Integration Techniques in Hairspray
Hairspray(2007), as many modern musical films do, integrates all of its music numbers into its story and structure in at least one way, if not more. The most obvious way that the songs are integrated is by the film being a backstage musical, one that focuses on the people who create entertainment related to music, in this case “The Corny Collins Show”. The backstage setting allows for the songs to naturally integrate into the story and diegesis.One way is for songs to be part of the music show, like “The Nicest Kids in Town”. A second way is by having songs, such as "Good Morning Baltimore", to come from characters that want to be or are involved with the show, even if the song is not directly in the show,
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this type of character lets the song seem natural. These two methods of integration are the main way the film keeps a coherent feel. However, the backstage setting only accounts for just that, the setting, and Hairspray uses numerous techniques based on exposition, character, plot progression, and more allowing the audience to believe that the songs are a natural part of the story world. First is the integration technique of exposition, this is where a song tells the audience backstory about setting, characters, or interactions.
The opening song, "Good Morning Baltimore", is a perfect example of this technique, the song’s name alone reveals the location of the movie. Through the song and its corresponding visuals the audience is given important background information, for example, before the first word is sung, the central theme of segregation or integration of black people and those different from us is introduced through a newspaper headline talking about a ban on “Negros”. The song introducing themes and Tracy as the main character are the most obvious examples of exposition, but there are more. Tracy’s backstory is slightly fleshed out with her saying she hasn’t been given a chance, in the music scene, and there is numerous references to her character, but that falls under a different type of integration. The world is also introduced throughout the song usually being comically gross, from a flasher to a drunk. All of this information is cleverly laid out through the song to make the world feel as if it is driven by it. Most other songs in Hairspray lack much non-character exposition, besides “Miss Baltimore …show more content…
Crabs”. In addition to having a few expositional elements, the song “Miss Baltimore Crabs” gives the best example of the character integration technique, this is where a song tells the audience about the person or people singing it or develops them. Velma, the station manager and Amber’s mother, is given most of her character traits in this song. She is mean to the kids, auditioning and the ones already in the show, besides Amber, who she gives preferential treatment. Furthermore, The most telling part of her character is given in the song when she openly admits to “screwing the judges” to win Miss Baltimore and that time stood still once she did. All of these traits are there to make the audience dislike Velma and clearly show she is not a sympathetic character. The film uses the viewer’s dislike near the end of the song to address the film’s central theme, integration, Velma takes the opposing view to integration, while nice, happy-go-lucky, Tracy takes the positive stance towards it. This tells the audience which side the movie will be taking just through character interactions. Every single song in Hairspray can be seen as using the technique of character integration to make the musical numbers flow naturally, but there is variation within this technique. Multiple songs like “Miss Baltimore Crabs” use character introductions, while others like “Without Love”, the number Link realizes he loves Tracy, use character development. A technique almost as prevalent as character integration is the third style, plot progression, only one song seems to be lacking any plot in it. “I Can Hear the Bells” is that song and the absence of plot integration shows. If one song needed to be cut or trimmed down, it would be “I Can Hear the Bells” the song almost seems like filler with how long it lasts, while offering nothing to the movie plot-wise and subpar character integration. None of the other songs feel out of place, too lengthy, or unnecessary, because without them the story would be incomplete. “New Girl in Town”, as an example, gives the story a montage to show Tracy’s success and skips a large chunk of time where the characters are not progressing and the plot is at a standstill, since there is nothing to challenge our protagonist. This song played a necessary role and would seem out of place if a time skip was not needed. Hairspray includes another montage based song, “I Know Where I’ve Been”, that without its strong usage of integration would seem completely out of place. In this case, it is thematic integration, when a song has underlying meanings that have been repeated throughout the movie. This song is the closest to breaking the diegesis and immersion, due to its visuals practically being a civil rights montage and leaving most semblance of being a narrative film behind. The song stays cohesive though, since the whole movie had been building up to it, even the parts that seemed to be about Tracy always had a racial undertone. Many of the other