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Original Message
"Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by PagongRatEater on 03-19-07 at 06:27 PM
I always loved Grease as a kid. As HD will tell you, I'm a straight man who loves his musicals. But now that I'm older, I really wonder about the moral of the story.

Essentially, to boil it down, you should change to fit in with the cool kids. Don't be yourself, be cool.

Does this wash with anyone else? Is it just the conformism of the time? I am just reading WAYY too much into this?


"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them." - President Washington's farewell address.

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Messages in this discussion
"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by KObrien_fan on 03-19-07 at 07:09 PM
You must have missed the end of the story Pre. They both end up changing in order to be with the one that they love. Once they realized that "they go together" and that it doesn't really matter that they have different friends and different backgrounds, everything ends up rosey.


Survivor ASS trivia champion, Survivor 1-13 trivia champion

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by PagongRatEater on 03-19-07 at 07:41 PM
I guess I saw it as Danny trying to change to not be cool failed, whereas Sandy's transformation was a positive one and therefore succeeded.


"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them." - President Washington's farewell address.

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by KObrien_fan on 03-19-07 at 08:50 PM
But at the very end he had the letter sweater and she was all hot, and true that look was better for her. The key is they each tried to meet each other in a compromise- they each understood that they had to change in order to keep the love of their life. A happy ending for all


smoosh- how are ya?

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by HistoryDetective on 03-21-07 at 04:44 PM
Mark your calendar because I am agreeing with PRE.

It's been a while since I watched the film, but I thought that Danny ditched the letter sweater as soon as Sandy became a burnout. He abandoned something that required setting goals and challenging himself; his transformation was not permanent. And Sandy was not accepted until she conformed to fit in with the burnouts --- and I imagine they expected her transformation to remain permanent. If I had children, it's not a film that I would want them to take their lessons from.

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by emydi on 03-22-07 at 08:45 AM
well as a little girl in the 70s I can tell you I never got that from the story...I just loved the dancing and singing and the high school kids...I never thought...oh I have to be something I'm not...for kids I think they just love the fun of the show



tribey is my American Idol!

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by trigirl on 03-20-07 at 11:56 AM
So glad that somebody else feels this way too! It has always been my pet peeve about Grease.

Even as a 10 year old girl at the movie theatre I was p'd that Sandy's compromise is far greater than Danny's. Danny dumps the letterman sweater as soon as he sees she is now a hottie. It always seemed like "oh good, I don't have to change because she will".

Loved the movie. Have never seen a stage production. Love the music. Just hated the ending.

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by HistoryDetective on 03-21-07 at 04:46 PM
Oops! I should have read to the end of the thread before responding. You said hat I wanted to say in a lot fewer words.

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by emydi on 03-22-07 at 08:47 AM
ya know I thought I was a pretty progressive 10 yr girl too (I always remember saying that I wanted to be a doctor HA! bc girls could do anything that a boy could do), but I just loved the singing and dancing...OMH i was a shallow kid



tribey is my American Idol!

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by trigirl on 03-22-07 at 05:55 PM
but I just loved the singing and dancing

My high-and-mighty attitude didn't stop me for pouring over the double album cover lovingly while singing along to every song.

"RE: Grease - bad moral?"
Posted by PagongRatEater on 03-23-07 at 07:10 AM
I think that you are pretty much right - there are very few kids with whom the message would sink in on a conscious level. At the end of the day, it IS a fun show with great music and perhaps an undertone of social conformity. It's not going to make me a crusader against Grease, but I might consider a conversation wit my 10 year olf daughter afterwards as well.


"It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” Patrick Henry