises, each of his disguises is pretty awful. The costume design used in the movie is exceptionally bad. It seems that even a child would be able to quickly recognize the person in disguise.

It’s no surprise that The Polar Express is on the list of movies that could never be made today. This hit film has animation work that is shoddy and creepy at the same time. The animation alone can scare off the children – and even some adults.

This movie is better suited to be a Halloween movie, rather than one meant for the Christmas season. Unless starting holidays on a scary note is your thing, you can forget about this film.

This 1984 release follows a group of oddballs as they try to carve a name for themselves in a police academy. The movie has several unnecessary nude scenes. While some jokes are funny, they do not seem funny when you play the movie a second time.

The characters of the movie also lack depth and are more or less shown to be one dimensional in nature. We do not think that this movie has any relevance today.

This 1982 movie is an adaptation of a French film Le Jouet. In the film, an entitled child asks his wealthy dad to get him an African American man as his toy. Yikes! The plot of the movie is so outrageous, that we’re surprised it ever got the green light.

In the age where series such as Dear White People are gaining momentum, a movie like The Toy deserves to be erased from the annals of pop culture.

Tootsie follows the adventures (rather mis-adventures) of an out of work actor named Michael Dorsey, who has to disguise himself as a woman in order to get a job. The film is about the hilarious situations that ensue once he falls in love with his co-star.

The film relies on the tired and outdated ‘man in a dress’ trope. Critics felt that the movie tried to generate humor without exploring the finer points of gender in length. Watching the film today, this movie seems rather prehistoric.

The 1982 film, 48 Hrs, is about two men named Reggie and Jack. The two characters have to team up in order to catch some dangerous criminals. The film is said to have invented a new genre of films called ‘buddy cop’ movies.

Despite helping to create a new genre of film, many critics felt that the film was poorly edited and inconsistent in terms of tone. The film’s female cast doesn’t get much screen time either – something that wouldn’t go over well with audiences of today.

Dogma is a film about two fallen angels, who try to find their way back to heaven after being banished to Earth. When the film was released, it immediately drew complaints from members of the Catholic faith for its irreverent and often offensive scenes and themes.

While filmmakers reserve the right to explore controversial themes in their work, audiences today seem to prefer films that explore religious themes in a more respectful way.

According to many reviews and film critics, Battlefield Earth is considered one of the worst films ever thanks to its poor execution and editing. The movie is an adaptation of a book written by science fiction writer, and founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard.

The film’s Scientology roots aside, critics and audiences hated the clumsy camera angles and poor acting. Even the film’s screenplay writer admitted that seeing the film once during its premiere was more than enough!

Caddyshack is a sports comedy that follows the adventures of a golf caddie named Danny Noonan, who works at the exclusive Bushwood Country Club. The movie is said to have gone through dozens of last minute script changes.

It is surprising that it ever got made. Though the film has become a cult favorite, critics initially dismissed it due to the film’s erratic pace and confusing storylines. While ESPN may consider the film “perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made,” many viewers would disagree.

Chasing Amy was a 1997 romantic film that dealt with the topic of same-sex relationships. Critics and audiences felt that the film helped support the false notion that someone’s preferences could just be turned off and on whenever desired.

The movie is also problematic when it comes to depicting the notions of gender. Considering how offensive this film is to the LGBTQ+ community, we don’t believe that a film like Chasing Amy would have been made today.

Most people wouldn’t expect Home Alone 3 to be on this list. Like the first two Home Alone films, this sequel also revolves around a child left at home who must stall a robbery using his intelligence. This film was universally panned for several reasons.

First of all, the movie features several violent scenes which seem highly inappropriate for a children’s film. The villains in the film can also be considered to be terrorists – again, a strange addition to a movie aimed at a young audience.

This movie is based on the lives of two American singers, who try to earn fame as lounge singers at a Moroccan hotel. Unfortunately, they end up getting caught in a series of events that have nothing to do with their musical talent.

Ishtar has been regarded by critics and audiences alike as one of the worst movies ever to be made. The movie is so bad (not to mention the misogynistic references in it) that it would have opened to empty theatres had it been made today.

There are bad movies, and then there are movies like Jack Frost, which are downright bizarre. In the film, a man returns to earth as a snowman after passing away. His new form allows him to still interact with his son.

While the plot seems sweet, the execution is just strange and filled with uncomfortable scenes. This holiday movie is creepy to the core, and is more suitable for the horror genre. Once you see this movie, you will never look at a snowman the same way.

This 1979 release is often billed as Woody Allen’s love letter to New York City. The film, however, has not aged well. Audiences and critics today are often disgusted at the film’s storyline which includes a teenager and a divorced man in his 40s pursuing an intimate relationship.

Considering how many allegations involving inappropriate behavior with underage girls Woody Allen has faced, the film is just creepy. If Manhattan had been made today, it probably would have never achieved the success it did in 1979.

