Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Monday, August 27, 2018
The Wrath of Johnny Castle -- Part 7
This post follows Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6.
======
During the Dirty Dancing story, seventeen-year-old Baby Houseman has to deal with the anger of three older men.
Johnny became angry because of the actual situation, whereas Jake and Max became angry because of mistaken assumptions.
======
Johnny
In a previous post, titled Johnny's Initial Hostility Toward Baby, I pointed out that during the movie's first part he expressed hostility and anger when ....
When Baby became Johnny's dance student, he treated her rather politely. When only two days remained until the Sheldrake performance, however, his anxiety about Baby's inadequate preparation caused him to yell at her and then to violently break a window of his own car.
Later, he became angry at Baby for her hesitation to inform her father about her relationship with Johnny. This anger exploded violently when he attacked and beat Robbie.
======
Jake
Jake is a relatively rare Jew who votes Republican, because he is a successful doctor who opposes government interference in the free-market medical business. Until recently, he had persuaded Baby to accept his political opinions. This year, however, she has become concerned about poor people and so has begun to challenge and even oppose his political opinions.
Soon after the movie begins, Jake (along with his wife Marge) mocks Baby's supposed intention "to save the world". Although Jake does so in a joking manner, he is angry inwardly about Baby's new politics.
Jake agrees to give Baby $250 because he does preach private charity and assumes mistakenly that she will lend the money to Neil, who is not poor but is in some temporary trouble.
When Jake realizes, however, that Baby has donated the money for an illegal abortion, he becomes furious. The illegal abortion itself is not his main focus. Rather, he does not want his college-bound daughter to involve herself with a bunch of under-educated trouble-makers.
Jake reflexively forbids Baby to socialize with them any more, and later declares that they are "bad and mean".
In the movie's Jewish subtext, Jake is bothered also by the future possibility that Baby might marry a Gentile. Keep in mind that the story takes place a mere 18 years after the Holocaust. Even liberal Jews felt that Jews needed now to replenish their population in the world.
The sharpest point of Jake's anger is his assumption that Johnny has impregnated Penny out of wedlock. Jake's worst nightmare is that Johnny -- or some other man like Johnny -- eventually might impregnate Baby or Lisa out of wedlock. Especially Baby has the potential to follow in Jake's footsteps to become a doctor like himself.
Jake's anger is directed at Baby and separately at Johnny and is not resolved until the movie's very end.
Jake does not become angry, but he attempts to isolate his anger's targets. In particular, he orders Baby to stay away from her new friends. Baby comes to feel even that he is isolating her from the family.
Jake is angry mainly about a mistaken assumption -- that Johnny was the culprit in Penny's out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
=====
Max
Although Max employs Johnny, he is hostile toward him.
As Max is encouraging his Jewish employees in the restaurant to romance the young female guests, he mocks Johnny, who is walking casually through the restaurant. He reminds Johnny to not become involved romantically with those guests.
Max feels that Jews should marry only other Jews -- especially during this generation that is following the Holocaust.
Later that evening, Max becomes angry that Johnny continues dancing a mambo with Penny too long. He motions angrily across his throat, signalling to Johnny to begin helping the guests to dance.
In general, Max has created a hostile atmosphere in which Johnny and the other dancers fear constantly that they might be fired for even some trivial violation of rules.
Max feels that he must be punitive so that he can maintain control over his employees.
When Max assumes mistakenly that a guest's wallet was stolen by Johnny, Max angrily decides to fire Johnny. Jake's anger is mitigated by his glee in demonstrating his firing technique to his grandson Neil.
Max does not direct his anger toward Baby, but he does not care that his firing of Johnny will upset Baby. Perhaps Max is inwardly angry that Baby has dumped his grandson Neil in order to become romantically, even sexually, involved with Johnny.
Max is angry about a mistaken assumption -- that Johnny was the culprit in the theft of the wallet.
======
Ironically, violent Johnny's anger is much more correct than the anger of self-controlled Jake and Max.
Johnny's assumptions and concerns are generally correct. He is angry about actual facts.
Johnny sometimes becomes violent, but his relatively low social status has taught him to be rather careful about his anger.
Because Jake and Max enjoy high social status and authority, however, they are too rarely contradicted about their assumptions. Few people ever dare to tell the surgeon Jake or the hotel owner Max that they are wrong. Therefore Jake and Max sometimes become angry and vindictive about assumptions that are factually wrong.
When angry, Jake and Max do not have to become violent, because they can simply get rid of people they do not like. They can get rid of troublesome other people by firing them or by calling the police on them.
======
Baby, a seventeen-year-old girl, finds herself surrounded by three older, larger, stronger men who are angry. She has to deal with them and with their anger.
Baby is subordinate to all three men. Johnny is her dance teacher. Jake is her father. Max is the owner of the hotel where her family is staying.
Baby expresses her own anger toward each of them.
======
By standing up bravely to each of three angry older men, young Baby wins their respect and mollifies their anger in the movie's happy ending.
======
This series will conclude in my future Part 8.
======
During the Dirty Dancing story, seventeen-year-old Baby Houseman has to deal with the anger of three older men.
