Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Friday, February 23, 2018
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Baby's sexual seduction of Johnny was unethical - Part 1
When Baby Houseman decided to sexually seduce Johnny Castle, she should have included the following considerations in her decision.
Early in the movie Dirty Dancing, Baby Houseman listens to Max Kellerman, the resort owner, restricts Johnny Castle's relationships with young female guests.
Baby's father and Max Kellerman had a special relationship with each other. Max felt that Dr. Houseman had saved his life, and so Max provided the resort's best suite, and he instructed his employees to provide favoring treatment to the Houseman family.
By seducing Johnny, Baby risked causing trouble in the relationship between her father and Max.
Baby's trouble-making might reflect not merely on herself, but rather on her entire family.
From the beginning of her stay at the resort, Baby engaged in a special relationship with Max's grandson Neil, who worked there as a manager Neil directly managed Johnny and Penny, and so Neil would have to discipline -- perhaps even fire -- them for violating the rules.
By seducing Johnny, Baby risked putting Neil into a managerial situation of having to punish Johnny. Neil's situation might be especially agonizing because it might affect his own personal affection for Baby and affect his grandfather's special relationship with Baby's father.
Although Baby's romantic relationship with Neil was rather casual on her part, she surely perceived that Neil was trying to move that relationship forward. She did not break off that relationship clearly with Neil before she decided to become sexual with Johnny.
Baby did not inform and discourage Neil gently. As Baby tried to keep her sexual relationship with Johnny secret, there was a growing possibility that Neil would learn about it in a way that might be shocking, traumatic and humiliating for him.
Just a few days before Baby seduced Johnny, her father had lent her $250 in a trusting manner.
Then, only an hour or two before Baby seduced Johnny, her father got out of bed in the middle of the night at Baby's request and went to Penny's cabin to provide his unpaid medical services in a troubling situation.
On that occasion, her father realized that she had lied to him about the purpose of the $250 loan. Although angry, her father controlled his temper. He refrained from rebuking Baby. In particular, he refrained from humiliating Baby in front of her friends, and he refrained from informing Baby's mother about Baby's recent conduct.
In this situation where Baby's father had treated Baby with extraordinary trust and self-control, he now warned her to stay away from Johnny and Penny -- for Baby's own good.
Despite the extraordinary favors that Baby had received from her father so recently, selflessly and generously, she betrayed her father immediately after he asked her to stay away from Johnny.
Baby had given $250 to Penny. Although Baby perhaps considered the money to be a gift, Penny and Johnny surely felt obligated to pay it back.
Also, the medical treatment of Penny's post-abortion problems might require another loan of money.
Furthermore, Baby now had substituted for Penny is a paying job. Perhaps Penny and Johnny felt obligated to give Baby half of the money that the Sheldrake Hotel had paid for the performance.
In general, Penny and Johnny were poor, and Baby belonged to a wealthy family.
When Baby indicated to Johnny that she wanted her relationship with him to become sexual, Johnny apparently was not eager to do so. He went along with her seduction despite his own better judgment.
Monetary considerations might have affected his decision. Just as a woman might feel obligated sexually to a man who has spent a lot of money on her, Johnny perhaps felt himself obligated to Baby.
Although Penny had received some first aide, there still was a considerable possibility that she might have to be hospitalized -- perhaps already during that very night. If a medical emergency developed, the main person who would be responsible for responding to her, transporting her and speaking for her would be Johnny. He had to be available for Penny.
In addition, Penny might need medical support or statements from Dr. Houseman or might need more money for medical treatment.
Furthermore, Johnny was preoccupied mentally about Penny's dire condition.
Although Baby surely felt that the night after her dance performance with Johnny was an optimum time to initiate a sexual relationship with him, Penny's medical emergency now made this night a bad time for Johnny, for Penny and for Baby herself in various respects.
Even if Baby still wanted to initiate a sexual relationship with Johnny, she should have postponed her actions to a later day, largely because of Penny's condition.
A rule of thumb about acceptable age differences in romantic relationships says to divide the older person's age in half and add seven. Since Baby was 17 years old, she should not involve herself with an older partner who is older than about 20, because (20 / 2 + 7) = 17.
Johnny is in at least his mid-twenties (Patrick Swayze was 34 years old when he played the role), and so he is too old for Baby. She seduced him into a relationship that probably would cause trouble for him merely because of their age difference.
Furthermore, the age difference between herself and Johnny would distress her parents if they ever found out about the relationship. Her parents already had various reasons to object to the relationship, and the age difference would be another big reason.
==========
I will criticize the ethics of Baby's seduction decision further in Part 2.
==========
In the meantime, watch the following superb video lecture by "Political Philosophy Guy" about normative ethics.
