The Importance Of Hairspray Essay

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Recommended: Race relations throughout history

The theater has continued to make an impact on American culture even today. Just like in the 20th century, civil rights has been a hot topic in the 21st century. Multiple shows, including Hairspray and Caroline, or Change, clearly display the effects of racism and the importance of the civil rights movement. Hairspray follows the story of a young Tracy Turnblad who is fighting to desegregate the Corny Collins Show. The musical celebrates black culture and displays healthy relationships between whites and blacks. U.S.A. Today wrote that, “with a message about accepting ourselves and each other while celebrating and embracing our diversity, this Hairspray felt more relevant,” showing that even young audience members can find the story relatable …show more content…

In addition to this Caroline, or Change is another influential show that explores the relationship between whites and blacks, more specifically the relationship between a black maid, Caroline, and her white employers. The musical does not have a clearly happy ending like Hairspray, with the eventual fusion between races against all odds, but rather an ending that causes the audience to contemplate the relationship between races and cultures. “Caroline, or Change is designed to make us think and, ultimately, act” (Dreisinger). Many shows about civil rights, while greatly influential in their own way, give the audience the ending that feels good, Caroline, or Change encourages its audience to contemplate the effects of racism and how to change for the better. Both of these inspiring musicals bring awareness to the racism that is still present even in the 21st century and, furthermore, educate upcoming generations on how to stop …show more content…

According to the New York Times, “it explores the confusion and desperation that ensue when the onrushing tide of hormones meets the ignorance of children raised by parents too embarrassed or prudish to discuss what those new urges signify” (Isherwood). When the young characters are introduced to sex in an unsupervised environment, chaos and disaster ensue. Children who do not know the impact of their actions are met with the life altering consequences that go along with sex before marriage. In the song “Mama Who Bore Me,” the young girls grieve about how they are being sheltered by their mothers, but to no avail. They are still met with indirect answers. Several girls also sing about the physical and sexual abuse that they are afraid to reveal in the song “The Dark I Know Well”. The song has a melancholy feel that emphasizes the loneliness and fear that resides in each girls’ heart. It is in this manner that Spring Awakening brings attention to the issue of sexual abuse that was just as relevant in 19th century Germany as it is now, with a reported 700,000 children abused in the United States per year (National Statistics on Child Abuse). Audience members clearly see how important educating young people is, and are moved through the raw depiction of adolescents

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