1) Johnny CastleJohnny's acted on his anger violently. whereas Jake and Max acted by asserting their authority as father and boss, respectively.
2) Jake Houseman
3) Max Kellerman
Johnny became angry because of the actual situation, whereas Jake and Max became angry because of mistaken assumptions.
======
Johnny
In a previous post, titled Johnny's Initial Hostility Toward Baby, I pointed out that during the movie's first part he expressed hostility and anger when ....
* Baby appeared at the "dirty dancing" party in the bunkhouseOn none of those occasions did Johnny act violently. He asserted his authority, but only briefly and unsuccessfully.
* Robbie sweet-talked Lisa during Penny's demonstration of wigs
* Baby followed Johnny and Billy on their way to the kitchen to help Penny
* Baby asked questions after Penny was brought from the kitchen to the bunkhouse
* Baby offered Penny the money for the abortion.
When Baby became Johnny's dance student, he treated her rather politely. When only two days remained until the Sheldrake performance, however, his anxiety about Baby's inadequate preparation caused him to yell at her and then to violently break a window of his own car.
Later, he became angry at Baby for her hesitation to inform her father about her relationship with Johnny. This anger exploded violently when he attacked and beat Robbie.
======
Jake
Jake is a relatively rare Jew who votes Republican, because he is a successful doctor who opposes government interference in the free-market medical business. Until recently, he had persuaded Baby to accept his political opinions. This year, however, she has become concerned about poor people and so has begun to challenge and even oppose his political opinions.
Soon after the movie begins, Jake (along with his wife Marge) mocks Baby's supposed intention "to save the world". Although Jake does so in a joking manner, he is angry inwardly about Baby's new politics.
Jake agrees to give Baby $250 because he does preach private charity and assumes mistakenly that she will lend the money to Neil, who is not poor but is in some temporary trouble.
When Jake realizes, however, that Baby has donated the money for an illegal abortion, he becomes furious. The illegal abortion itself is not his main focus. Rather, he does not want his college-bound daughter to involve herself with a bunch of under-educated trouble-makers.
Jake reflexively forbids Baby to socialize with them any more, and later declares that they are "bad and mean".
In the movie's Jewish subtext, Jake is bothered also by the future possibility that Baby might marry a Gentile. Keep in mind that the story takes place a mere 18 years after the Holocaust. Even liberal Jews felt that Jews needed now to replenish their population in the world.
The sharpest point of Jake's anger is his assumption that Johnny has impregnated Penny out of wedlock. Jake's worst nightmare is that Johnny -- or some other man like Johnny -- eventually might impregnate Baby or Lisa out of wedlock. Especially Baby has the potential to follow in Jake's footsteps to become a doctor like himself.
Jake's anger is directed at Baby and separately at Johnny and is not resolved until the movie's very end.
Jake does not become angry, but he attempts to isolate his anger's targets. In particular, he orders Baby to stay away from her new friends. Baby comes to feel even that he is isolating her from the family.
Jake is angry mainly about a mistaken assumption -- that Johnny was the culprit in Penny's out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
=====
Max
Although Max employs Johnny, he is hostile toward him.
As Max is encouraging his Jewish employees in the restaurant to romance the young female guests, he mocks Johnny, who is walking casually through the restaurant. He reminds Johnny to not become involved romantically with those guests.
Max feels that Jews should marry only other Jews -- especially during this generation that is following the Holocaust.
Later that evening, Max becomes angry that Johnny continues dancing a mambo with Penny too long. He motions angrily across his throat, signalling to Johnny to begin helping the guests to dance.
In general, Max has created a hostile atmosphere in which Johnny and the other dancers fear constantly that they might be fired for even some trivial violation of rules.
Max feels that he must be punitive so that he can maintain control over his employees.
When Max assumes mistakenly that a guest's wallet was stolen by Johnny, Max angrily decides to fire Johnny. Jake's anger is mitigated by his glee in demonstrating his firing technique to his grandson Neil.
Max does not direct his anger toward Baby, but he does not care that his firing of Johnny will upset Baby. Perhaps Max is inwardly angry that Baby has dumped his grandson Neil in order to become romantically, even sexually, involved with Johnny.
Max is angry about a mistaken assumption -- that Johnny was the culprit in the theft of the wallet.
======
Ironically, violent Johnny's anger is much more correct than the anger of self-controlled Jake and Max.
Johnny's assumptions and concerns are generally correct. He is angry about actual facts.
Johnny sometimes becomes violent, but his relatively low social status has taught him to be rather careful about his anger.
Because Jake and Max enjoy high social status and authority, however, they are too rarely contradicted about their assumptions. Few people ever dare to tell the surgeon Jake or the hotel owner Max that they are wrong. Therefore Jake and Max sometimes become angry and vindictive about assumptions that are factually wrong.
When angry, Jake and Max do not have to become violent, because they can simply get rid of people they do not like. They can get rid of troublesome other people by firing them or by calling the police on them.
======
Baby, a seventeen-year-old girl, finds herself surrounded by three older, larger, stronger men who are angry. She has to deal with them and with their anger.
