'Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal' Is R-Rated for Language
Published March 25 2021, 5:45 p.m. ET
When people speak openly and honestly about a topic that they're wrestling with, they're not going to have perfect diction. Nor are they going to come off as "faux refined." Real refinement gets a bad name — it's a little rough around the edges but entirely honest. And that's the reason why Netflix's Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal is rated R.
Yes, the reason why 'The College Admissions Scandal' is rated R is because of foul language.
When you're discussing subject matter as intense as a bunch of privileged under-achievers gaining entrance into some of America's most prestigious universities, it's going to be difficult to mind your p's and q's and steer away from "potty-mouthed" language. After all, the documentary challenges the notion that these universities are redoubtable monoliths worthy of respect.
The notion that a university holds an immeasurable standard that is solely about the work that an individual is capable of accomplishing is completely shattered by The College Admissions Scandal. Some $25 million worth of bribes were awarded to employees of various colleges to get kids who aren't exactly deserving of a spot in said honorable school guaranteed admission.
The film also has a silver lining, though. Many kids out there are more than willing to work their butts off in the pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence, no matter what some awful folks who were more than willing to accept bribes at a college may have done.
But the documentary also looks at the intentions of some individuals on the university side for taking said bribes. Stanford's sailing coach John Vandemoer has come out of the documentary as a sympathetic figure to some viewers.
In the film, he discusses how the school's sailing program needed the funds, and his decision was always rooted in ensuring his ability to effectively instruct students and creating avenues for them to compete at events.
The documentary also highlights students who unknowingly participated in the scam. Some legitimately believed the scores they attained were by their own merit. Once the sting went down and their parents were implicated, however, the truth was out.
Celebrities who were implicated in the scandal don't appear in the documentary.
Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin received the most press following the debacle. Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who established the popular brand Mossimo, reportedly forked over some $500,000 in the scandal.
Huffman, an Academy Award-nominated actress for Transamerica, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. She was sentenced to 14 days in prison, 250 hours of community service, a supervised release, and a $30,000 fine.
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal is now streaming on Netflix. Have you checked it out yet?