=====
The Kellermans' Rules for the Dancers
You got your own rules. Dance with the daughters. Teach 'em the mambo, the cha-cha, anything they pay for. That's it. That's where it ends.Later in the movie, in Baby's presence, Penny remarks the resort's dancers might be fired for violating the resort's rules about sexual relations.
No funny business, no conversations, and keep you hands off!
Jesus, Billy! Now she's gonna run and tell her little management boyfriend and then we'll all get fired.Baby's knowledge of the possible employment consequences for Johnny should have informed her about Johnny's obvious self-restraint in his personal relationship with her. It's likely that he feared dire consequences for himself -- and also his dance partner Penny Johnson -- if he were caught in a relationship that his employer forbad.
Why not sky-write it? -- "Penny got knocked up by Robbie, the creep."
=====
Her Father's Relationship With Max Kellerman
By seducing Johnny, Baby risked causing trouble in the relationship between her father and Max.
Baby's trouble-making might reflect not merely on herself, but rather on her entire family.
=====
Her Own Relationship With Neil Kellerman
By seducing Johnny, Baby risked putting Neil into a managerial situation of having to punish Johnny. Neil's situation might be especially agonizing because it might affect his own personal affection for Baby and affect his grandfather's special relationship with Baby's father.
Although Baby's romantic relationship with Neil was rather casual on her part, she surely perceived that Neil was trying to move that relationship forward. She did not break off that relationship clearly with Neil before she decided to become sexual with Johnny.
Baby did not inform and discourage Neil gently. As Baby tried to keep her sexual relationship with Johnny secret, there was a growing possibility that Neil would learn about it in a way that might be shocking, traumatic and humiliating for him.
=====
Her Father's Recent Favors to Her
Then, only an hour or two before Baby seduced Johnny, her father got out of bed in the middle of the night at Baby's request and went to Penny's cabin to provide his unpaid medical services in a troubling situation.
On that occasion, her father realized that she had lied to him about the purpose of the $250 loan. Although angry, her father controlled his temper. He refrained from rebuking Baby. In particular, he refrained from humiliating Baby in front of her friends, and he refrained from informing Baby's mother about Baby's recent conduct.
In this situation where Baby's father had treated Baby with extraordinary trust and self-control, he now warned her to stay away from Johnny and Penny -- for Baby's own good.
Despite the extraordinary favors that Baby had received from her father so recently, selflessly and generously, she betrayed her father immediately after he asked her to stay away from Johnny.
=====
Penny and Johnny Owed Money to Baby
Also, the medical treatment of Penny's post-abortion problems might require another loan of money.
Furthermore, Baby now had substituted for Penny is a paying job. Perhaps Penny and Johnny felt obligated to give Baby half of the money that the Sheldrake Hotel had paid for the performance.
In general, Penny and Johnny were poor, and Baby belonged to a wealthy family.
When Baby indicated to Johnny that she wanted her relationship with him to become sexual, Johnny apparently was not eager to do so. He went along with her seduction despite his own better judgment.
Monetary considerations might have affected his decision. Just as a woman might feel obligated sexually to a man who has spent a lot of money on her, Johnny perhaps felt himself obligated to Baby.
=====
Penny's Precarious Condition
In addition, Penny might need medical support or statements from Dr. Houseman or might need more money for medical treatment.
Furthermore, Johnny was preoccupied mentally about Penny's dire condition.
Although Baby surely felt that the night after her dance performance with Johnny was an optimum time to initiate a sexual relationship with him, Penny's medical emergency now made this night a bad time for Johnny, for Penny and for Baby herself in various respects.
Even if Baby still wanted to initiate a sexual relationship with Johnny, she should have postponed her actions to a later day, largely because of Penny's condition.
=====
Her Age Difference With Johnny
Johnny is in at least his mid-twenties (Patrick Swayze was 34 years old when he played the role), and so he is too old for Baby. She seduced him into a relationship that probably would cause trouble for him merely because of their age difference.
Furthermore, the age difference between herself and Johnny would distress her parents if they ever found out about the relationship. Her parents already had various reasons to object to the relationship, and the age difference would be another big reason.
==========
I will criticize the ethics of Baby's seduction decision further in Part 2.
==========
In the meantime, watch the following superb video lecture by "Political Philosophy Guy" about normative ethics.
Monday, February 19, 2018
The Intrusion of Baby's Father Into Her Seduction of Johnny
I suppose there are two major opinions about when Baby Houseman decided to seduce Johnny Castle.
Perhaps the more common opinion is that she decided to do so rather spontaneously while she was in his cabin and talking with him about their various feelings and concerns.
In contrast, my own opinion is that she made her decision before she traveled with him to the Sheldrake Hotel. I explained my opinion in a previous article titled Baby intended to seduce Johnny when they returned from the Sheldrake. That article included the following passages.
