Randal Kleiser directs the 1978 hit musical Grease which tells the love story between greaser Danny (John Travolta) and good girl Sandy (Olivia Newton-John). The teen love story takes places in America during the 1950s and is full of catchy songs, fun choreography, a simple plot and patriarchal values. These components are quite common in the musical genre, with one-dimensional characters and the heavy use of gender stereotypes. I ask: how does this genre with musicals such as Grease, remain popular within a female based audience when they perpetuate sexism and use the male gaze to hinder the progression of strong female leads? This paper argues how Grease combines heteropatriarchal depictions of gender with an entertaining and fast paced…show more content… While he does not dismiss the idea of musicals as prestigious art forms, he focusses his article on the idea of musicals as an escape from reality (20). Audiences watch musicals to forget about their own everyday problems in life and to transport them to “something better” (Dyer 20). The audience does not necessarily watch the film to perform close viewings and to critique the gender politics displayed on the screen. They watch musicals to witness impressive dancing, catchy melodies and an unthreatening storyline. Dyer’s analysis on entertainment as an escape, explains how sexist musicals such as Grease can still be a source of pleasure to feminist…show more content… Chris Barker writes about how images of women in media often reduce them “to a set of exaggerated, usually negative, character traits” (316-317), which is the case in Grease. The film sexualizes the two female leads (Sandy and Rizzo) in contrasting ways, while portraying them as stereotypes that reflect male attitudes. The opening cartoon sequence opens with Sandy in her bedroom, wearing a sheer nightgown that highlights her body shape. Moreover, chirping birds and friendly animals help dress her, which immediately illustrates her as the “submissive, sensitive and domesticated” (Barker 317) good girl stereotype. The sequence continues and introduces Rizzo’s character as she gets dressed in a much messier bedroom. The cartoon highlights her breasts as she changes from a pink turtleneck to a low-cut black blouse. This introduction contrasts with Sandy’s and is the first moment the films begins to stereotype Rizzo as the “rebellious, independent and selfish” (Barker 317) bad girl. While the two ladies seem quite different in attitude and appearance throughout the film, the storyline of Grease tells the audience “that there is only one kind of woman, the kind who is seeking, and will be fulfilled by, the love of a good man” (Barnes 134). As well as Sandy and Rizzo, the supporting female characters serve as different forms of sexist stereotypes towards women. Furthermore, the film reduces
