Crtiical Context

            In the article “”There are a lot of things about me that aren’t what you thought”: the politics of Dirty Dancing”, Oliver Gruner talks about different points in the movie Dirty Dancing.  Gruner first states that that he will address what he believes “to be a significant gap in historical film studies.”  He says that there is a huge lack of attention paid to Dirty Dancing’s “highly politicized narrative of the recent American past.”  

            The writer of Dirty Dancing, Eleanor Bergstein, made her “first significant contribution to the feminist debate” in the making of the movie Dirty Dancing.  Eleanor made sure the film was set in a certain time to address the key feminist issues in a historical context.  This time was chosen to be the summer of 1963 which is seen to be an “innocent time”.  Bergstein explained that “this film couldn’t have been set a few months earlier or later, because two months are the movie is over JFK is assassinated. Then the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. And after that it’s all radical action.”  Bergstein picked a very specific time in history for this movie to be set in. 

            In the movie, Baby portrays the life a woman in 1963.  Following her father’s beliefs and being told what to do was the life of the average woman during this time the movie was set in.  Throughout the movie, Baby starts to realize the intense grip that the men have on her and other woman. Gruner explains an example, when Baby sees the owner of Kellerman ordering his higher class workers to wait on the daughters and then his lower class workers to keep their hands off the daughters.   This is one of her first realizations of grip that is being held on women. 

            Gruner also points out the stereotypes that Dirty Dancing portrays.  In the original draft, Neil was serious and less condescending character. Bergstein changed Neil into a “little boss man”.  Robbie was also changed into a “sneering and snobbish” college boy.  Both of these characters were meant to be representations of what Dr. Houseman’s generation was raising as their children. 

            Dirty Dancing incorporates the ideas of feminism and female identity.  The movie does this by the music they choose.  The songs that were chosen were songs that let teenage women have a voice.  Baby was a representation of women during this period of time.  Music was their escape from the boundaries that were placed on the women because their family and society.  Another representation of women was with Penny and the subplot of abortion.  Bergstein said that this was done to “show a generation of girls who have grown up post-Roe what could happen without legal safeguards.”   Berstein thought that adding this to the film would create a serious political debate.

            Gruner discusses the final scene in Dirty Dancing.  That Baby finally stands up to her father and breaks the limitations that have been set on her since birth.  She finally is independent and creates her own beliefs.  She doesn’t follow the “good” middle class behavior of a woman.  As Baby does this, one would think that she wouldn’t be accepted back into her family but the movie says just the opposite.  She is accepted back into her family and this is one of the criticisms that is set upon Dirty Dancing.   

            Yet another criticism of Dirty Dancing was the song “Have the Time of Your Life” that is played in the last scene.  Critics see this is has a down play on the seriousness political issues that were incorporated into the plot.  Because of this last scene, women became emotionally attached to the movie.  Feeing the joy of having “the time of your life” while watching Baby and Johnny, overlook the seriousness of the issues in the plot.  Critics stated that, “Dirty Dancing failed to enter political debate to any significant degree.”

            Critics who liked the movie thought the film was subversive.  Overlooking the last scene in the movie, viewers thought the women portrayed in this era of time were not depreciated.  The film was subversive in the way that Penny was not punished for getting pregnant, and also for not getting an abortion.  Again it also challenged society in the way that Baby didn’t open her father and all of the values that he shaped her to follow.

            In Gruner’s conclusion, he discusses that Baby’s character challenges the relationship between Dr. Houseman’s generation and the feminist movement.  Gruner feels as if the political side of Dirty Dancing is not talked about in the way that other movies made at this time that had political issues, are talked about.  Gruner’s article can be paraphrased into “Baby, there is a lot more to Dirty Dancing than was initially thought.” 

            This article talks about topics that we have discovered in our Women Studies class.  The two main topics that I saw portrayed are gender roles and male dominance.  Gender roles are found in each of the characters in Dirty Dancing.  Having Baby break out of these roles is where politics comes into play.  Baby, her sister, and her mother are seen to be under the dominant role of Mr. Houseman.  He gives these women their values and they answer to him.  When Baby starts to realize this when spending more time with Johnny, she becomes pessimistic to her father.  This is showing how breaking out of your gender role is frowned upon, especially in this time period before a wave of the women’s movement.  Thinking about these different points that Gruner points out, it adds more critical thinking that can be thought about while watching Dirty Dancing.  Some of the political points are downplayed because of the love and romance between Johnny and Baby.  Looking beyond this perfect romance, we can see the general roles and male dominance that is incorporated into the plot.  I agree with Gruner and the points he made about the movie.  Dirty Dancing is a film that is not recognized for its political statements.  People like Gruner, who make them known to the public I am thankful for.  Bergstein put effort into the plot to make it cover issues that are very controversial, especially in 1963.