Warning: Highly opinionated material ahead.
Last night Dave & I went to a high school musical production that starred one of Dave’s students. The show was Grease. What’s your initial reaction to that?
I’ll be the first to admit I like Grease. I’ve seen the movie tons of times, I watched that ridiculous-yet-entertaining NBC contest this winter (“You’re the One that I Want!”), and I still get goosebumps when I see certain dance scenes. I like musicals.
My first reaction to hearing that the high school kids were going to do Grease was a little surprised. I thought, “Wow, that’s interesting. It’s fun, but not exactly appropriate material. I wonder if they’ll do an edited version.” I was curious how much stuff they’d cut and/or keep in. After all, these are kids aging from 14-18. Would you want your child to be in Grease? In case you didn’t know, it’s about a goody-two-shoes girl who falls in love with a “bad boy”, and she ends up dropping her prissiness and adopting a sexpot look so she can keep him and be friends with his friends. Seriously, that’s the extent of the plot.
I was somewhat surprised that nothing was cut out. But I was utterly shocked that we were surrounded by an audience of parents, teachers, and administrators who seemed totally okay with the kids entertaining us with scenes of teenagers doing things we’d never condone in reality. I mean, there were families with young children watching this. Dave and I were discussing it at obsessive length last night and these are things we observed the kids do in their play. A lot of it was just like the movie (which was acted out by adults in their 20s), so it was nothing new to me, but it was so awkward watching real teenagers pretend to do these things. We don’t fault the students. They were directed. Directed by adults with no apparent sense of good judgment.
* characters were constantly drinking beer and wine (bottles were passed around on the stage)
* one character had beers stored in his car, which meant he was driving around with alcohol in his vehicle
* characters were in gangs; they stole stuff and joked about it afterward
* characters were constantly smoking (I swear one of the cigs looked like it was really lit)
* characters repeatedly said “crap” and other choice words (including “hooker”, “get the hell out”, “hell no”, etc), and one character flipped another the bird
* characters were seen cutting class, blowing off school, and dropping out
* female characters were openly discussing their periods, pregnancy, and how many boys they’d slept with
* characters bullied others to do things they were not okay with, and laughed at them when they tried to say no
* characters mocked chastity (Rizzo still sang the line, “lousy with virginity”, and the boys danced suggestively when they listened to Danny talk about his summer with Sandy – just like in the movie. Rizzo also grabbed her breasts during one song.)
* characters treated the issue of teenage pregnancy as a natural consequence, and that one of the characters would “be okay” even if she was pregnant
and probably the most offensive was
* Danny trying to grope Sandy over & over at the drive-in, and Sandy repeatedly saying no. When she rejected him, the audience actually let out a sympathetic “aww…” for him, like it was so sad he couldn’t get any
Anyone who’s seen the movie or musical knows this stuff happens. My shock comes with the blatant lowering of standards in our society. There is no moral to be learned from the story in Grease. If anything, what can be learned is that it is okay to change your personality and lose your standards in order to keep your boyfriend or your new friends. Have fun, and consequences won’t really happen. Even Rizzo, faced with a pregnancy scare, got her story cleaned up by the end, and it is implied that her promiscuous behavior is alright after all. So what makes it okay for students to re-enact this for entertainment? That it’s a pop-culture "classic" despite its lack of moral integrity?
Someone on the school staff picked this play, and what’s more, the principal approved it. The parents were beaming when it was over. I overheard someone tell the director, “Looks like you have a hit on your hands!” The audience laughed and cheered when Sandy showed up at the end looking all slutty. All I could think was, does this make that young girl uncomfortable, everyone staring at her body? How do her parents possibly feel okay with this? And knowing what the story is all about, how do parents bring their younger children to see this in good conscience?
The most uncomfortable person in the audience was Dave. He’s a youth pastor. He was sitting with students. We were there to support the girl in our youth group who was in the show. How can Dave possibly discuss what was morally wrong about the show with the kids without making it seem like he didn’t support the student in it? If all the parents of the youth group were there cheering, what can Dave say? It was like we were in the Twilight Zone, I’m telling you. Like we were the only ones who thought it was questionable.
I’m not an idiot. I know that kids do and see all kinds of things that I wouldn’t approve of. So does Dave; that’s why he’s in ministry – he wants to counsel and teach students to live in a Christlike way. But how can he go about it when such a conflicting message is presented to the kids in all its glory?
We wrote an anonymous letter to the school principal this morning. It was the only way we felt we could state our opinions without being raked over the coals in this small town.
I like to be entertained. I like movies and shows, many of which contain questionable content. I am an adult with discernment. Teenagers, on the other hand, are heavily influenced by the things they see. What’s next on their high school stage? A play based on Pretty Woman? Will their next musical be Chicago? Are we going to see parents and school authorities endorse prostitution and murder, just because these are “classic” and popular stories? A couple of years ago at a middle school that I used to teach in, after the heightened popularity of the film Chicago, our middle schoolers were treated to a song & dance routine by the high school dance team next door. There were 16 year old girls decked out in full Chicago-dominatrix-style costumes, dancing provocatively to the “Cell Block Tango”. You can imagine the looks on my impressionable 6th-grade boys’ faces in the front row as they watched these teenage goddesses writhe around in front of them. Who approved that? Why is that okay? How can we compete with this as we try to raise our own kids to take the moral high ground?
Thus concludes my rant. Call me a goody-goody, laugh at me with my moral integrity if you wish, but I will not be a happy member of society with its diminishing standards. Come soon, Lord Jesus!