If you still prefer the first opinion -- that Baby decided while talking with Johnny in his cabin -- then please consider my opinion anyway, just for the sake of argument. If my opinion is correct, then the appearance of Jake Houseman in the middle of Baby's scheme provides a much better drama.
Consider this sequence of events:
Baby is in the middle of her scheme to seduce Johnny, and then unexpectedly she has to go bring her father into the scene. Then while he is in the scene, her father orders her never to have anything to do with Johnny.
And then she immediately disobeys her father and goes to Johnny's cabin and gets sexual with him.
This story is much more exciting than the story where she does not make her seduction decision until she is in the cabin and talking with Johnny.
=====
This difference of opinion about when Baby made her seduction decision is an interesting discussion topic for students of the movie. Both opinions can be argued well. The deletion of part of the scene where Baby and Lisa talk about Baby's lying is an important consideration.
A person watching the movie for the first time has no reason to think that Baby intends already during the Sheldrake trip to seduce Johnny. The first-time watcher does not know yet that the seduction will happen.
Only in retrospect -- or during a re-watching -- might the watcher suspect that Baby made her seduction decision far earlier than the actual seduction.
=====
When the story was filmed, Baby threatened to lie about Lisa -- to lie that Lisa left Baby alone when their parents went to the wedding Washington -- to their parents. Although that dialogue was filmed, it eventually was deleted from the movie. That deletion significantly changed the movie audience's understanding of Baby and of her actions during the following hours that night.
I developed my different opinion about Baby's seduction decision after I learned that she had made that threat to Lisa in a bit of dialogue that was deleted before the movie was shown to the public. It's quite debatable how much anyone should base his interpretation of a movie on elements that have been deleted.
In this particular case, I argue that the new interpretation provides better, more exciting drama.
This is a good discussion topic for movie students.
Perhaps the more common opinion is that she decided to do so rather spontaneously while she was in his cabin and talking with him about their various feelings and concerns.
In contrast, my own opinion is that she made her decision before she traveled with him to the Sheldrake Hotel. I explained my opinion in a previous article titled Baby intended to seduce Johnny when they returned from the Sheldrake. That article included the following passages.
.... Although Johnny intended to stop spending time with Baby, she wanted to continue and develop her relationship with Johnny. She had three goals:
1) To lose her virginity to him.
2) To continue learning to dance from him.
3) To prepare a dance performance with him for the talent show.
Baby did not have money to pay Johnny for private dance lessons or for help in performing at the talent show. She already owed $250 to her father, so she would not get much more money from him.
=====
The video clip showing Baby's conversation with Lisa on bingo night reveals that Baby has become uncharacteristically ruthless, deceitful and manipulative.
This scene -- although partially deleted from the movie -- provides an informative context for evaluating Baby's effort to continue and develop her relationship with Johnny. Tonight Baby will do whatever it takes to succeed, no matter how her desperate methods might contradict her lifetime of developing her superb ethical character and reputation. Baby intended to seduce Johnny sexually that night so that he would continue to spend time with him through her remaining days at the resort.=====
If you still prefer the first opinion -- that Baby decided while talking with Johnny in his cabin -- then please consider my opinion anyway, just for the sake of argument. If my opinion is correct, then the appearance of Jake Houseman in the middle of Baby's scheme provides a much better drama.
Consider this sequence of events:
From a distance, Baby sees her parents go into the hotel to play bingo. Baby runs up and asks her sister Lisa to lie to their parents that Baby will be staying in her hotel room all evening because of a headache.Yikes !!!!
Baby travels with Johnny to and from the Sheldrake. Baby is scheming to seduce Johnny eventually that night.
Baby and Johnny learn that Penny Johnson is in mortal danger after an abortion
Baby is compelled to go to her family's hotel suite to get her father and bring him to Penny's cabin.
Her father treats Penny and realizes that Baby used his $250 to pay for the abortion.
On their walk back to the family's hotel suite, Baby's father forbids her to have anything more to do with Johnny and Penny.
Baby's father goes back to bed, while Baby makes a show of removing the makeup from her face.
Baby sneaks out of the family's suite and goes to Johnny's cabin to accomplish her intention to seduce him.
Baby is in the middle of her scheme to seduce Johnny, and then unexpectedly she has to go bring her father into the scene. Then while he is in the scene, her father orders her never to have anything to do with Johnny.
And then she immediately disobeys her father and goes to Johnny's cabin and gets sexual with him.
This story is much more exciting than the story where she does not make her seduction decision until she is in the cabin and talking with Johnny.
=====
This difference of opinion about when Baby made her seduction decision is an interesting discussion topic for students of the movie. Both opinions can be argued well. The deletion of part of the scene where Baby and Lisa talk about Baby's lying is an important consideration.