Baby is subordinate to all three men. Johnny is her dance teacher. Jake is her father. Max is the owner of the hotel where her family is staying.
Baby expresses her own anger toward each of them.
--------
She yells at Johnny because he still has not begun to teach her the lift.
 |
| Baby yelling at Johnny |
------
She chews out her father for his hypocrisy.
 |
| Baby chewing out her father |
------
She objects to Max's decision to fire Johnny.
 |
| Baby objecting to Max |
By standing up bravely to each of three angry older men, young Baby wins their respect and mollifies their anger in the movie's happy ending.
======
This series will conclude in my future Part 8.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Sunday, August 19, 2018
The Wrath of Johnny Castle -- Part 6
This post follows Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
======
The Greek epic poem The Iliad, written by Homer is sometimes called "The Wrath of Achilles". In the Greek language, the epic's very first word is the Greek word for "wrath". The first stanza has been translated by Ennis Rees as follows:
Homer illustrated such disastrous wrath with the example of the Achaean (Greek) warlord Achilles. After one battle, he had been awarded a captive young woman, named Briseis. Soon afterwards, however, Briseis was taken away from him by the King Agamemnon. That confiscation caused Achilles' wrath, and he therefore refused to fight further in the Achaean army against the Trojans.
Because of Achilles wrathful refusal, the Achaeans' war against the Trojans dragged on, and many more Achaeans died. Although the Achaeans eventually captured Troy by trickery, the Achaean nation could not recover from the war's losses and dissensions.
======
The following video clips from the 2004 movie Troy depict how Achilles took possession of the captive Briseis but then had to turn her over to Agamemnon.
The following video summarizes the entire epic.
The following is philosopher Gregory Sadler's first lecture in a series about the theme of anger in ancient literature.
=====
Comparing Dirty Dancing to The Iliad, I make the following rough analogies.
----
Johnny Castle is like Achilles
Both these characters are extraordinarily masculine men, but both are troubled by angry resentments.
Johnny's violent anger endangers his fantasy of joining the Houseman family.
-----
Max Kellerman is like King Agamemnon
Max's prohibiting Johnny from romancing the female guest is like Agamemnon's taking Briseis from Achilles.
Johnny knows he will be fired if he is caught being sexual (or merely romantic) with Baby.
-----
Robbie Gould is like Hector, the Trojan's best warrior
Whereas Johnny is the handsome young hero of the movie's Gentile tribe, Robbie is the handsome young hero of the Jewish tribe.
Johnny beats up Robbie, just as Achilles killed Hector in battle.
-----
Penny Johnson is like Helen of Troy
The Gentile beautiful young woman Penny is seduced by the Jewish rogue Robbie, just as Achaean queen Helen was seduced by the Trojan prince Paris.
The two seductions happen before the two stories take place, but cause the main conflicts in the two stories.
-----
Lisa Houseman is like Andromache, the wife of Hector
Lisa's being the traditional, loyal girlfriend of Robbie is like Anromache being the traditional, loyal wife of Hector.
-----
Baby Houseman is like Briseis
Baby is the object of struggle among older men, just as Briseis is the object of such a struggle.
Briseis is a young woman who -- because of unusual circumstances -- comes under the control of Achilles.
Baby is a young woman who likewise comes under the control of Johnny.
Briseis's father and Agamemon struggle to remove her from the control of Achilles.
Baby's father and Max struggle to remove her from the control of Johnny.
=======
I make the above analogies just for fun. They are not worth arguing about.
=======
I will continue this article in Part 7.
======
The Greek epic poem The Iliad, written by Homer is sometimes called "The Wrath of Achilles". In the Greek language, the epic's very first word is the Greek word for "wrath". The first stanza has been translated by Ennis Rees as follows:
Sing, oh Goddess, the ruinous wrath of Achilles,Homer wrote the epic in order to teach the Greeks about the national consequences of their leaders' wrath. After the Trojan War, in which the epic takes place, the Greek nation declined into a Dark Age that lasted for centuries.
Son of Peleus, the terrible curse that brought
Unnumbered woes upon the Achaeans and hurled
To Hades so many heroic souls, leaving
Their bodies the prey of dogs and carrion birds.
Homer illustrated such disastrous wrath with the example of the Achaean (Greek) warlord Achilles. After one battle, he had been awarded a captive young woman, named Briseis. Soon afterwards, however, Briseis was taken away from him by the King Agamemnon. That confiscation caused Achilles' wrath, and he therefore refused to fight further in the Achaean army against the Trojans.
Because of Achilles wrathful refusal, the Achaeans' war against the Trojans dragged on, and many more Achaeans died. Although the Achaeans eventually captured Troy by trickery, the Achaean nation could not recover from the war's losses and dissensions.
======
The following video clips from the 2004 movie Troy depict how Achilles took possession of the captive Briseis but then had to turn her over to Agamemnon.
The following video summarizes the entire epic.
The following is philosopher Gregory Sadler's first lecture in a series about the theme of anger in ancient literature.
=====
Comparing Dirty Dancing to The Iliad, I make the following rough analogies.
----
Johnny Castle is like Achilles
Both these characters are extraordinarily masculine men, but both are troubled by angry resentments.
