Dirty dancing is a movie that defines social classes and expresses different types of social themes in the 60’s. It identifies the differences between upper class, middle class and lower class. At the same stand point it also it expresses how division in our society could be stereotypical and not accurate, as not all is as it seems. From the beginning of this movie one could see the difference between the classes. There are the waiters and the dancers and the guest. One might say there is no difference between one another, guest, waiters and dancers work for a living. Therefore they should be categorized as the working class. There also could be seen thru out the film only one couple of black dancers that always remained together.
Dirty Dancing’s plot is about a young girl, Frances Houseman (Baby), form the upper class falling in love with a dancer from the lower class. She arrives to Kellerman’s Resort with her mother Marjorie Houseman, her sister Lisa Houseman and father Jake Houseman who is a doctor. Baby is different from her family, she gets bored with the daily routines of the resort.
One day she decides to follow one of the workers of the resort. He was carrying two watermelons. He spotted her and Baby ended up helping him take the watermelons to the cabin. When they arrived she finds herself in the mist of dancers. She said she never seen someone dance like that. This is a distinction the movie makes between classes. Baby being from the upper class never seen someone dancing in a sexual manner hence dirty dancing. This is how Baby meets Johnny. The guy Baby had help with the watermelons was Johnny’s cousin. Johnny then asked his cousin; what is she doing here? Baby answer embarrassed “I carried a watermelon”. That night ...
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...dge Johnny wrongfully. Johnny comes back to the dance even though he was fired because he always had done the last dance of the season. He walked over to Baby who was sitting in the corner and said “nobody puts Baby in the corner”. He gets on the stage and said ”I’m going to do my kind of dance with a terrific partner who taught that there are people who are willing to stand up for you no matter what it cost them. Someone who taught me the kind of person I want to be.”. They danced and everyone started dancing; dancers with guest, guest with other staff.
In conclusion Dirty Dancing was a movie that in the time period that was supposed to reflect (1960’s) there was a lot of segregation whether it was by class, race or gender. At the end of this movie it showed how at least for that time they “had the time of their lives” without discriminating by class, race or gen
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a film made in 2004 directed by Joel Zwick that evidently portrays several sociological concepts throughout the film. This film highly demonstrates the sociological topics of gender and culture all through the movie. The roles of gender, gender stratification as well as gender stereotyping are exemplified during the film. As for culture, the film displays subculture, counterculture, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism and cultural diffusion. My Big Fat Greek Wedding focuses on a single 30-year-old Greek woman, Toula Portokalos, who works at her family’s restaurant. Toula’s life takes a turn when she unexpectedly falls in love with a man who is not Greek. The film revolves around Toula’s family as well as her boyfriend,
This passage’s comedic tone engages with the stereotypes of Black and White Americans in an attempt to forgo convention. Following the tempo of “one, two, three, four, --, six, seven, eight,” Ross pokes fun at the traditional stereotype of White people and their inability to dance while simultaneously mocking the Blacks inability to imitate a simple pattern. Through poking fun at the conventional stereotypes, the passage unveils the subtext of racism. Ross states, “Ninety percent of those caught by the one, two, three, four, --, six, seven, eight were white. They just couldn’t get the hang of it.” Ross critiques the underlining racism apparent within society through the manipulation of comical prejudices. Ross infers that White people and their inability to maintain a simple beat. This grand statement categorizes the White demographic. Conversely, Black people find it outlandish that they could not learn the simple beat. They “couldn’t believe it.” Playing with the African-American stereotype of dancing and movement makes the reader consider if this is an accurate portrayal of the entire population. Furthermore, the syncopation is too simple and they get “caught by the normal, unsyncopated, one, two, one, two.” Stereotypes attempt to generalize the appearance of a minority or majority. This passage appears
In this paper I am going to write about the movie “Grease.” Specifically, on the two main characters Sandy and Danny. I will be describing and analyzing their interpersonal communication, but mainly on the conflict of their communication.
The film chronicles the histories of three fathers, and manages to relates and link their events and situations. First is Mitchell Stephens and his relationship with his drug-addict daughter. Second is Sam, and the secret affair he is having with his young daughter Nicole. He is somewhat of a narcissistic character because of his preoccupation with himself and pleasing himself, and his lack of empathy throughout the film for the others in the town. Third is Billy, who loves his two children so much that he follows behind the school bus every day waving at them. Billy is also having an affair with a married woman who owns the town’s only motel. On the exterior the town is an average place with good people just living their lives. But, beneath all the small town simplicity is a web of lies and secrets, some which must be dealt with in the face of this tragedy.
White people and rappers during the late 1970’s and 1980’s seem to be offended when asked about their role in the hip hop community. They think that black people are becoming a part of a cultural movement and they should join in. The heated responses from the white people in the film are typical answers. They symbolize people who are afraid. The white people are joining a movement that is becoming more and more popular. Black communities feel like others are joining in on their fun. They seem to not enjoy people of another race
Bailey was late to dinner and he got a beating. Bailey told that he was watching a white female actress that looked just like momma. She made the movie ad they had to wait for it to come out to see it again. In the next chapter at the church people start to plan a party so people can have some relief from their hard lives.
