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'It's a story from the 50s, things were different': Olivia Newton-John hits back at claims Grease is SEXIST

posted 4 years ago by TMC-4 (20123)
69 replies | jump to latest

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8880183/Olivia-Newton-John-hits-claims-Grease-sexist-Sandys-raunchy-makeover.html

The actress, 72, brushed off claims the 1977 film is sexist in the wake of the #MeToo movement in an interview with The Guardian
In recent years it's been claimed that Grease offers a sexist portrayal of women, as Sandy felt the need to change her appearance to be with Danny
Meanwhile the male characters - the T-Birds in particular - are solely focused on the sexual aspects of their relationships
Sandy undergoes a raunchy makeover at the end of the film, while Danny's look and ideals remain the same
The film has also faced controversy for its songs' underlying sexual nature, including Summer Nights, which some claim has connotations of rape
Others have defended the film

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

I love that Grease is kinda sexist and at times raunchy. It's not really what I expected. I thought it would be squeaky clean entertainment.
She changed but did anyone complain when Danny changed for her, too? I doubt it. He lettered in track. That was for her. He did change.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

How can you "love" that a movie is sexist?
I'd like to know how you can defend sexism.

She changed but did anyone complain when Danny changed for her, too? I doubt it. He lettered in track. That was for her. He did change.

Except, it is not the same thing.
Sandy suddenly changed her entire persona and started to destroy her lungs by smoking.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

Because I am not a brainwashed liberal.

And, no, it's not quite the same because Danny went through a lot more to change for her than she did for him. He went out for sports he never played and physically underwent grueling challenges to letter in a sport his friends would ridicule. All for her.
She just changed how she looked and acted for ONE DAY and smoked ten seconds of one cigarette. That's all she did. What he did was much more impressive.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

I'm not a Liberal either, but I can see when something stinks.
Even if Danny did things for Sandy, there's no justification for her becoming a mindless sex object.

Smoking is very addictive and dangerous for your health.
There's no way that it should be seen as harmless.
And if you can smoke as casually as Sandy does in that last scene, you will not quit after just one day.

[–] GirlNamedSue (240) 3 years ago

"Even if Danny did things for Sandy, there's no justification for her becoming a mindless sex object."

I didn't read the whole thread and if your point is actually something other than this quoted part out of context, then I apologize.

While any hot classy chick is going to excite any high school boy with raging hormones, Danny didn't just see Sandy as a mindless sex object. His speech before Summer Loving about her being "sorta cool" was out of character for him. Sandy's correct version of what happened at the beach showed he was a gentleman and nothing like the tough greaser persona he showed at school. He became more out of character when he reacted to her being sprung at him during the bonfire, and of course as already mentioned he spent the school year running track to earn a letterman's sweater. All that without having gotten even a cheap feel.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 3 years ago

Smoking is very addictive and dangerous for your health.
It's not crack cocaine.
There's no way that it should be seen as harmless.
At the time the movie was set it wasn't believed to be particularly harmful and any government warnings were largely ignored.
And if you can smoke as casually as Sandy does in that last scene, you will not quit after just one day.
Again, smoking one cigarette or for one day doesn't make you addicted.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

It's not crack cocaine

Let me just say two words: lung cancer

At the time the movie was set it wasn't believed to be particularly harmful and any government warnings were largely ignored.

Well, it's a good thing we know better today then.

Again, smoking one cigarette or for one day doesn't make you addicted.

The way she was smoking in that last scene is not typical for having just one cigarette without it being a habit.
I think I remember an earlier more realistic scene about Sandy trying a cigarette and struggling with it.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 3 years ago

Let me just say two words: lung cancer
Do you know anyone who has smoked, die of lung cancer? I don't. My Grandmother smoked from the age of 14 and died at the age of 94, and not of lung cancer. My uncle who never smoked died of cancer (not lung) but that was through exposure to something (not cigarettes) where he worked. In fact most of the people I know smoked or have done. None of them has died of lung cancer.

Well, it's a good thing we know better today then.
See above reply.

The way she was smoking in that last scene is not typical for having just one cigarette without it being a habit.
I think I remember an earlier more realistic scene about Sandy trying a cigarette and struggling with it.

Still, hardly a habit, even less so an addiction. It was more like she had been trained how to execute the look than actually smoke. She was smoking to look cool (which at the time was considered cool) and had to be told to drop the cigarette and move on as the image had had its' desired effect.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

Do you know anyone who has smoked, die of lung cancer?

