So last night while browsing Facebook (again) I came across a casual comment by a friend that she was going to watch Grease for the first time. Yes you heard it, she had never seen Grease - my jaw dropped and was still there three hours later. Now I should explain this friend is one of my most longstanding (won't say old as she's younger than me). She had been by my side all the way through primary and high school. We had shared many things like our french homework, bad 80's fashion and at one point I secretly fancied her boyfriend (tall, ginger, in the basketball team ). How could she not have seen Grease? everyone I know has seen Grease! We spent all those years growing up together why did we not sit her down and like Sandy with the wine, cigs and ear piercing make her watch it. I mean there were many copies in 1980's Ayrshire there might even been some on Betamax.
She must have seen Grease I am sure she knew the songs and would join the mad dash to the dancefloor when the megamix came on. Hell I'm even sure they You're the One that I Want at her own wedding. But no, she was a '40 year old Grease virgin'. Even my husband has seen it and he's a boy whose favourite film is Dirty Harry. Exclaiming my surprise at this on FB a few other female friends came out the woodwork and confessed that they to were alien to the concept of 'A Hickie From Kenickie' too. And even worse not that bothered about it.
So once my jaw had returned to its normal position I began thinking that maybe its just a film not a magnificent obsession for some people. I mean I've never see 'Apocalypse Now' all the way through but I know some of the lines and the songs (this is the end, my only friend....).
Probably my obsession with Grease comes from the fact that I ran with the 'musical theatre' crowd in high school. We weren't full on jazz hands but definately jazz pinkies. We knew all the songs, the script the dance routines and all harboured a desire not to be Sandy or Rizzo or at a push Frenchie in some sort of fantasy school production. Being in this show would not only mean that the music department resident hunk (playing Danny of course think highlights and thin leather tie) would instantly become our boyfriend, but also that our talent would be discovered by some visiting agent who just happened to be passing a school hall in the west of scotland to whisk us off to the West End. Sadly this never actually happens as our rather straight laced head insisted that 'Joseph' was the way to go and although I did have the dubious honour of landing the rather risque role of Potiphar's wife after one of the more tarty girls in my year turned it down. The whole thing was very embarrassing as the Latin teacher played my husband and I had to ask my best mates little brother to 'come and lie with me love' - cringe.
Once I got a little older and (so I thought) a little cooler Grease still played a part. There were always a bonding moment with new friends when it became obvious that you too knew who 'the best dancer at St Bernadette s' was. At uni again I fell in with another theatrical crowd and found myself singing along to 'Summer Nights' at the basement karaoke hoping to attract the eye a passing hunk.
Even when I grew up and got a proper job as a teacher Rydell high took over my life for a few weeks as producer for our own version (we were cool teachers dammit). It was cool, it was hip, it was funny and the kids were fantastic and everyone had a ball (and in a modern twist Danny snogged Potsie at the aftershow party - it was 2010 after all). But after five performances and weeks of rehearsal and a what seemed like a million renditions of 'We go together' I was getting a bit fed up and ready to drop out of beauty school and put my pink ladies jacket away.
I mean it has great songs but not very relevant to today or giving out the right message to young women. To get the guy you have to dress slutty/have unprotected sex/dye your hair pink - it tried the former and it didn't work and stained the sink. Grease would never be made in the same way today for a start the cast weren't in their first flush of youth when it was made - Stockard Channing was 33 when it came out. In 2014 she'd probably be to old to be cast as the teacher. And smoking, drinking, having sex and mooning TV cameras - that would never be shown in a modern teenage movie (Miley Cyrus video perhaps).
Maybe its just time that I went with the flow and accepted that I'll never be able to wear wet look leggings and wedges or drive a flying car and just put Grease in the locker of 'films I like' and move on. I mean I liked Fight Club but have never had the urge to slug it out in a car park with Brad Pitt.
But wait a minute - I have a daughter who is already a dancing diva at 15 months and a two nieces one of whom could be just the candidate to divert her pre teen love for Harry Styles onto Danny Zuko. It was part of my life growing up and here's hoping that they will love it as much as I did, sing the songs and dream the dreams. After all it's a happy movie and like the best fairytale (and unlike much of real life) everything is alright in the end.