Johnny's violent anger endangers his fantasy of joining the Houseman family.
-----
Max Kellerman is like King Agamemnon
Max's prohibiting Johnny from romancing the female guest is like Agamemnon's taking Briseis from Achilles.
Johnny knows he will be fired if he is caught being sexual (or merely romantic) with Baby.
-----
Robbie Gould is like Hector, the Trojan's best warrior
Whereas Johnny is the handsome young hero of the movie's Gentile tribe, Robbie is the handsome young hero of the Jewish tribe.
Johnny beats up Robbie, just as Achilles killed Hector in battle.
-----
Penny Johnson is like Helen of Troy
The Gentile beautiful young woman Penny is seduced by the Jewish rogue Robbie, just as Achaean queen Helen was seduced by the Trojan prince Paris.
The two seductions happen before the two stories take place, but cause the main conflicts in the two stories.
-----
Lisa Houseman is like Andromache, the wife of Hector
Lisa's being the traditional, loyal girlfriend of Robbie is like Anromache being the traditional, loyal wife of Hector.
-----
Baby Houseman is like Briseis
Baby is the object of struggle among older men, just as Briseis is the object of such a struggle.
Briseis is a young woman who -- because of unusual circumstances -- comes under the control of Achilles.
Baby is a young woman who likewise comes under the control of Johnny.
Briseis's father and Agamemon struggle to remove her from the control of Achilles.
Baby's father and Max struggle to remove her from the control of Johnny.
=======
I make the above analogies just for fun. They are not worth arguing about.
=======
I will continue this article in Part 7.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
The Wrath of Johnny Castle -- Part 3
This post follows Part 1 and Part 2.
======
During the movie Dirty Dancing, Johnny Castle loses his temper and acts violently on two occasions.
======
After Jake Houseman came to Penny Johnson's cabin at night to treat her for the side-effects of her abortion, he prohibited Baby to have anything more to do with the hotel's entertainment staff. On the following day, he elaborated about the reason for his prohibition (in a scene that was not included in the finished movie).
Jake insinuates that Gentile boys are bad and mean. For example, young Jake and his brother Dave were attacked by Gentile boys while walking to school.
======
On the day following that discussion, Baby and Johnny quarrel because she still has not told her father about their romantic relationship. Johnny becomes angry at Baby and walks away from her.
Later that day, Baby comes to Penny's cabin and finds Johnny there. Baby and Johnny go out onto the porch, where she begins to make peace with him. Then Robbie walks by and mocks Baby for "slumming" with Johnny. Enraged, Johnny attacks Robbie.
In this scene we see that Jake was right about Johnny. As a Gentile boy, Johnny is bad and mean, and he beats up a Jewish boy. That's exactly why Jake told Baby to stay away from Johnny.
======
In a previous article, titled "Going Steady" versus "Going Slumming", I explained Johnny's thinking about Robbie's mocking remark as follow:
======
Aside from being angry about Robbie's "slumming" insult, Johnny is angry at Robbie for various other reasons.
======
During the fight -- after Johnny has punched and kicked Robbie several times -- Johnny invites Robbie to punch him in the face. Robbie does so. Then Johnny beats Robbie some more.
Johnny invites Robbie to punch him in the face for two reasons.
Johnny knows that he is risking his own job by beating Robbie.
======
Johnny's angry attack on Robbie prompts instinctive sexual feelings in Baby. She is excited to see Johnny's power, bravery and aggression.
Baby feels that Johnny would be able to defend and protect her in dangerous situations. Even in a case when Baby might be merely insulted, Johnny's physical presence would inhibit and stop the pest.
Baby is also proud that her own boyfriend, Johnny, was able to beat up her sister's boyfriend, Robbie.
Johnny knows from his own previous experiences that women were privately pleased by his angry aggression even if they express disapproval.
During the fight, Baby does not ask Johnny to stop fighting. After the fight, Baby caresses Johnny's head lovingly.
======
Keep in mind that this fight scene was preceded by a scene where Baby and Johnny quarreled about her hesitancy to inform her father about their romantic (even sexual) relationship. Her father had elaborated to her that Johnny is the kind of boy who is "bad and mean" -- the kind of boy who had beaten him and his brother Dave on their way to school.
Now Baby is considering whether her father might be somewhat right about Johnny. She has seen Johnny break through his own car window and has seen him beat up another person because of a verbal insult. Maybe he is not the right kind of man to become her permanent partner.
======
Later that day, Baby watches Johnny organize the talent show competently and calmly.
Later that night, Baby and Johnny are lying in bed in his cabin. He says to her:
Earlier that same day, Johnny had brutally beaten up Robbie, the Jewish young man around whom Jake had put his arm.
=====
This article will be continued in Part 4.
======
During the movie Dirty Dancing, Johnny Castle loses his temper and acts violently on two occasions.
1) When he finds that his car key is locked inside his car, he uses a post to break through a window of the car.This post here will discuss the second of those two incidents.
2) When Robbie Gould mocks Baby Houseman for "slumming" with Johnny, Johnny attacks and beats Robbie.