Well, it is maybe not cancer.
But my brother's girlfriend is very sick now from lung diseases after decades of smoking.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 3 years ago

Sorry for your situation.
Let's leave it at that eh?

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

It is my brother's situation, not mine.
But yeah, I wanted to point out that smoking often is bad for your health.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

If we omitted everything we found offensive, we wouldn't have movies. Only liberals are that narrow-minded. Are you sure you aren't a liberal?

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

As much as I don't like the message of "Grease", I don't really believe in censorship.
So as you may notice, you don't see me talking about omitting anything from this movie.
And I must say that what you say about Liberals is backwards.
Because if you're a true Liberal, you will be a champion for creative freedom.
What you think about is Left-Wing extremists, who call themselves Liberals without being Liberals.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

I call them what they call themselves. Liberals. I know that what they say and do are at odds with the historical liberal. Because I used to be one. They are the modern liberal. Intolerant. Hateful. Violent. That IS backwards but that is also the modern liberal.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

Fair enough.
You seem to at least acknowledge that they wrongfully hijacked the term.

[–] bistritapcv (1829) 3 years ago

The only thing that annoyed me is, when Danny was done with his cigarette he tossed it onto the ground.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

People maybe thought that it looked cool to almost start a fire back then. 😒

[–] Boromir (10005) 3 years ago

If any of you have a copy of the movie save it before the snowflakes will burn or censoring it.

Let's talk about Summer Nights as a image of gender relations. Danny's actually sing his version as a result of social pressure, in fact the correct version is of Sandy. We the audience know that Danny was sensitive, gentlemanly and caring about Sandy when they hang out at summer. In the end he actually change for Sandy and became a man immune to social influences. Also, it's clear that the movie's self-conscious about young men and young women stereotypes and it celebrate that in a humorous and deliberately exaggerated way.

[–] Furienna (3342) 3 years ago

In the end he actually change for Sandy and became a man immune to social influences.

Bullshit!
Sandy is clearly the one, who had to change her whole persona and start smoking to be acceptable to him!

[–] bistritapcv (1829) 3 years ago

They both changed. I don't understand why he was like that to her at the beginning.

I also don't understand, in "Summer Nights" they told her "We'd still be friends" but they made their "true love vows".
True Love Vows is not just Friends, is it?

[–] strntz (12225) 3 years ago

Those two lines came from two different people with two different versions of what happened to them during the summer at the beach. Danny's story was that he scored early and often, and at the end of summer dismissed her with a "we'd still be friends".

Sandy's story was that Danny was nothing but a gentleman and at the end of the summer, they made "true love vows".

The way Danny slipped in an out of his cool persona, and the way he lit up when he first saw Sandy at the bonfire after he thought he'd never see her again, it would appear that Sandy's story is far more likely.

[–] bistritapcv (1829) 3 years ago

That's true. So someone was lying ... ;-)

[–] bistritapcv (1829) 3 years ago

She had to give up living in her native Australia.

[–] Boromir (10005) 3 years ago

I don't know what is the reason but she don't give.
That happen before she met Danny again.
From what I remember at least.

[–] Boromir (10005) 3 years ago

They both are.
who said that Sandy persona at the end is forever?
and not only for a specific moments?
Take for example, woman go to a bar, so she wear sexy clothes, she is not wearing sexy clothes all the time. Yes, we know she changed, but we don't know for sure that she change her whole persona.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

FUCK OFF TCM4. YOU HAVE NOTHING AT ALL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CONVERSATION

[–] kenburke (2369) 3 years ago

The only problem Grease had was its plot being sanitized from what its namesake musical play had to offer.

[–] bobbydallas (8515) 3 years ago

Grease is a dope film.

i know everyone is offended by everything but f*** this

[–] marktayloruk (2502) 3 years ago

I'm offended by woke PC protestors. Acceptable then is acceptable now. Attitudes then were a lot healthier than today's and we should turn the clock.back.

[–] Tongue (465) 2 years ago

This is so pathetic. The MeToo movement went to such extremes that I am now less tolerant of its ideas. The woke madness needs to go away forever

[–] Mustang (5418) 2 years ago

The irony is it's about two people who like each other just the way they are yet feel like they have to be something different. It is kind of funny really and also sad because Sandy looked better before her make over.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I miss Olivia 😢