Critical Context: Dirty Dancing: Feminism, Post-Feminism, and Neo-Feminism

In the scholarly article "Dirty Dancing: Feminism, Postfeminism, and Neo-Feminism" written by Hilary Radner, she emphasizes two aspects of the film: "it's heroine, who is described as "a strong, compelling female character how is true to herself, her beliefs and her desires," and the film's treatment of abortion, the feminism of which becomes apparent when they re-assess their understanding of their "past" viewings of the film in the context of the present" (Radner 134). I would agree with Radner that the strong female character (Baby) finds who she truly is and what she stands for, the summer she spent at Kellerman's. She knew she wanted to make a difference in the world before that family vacation, but this was a different kind of change in the world. Baby impacted the lives of many underprivileged individuals in her own area. She didn't have to travel around the world to make a difference. She just took a few steps outside of what would be expected out of her and proved her father that there her betrayal to him wasn't such a horrible action. Her betrayal ended up making her more proud of the person she could be and the people she could help.

Radner also brings across the argument between, fairy tale or feminist statement. "...as a prototypical Cinderella/ugly ducking story, it seems to confirm the very tenets that feminism worked so hard to interrogate and undermine: that a woman's fulfillment is best achieved in the arms of a man..." (Radner 132). Like we discussed in WOM 102 earlier in the semester was how women don't need men to go through life. We don't depend on them. Both genders are capable of being strong and independent, not relying on the opposite gender for certain roles to be filled. For awhile in the film, Baby's father has a lot of say in what Baby does. When Neil asks if Baby would like to help with the talent show, Jake says, "Of course she would like to help!"  Baby always did what she thought would please her father most. She thought very highly of him and hoped she would meet a partner to settle down with someday that was as good as her dad, but as the story goes on, Baby begins to realize her father is a bit controlling in ways and isn't always 100% right on everything he does or says. Jake is holding Baby back from following her desires in life. When Baby breaks free and disobeys her father, she discovers a person who is more independent and ready to take on anything as she becomes more confident in her actions and what she is capable of changing for the better. There are certain roles where a man can hold a better role such as Penny suggest earlier in the film when teaching the guests to dance, she says, "Ladies, he's the boss on the dance floor but nowhere else." But other than that line, the women in this film seem to be pretty confident in speaking their mind, such as Baby's mom does at the end show, telling Jake to sit down.

"Dirty Dancing" truly is a coming-of-age film, filled with delightful surprises. "Baby is not only attracted to a working-class man, but is willing to risk her reputation to help him" (Radner 139).  So many sacrifices are made throughout the film. Baby sacrifices her relationship with her father multiple times by lying to him as she continues to see Johnny and helps Penny out with her abortion. Johnny risks his job as he beats up on Robbie and as he sleeps with Baby even though he was given specific instructions to keep his hands off all daughters, only to give them dance lessons. "Johnny and Frances learn from each other and "lead" each other in new directions. Johnny teaches Frances to dance, but she encourages him to value himself, because she values him, and to stand up for himself and for her" (Radner 144). These two are a great pair and have something special that they both can add to each others personalities changing them to become stronger and more mature human beings.

Radner's piece has a nice contribution to the film "Dirty Dancing"  in a way that it allows viewers to think outside of the box. Many viewers, including myself, would see this film as a love story and feel that it's about the passion for dance. However, there are some other valid points that Radner brings to the table to discuss how the film focuses on class, feminism, and abortion. All her points are made clear in the article and are very reasonable and convinced me/made me realize that there are many aspects to the film, that make is so much more enjoyable.

Work Cited:
Radner, Hilary. "Dirty Dancing: Feminism, Postfeminism, and Neo-Feminism." The Time of Our Lives: Dirty Dancing and Popular Culture. Eds. Yannis Tzioumakis and Sian Lincoln. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 2013. 131-149.