======
After Jake Houseman came to Penny Johnson's cabin at night to treat her for the side-effects of her abortion, he prohibited Baby to have anything more to do with the hotel's entertainment staff. On the following day, he elaborated about the reason for his prohibition (in a scene that was not included in the finished movie).
Jake insinuates that Gentile boys are bad and mean. For example, young Jake and his brother Dave were attacked by Gentile boys while walking to school.
======
On the day following that discussion, Baby and Johnny quarrel because she still has not told her father about their romantic relationship. Johnny becomes angry at Baby and walks away from her.
Later that day, Baby comes to Penny's cabin and finds Johnny there. Baby and Johnny go out onto the porch, where she begins to make peace with him. Then Robbie walks by and mocks Baby for "slumming" with Johnny. Enraged, Johnny attacks Robbie.
In this scene we see that Jake was right about Johnny. As a Gentile boy, Johnny is bad and mean, and he beats up a Jewish boy. That's exactly why Jake told Baby to stay away from Johnny.
======
In a previous article, titled "Going Steady" versus "Going Slumming", I explained Johnny's thinking about Robbie's mocking remark as follow:
During the movie Dirty Dancing, there is a scene where Robbie is walking past the employees' cabins and he sees Baby Houseman Johnny Castle standing on a cabin porch. When Robbie notices that Baby is caressing Johnny's back, Robbie remarks:To some extent Robbie insulted Baby, but he insulted mainly Johnny.
Looks like I picked the wrong sister.Robbie meant that he and Baby shared a perverse willingness to go slumming. Robbie had gone slumming with Penny, and Robbie saw now that Baby was going slumming with Johnny. In contrast, Baby's sister Lisa did not share that perversity; Lisa never would go slumming.
That's okay, Baby, I went slumming too.
* Robbie perceived that Penny was a low-class woman, and so he called his relationship with Penny as going slumming.
* Robbie perceived likewise that Johnny was a low-class man, and so Robbie called Baby's relationship with Johnny as her going slumming
Since Lisa, in contrast, never would go slumming with a low-class man, Lisa did not share such a predilection with Robbie or with Baby. Since Robbie did share such a predilection with Baby, Robbie and Baby were a better match in that regard than Robbie and Lisa.
In that regard, Robbie should have become involved with Baby instead of with Lisa. That is why Robbie remarked I picked the wrong sister.
======
Aside from being angry about Robbie's "slumming" insult, Johnny is angry at Robbie for various other reasons.
* Robbie made Penny Johnson pregnant and then dumped her.This latent anger was detonated by Robbie's "slumming" insult.
* Robbie refused to help pay for Penny's abortion.
* Robbie is taking advantage of Baby's sister Lisa.
* Robbie is sweet-talking Lisa during Penny's wig demonstration.
======
During the fight -- after Johnny has punched and kicked Robbie several times -- Johnny invites Robbie to punch him in the face. Robbie does so. Then Johnny beats Robbie some more.
Johnny invites Robbie to punch him in the face for two reasons.
1) Johnny had taken Robbie by surprise in the attack, so he feels obligated to give Robbie a brief advantage.Johnny ends his beating of Robbie by saying: "Get out of here. You're not worth it."
2) Johnny wants a valid excuse for continuing to beat Robbie.
Johnny knows that he is risking his own job by beating Robbie.
======
Johnny's angry attack on Robbie prompts instinctive sexual feelings in Baby. She is excited to see Johnny's power, bravery and aggression.
Baby feels that Johnny would be able to defend and protect her in dangerous situations. Even in a case when Baby might be merely insulted, Johnny's physical presence would inhibit and stop the pest.
Baby is also proud that her own boyfriend, Johnny, was able to beat up her sister's boyfriend, Robbie.
Johnny knows from his own previous experiences that women were privately pleased by his angry aggression even if they express disapproval.
During the fight, Baby does not ask Johnny to stop fighting. After the fight, Baby caresses Johnny's head lovingly.
======
Keep in mind that this fight scene was preceded by a scene where Baby and Johnny quarreled about her hesitancy to inform her father about their romantic (even sexual) relationship. Her father had elaborated to her that Johnny is the kind of boy who is "bad and mean" -- the kind of boy who had beaten him and his brother Dave on their way to school.
Now Baby is considering whether her father might be somewhat right about Johnny. She has seen Johnny break through his own car window and has seen him beat up another person because of a verbal insult. Maybe he is not the right kind of man to become her permanent partner.
======
Later that day, Baby watches Johnny organize the talent show competently and calmly.
Later that night, Baby and Johnny are lying in bed in his cabin. He says to her:
You want to hear something crazy?Baby does not say anything to Johnny about his dream. She knows that the dream will not happen in real life.
Last night, I dreamt we were walking along, and we met your father. He said, "Come on," and he put his arm around me. Just like he did with Robbie.
Earlier that same day, Johnny had brutally beaten up Robbie, the Jewish young man around whom Jake had put his arm.
=====
This article will be continued in Part 4.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
The Wrath of Johnny Castle -- Part 2
This post follows up Part 1.