A person watching the movie for the first time has no reason to think that Baby intends already during the Sheldrake trip to seduce Johnny. The first-time watcher does not know yet that the seduction will happen.
Only in retrospect -- or during a re-watching -- might the watcher suspect that Baby made her seduction decision far earlier than the actual seduction.
=====
When the story was filmed, Baby threatened to lie about Lisa -- to lie that Lisa left Baby alone when their parents went to the wedding Washington -- to their parents. Although that dialogue was filmed, it eventually was deleted from the movie. That deletion significantly changed the movie audience's understanding of Baby and of her actions during the following hours that night.
I developed my different opinion about Baby's seduction decision after I learned that she had made that threat to Lisa in a bit of dialogue that was deleted before the movie was shown to the public. It's quite debatable how much anyone should base his interpretation of a movie on elements that have been deleted.
In this particular case, I argue that the new interpretation provides better, more exciting drama.
This is a good discussion topic for movie students.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
I loved Sigrid Berenson's song, but it's gone
All the videos of Sigrid Berenson singing her song "Patrick Swayze" at the Melodifestival 2018 have been removed from YouTube. I LOVED all three of those videos!
I loved especially the video where she was wrapping herself in tape and speaking the lovely Swedish language.
This is all that is left on YouTube now.
=====
I hope that the videos were not removed because of me.
Really, does anyone in Sweden read my niche blog?
=====
In the below video, a dopey Swede, Henrik Larsson, criticizes Berenson and her song. (Skip the video's first minute.)
I do not agree with Larsson's dopey opinion at all.
I loved especially the video where she was wrapping herself in tape and speaking the lovely Swedish language.
This is all that is left on YouTube now.
=====
I hope that the videos were not removed because of me.
Really, does anyone in Sweden read my niche blog?
=====
In the below video, a dopey Swede, Henrik Larsson, criticizes Berenson and her song. (Skip the video's first minute.)
I do not agree with Larsson's dopey opinion at all.
Baby's Feelings of Lust and Love Toward Johnny
Baby has come into Johnny's cabin in order to seduce him sexually. She tells him about her feelings.
She does not name the desperate feelings she experiences when she's with him -- but those unnamed feelings are lust and love.
She recognizes that those two feelings of hers are not reciprocated by Johnny. He has not said or done anything to indicate that he feels lust or love toward her. Because her own feelings are not reciprocated, she is scared also that her expression of those feelings to Johnny will lead to her own humiliation. Johnny will be compelled to tell Baby that he does not feel lust and love toward him, and she will have to walk out of the room knowing that painful fact.
======
Earlier that day, Baby had talked with Penny about feelings. Baby had said she felt scared about forgetting dance moves during her performance at the Sheldrake Hotel, while Penny had wanted to talk about her own feelings of lust, love and fear.
=====
All day, among many strong emotions, Baby felt lust toward Johnny. She felt compelled to become sexual with him. My previous post titled Baby intended to seduce Johnny when they returned from the Sheldrake concluded as follows:
Baby intended that after the Sheldrake performance she would become sexual with Johnny. She bared her breasts on the ride to the Sheldrake and again on the ride back to Kellerman's. However, Johnny did not respond to her hint. He did not stop the car in a secluded location and engage her sexually.
At that moment, Johnny and Baby's parting was interrupted by Billy's report that Penny was suffering some crisis.
=====
What would Baby have done if Billy had not interrupted?
======
By the time Baby invited herself into Johnny's cabin, she was troubled by the following feelings:
=====
Johnny's confession about his own feelings of inferiority and insecurity encourages Baby. Until Johnny's confession, Baby had felt he was far too superior to deign to involve himself romantically with her. Johnny's confession of his own vulnerability suddenly caused Baby to feel that Johnny was attainable.
Suddenly, Baby's feeling of love overwhelmed all her other feelings. Her feeling of love compelled her to take the risk of expressing her feelings of lust and love toward him. She herself made the next seductive move -- she asked him to dance with her. She took the risk of being rejected.
======
* She feels sorry about the way her father treated him.
* She feels scared of never feeling again the way she feels when she's with him.
She does not name the desperate feelings she experiences when she's with him -- but those unnamed feelings are lust and love.
She recognizes that those two feelings of hers are not reciprocated by Johnny. He has not said or done anything to indicate that he feels lust or love toward her. Because her own feelings are not reciprocated, she is scared also that her expression of those feelings to Johnny will lead to her own humiliation. Johnny will be compelled to tell Baby that he does not feel lust and love toward him, and she will have to walk out of the room knowing that painful fact.
======
Earlier that day, Baby had talked with Penny about feelings. Baby had said she felt scared about forgetting dance moves during her performance at the Sheldrake Hotel, while Penny had wanted to talk about her own feelings of lust, love and fear.