And to those pals who don't like Grease well its a free world I might not understand you but each to his own. I am going to continue loving it and won't have tears on my pillow about it. Just never ever tell me that you've not seen Dirty Dancing.
A Wop ba-ba lu-bop and wop bam boom!
She must have seen Grease I am sure she knew the songs and would join the mad dash to the dancefloor when the megamix came on. Hell I'm even sure they You're the One that I Want at her own wedding. But no, she was a '40 year old Grease virgin'. Even my husband has seen it and he's a boy whose favourite film is Dirty Harry. Exclaiming my surprise at this on FB a few other female friends came out the woodwork and confessed that they to were alien to the concept of 'A Hickie From Kenickie' too. And even worse not that bothered about it.
So once my jaw had returned to its normal position I began thinking that maybe its just a film not a magnificent obsession for some people. I mean I've never see 'Apocalypse Now' all the way through but I know some of the lines and the songs (this is the end, my only friend....).
Probably my obsession with Grease comes from the fact that I ran with the 'musical theatre' crowd in high school. We weren't full on jazz hands but definately jazz pinkies. We knew all the songs, the script the dance routines and all harboured a desire not to be Sandy or Rizzo or at a push Frenchie in some sort of fantasy school production. Being in this show would not only mean that the music department resident hunk (playing Danny of course think highlights and thin leather tie) would instantly become our boyfriend, but also that our talent would be discovered by some visiting agent who just happened to be passing a school hall in the west of scotland to whisk us off to the West End. Sadly this never actually happens as our rather straight laced head insisted that 'Joseph' was the way to go and although I did have the dubious honour of landing the rather risque role of Potiphar's wife after one of the more tarty girls in my year turned it down. The whole thing was very embarrassing as the Latin teacher played my husband and I had to ask my best mates little brother to 'come and lie with me love' - cringe.
Once I got a little older and (so I thought) a little cooler Grease still played a part. There were always a bonding moment with new friends when it became obvious that you too knew who 'the best dancer at St Bernadette s' was. At uni again I fell in with another theatrical crowd and found myself singing along to 'Summer Nights' at the basement karaoke hoping to attract the eye a passing hunk.
Even when I grew up and got a proper job as a teacher Rydell high took over my life for a few weeks as producer for our own version (we were cool teachers dammit). It was cool, it was hip, it was funny and the kids were fantastic and everyone had a ball (and in a modern twist Danny snogged Potsie at the aftershow party - it was 2010 after all). But after five performances and weeks of rehearsal and a what seemed like a million renditions of 'We go together' I was getting a bit fed up and ready to drop out of beauty school and put my pink ladies jacket away.
I mean it has great songs but not very relevant to today or giving out the right message to young women. To get the guy you have to dress slutty/have unprotected sex/dye your hair pink - it tried the former and it didn't work and stained the sink. Grease would never be made in the same way today for a start the cast weren't in their first flush of youth when it was made - Stockard Channing was 33 when it came out. In 2014 she'd probably be to old to be cast as the teacher. And smoking, drinking, having sex and mooning TV cameras - that would never be shown in a modern teenage movie (Miley Cyrus video perhaps).
Maybe its just time that I went with the flow and accepted that I'll never be able to wear wet look leggings and wedges or drive a flying car and just put Grease in the locker of 'films I like' and move on. I mean I liked Fight Club but have never had the urge to slug it out in a car park with Brad Pitt.
But wait a minute - I have a daughter who is already a dancing diva at 15 months and a two nieces one of whom could be just the candidate to divert her pre teen love for Harry Styles onto Danny Zuko. It was part of my life growing up and here's hoping that they will love it as much as I did, sing the songs and dream the dreams. After all it's a happy movie and like the best fairytale (and unlike much of real life) everything is alright in the end.
And to those pals who don't like Grease well its a free world I might not understand you but each to his own. I am going to continue loving it and won't have tears on my pillow about it. Just never ever tell me that you've not seen Dirty Dancing.
A Wop ba-ba lu-bop and wop bam boom!