======
In my previous article titled The Song "This Overload" by Alfie Zappacosta, I interpreted that song's lyrics as not matching the scene. The song accompanies the scene where Johnny Castle intends to drive Baby Houseman out to the countryside but finds that his car key is locked inside his car and so he uses a post to break in a window of the car.
The song's lyrics indicate that Johnny is obsessed with lust for Baby. The song's ending:
That scene is followed by the "Hey, Baby" scene in the countryside. If Johnny felt any lust for Baby, then this isolated setting would have been a perfect setting for him to seduce her if he had wanted to do so.
I argued further that the song's lyrics expressed the obsessed lust not of Johnny, but rather of Baby. She projected hew own passions onto Johnny. She projected these passions retroactively in 1987, when she was narrating her story about what happened in 1963.
The song did not exist in 1963. The song was commissioned for the movie in 1987.
=====
Now I will propose a different interpretation of the song. Since the song was commissioned in 1987, we can suppose that the movie's producers told the musician Alfie Zappacosta to compose a song that expressed Johnny's obsessive lust for Baby. In other words, the producers wanted the song to communicate to the movie audience that Johnny felt such a passion.
In other words, the interpretation that I argued in my Part 1 was completely wrong.
Johnny did feel obsessive lust for Baby already in that scene, although he still concealed and suppressed his emotions. He felt anger because Max Kellerman forbade him to involve himself romantically with female guests. He felt sexual excitement and frustration from dancing closely with Baby. He felt anxious from worrying about Penny's abortion and about the imminent Sheldrake Hotel performance.
All these various, suppressed emotions exploded violently when he found that his car keys were locked in his car. He reflexively grabbed a post and broke in his car window.
======
Johnny's sexual frustration was symbolized by the car key inside the car. Because Max had forbidden Johnny from romancing the female guests, Johnny was prevented from sexually penetrating Baby.
This prohibition eventually infuriated Johnny, and so he used a large, hard pole to symbolically penetrate her.
Johnny's symbolic forceful penetration of Baby causes both of them to symbolically climax. She exclaims joyfully twice that he is "wild". He relaxes, and all his pent-up emotions dissipate.
======
When Johnny had become angry with Baby and had decided to take her out to the countryside, he had intended to sexually seduce her in that isolated setting.
As he takes her to his car, the music had featured a strong drumbeat.
However, the experience of violently breaking in his car window had released all his anger. Therefore, when he and she were in the countryside, they interacted not sexually, but only playfully.
=====
In the countryside, there was another large, hard pole. Johnny invited Baby to dance on the pole, but she was initially inhibited from doing so. Eventually she relents to do so, and she has fun. Both of them are relaxed and playful. The long-hard pole is only vaguely symbolic, and the music is merely melodic, without a strong beat.
Johnny's passion has been symbolically satiated by breaking in the car window, and so Johnny does not attempt to seduce Baby in the isolated countryside.
======
This article will continue in Part 3.
======
In my previous article titled The Song "This Overload" by Alfie Zappacosta, I interpreted that song's lyrics as not matching the scene. The song accompanies the scene where Johnny Castle intends to drive Baby Houseman out to the countryside but finds that his car key is locked inside his car and so he uses a post to break in a window of the car.
The song's lyrics indicate that Johnny is obsessed with lust for Baby. The song's ending:
Obsession's taken hold of me?I argued, however, that Johnny felt no such lust when that scene took place. Rather, he intended just to perform with her at the Sheldrake Hotel and then terminate his relationship with her.
All because of you.
You've got to see me through.
I can't take another night alone without you.
Honey, it's true.
I am so hung up on you
What I really need, Baby, is a little of your company.
You got me on my knees.
I burn throughout the night ...
That scene is followed by the "Hey, Baby" scene in the countryside. If Johnny felt any lust for Baby, then this isolated setting would have been a perfect setting for him to seduce her if he had wanted to do so.
I argued further that the song's lyrics expressed the obsessed lust not of Johnny, but rather of Baby. She projected hew own passions onto Johnny. She projected these passions retroactively in 1987, when she was narrating her story about what happened in 1963.
The song did not exist in 1963. The song was commissioned for the movie in 1987.
=====
Now I will propose a different interpretation of the song. Since the song was commissioned in 1987, we can suppose that the movie's producers told the musician Alfie Zappacosta to compose a song that expressed Johnny's obsessive lust for Baby. In other words, the producers wanted the song to communicate to the movie audience that Johnny felt such a passion.
In other words, the interpretation that I argued in my Part 1 was completely wrong.
Johnny did feel obsessive lust for Baby already in that scene, although he still concealed and suppressed his emotions. He felt anger because Max Kellerman forbade him to involve himself romantically with female guests. He felt sexual excitement and frustration from dancing closely with Baby. He felt anxious from worrying about Penny's abortion and about the imminent Sheldrake Hotel performance.
All these various, suppressed emotions exploded violently when he found that his car keys were locked in his car. He reflexively grabbed a post and broke in his car window.
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Johnny's sexual frustration was symbolized by the car key inside the car. Because Max had forbidden Johnny from romancing the female guests, Johnny was prevented from sexually penetrating Baby.
