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.

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The Kellermans' Rules for the Dancers

Early in the movie Dirty Dancing, Baby Houseman listens to Max Kellerman, the resort owner, restricts Johnny Castle's relationships with young female guests.

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.

No funny business, no conversations, and keep you hands off!

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.

Jesus, Billy! Now she's gonna run and tell her little management boyfriend and then we'll all get fired.

Why not sky-write it? -- "Penny got knocked up by Robbie, the creep."

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.

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Her Father's Relationship With Max Kellerman

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.

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Her Own Relationship With Neil Kellerman

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.

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Her Father's Recent Favors to Her

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.

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Penny and Johnny Owed Money to Baby

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.

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Penny's Precarious Condition

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.

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Her Age Difference With Johnny

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.

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I will criticize the ethics of Baby's seduction decision further in Part 2.

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In the meantime, watch the following superb video lecture by "Political Philosophy Guy" about normative ethics.