Though many consider the 1979 film, The Jerk, to be one of the funniest films to be made, many people feel that the film has not aged well. Racial slurs and other derogatory terms are used throughout the film.

It is unlikely that a movie like this would hold audience attention in today’s cultural climate. While Steve Martin acknowledges that the film may cause a “knee-jerk reaction” in today’s more progressive environment, he still seems proud to have taken part in the project.

This movie tells the story of a man named Brian, who was born on the same day as Jesus Christ. He, thus, is often mistaken for the savior. Since the subject matter of the film was religion, it drew a lot of flak from various religious groups making it a controversial release.

Considering how controversial some of the film’s themes were, it is highly doubtful that a movie like Monty Python: Life of Brian would ever have been made in this era.

National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers was a critically-panned film about two young men hoping to become rich by marrying two older women. The film features a disturbing robbery plot, which later evolves into a storyline about the men choosing to marry the older wealthy women, instead of robbing them.

Critics and audience members cringed at the film’s crude humor and many problematic scenes – these storylines ranged from violence against women to questionable motives of the leads.

Disney’s Pocahontas is an animated film that tells the story of a young Native American girl who falls in love with an English settler. Years after its release, the movie remains one of the most problematic movies Disney has ever produced.

Critics, and historians, believe that the movie distorts historical facts or romanticizes certain moments in history. Decades after its release, many still feel that the film is racially insensitive and historically inaccurate.

Porky’s is a story about a group of high-schoolers, who set out on the path of revenge after they are kicked out from a local bar named Porky’s. While the film is a beloved classic in many film circles, many feel it is highly misogynistic.

The film plays on the trope of ‘boys will be boys’. This outdated excuse is used to dismiss some of the characters’ seriously unethical behavior throughout the movie. For this reason, the film will never be accepted by the current generation of movie goers.

The classic film, Sixteen Candles, is a story about the challenges and experiences a girl faces on her 16th birthday. This once popular movie wouldn’t gel well with today’s generation on many levels. The movie shows Asians in a poor light, reducing them to clichés and stereotypes.

It also features a highly questionable scene in which one of the characters is taken advantage of while under the influence. That particular scene may come across insensitive especially during a time when conversations around consent have changed.

There is one word to describe the storyline of Soul Man, and that is problematic. The story is based on a teenager who, in order to fund his Harvard education, has to pose as an African American man.

The movie features a character darkening his skin to look like another ethnicity, and relies on offensive racial stereotypes to further its narrative. It is something one will not choose to watch even if they have run out of options.

Stripes is a 1981 movie about two friends who decide to join the army after they get bored of the corporate life. Many critics felt that the movie stripped its female characters of their agency. Nearly every female character in the movie is shown to be one dimensional, or treated as an object for pleasure.

Many of the scenes in the movie seem silly in today’s context, and it is in the best interest of everyone that a movie like this does not get made again.

This 1995 release follows Batman as he has to battle against Two-Face and the Riddler in order to save the city of Gotham. The movie has been heavily criticized, and made fun of, by audiences and movie critics alike.

Many felt that the movie was quite random in its pace with no consistency. The anatomically-correct, and revealing, costumes worn by the characters were considered controversial when the film was released. We think audiences today would be just as disappointed with this film.

The Crying Game is the story about a British soldier who is abducted by the Irish Republican Army. Though the film was generally well-received by movie critics and audience members, many felt that the film’s exploration of race and gender was problematic.

Several scenes in the film can be construed as being racially insensitive, or feature violence against women and transgender individuals. Some critics also felt that the film portrayed terrorists in a sympathetic way.

Yes, your favorite video game was once converted to a film for the reasons we don’t really know. The premise of the movie is based on the incidents that follow when two Brooklyn-based plumbers become aware of a parallel world ruled by an evolved species of dinosaur.

The movie was heavily criticized for ruining the popular childhood video game for many. Critics panned the film’s weak plots and nonsensical storyline. To be fair, a video game is hardly a great source of inspiration for a film.

The Bad News Bears is a sports comedy film that follows the journey of ex-baseball player who begins coaching a children’s baseball team, while struggling with substance abuse. Though the movie was well-received by most critics, it includes many scenes which would be considered problematic today.

The film’s storyline includes scenes featuring children indulging in various illicit substances. The dialogue of the film includes multiple derogatory slurs and racially-insensitive language. There is even a scene which shows what many would consider child abuse!

Big tells the story of a boy who wants to grow up quickly, and does so with the help of a fortune telling machine. While this 1988 body-swap comedy movie has some pleasant comedy scenes, it also has several more problematic scenes.

Though this movie was geared towards young audiences, there are clearly some inappropriate scenes that allude to some pretty adult behavior. Though Tom Hank’s character may look like an adult, he is actually a child – this makes the movie’s romantic scenes even creepier!