Baby HousemanBaby was preoccupied with her own feelings of lust, love and fear.
I'm afraid I'm gonna forget to spike, get dizzy and fall on my face. No. Don't look at my feet, keep my head up, my eyes open. Tension in my arms, my frame locked, seat pulled up.
Penny Johnson
Thanks, Baby. Look, I just want you to know that I don't sleep around, whatever Robbie might have told you. And I thought that he loved me. I thought it was something special. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that.
Baby Houseman
So, how does it look?
Penny Johnson
I'm scared. I'm so scared, Baby.
Baby Houseman
Don't worry. You'll be fine.
=====
All day, among many strong emotions, Baby felt lust toward Johnny. She felt compelled to become sexual with him. My previous post titled Baby intended to seduce Johnny when they returned from the Sheldrake concluded as follows:
* ... her [Baby's] breasts were bare twice while she was in the car's back seat that night.=====
* When the car arrives at Penny's cabin, Baby continues to sit in the car while Johnny gets out to go visit Penny briefly. Baby is afraid that the situation might develop is such a way that she does not get back into the car -- that she will be expected to simply walk back to her hotel room. Baby wants to make sure that she will be in the car after Johnny gets back into the car.
* Baby remains sitting in the car, primping her face in the rear-view mirror. Johnny walks around the car's front and opens her passenger door, so she does get out of the car after all.
* Johnny takes both her hands into both his own hands for a moment. He seems to be expressing his idea that now he and she are departing from each other. He makes no motion to kiss her goodbye. Rather, he simply holds her hands for a moment as his platonic method of communicating his goodbye. Baby is not supposed to go into an employee's cabin.
* Then Johnny turns away from Baby before Billy approaches. Billy's announcement that Penny is suffering some problem gives Baby an unexpected reason to stay with Johnny by going along with him to Penny's cabin.
======
Penny's crisis delays Baby's plan to seduce Johnny immediately after they return from the Sheldrake to Kellerman's. Although she did arouse him by exposing her bare breasts, his arousal was dissipated by the time Dr. Jake Houseman finished treating Penny.
Afterwards, Jake forbade Baby from seeing Johnny again.
After Jake went back to bed, however, Baby, still wearing the same white, embroidered peasant blouse, went to Johnny's cabin and accomplished her plan to seduce him.
Baby intended that after the Sheldrake performance she would become sexual with Johnny. She bared her breasts on the ride to the Sheldrake and again on the ride back to Kellerman's. However, Johnny did not respond to her hint. He did not stop the car in a secluded location and engage her sexually.
* He did not say, "I want to show you a place that's beautiful at night".He just kept driving. He drove to the vicinity of Penny's cabin and got out of the car to go see Penny. Baby remained sitting in the car, but Johnny walked around to the passenger door and indicated to Baby that they should part from each other. He would go to Penny's cabin, and Baby was supposed to go back to her hotel room.
* He did not say, "Let me stop so that we can talk some more about the dance."
At that moment, Johnny and Baby's parting was interrupted by Billy's report that Penny was suffering some crisis.
=====
What would Baby have done if Billy had not interrupted?
* She might have abandoned her seduction effort and gone back to her hotel room.I think Baby would have told Johnny she wanted to avoid running into her parents or sister that evening. She did not want to go back to her hotel room until after they all were asleep. Baby would have given Johnny that reason to invite her into his cabin for a while.
* She might have continued her seduction effort and tried to persuade Johnny to take her to his cabin.
======
By the time Baby invited herself into Johnny's cabin, she was troubled by the following feelings:
* Disappointment that Johnny had not made any sexual moves toward her.Now that she has come into Johnny's cabin and engaged him in conversation, however, she learns that he is troubled by his own emotions. Johnny tells her that he feels that people treat him like he is nothing because he really he is nothing. He fears he might fall suddenly back into poverty, where he has to eat Jujubes to keep alive. He feels he cannot do anything to make the world better.
* Frustration that her baring of her breasts apparently had not excited Johnny.
* Worry that Penny was sick because of her abortion.
* Embarrassment her father had realized she had lied to him about the $250.
* Fear because she was disobeying her father's order to stay away from the dancers.
* Sorrow because her father had treated Johnny rudely.
=====
Johnny's confession about his own feelings of inferiority and insecurity encourages Baby. Until Johnny's confession, Baby had felt he was far too superior to deign to involve himself romantically with her. Johnny's confession of his own vulnerability suddenly caused Baby to feel that Johnny was attainable.
Suddenly, Baby's feeling of love overwhelmed all her other feelings. Her feeling of love compelled her to take the risk of expressing her feelings of lust and love toward him. She herself made the next seductive move -- she asked him to dance with her. She took the risk of being rejected.
