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.

Baby Houseman
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.

The above dialogue is spoken in the first 1:33 minutes of the following video.

======

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.

This statement comprises two assertions:

1) People treat me like I'm nothing

2) I am nothing.

Baby contradicts only the second assertion by saying You're everything!

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.