Foster, Gwendolyn Audrey. Class-passing : social mobility in film and popular culture (Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press, 2005).
The film Class Dismissed is about a documentary video focusing on the various marginalized groups in the media. This film demonstrates how the working class are in their everyday lives and explore their cultural attitudes in the eyes of society. It generates the target towards African Americas, gay groups and women to be portrayed negatively or in a stereotypical perspective. The class system is well organized in terms of Marx’s theory which is displayed in characters in the media, as independent individuals but at the same time media has added their own perspective of the class of having difficulty fitting in with society and their own personality. According to Karl Marx’s theory of the class system, there are three stages of class (Brym, 2014). The first class consists of the Capitalist/Bourgeoisie who control the means of production; all things you need to produce. This class tends to have the most power and control the working class; they usually invest the money into a company for its machinery, land and raw materials. The second class are the Petite Bourgeoisie who maintains the system by producing ideology (2014). There people rely on the sales of their labour produced material for survival, their major sales are to the higher class of the Bou...
... It states that there is different inequality socially and politically. Inequality is determined by people’s ideals of what they were taught and society projects as the superior and inferior races. This film shows that there is a way to change that if you make the other side see how they affect the people they are discriminating against.
Every film can be related back to socially significant issues that occurred during the time it was released. It’s a snapshot of the issues during that time period. Film is not created in a vacuum. As described in our textbook, film “Conveys “the temper of an age of a nation” as well as that of the artists who produces it” (Belton 22). Films tend to reflect current society, country ideals or beliefs in order for the audience to relate. Some of those techniques used include, the American dream, family, corruption, divorce, and crime. If a director decides not include current social issues than it becomes harder for an audience to relate to the film because they will not be able to connect to the characters and get into their shoes. One film that encompasses all of these current social issues is American Hustle (David O. Russell, 2013). This film is a melodrama because of the context and social issues this film deals with. American Hustle has a social significance to today’s current culture, society, beliefs and social issues through the use of the American dream, corruption, divorce, crime and family.
... supremacist gang, to rioting in an Asian owned grocery store, to finally brutally murdering someone. We observe as family ties become increasingly strained in every way, the viewer can easily conclude that Derek’s racism as well as his eventual influence on his younger brother ultimately contributed to their own downfall. As controversial as this movie maybe for the offensive language and brutal violence, it is a movie that deserves to be seen, and even discussed. It really provides insight into some factors within society that cannot be contained by the law or even deterred by even the harshest punishments. Even though American society is becoming more modernized as time goes by in terms of tolerance, racism will unfortunately always be prevalent in society and inevitably it will also lead some individuals to violently express their distorted mentalities.
Pleasantville is about the radical changes that happened to Americans as many started to modernize not only in technology but social reforms. Jennifer is the sister of David who was obsessed with an old television show called Pleasantville that described the perfect American family. Jennifer is a self-obsessed teenager who only cares about boys, smoking cigarettes, and basically not following the norms of society. After being transported into the television show by a mysterious old man, she is forced to act like the other teenagers despite her being the completely opposite from them. After becoming the character of Mary Sue, she begins to change others around her. Instead of their actions being dictated by external factors such as the City Council and and what seems to be right, they begin making decisions of their own. The women in the show, including Jennifer, were very limited in their rights in the world of men. They were seen as homemakers, to cook and clean for the family, but Jennifer, being Jennifer, starts to preach that they do not have to hide. There is a much higher quality of life if they can embrace the change. They come up with new beliefs such as openly showing affection, which the adults are extremely worried about. Back then, such public display was not right and made
The popular film, Fight Club manifest a teaching of contempt modern life, society according to the theories written by the founding fathers of Sociology. This film reflects a lifestyle of controversial issues we as a society have become conformed to live through. Nonetheless, the main character of the movie encapsulates a perspective of changing these regulations by creating a persona of the type of person the narrator desires to be. A person who does not abide the enslavement of civilization, when in fact, he is free in every way the narrator feels he cannot be, “People do it every day, they talk to themselves... they see themselves as they 'd like to be, they don 't have the courage you have, to just run with it.”(Durden 1999). Above all,
“Sex and the Social Dance” was a streaming video which examined the sexuality of social dances around the world. Regardless of geographical location or decade of popularity, dance conveyed social values. In particular, the sexuality was expressed through physical contact or lack thereof, in the gender roles of the dance, and in the purpose of the dance.
For my second media critique, I chose to focus on the 2011 film Bridesmaids. Bridesmaids is a comedy written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, directed by Paul Feig. With grossing almost $300 million worldwide, 44 nominations, and 11 awards won, Bridesmaids has been a relevant film in popular culture over the last three years (“Bridesmaids”).