Having seen the more recent version
of Hairspray I thought I knew what
was to be expected from the original, but having the discussion about the
intersection between pop culture, politics, and youth I found it to be much
more than a silly musical. It was a similar awakening to the time my history
professor enlightened me to all the meanings behind the songs in Marry Poppins. As a child they were just
songs meant to teach me to clean and go to bed, but after hearing the
historical setting I saw a much deeper meaning in each part of the lyrics. That
semester we looked at pre-WWI, which is exactly when it was set, the where
would be capitalistic Britain. I remember being amazed when all the things I
had read in the text book were suddenly being explained in a 3 minute song!
During that time in history Britain
was able to spread because of some wise banking campaigns that encouraged investments
in the bank that would then be used in the country’s expansion efforts. Even in
the song above, Michael’s father tries to entice him to invest by telling him
that he will “be part of railways to Africa, dams across the Nile, teams of
ocean Greyhounds, and plantations of ripening tea!” All of which are political
movements being pushed upon this young boy through song! Yet another perfect
example of this intersection between youth, pop culture, and the media. Here we
have Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson teaching the children capitalism,
patriotism, and entrepreneurship all through a comical song.
In the
same manner I suddenly saw Hairspray
through new eyes this time around. I would also like to say that I was
expecting a much tamer (morally speaking) movie than the recent remake, having
been made several decades ago, but I was surprised to find it was equally, if
not more, liberal in its moral statements. This was, of course, one of the main
messages the filmmakers were sharing. I felt that the intersection in this film
revolved around the pop culture of the music industry, extreme fashion
statements (thus the title), the politics surrounding discrimination and
segregation, and the youth as the instigators of action. The message felt
something like, “if TV stars, radio jocks, and hit singers are doing away with
segregation, you should too!” In contrast with the example I gave from Mary Poppins, Hairspray showed the youth as more motivated and powerful. Whereas
the young children in Mary Poppins
(who you could say represented the young generations) were portrayed as
impressionable and naïve, people to be acted upon.
Thinking about these two
contrasting films that so obviously show the intersection we discussed in class
has made me realize how powerful media can be. One encourages rebellious and faddish
behaviors in the name of change and improvement, while the other reinforces the
ideals of staying within these cultural and governmental boundaries. It was
easy to recognize these messages after discussing the subject in class, and
because the two films are blatant in style, but I wonder how much we (and the
youth of the world) are being affected by more subtle themes in popular media
that also utilize the intersection of youth, pop culture, and politics.
