Yeah sure, it hasn’t really aged all that well, but it was made in the late ’70s (not to mention it was based in the ’50s) when people didn’t really know better!
But I wouldn’t be the “ruin everything” let’s charitably call it journalist I like to think I am if I didn’t point out the ways Grease aged poorly.
RELATED STORIES
1. Summer Nights
Alright folks, let’s get the big one out of the way.
“Summer Nights” may be one of the catchiest songs in the whole darn musical, and it may be your “couple karaoke” go to…
But it has not aged well.
There is, of course, this line:
“Tell me more, tell me more
Was it love at first sight?
Tell me more, tell me more
Did she put up a fight? “
Obviously that isn’t good, as it implies Danny tried to rape her.
And, of course, Danny never sings “no”.
And that isn’t the only bad line in the song. There are a couple of others, like:
“He got friendly holding my hand
She got friendly down in the sand
He was sweet just turned eighteen
Well she was good you know what I mean
As well as…
Tell me more, tell me more
Did you get very far?
All of this implies Danny either forced himself on Sandy (because she’s singing about how romantic it was, no mention of sex), or he’s just lying (which is likely what it was).
The whole song just has a very misogynistic air to it as well.
While the makers likely intended for the song to show the difference between men and women, all it really did was enforce the fact that men were encouraged to be sexual and take what they wanted from women.
2. Everyone Looks Old
Ironically, the actors aged pretty well (if you look them up now they look pretty decent) but one of the things that didn’t age well about the original movie is that no one looks like a high school senior.
These are the things you notice when you grow up.
One of the original shows (stage shows) was staged as a high school reunion, which may have worked better for this movie, but as it stands the “seniors” sure do look out of place.
I mean, check out these ages:
The youngest cast member was John Travolta, and he was 24 when they decided to film this movie.
Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) was 30 when they filmed Grease . Bloody 30!
3. The Sexual Politics
Putting Summer Nights aside, there are some weird sexual politics in this movie. Before you jump on me and say that it is a product of its time, while that’s true, it can still be talked about.
Since the sexual politics of the 50s have also not aged well.
For starters…
They slut-shame the heck out of poor Rizzo.
Cha Cha is a girl that Frenchie describes as someone with a “bad reputation” (probably also implied to be a slut).
And the leader of The Scorpions offers 75 cents for their car, “including [Kenickie’s] chick”
So yeah, the movie isn’t shy about implying that women are beneath men. In fact, for most of the movie, it kind of revels in that. And what do the women have to say about it?
Not much.
4. Danny Forces Himself On Sandy
Not once ladies and gentlemen, but twice.
Once when they’re on the beach, he tries to force a kiss on her and she says no, so they don’t spoil it.
Yet Danny still goes for it.
And then we all remember the Drive In scene
Where Danny tries to cop a feel, Sandy bats him away and then he climbs on top of her, assuring her it would be okay because “nobody is watching”.
Not cool Danny.
5. Vince Fontaine Tries To Roofie Marty
There’s one moment when Marty is talking about Vince Fontaine when she says that she caught him “trying to put aspirin in my Coke at the dance”.
That wasn’t aspirin Marty. It was something much worse.