Last night Dave & I went to a high school musical production that starred one of Dave’s students. The show was Grease. What’s your initial reaction to that?
I’ll be the first to admit I like Grease. I’ve seen the movie tons of times, I watched that ridiculous-yet-entertaining NBC contest this winter (“You’re the One that I Want!”), and I still get goosebumps when I see certain dance scenes. I like musicals.
My first reaction to hearing that the high school kids were going to do Grease was a little surprised. I thought, “Wow, that’s interesting. It’s fun, but not exactly appropriate material. I wonder if they’ll do an edited version.” I was curious how much stuff they’d cut and/or keep in. After all, these are kids aging from 14-18. Would you want your child to be in Grease? In case you didn’t know, it’s about a goody-two-shoes girl who falls in love with a “bad boy”, and she ends up dropping her prissiness and adopting a sexpot look so she can keep him and be friends with his friends. Seriously, that’s the extent of the plot.
I was somewhat surprised that nothing was cut out. But I was utterly shocked that we were surrounded by an audience of parents, teachers, and administrators who seemed totally okay with the kids entertaining us with scenes of teenagers doing things we’d never condone in reality. I mean, there were families with young children watching this. Dave and I were discussing it at obsessive length last night and these are things we observed the kids do in their play. A lot of it was just like the movie (which was acted out by adults in their 20s), so it was nothing new to me, but it was so awkward watching real teenagers pretend to do these things. We don’t fault the students. They were directed. Directed by adults with no apparent sense of good judgment.
* characters were constantly drinking beer and wine (bottles were passed around on the stage)
* one character had beers stored in his car, which meant he was driving around with alcohol in his vehicle
* characters were in gangs; they stole stuff and joked about it afterward
* characters were constantly smoking (I swear one of the cigs looked like it was really lit)
* characters repeatedly said “crap” and other choice words (including “hooker”, “get the hell out”, “hell no”, etc), and one character flipped another the bird
* characters were seen cutting class, blowing off school, and dropping out
* female characters were openly discussing their periods, pregnancy, and how many boys they’d slept with
* characters bullied others to do things they were not okay with, and laughed at them when they tried to say no
* characters mocked chastity (Rizzo still sang the line, “lousy with virginity”, and the boys danced suggestively when they listened to Danny talk about his summer with Sandy – just like in the movie. Rizzo also grabbed her breasts during one song.)
* characters treated the issue of teenage pregnancy as a natural consequence, and that one of the characters would “be okay” even if she was pregnant
and probably the most offensive was
* Danny trying to grope Sandy over & over at the drive-in, and Sandy repeatedly saying no. When she rejected him, the audience actually let out a sympathetic “aww…” for him, like it was so sad he couldn’t get any
Anyone who’s seen the movie or musical knows this stuff happens. My shock comes with the blatant lowering of standards in our society. There is no moral to be learned from the story in Grease. If anything, what can be learned is that it is okay to change your personality and lose your standards in order to keep your boyfriend or your new friends. Have fun, and consequences won’t really happen. Even Rizzo, faced with a pregnancy scare, got her story cleaned up by the end, and it is implied that her promiscuous behavior is alright after all. So what makes it okay for students to re-enact this for entertainment? That it’s a pop-culture "classic" despite its lack of moral integrity?
Someone on the school staff picked this play, and what’s more, the principal approved it. The parents were beaming when it was over. I overheard someone tell the director, “Looks like you have a hit on your hands!” The audience laughed and cheered when Sandy showed up at the end looking all slutty. All I could think was, does this make that young girl uncomfortable, everyone staring at her body? How do her parents possibly feel okay with this? And knowing what the story is all about, how do parents bring their younger children to see this in good conscience?
The most uncomfortable person in the audience was Dave. He’s a youth pastor. He was sitting with students. We were there to support the girl in our youth group who was in the show. How can Dave possibly discuss what was morally wrong about the show with the kids without making it seem like he didn’t support the student in it? If all the parents of the youth group were there cheering, what can Dave say? It was like we were in the Twilight Zone, I’m telling you. Like we were the only ones who thought it was questionable.
I’m not an idiot. I know that kids do and see all kinds of things that I wouldn’t approve of. So does Dave; that’s why he’s in ministry – he wants to counsel and teach students to live in a Christlike way. But how can he go about it when such a conflicting message is presented to the kids in all its glory?
We wrote an anonymous letter to the school principal this morning. It was the only way we felt we could state our opinions without being raked over the coals in this small town.
I like to be entertained. I like movies and shows, many of which contain questionable content. I am an adult with discernment. Teenagers, on the other hand, are heavily influenced by the things they see. What’s next on their high school stage? A play based on Pretty Woman? Will their next musical be Chicago? Are we going to see parents and school authorities endorse prostitution and murder, just because these are “classic” and popular stories? A couple of years ago at a middle school that I used to teach in, after the heightened popularity of the film Chicago, our middle schoolers were treated to a song & dance routine by the high school dance team next door. There were 16 year old girls decked out in full Chicago-dominatrix-style costumes, dancing provocatively to the “Cell Block Tango”. You can imagine the looks on my impressionable 6th-grade boys’ faces in the front row as they watched these teenage goddesses writhe around in front of them. Who approved that? Why is that okay? How can we compete with this as we try to raise our own kids to take the moral high ground?
Thus concludes my rant. Call me a goody-goody, laugh at me with my moral integrity if you wish, but I will not be a happy member of society with its diminishing standards. Come soon, Lord Jesus!