======
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Friday, February 16, 2018
People treat me like nothing, because I'm nothing
After Jake Houseman treated Penny Johnson for her abortion consequences, he rudely assumed that she had become pregnant from Johnny Castle. Later that night, Baby Houseman came into Johnny Castle's cabin to apologize about her father's rude assumption.
======
After Baby says You're everything, Johnny's response is illogical. He blathers incoherently about eating Jujubes, about diamonds being stuffed in his pockets, and about balancing on shit.
I will arrange Johnny's talk into a logical structure.
The circumstance of Johnny's talk is that Baby said she is sorry about the way her father treated Johnny. Specifically, her father refused to shake Johnny's hand. Watch the following video from 1:30.
By refusing to shake Johnny's hand, Jake Houseman essentially treated Johnny "like nothing". Now Baby has come to tell Johnny that she is sorry that her father treated Johnny so.
Johnny responds essentially that Jake has the right to treat him like nothing, because Jake is great. Compared to great Jake, Johnny is nothing. Therefore great Jake should not be blamed for refusing to shake Johnny's hand.
Then Baby tries to explain that the actual reason why her father refused to shake Johnny's hand was that he wanted to display to Baby his anger about the situation.
Of course, Baby is essentially wrong and Johnny is essentially right. Jake indeed was angry at Johnny, no matter whether he was angry also at Baby. By refusing to shake Johnny's hand, Jake indeed intended to insult Johnny -- to treat Johnny "like nothing".
Up to this point in their conversation, Johnny has been rather logical. Now he summarizes his logic.
This statement comprises two assertions:
Baby does not contradict, however, the first assertion. After all, she has just seen with her own eyes that her own father indeed treats Johnny like he is nothing.
Essentially, therefore, both Johnny and Baby agree with the first assertion. Indeed, people -- for example, Jake Houseman -- do treat Johnny like he is nothing.
Now Johnny begins his incoherent blather about Jujubes, diamonds and shit. Essentially, he is explaining to Baby that he indeed is nothing. Although he enjoys occasional, fleeting moments when he receives diamonds, he usually he is poor and desperate. Usually he is nothing -- compared to, for example, a great doctor.
=====
However, Johnny's incoherent blather contains an important nuance.
Women stuff diamonds into Johnny's pockets.
The people who treat Johnny like he is nothing are OTHER MEN.
Johnny feels like he is nothing compared to OTHER MEN.
Furthermore, as a male professional dancer, Johnny feels he is always suspected of being homosexual by OTHER MEN.
If Jake now becomes convinced that Johnny did not impregnate Penny, then that will simply confirm to Jake that Johnny might be homosexual.
Baby does not realize that Johnny's inferiority complex is related to his masculinity. She perceives only that he is extremely masculine, and so she has come into his cabin to present to him her virginity. In that regard, at this moment, Baby feels that Johnny is EVERYTHING.
So, in this particular dialogue, Baby and Johnny are talking past each other. She does not realize that he feels he is nothing in the eyes of OTHER MEN.
Baby HousemanThe above dialogue is spoken in the first 1:33 minutes of the following video.
Can I come in?
Johnny Castle
I got a -- I guess it's not a great room. You probably got a great room.
Baby Houseman
No. It's a great room! No, leave it on. I'm sorry about the way my father treated you.
Johnny Castle
No. Your father was great. He was great. The way he took care of Penny.
Baby Houseman
Yes, but I mean the way he was with you. It's really me it has to do with, Johnny, I came here because my father ....
Johnny Castle
No. The way he saved her -- I could never do anything like that. That was something. The reason people treat me like I'm nothing is because I’m nothing.
Baby Houseman
That's not true! You, you're everything!
Johnny Castle
You don't understand the way it is for somebody like me. Last month I'm eating Jujubes to keep alive. This month, women are stuffing diamonds in my pockets. I'm balancing on shit and, quick as that, I can be down there again.
======
After Baby says You're everything, Johnny's response is illogical. He blathers incoherently about eating Jujubes, about diamonds being stuffed in his pockets, and about balancing on shit.
I will arrange Johnny's talk into a logical structure.
The circumstance of Johnny's talk is that Baby said she is sorry about the way her father treated Johnny. Specifically, her father refused to shake Johnny's hand. Watch the following video from 1:30.
By refusing to shake Johnny's hand, Jake Houseman essentially treated Johnny "like nothing". Now Baby has come to tell Johnny that she is sorry that her father treated Johnny so.
Johnny responds essentially that Jake has the right to treat him like nothing, because Jake is great. Compared to great Jake, Johnny is nothing. Therefore great Jake should not be blamed for refusing to shake Johnny's hand.
