Here’s something we didn’t see coming!
After four decades of pleasing audiences, the 1978 musical romantic comedy film Grease is currently under scrutiny after several critics are calling it “misogynistic,” “homophobic,” and “sexist.”
Some even think the movie promotes “slut-shaming,” while others criticized it for its lack of diversity. There are even people who were very furious and upset that they are calling for Grease to be taken down from screens at once – never to be shown again.
The latest outrage appeared on Twitter after Grease was aired during Boxing Day on BBC One.
The spirited musical film with infectiously catchy songs stars John Travolta with Olivia Newton-John as her leading lady. It tells the tale of two young lovers, Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, who went through a whirlwind of romance after meeting one summer in 1958.
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Danny is your usual bad boy, while Sandy is your strait-laced, studious student. Due to their opposite personalities, prim-and-proper Sandy mustered up the courage to transform herself into a more vulgar and daring woman. She ditched her sweet image for skin-tight pants and even started smoking just to impress Danny. This is one of the many scenes that did not settle well with today’s viewers.
Another troublesome and controversial issue came out of female criticism. One scene shows the leader of the greaser girls, The Pink Ladies, made fun of Sandy’s good-girl image in front of her friends during an overnight party.
Sensitive viewers also targeted the scene wherein Putzie, one of Danny’s T-Birds greaser gang members, hid under the bench where two female students were sitting and peeked on their skirts. Others were also mad when a female character was “slut-shamed” for sleeping with different men and had unprotected sex.
Actress Olivia Newton-John has since reacted to the criticism her popular film is currently receiving, saying the comments are “kind of silly.” After all, “it’s just a fun movie that entertains people.” The 72-year-old actress added that people nowadays are often taking popular culture seriously, in which she suggests that we all need to relax a little to be able “to enjoy things for what they are.”
At the moment, Grease is carrying a PG rating and comes with a warning of “frequent mild sex references and mild language.” It was released in 1978 with the same rating equivalent, and it went on becoming the highest-grossing musical film during that time.
