Personal Synthesis+Feminist Analysis

Class Related Materials and Discussion for Topics related to the film:
Social class level is very important at this resort. When it comes to food and wardrobe the two are distinctly different. The higher class has an abundance of food, so much left over that they are to throw it out. Baby feels guilty about it and wishes she could send it to SE Asia to the underdeveloped countries who don't have much food. While others in the resort don't seem to mind the fact they are wasting food, that's just a matter of life. The entertainment staff isn't as fortunate when it comes to food, they don't have a ton to choose from. They showed 3 big watermelons for all of them. The higher class wears more reserved with fancy dresses and business suit attire with dressier casual clothing compared to the lower class wearing barely any clothing that is more revealing and tighter fitting to show off their bodies.

Upper class:
Like the Upper Class Privilege handout we recieved in class, there are many more advantages to having more money. Like I mentioned in my Multimedia Connection, Sutter from "The Spectacular Now" followed the example of, "I can give my children an inheritance so their road is easier than the road of others". Another example that many ofthe Upper class individuals seem to care to notice is, "I have the freedom to overlook the feelings of others regarding my lack of feeling/awareness."
Baby is a higher-class individual that has big dreams of making a difference in the world as she wishes to join the peace corps and help underdeveloped countries. She is a more reserved girl while her sister Lisa doesn't know what she will accomplish in life. Baby says, "Lisa's here to just decorate the world."
Other characters such as Max and the waiter staff at Kellerman's are also wealthy and come from more privileged families. Max orders Bobby around to get the Baby's family's bags and he talks down to the entertainment staff. Max tells the waiters to give the girls everything they want, even the dogs, just to take good care of them and show them a good time but when the entertainment staff comes in, he ensures them that they will do what they are paid to do, teach dance lessons, they aren't to go any further.
Neil thinks he's pretty great since he's in hotel management. He's very arrogant as he says, "I'm kind of the catch of the county".
Robbie, as he is referring to knocking Penny up states, "Some people count, some people don't." He really thinks he is something special. It was his decision to sleep with her and now because she got pregnant he doesn't want anything to do with her and he have any empathy to help her get out of this mess. Penny thought he loved her, that's the only reason she slept with him. Robbie is a conniving man who uses his wealth to get women and then ditch them when he gets bored or something does't go right.
Lower class:
When Baby gets the money for Penny to have an abortion, she's in shock. "Is this kid for real?" Then when Johnny says, "It takes a real saint to go ask daddy." Penny gives the money back to Baby and says she can't accept the money. Johnny responds, "What are you doing Penny? Take the money." Penny seems like she really values Johnny's opinion and has a lot of pride in accepting what has happened to her and earning her own way to where she needs to be to get out of this mess.
Johnny is a very sensitive man. At first he seems pretty macho and negative towards Baby. "Little Miss.Fix it, would you do that? Would you take time out from Simon says to do this? You can't do it, you can't dance." However we see a different side of Johnny later as he takes full responsibility for Penny and does anything he can to keep her safe. He even tells her, "If you're in trouble, you come talk to me. I'm here for you." We don't see too many people having that much dedication towards others in the higher class. They all care more about themselves it seems. Johnny's sensitive side opens up when him and Baby sleep together. He talks about women throwing themselves at him, how they smell so good and it happens 2-3 times a day different women slipping their room keys into his hand. He's scoring big but he thinks, 'they wouldn't be doing this if they didn't are about me right?' Johnny started to feel used so when Baby came along he could tell things were different with her. He started to realize how love felt and what it meant to really feel appreciated and accepted. When he was with Baby he felt like a somebody instead of a nobody. The difference in class didn't matter that summer at Kellerman's.
Coming of Age:
Baby has sex with Johnny which is part of coming of age. She talks about waiting for someone special, just like our class discussion of young girls pledging themselves to their fathers and wearing purity rings. It's not quite that strict in this case but it's along the same lines of waiting for someone you have strong feelings for. Baby tries to talk Lisa out of wanting to have sex with Robbie because she knows how bad of a guy he is after he slept around with Penny and then didn't want anything to do with her. Baby was looking out for Lisa trying to keep her safe from getting hurt by a man who just sleeps around.
Stereotype:
Robbie is an example of a stereotypical man who sleeps around with women and does whatever it takes to get them to fall for him and want to sleep with him then when they are done he ditches them all together and doesn't want anything to do with them. He doesn't take any responsibility for his actions
Gender equality:
The women in this movie could be considered to have less value compared to the men. I noticed how there aren't any women employed in the summer staff at Kellerman's besides Penny as a dancer. And when women are in the picture they get much say in things. The men usually do the talking. The men have more power over the women. Jake offering Baby to help Neil. Neil bragging about being a laddies man. Robbie telling Lisa she can keep dreaming, that she won't get an apology. We talked about power and equality in the book "My Year of Meats", John and Akiko have a relationship where John devalues Akiko and talks down to her like he is so much better.