Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Hairspray

I loved John Water's Hairspray of 1988. That would be the original. With Divine as Edna Turnblatt, the "big girl's" mama.

So there I am earlier this month at the Costco photo department selecting images to print. Two of my offsprings are running in the aisles while one is standing, mesmerized by the images on the humongous television screen (really a movie theater screen).

It was an advertisement for the new Hairspray. The one with Troy from High School Musical!

My son is glassy-eyed when I say, "That's a movie in the theater. Do you want to see it?"

Speechless head nodding is the response.

As the temperature neared 100 degrees this past weekend I took the boys to an almost empty movie theater. They were transfixed with the music and dancing. They were also confused why the "black kids" couldn't dance with the "white kids" in early 1960's Baltimore. And they fixated that the kids who were "black" weren't really black at all. "They have brown skin" my guys would mutter.

Fast forward to the evening after the movie. I downloaded the movie soundtrack from iTunes and even the little lady can do a perfect rendition of "Good Morning Baltimore", which she sang with much gusto as she descended down the minor league ballpark stairs the next night. We bopped around for over an hour to "Ladies Choice", "Can't Stop the Beat" and "Corny Collins Show."

But it was bound to happen. Yesterday, while getting out of the car one guy asked,

"Mama. What's 'Negro Day'?"

11 comments:

jodifur said...

well, they are learning about race relations.

Is it sad I just downloaded the soundtrack on my ipod.

Flower Child said...

I remember seeing the original movie at the Charles Theater in Baltimore. John Waters (the creator) did the non-smoking clip at the beginning of films - in his uniquely campy style. I hardly remember the soundtrack but I do remember Divine and what a huge (literally and figuratively) B'more icon he was. I'll have to check out the soundtrack and bring myself back.

Anonymous said...

I haven't caught this movie yet, but can't wait to see it. I loved the clip!

Brillig said...

*sigh* How I loved Hairspray. *sigh* And your household sounds like a very fun place!!!

Jenn in Holland said...

I cannot wait to see this film. It arrived here this week, so the weekend is looking good for me....
Hmmm. Popcorn anyone?

It's great when an exceptional piece of theater can spur deep discussion of race relations... in the YOUNG. Love it.

Fourier Analyst said...

What interesting conversations you are in for darlin'! Had a few already, preparing for a few more. And my kids have not been exposed to any of the cultural baggage in the US. I'm hoping to postpone some of it!

Ambassador said...

I love your kiddos. I just do...

I haven't seen the movie (yet), but I have the Broadway recording on my iPod...yes, SMID, I have a Shuffle.

Welcome to the 60's, indeed!

painted maypole said...

loved that new musical movie. Wanted to dance in the aisles! But now you have to explain racism to the kiddos. I still remember the first time I ever heard a racist remark - or at least the first time I ever heard it and got what they were saying. I was 8. I couldn't figure out why someone would be glad that no black people lived in the town I was going to move to. Weird.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Kate said...

The original was awesome - haven't felt the urge to see the re-make, though. John Waters is very cool.

Your kids are great!

Jami said...

When he was 4, my son was describing a new friend he had made at daycare, and I could not get a visual handle on this kid. I didn't know who he was talking about. I went through "How tall? What kind of hair? What color eyes?" and my son dutifully answered but kept coming back to how nice and how funny this kid was. Finally, it occurred to me to ask what color he was and my son looked at me like I'd asked him about continental drift. He said, "I don't know. Kind of brown, I guess. Maybe dark brown." And I immediately realized he was talking about one of the "black" kids in his class and that maybe we really were doing something right in raising him. We have a number of nasty words we don't use in our house and among them are "stupid", "retarded", "gay" and every racial slur in the book. We're not crazy about "fuck", either, but it's WAY down on our bad list for kids.

Virtualsprite said...

Another movie I need to see...

And I so want to be in your house! It sounds like so much fun.