songs also include the thematic method, including all of the songs that have the group of black friends, being in some way about integration. “I Know Where I’ve Been” uses that background to make the song that seems to be stylistically disconnected from the movie, be the most emotionally impactful scene since segregation was the main focus of the movie all along. Lastly, while there are many other types of integration used, the last that needs to be touched on is structural, the blending of diegetic noise and visuals with the song. This technique is used sparsely with “I Can Hear the Bells” and “Good Morning Baltimore” having bells ring near the end of each songs. Visually, the songs “Without Love” and “Welcome to the 60s” use pictures of character to sing for themselves when they are not in the diegetic location. The use of these techniques also seems to have a different effect on the film than the other types of integration. Structural integration makes the story world more musical-like, while the rest of the types make the musical sections feel closer to the real world. This has the same overall effect of the audience not feeling a disconnect when the song starts, but the world as a whole feels less real. Integration has many way of being implemented and Hairspray uses them to bring a fully fleshed out story and musical together without losing the audience or its credibility. Elements of Utopia in Hairspray Hairspray is a fantastic candidate for looking at with the idea of entertainment as utopia, it perfectly fits four of the categories, but only somewhat fits into the fifth, “Abundance”. Starting first with “Energy”, the movie represents this idea in two ways, the dance numbers and the fact that they made actual social progress. The songs are the obvious example, they all have characters running, dancing, and singing for minutes on end, yet not a single person is out of breath or slowing down. Each person is overflowing with power and is willing to show it. The deeper example is the fact that through these songs and the character’s, especially Tracy’s, can-do attitude, the power of human beings to create change in the world is exercised. They showed that humans have the potential to shift the world around them, as long as enough people will it to do so. The second category that Hairspray fits is “Intensity”, expressing emotion fully, and every single song does this, but none more than “I Can Hear the Bells”. That song is nearly 4 minutes of Tracy singing exactly how she feels. There is no filter or regard for what is normal, she just says what she means. Many movies have characters say something too drastic, too soon, such as “I love you”, but Tracy jumps all the way to marriage with a guy she has only talked to once. This movie is a magical place where the only way people express emotions is by fully and without regard for how it might appear to others. “Transparency” is another idea that is completely expressed by Tracy. She never lies or tries to deceive anyone and her openness, honesty, and true love are rewarded, by having everything work out in the end. Tracy gets a spot on the show, gets the guy, and integrates the studio not once having to resort to losing her transparency. This is the only category that is shown the opposite way, Amber and her mother both lose everything including jobs, positions, and respect, due to fighting Tracy’s and the community’s love for all races. Their deception and manipulation comes back to punish them at every turn in the final scene. The last category that Hairspray embraces is “Community”, people joining together, and providing each other a sense of belonging.
In the end, the voters at home, most likely predominantly white, vote overwhelmingly for a black girl to win the competition and to end up integrating the show. This is the most utopian idea in whole film, because in the 1960s there is no way that is how the idea of integration would be taken. This is a provable fact, the story Hairspray is based on ended with the show being shut down, because of integration, not celebrated. However, in the movie everything turns out exactly how the characters and audience want, because people joined together and acted like a real utopian
community. One category remains, and it is “Abundance”, this category is the only one that moderately diverges from the idea of entertainment as utopia. The strike against “Abundance” comes from Amber’s family, who seem to be the richest people in the whole movie. They have more than enough and constantly have new glamorous outfits. This is not in line with utopia. No perfect society would have the worst people be the wealthiest, that seems at odds with a perfect world. However, they lose some of it near the end, so there is some equalization of material wealth. Furthermore, The main characters support the idea of abundance. They might be implied to be poor, but that is never addressed as an issue and they even have enough money to bail out all of the protesters near the end. Another positive for “Abundance” is that the black community should realistically be poor, but that is never addressed or said to be a problem. Despite the appearance of some support and some opposition to the “Abundance” category, Hairspray ends up more or less supporting it. Finally, the five traits mentioned all are shown in Hairspray and it seems to be a near perfect example of the idea that entertainment is utopia.