Then Baby tries to explain that the actual reason why her father refused to shake Johnny's hand was that he wanted to display to Baby his anger about the situation.
Of course, Baby is essentially wrong and Johnny is essentially right. Jake indeed was angry at Johnny, no matter whether he was angry also at Baby. By refusing to shake Johnny's hand, Jake indeed intended to insult Johnny -- to treat Johnny "like nothing".
Up to this point in their conversation, Johnny has been rather logical. Now he summarizes his logic.
The reason people treat me like I'm nothing
is because I'm nothing.
is because I'm nothing.
This statement comprises two assertions:
1) People treat me like I'm nothingBaby contradicts only the second assertion by saying You're everything!
2) I am nothing.
Baby does not contradict, however, the first assertion. After all, she has just seen with her own eyes that her own father indeed treats Johnny like he is nothing.
Essentially, therefore, both Johnny and Baby agree with the first assertion. Indeed, people -- for example, Jake Houseman -- do treat Johnny like he is nothing.
Now Johnny begins his incoherent blather about Jujubes, diamonds and shit. Essentially, he is explaining to Baby that he indeed is nothing. Although he enjoys occasional, fleeting moments when he receives diamonds, he usually he is poor and desperate. Usually he is nothing -- compared to, for example, a great doctor.
=====
However, Johnny's incoherent blather contains an important nuance.
Women treat Johnny like he is great.
Women stuff diamonds into Johnny's pockets.
The people who treat Johnny like he is nothing are OTHER MEN.
Johnny feels like he is nothing compared to OTHER MEN.
Furthermore, as a male professional dancer, Johnny feels he is always suspected of being homosexual by OTHER MEN.
If Jake now becomes convinced that Johnny did not impregnate Penny, then that will simply confirm to Jake that Johnny might be homosexual.
Baby does not realize that Johnny's inferiority complex is related to his masculinity. She perceives only that he is extremely masculine, and so she has come into his cabin to present to him her virginity. In that regard, at this moment, Baby feels that Johnny is EVERYTHING.
So, in this particular dialogue, Baby and Johnny are talking past each other. She does not realize that he feels he is nothing in the eyes of OTHER MEN.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Eating Jujubes to Keep Alive
After Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle have performed at the Sheldrake Hotel and then after her father has come to Penny Johnson's cabin to treat her abortion consequences, Baby comes to Johnny's cabin and apologizes because her father treated Johnny rudely. During that conversation, Johnny compares himself to Baby's father.
This conversation takes place on the night of August 29-30, so "last month" would be about the end of July. Maybe you could argue that "last month" was any time during July. However, Johnny and Penny have been working at Kellerman's Mountain Home since June. Penny became pregnant there in June.
If Johnny was employed at Kellerman's during the entire month of July, then why did he have to eat Jujubes to keep alive during that month?
Maybe Johnny's chronology was simply rather loose. He meant to say that in May -- before his summer job at Kellerman's began -- he had to eat Jujubes to keep alive, and then in June -- when his summer job began -- women were stuffing diamonds in his pockets.
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The Wikipedia article about Jujubes includes the following illustrations and passages.
Jujubes are commonly sold in movie theaters. According to an Old Time Candy webpage, the current price for a 5.5 oz. box is about $2.00. A case of 12 such boxes costs about $21.
On that webpage, a reader shares the following memories:
Let's think about his in 2018 prices. If Johnny pays $21 for a case of 12 boxes of Jujubes, then pays about $1.75 a box. Since each box weighs 5.5 ounces, he pays about $5 for a pound of Jujubes.
The current per-pound prices for meats include $3.79 for ground beef, $3.99 for ground pork, and $4.49 for pork chops. So, Johnny is paying significantly more per pound for Jujubes than he would pay for meat. (Click on the below images to enlarge them.)
Here are some other per-pound prices for food from just six years ago.
Johnny pays a lot more per pound for Jujubes than he would pay for bread, fruit, milk, eggs or chicken.
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A Saving Money in Real Life webpage calculates that if you buy bread, peanut butter and jelly in a grocery store and make peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches at home, then the cost per sandwich is about 40 cents.
So, for the $5 that Johnny spends for a pound of Jujubes, he could make about a dozen peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.
One box of Jujubes costs about $2 -- about the same cost for making five PBJ sandwiches.
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Although Johnny pays $5 per pound for Jujubes, a Fooducate webpage gives Jujubes a D+ grade for nutrition. (Click on the below images to enlarge them.)
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A lot of people -- even if they have lived their entire lives in the USA -- are not familiar with the word Jujubes. Putting this word into this dialogue was a bad decision.
Especially since the movie Dirty Dancing has a Jewish subtext, some people watching the movie might have guessed mistakenly that Jujubes are a Jewish food. After all, the name sounds like Jew-Jew-Bees.
