A few things.

[apolla]

I was going to rant on about a few things today, but first I would like to say this:

Bob Monkhouse, I salute thee. You were a funny, funny man and I should probably not admit to the number of times I was nearly late for class or other stuff because I was watching Wipeout. Thank you kind sir. The highest praise I can really give is that someone made me laugh. Well, Monkhouse, you did.




I have now seen Dirty Dancing twice in the last week on VH1. This wouldn't be much like news if it weren't that I hate that movie. I never saw it (that I remember) as a kid, so I don't have fond memories of watching it with friends or anything. I first saw it on the coach on the way back from the sixth form Eastern Europe trip and I was sat next to Simon White, who'd had to put up with his older sisters' obsession with said movie. Thusly we spent the entire time slagging it off.

This is not to say that my two recent viewings (neither of which included the first 20 mins, so I probably don't really know what's going on) have actually changed my mind. I still think it's a sucky movie and I still hate the fact that it's set in one time period but the production team couldn't be bothered/couldn't afford to correct everyone's hair and clothes for it and most of all that a large chunk of the music isn't time specifc, not least the unending horror that is the finale track power ballad bollocks 'I've Had the Time of My Life.'

But I do get why people like it. It's the ugly duckling right? It's every girl's dream of the bestest looking, coolest guy in school noticing her. It could've been set at a holiday camp or a school or whatever, it doesn't really matter. It's the dream of that cool guy not actually being a total louse but a sweet, nice boy you can take home to daddy, but make sure his leather jacket is clean first. A velvet revolution for pubescent girls, I guess.

I think it's one of the reasons I don't like it so much. Quite aside from the fact that Patrick Swayze looks like a pigdog and not even remotely attractive or charismatic, I happen to know that this dream doesn't come true. You don't get to go back to school after the summer transformed, you don't get to change that. The coolest guy rarely, if ever, notices the girl in the corner and even if he did, he probably wouldn't like her much anyway.

I really... I did have a point, I really did. I think. I think it's this: I'll never get in the way of girls' dreams, but surely we should encourage girls to dream for themselves, dream of making themselves good people rather than defining them by how cool a boyfriend they can get?

I'm all for Ugly Duckling stories, but the idea that we have to transform into swans isn't for me. I like being an Ugly Duckling.

After saying all that, I bet if someone less horrible to look at than Pigdog Man had played Johnny Castle, I might have a different opinion.

I also finally saw A Walk to Remember the other day. Kill me, do it now. I can see why people liked it, but I can also see why people criticised the cardboard cut out characters and TV movie themes.

Comments

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Word. I hate that movie too, for the exact same reasons. Stupid schmuck movie. >:P

[apolla.livejournal.com]

The girls of this world deserve better than to be told that the answer to all their problems is to get a boyfriend. They should be pretty for themselves first, other people second.

And for the love of GOD, we chicks can get out of the corner without any help, thank you very much!

*breathes*

[zorb]

Ditto on both. I saw Dirty Dancing for the first time at college, because all of my suitemates were squealing over it. I failed to ever understand why. *sigh*

[apolla.livejournal.com]

I suspect it needs to be seen by pre-pubescent young girls who don't know any better. Which is the crime of it really.