During the scene when the three girls are in a bar performing in a talent show and the filmmaker scans the venue, show that it was a ‘white’ place and the coloured girls weren’t welcomed. They were put into the corner so they were out of sight. During the talent show you see a white person performing and straight away you can tell that they aren’t talented, but when the three Aboriginal girls come up they perform a country song “Today I start lovin you again”, at the end of their performance the only person to applaud them was a child that is innocent and clearly oblivious to the racial prejudice of the society in which he is living. At the end of the competition, the white performer with the least amount of talent won the prize money, demonstrating clear prejudice and
Hairspray, a John Waters’ musical, demonstrates progressive messages about the expansion of race-based civil rights in the 1960s . Although this is typically the lens through which Hairspray is viewed, this is not the only significant societal shift portrayed in the film. The stories of Edna Turnblad and Velma Von Tussle illustrate the progressive shift of women from “old” gender roles such as being excluded from the workplace to “new” gender roles where women begin taking managerial positions.
For my final performance in Basics of Singing, I will be performing the song “Ireland” from Legally Blonde the Musical. This musical first opened February 2nd, 2007 at the Palace Theatre in New York City. Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin brought Amanda Brown’s novel and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture to a new life of song and dance. “Ireland” is a piece that presents a different side to a character, Paulette, that is not seen or noted in the film nor the book. This different side of Paulette is the reason I chose the song.
Betty’s father warns Betty Boop not to do it as he understands the consequences. The nature of the mood is also shown in the way the instrumentals are perceived. The dancing at the end shows it all. Sound and music is used at the start and the end of the music. At the start, the music is somewhat slow and the instrumentals set the mood expected from the film. The band and orchestra is more casual just as the characters in the film. This gives the author the expectation from the film as well as how the characters could utilize the environment. At the end of the film, the cab sings in a way that is more spiritual, ghost like and the skeletons nature scares everything. The music is related to the image on the screen since it indicates what Betty could expect. In most instances, the music goes with what is on the screen to create some sense of
It’s 1962 and an overweight teenager, Tracy Turnblad and her best friend, Penny Pingleton are obsessed with the dance TV show Corny Collins. One of the regulars leaves the show leaving a space to be filled. Tracy’s dream has always been to be on the show. With the help of her new black friend Seaweed, she manages to get casted for the show, angering the star, Amber Von Tussle and her mother the station manager, Velma. Tracy is not the typical white teen that believes in segregation and wants to see the Corny Collins show integrated. She sets out to do just that all the while winning the love of heartthrob Link, while having a laugh or two and singing a couple tunes.
Many songs were incorporated into the story line, such as “The Sound of Music,” “My Favorite Things,” and “So Long, Farewell.”
So that I don’t have to explain to them what it is about. Because I will not be describing nor will I explain what the artist meant from, when he was writing the song. I will be putting my own twist and thought about it. My main purpose is to make the audience think outside the box, and see how a totally different experience or event can relate somehow back to the song. That you can take something like “love you”, and somehow connect it back to a war or a celebration. The only limitation is your own
Musical film is a type of genre that works music into film and can generally help the plot of the movie, as well as the characters, move forward and advance. In some musical films, interruption by musical numbers is part of a characteristic of musicals as well as the abrupt breakout in dance numbers in between scenes. Often these types of films are set up just like a traditional live theater show but contain more performers and more outrageous backgrounds that are impossible to fit inside a theater. One musical film that has become an instant classic since it came out is La La Land which is one of the greatest-romantic-musical films of this generation and should be recommended for all musical lovers. La La Land shows the hardships that a person
Take for example Mama Morton’s “When You’re Good To Mama,” this number not only introduces Mama, but it also exposes the way in which things are run in the Cook County Jail, where Roxie and Velma are inmates. The song “We Both Reached for The Gun” is imperative to the musical as it tells Roxie’s story from Billy Flynn’s perspective, which ultimately attains her discharge from jail. Chicago is packed with great energizing songs that always seem to reach several climaxes as they build momentum towards a big musical orgasm, as is the case with the last song of the film, “Nowadays”, where Roxie and Velma perform together on stage for the first time. Regardless of their function, all the songs in the soundtrack have a certain finesse that makes the movie a real auditory delight. In conclusion, everyone who enjoys the magic of Broadway and the fantasy world of Hollywood must watch Chicago.