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| Johnny could not put his key into Baby's lock |
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| Johnny using his large, hard pole to unlock Baby. |
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| You're wild ! |
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| You're wild !! |
When Johnny had become angry with Baby and had decided to take her out to the countryside, he had intended to sexually seduce her in that isolated setting.
As he takes her to his car, the music had featured a strong drumbeat.
However, the experience of violently breaking in his car window had released all his anger. Therefore, when he and she were in the countryside, they interacted not sexually, but only playfully.
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In the countryside, there was another large, hard pole. Johnny invited Baby to dance on the pole, but she was initially inhibited from doing so. Eventually she relents to do so, and she has fun. Both of them are relaxed and playful. The long-hard pole is only vaguely symbolic, and the music is merely melodic, without a strong beat.
Johnny's passion has been symbolically satiated by breaking in the car window, and so Johnny does not attempt to seduce Baby in the isolated countryside.
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This article will continue in Part 3.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Saturday, August 4, 2018
The Wrath of Johnny Castle -- Part 1
Johnny Castle loses his temper on two occasions.
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The first occasion happens two days before the Sheldrake Hotel performance. Watch the following video clip beginning at 0:50.
Johnny hurts his back at 1:05 and complains to Baby, "Are you trying to kill me?", and so forth.
This first occasion continues into the next scene, when Johnny finds that he has locked his car key into his car. He pulls a post out of the ground and uses the post to break in a window so that he can open the car door.
Johnny's temper tantrum ends when Baby exclaims "You're wild!" as they are driving to the countryside.
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The second occasion happens on the day before the talent show. Watch the following video clip beginning at 0:25. Robbie Gould sees Johnny standing next to Baby and remarks, "That's OK, Baby, I went slumming too."
Johnny rushes at Robbie and physically attacks him.
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Patrick Swayze added the second occasion to the script, according to his autobiography.
Both these script additions showed Johnny's temper tantrums as violent -- in order "to give Johnny the rougher edge his character needed".
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During much of the movie, Johnny is angry but manages to control his temper. His moments of controlled anger include the following:
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Johnny's dancing helped him to control his anger. While dancing, he focused his thoughts on that activity. distracting himself from other obsessions. Also, his dancing relaxed his body from stresses caused by anger.
He lost his temper only when he was worried about an imminent public performance that was likely to fail. In particular, he lost his temper two days before the Sheldrake Hotel performance and one day before the talent-show performances. In those two situations, he worried that he would be embarrassed as a professional dancer by his amateur partner, Baby.
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This article will continue in Part 2.
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The first occasion happens two days before the Sheldrake Hotel performance. Watch the following video clip beginning at 0:50.
Johnny hurts his back at 1:05 and complains to Baby, "Are you trying to kill me?", and so forth.
This first occasion continues into the next scene, when Johnny finds that he has locked his car key into his car. He pulls a post out of the ground and uses the post to break in a window so that he can open the car door.
Johnny's temper tantrum ends when Baby exclaims "You're wild!" as they are driving to the countryside.
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The second occasion happens on the day before the talent show. Watch the following video clip beginning at 0:25. Robbie Gould sees Johnny standing next to Baby and remarks, "That's OK, Baby, I went slumming too."
Johnny rushes at Robbie and physically attacks him.
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Patrick Swayze added the second occasion to the script, according to his autobiography.
Some of what Lisa [Patrick's wife] and I suggested made it into the film ... We inserted the fight scene between Johnny and the cad waiter, Robbie, to give Johnny the rougher edge his character needed. We wrote it so Johnny would stop before knocking the guy out, though, since he’d be wary of getting fired — something that had no doubt happened to him before.I speculate that Swayze added to the script also the first occasion's moment when Johnny broke in the car's window.
Both these script additions showed Johnny's temper tantrums as violent -- in order "to give Johnny the rougher edge his character needed".
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During much of the movie, Johnny is angry but manages to control his temper. His moments of controlled anger include the following:
* Max Kellerman forbids Johnny from romancing any female guests.In those incidents, Johnny felt or even expressed anger, did he did not lose his temper.
* Max signals to Johnny and Penny to stop their mambo dance in the ballroom.
* Billy Kostecki has brought Baby into the bunkhouse dance.
* Robbie is present at Penny's demonstration of wigs.
* Baby is coming along to get crying Penny from the kitchen.
* Billy tells Baby that Penny is pregnant.
* Baby assumes that Johnny made Penny pregnant.
* Penny did not tell Johnny she was in trouble.
* Penny says she will not take money from Johnny for an abortion.
* Baby gives $250 to Penny, who initially refuses to take it.
* Baby suggests that someone else can fill in for Penny at the Sheldrake.
* Jake, after treating Penny, refuses to shake Johnny's hand.
* In Johnny's cabin, Baby exclaims that "You're everything".
* Neil Kellerman insists that Johnny arrange a pachanga dance for the talent show.
* Baby fails to tell her father about that Johnny is her boyfriend.
* Max accuses Johnny of stealing money.
* Max fires Johnny.
* Jake refuses to listen to Johnny's explanation.