Johnny CastleThe above dialogue begins at about 1:10 in the following video.
No. The way he saved her -- I could never do anything like that. That was something. The reason people treat me like I'm nothing because I’m nothing.
Baby Houseman
That's not true! You, you're everything!
Johnny Castle
You don't understand the way it is for somebody like me. Last month I'm eating Jujubes to keep alive. This month, women are stuffing diamonds in my pockets. I'm balancing on shit and, quick as that, I can be down there again.
This conversation takes place on the night of August 29-30, so "last month" would be about the end of July. Maybe you could argue that "last month" was any time during July. However, Johnny and Penny have been working at Kellerman's Mountain Home since June. Penny became pregnant there in June.
If Johnny was employed at Kellerman's during the entire month of July, then why did he have to eat Jujubes to keep alive during that month?
Maybe Johnny's chronology was simply rather loose. He meant to say that in May -- before his summer job at Kellerman's began -- he had to eat Jujubes to keep alive, and then in June -- when his summer job began -- women were stuffing diamonds in his pockets.
=====
The Wikipedia article about Jujubes includes the following illustrations and passages.
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| Jujubes Box Cover |
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| Jujube Pieces |
American jujubes are a type of starch, gum and corn syrup based candy drops originally produced by the Heide Candy Company. They are much stiffer than their relatives (e.g. Jujyfruits). ...=====
The candy came to prominence in the mid-20th century. As with most candies of this era, although jujubes are sweet in taste and generally colorful, they do not have the strong and distinctive flavor of modern candies due to the expense of chemical flavorants at the time.
The manufacturer's website states, "Jujubes, known for their hard, break-glass quality texture, began production in 1920. ... The current flavor lineup is lemon (yellow), lilac (orange), lime (green), cherry (red), and violet (purple)."
Due to their hard, dense, resinous nature, Jujubes are often eaten as a hard candy — "tenderized" rather than chewed. Individual Jujubes can be allowed to gradually rehydrate in the mouth with gentle chewing. When chewed hard, they could glue the upper and lower teeth together. When frozen, they become brittle and break when chewed.
Jujubes are commonly sold in movie theaters. According to an Old Time Candy webpage, the current price for a 5.5 oz. box is about $2.00. A case of 12 such boxes costs about $21.
On that webpage, a reader shares the following memories:
I was raised in Hollywood, Calfornia. My mom was a movie reviewer on radio KMPC and used to take me to movie premiers on the Boulevard two or three times a week from 1953 until 1959. Although I enjoyed Charms candy drops and the occasional Big Hunk, 9 times out of 10 I got a box of Jujubes.=====
Mom liked them because they would keep me occupied for most of the feature (we usually had two features, a cartoon and newsreel most of the time) and also it was not messy to eat. The flavors of Jujubes were also very neat. The grape and the lime were my very favorites because they tasted so rich in flavor.
If I was very good, and took out the trash or something else particularly good, mom would come home with a box of Jujubes as a treat. I kept them in my "secret cigar box" with my picture postcard collection, cowboy sheriff badge, and toy cars. ~ Christian from California
Let's think about his in 2018 prices. If Johnny pays $21 for a case of 12 boxes of Jujubes, then pays about $1.75 a box. Since each box weighs 5.5 ounces, he pays about $5 for a pound of Jujubes.
The current per-pound prices for meats include $3.79 for ground beef, $3.99 for ground pork, and $4.49 for pork chops. So, Johnny is paying significantly more per pound for Jujubes than he would pay for meat. (Click on the below images to enlarge them.)
 |
| Current Meat Prices |
Johnny pays a lot more per pound for Jujubes than he would pay for bread, fruit, milk, eggs or chicken.
=====
A Saving Money in Real Life webpage calculates that if you buy bread, peanut butter and jelly in a grocery store and make peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches at home, then the cost per sandwich is about 40 cents.
So, for the $5 that Johnny spends for a pound of Jujubes, he could make about a dozen peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.
 |
| A peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich costs about 40 cents to make. |
One box of Jujubes costs about $2 -- about the same cost for making five PBJ sandwiches.
=====
Although Johnny pays $5 per pound for Jujubes, a Fooducate webpage gives Jujubes a D+ grade for nutrition. (Click on the below images to enlarge them.)
 |
| Fooducate gives Jujubes a nutritional grade of D+ |
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A lot of people -- even if they have lived their entire lives in the USA -- are not familiar with the word Jujubes. Putting this word into this dialogue was a bad decision.
Especially since the movie Dirty Dancing has a Jewish subtext, some people watching the movie might have guessed mistakenly that Jujubes are a Jewish food. After all, the name sounds like Jew-Jew-Bees.