“The Shampoo” by Elizabeth Bishop was written near the beginning of Bishop’s residence in Brazil and is a direct homage to her lover Lota. Bishop uses the mundane act of washing a loved one’s hair as the basis for a brilliant meditation on the nature and progression of time. In “The Shampoo” Elizabeth Bishop uses imagery, metaphor, and diction to compare the gradual movements in nature over time with the process of aging. Bishop draws a contrast between the process of aging and the timeless relationship she has with her partner.
“The Shampoo” by Elizabeth Bishop was written near the beginning of Bishop’s residence in Brazil and is a direct homage to her lover Lota. Even though Lota is not directly addressed in the poem, an earlier draft of the poem reveals a connection to her longtime lover. Bishop uses the mundane act of washing a loved one’s hair as the basis for a brilliant meditation on the nature and progression of time. In “The Shampoo” Elizabeth Bishop uses imagery of nature, metaphor of time, and deliberate diction to compare the gradual movements in nature over time with the process of aging. Bishop draws a contrast between the process of aging and the timeless relationship she has with
Even though racism isn’t as bad as it was then but it is evident even in today’s world that it still exist. It really can make people feel lesser that what they are and just overall make them feel bad. No one wants to be treated like an outcast, we all just want to be treated equal in value. A relevant social work issue that I saw in the film was an example of how a racist person might come into your office one day but you just can’t turn them down because of your personal values. As a social worker it’s up to us to help the different types of people overcome their personal issues and we have to realize everyone was raised differently than others. When Ms. Elliot was doing the exercise you can see the kids and adults struggle with being discriminated against because they weren’t use to it. No one wants to feel like less than what they are because it starts to takes an effect on them. For example, when the students received good feedback from the teacher their test scores went up but when she gave them negative feedback they went down. Emotionally, for me the film was very inspirational seeing little kid learn how to treat people at a young age. Most of their parents probably were white and or racist and for Ms. Elliot to instill in them what it meant to treat each other equally was amazing. It influenced me because as a mother I have to teach my daughter certain things while she is younger
Hairspray was first released as a film in 1988, and it was later adapted into a musical in the early 2000’s by Shaiman and Whitman. Shaiman wrote the music, and Whitman wrote the lyrics. The musical won eight tony awards out of thirteen nominations. It was even awarded for Best Musical. The first musical ran for 2,642 performances.
Sidney and Dre both had a deep love for rap and hip-hop and they both listened to and were infatuated making music. Throughout the movie, Sidney and Dre had began to notice that with time, rap and hip-hop was falling off and losing its authenticity. As the nature and purity of rap and hip hop in Dre’s life began to dwindle, so did the relationship between himself and Sidney. “Brown Sugar’s music supervisor Barry Cole says, “The music … is a reflection of what it was like for the first generation of hip-hop, growing up as the music began and maturing as the music continues to evolve.”’ (Sanchez) Dre lost sight of what hip-hop meant to him and his relationship with his current spouse, who saw no appreciation for music, was an example of that. At the end of the movie Dre and Sidney realize that they are in love with each other and this is when Dre’s love for music is rejuvenated. Music did not play as big of a role in Just Wright. However, the background music did have an effect on the movie and it helped display the essence of black love. The scene when Scott realizes he is in love with is when his playing a song on the piano. With every scene of intimacy in Just Wright there is a song that relates to love and
In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams uses the elements of symbolism and imagery to create an eerie mood that allows the reader to convey a more descriptive picture of the scene and understand the characters thoroughly. The actions and music involved in the play represent a much more intense meaning and contain symbolism with the use of music, liquor, and light which help the reader to identify the personality and emotions each character is experiencing throughout the play. With the visiting of Stella’s sister, Blanche, Williams uses certain actions taken by Blanche and music to show how she is now haunted from the death of her husband. In the beginning of the novel, the symbolism Williams uses in the opening scene gives the reader more knowledge and foreshadows the actions of the character.