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Johnny's dancing helped him to control his anger. While dancing, he focused his thoughts on that activity. distracting himself from other obsessions. Also, his dancing relaxed his body from stresses caused by anger.
He lost his temper only when he was worried about an imminent public performance that was likely to fail. In particular, he lost his temper two days before the Sheldrake Hotel performance and one day before the talent-show performances. In those two situations, he worried that he would be embarrassed as a professional dancer by his amateur partner, Baby.
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This article will continue in Part 2.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
The "Don't Step on the One" Scene
Lionsgate calls the following deleted scene the "Don't Step on the One" scene.
I speculate that this scene shows Baby and Johnny practicing for their talent-show performance.
A year ago, I posted an article titled My Speculations About Eleanor Bergstein's Original Script. That article included the following speculations (emphasis added).
I speculate that this scene shows Baby and Johnny practicing for their talent-show performance.
A year ago, I posted an article titled My Speculations About Eleanor Bergstein's Original Script. That article included the following speculations (emphasis added).
.... Baby agrees to replace Penny and dance with Johnny Castle at the Sheldrake Hotel. Penny becomes sick from the abortion. Jake saves Penny and falsely accuses Johnny.One paragraph of the above passage is highlighted. That is where (I speculate) the "Don't Step on One" scene was supposed to happen.
Then the original script diverges from the movie.
Johnny does not passively accept Jake's accusation. Johnny defends himself, but Jake cuts him off and forbids Johnny and Baby to socialize with each other any further.
Johnny turns his attentions away from Baby and toward Vivian Pressman, a female guest who is an excellent dancer. Baby becomes jealous of Vivian.
Baby goes to Johnny's cabin and seduces him sexually. She persuades Johnny to secretly prepare a dance to perform with her at the talent show. Baby wants to keep Johnny away from Vivian, wants to overshadow Lisa at the talent show and wants to show her father that Johnny is a nice guy after all.
The preparations for the talent show provide occasions to show much more dancing to the movie audience.
In the original script, there is no disagreement between Johnny and Neil Kellerman about the pachanga dance. Johnny is not fired for stealing money.
At the talent show, Baby is sawed in half by the magician. She emerges whole from the box, and then she and Johnny immediately perform their dance, accompanied by Lionel Richie's song Dancing on the Ceiling.
After Baby and Johnny dance, everyone in the ballroom gets up and dances. ...
The Shooting Script
The following video -- at 4:23 -- mentions the "shooting script".
If some reader of this blog has a copy of that "shooting script", please send me an e-mail at MikeSylwester@gmail.com
You don't know them.
The following scene is not included in the finished movie.
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The scene takes place on the day following Jake's emergency visit to Penny's cabin to treat her after her abortion.
Furthermore, the scene takes place after the family breakfast, where Jake said initially that the family would leave the resort early. Jake changed his mind about the early departure only because Lisa said she was planning to participate in the talent show.
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In this scene, Baby is wearing the same outfit as she had worn on her way to breakfast.
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At the scene's beginning, Baby is seen in a mirror. Females in the movie audience subconsciously identify with Baby by looking into a mirror and seeing Baby..
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It's just those guys ....
It's just those Gentile guys.
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They're bad, and they're mean ...
Since Jake thinks that Johnny is responsible for Penny's pregnancy and abortion, Jake has some reason to characterize Johnny as bad.
However, Jake has no valid reason to characterize Johnny as mean.
Jake characterizes Johnny as mean only because Johnny is a Gentile guy -- just like the mean Gentile guys who beat up Jake and Uncle Dave, just for being Jews, during their childhood.
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In regard to characterizing Johnny, Jake is wrong and Baby is right.
Therefore, Baby feels morally justified in disobeying her father's ethnic prohibition. Later that very same day, she goes to Johnny's cabin and gets into bed with him sexually.
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This scene's Jewish subtext was too strong and disturbing, and so the scene was cut from the movie.
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The scene takes place on the day following Jake's emergency visit to Penny's cabin to treat her after her abortion.
Furthermore, the scene takes place after the family breakfast, where Jake said initially that the family would leave the resort early. Jake changed his mind about the early departure only because Lisa said she was planning to participate in the talent show.
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In this scene, Baby is wearing the same outfit as she had worn on her way to breakfast.
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At the scene's beginning, Baby is seen in a mirror. Females in the movie audience subconsciously identify with Baby by looking into a mirror and seeing Baby..
======
It's just those guys ....
It's just those Gentile guys.
======
They're bad, and they're mean ...
Since Jake thinks that Johnny is responsible for Penny's pregnancy and abortion, Jake has some reason to characterize Johnny as bad.
However, Jake has no valid reason to characterize Johnny as mean.
Jake characterizes Johnny as mean only because Johnny is a Gentile guy -- just like the mean Gentile guys who beat up Jake and Uncle Dave, just for being Jews, during their childhood.
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In regard to characterizing Johnny, Jake is wrong and Baby is right.
Therefore, Baby feels morally justified in disobeying her father's ethnic prohibition. Later that very same day, she goes to Johnny's cabin and gets into bed with him sexually.
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This scene's Jewish subtext was too strong and disturbing, and so the scene was cut from the movie.