One interesting thing I found in both films was the way the women were oppressed in different ways in both situations. In Moolade' the men see the women as less than them. They feel that the women ought to obey and not question what they say or tell them to do. It seems almost as if the women have no say over their lives and then men control everything... Which is the case with the exceptions of Colle', the woman who saves the four small girls. She takes action against her husband and the men of the village in two ways, one she refuses to say the word that will end the Moolade', a religious act binding the girls to her and keeping the villagers from crossing into her home and taking them to be PURIFIED (Genital cutting). Her husband even beats her at a point to try and force her to submit and she manages to stand with her head high, making a statement and causing most of the women in the village to see what wrongs are being done to them and to support her. She also continues to play a radio in her home even after the men have confiscated and banned all radios and televisions from the village. This shows how strong-willed and powerful she is.
In Live Nude Girls Unite, the women are being used and not treated fairly for the amount of work they do. The theater refuses to allow them sick days, often doesn't work girls of color or other ethnicities besides caucasian, has very little security for the women, and in the cases of exploitation (one example was given of a man filming through the one way glass, and when the security tried to catch him, he tossed the camera to some friends and they were gone... ready to expose these women against their will and with no proper compensation. When the matter was addressed to the owners, they simply said deal with it. Another instance, a man when asked to shut the door so his friends couldn't get a free show, pulled a gun on a dancer because he was angry. Th owners told her that she should have used a more coaxing voice. This is obviously not fair and equal treatment as what someone would get working in a hospital, or in a shopping mall. The defense is that stripping isn't work. That sex work isn't equivalent to a "real job".
Media plays a part in both films as well. In the first one, like aforementioned, the radios and televisions were confiscated because the elder men believed that media was what was influencing the women to fight back and stand against them. They were right. Media was their source of education and information to a world outside of their small village. It exposed them to alternate ways of life, and even allowed them to expand their views based on new opinions of other people. In the second film, Live Nude Girls Unite use media to spread their story, build a big base and get enough support to help women across the nation... So for once. Lets think outside the box... Maybe one with speakers.
On the flip side, Hair Spray a film made in 1988 by John Waters features Ricki Lake, Sonny Bono, and Debbie Harry. While Live Nude Girls Unite and Moolade' were about women's rights, Hairspray is about the equality of race and the integration of blacks in public media.
Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) is a young teenage girl who dreams of fame and fortune. She lands herself a spot on the Corny Collins show despite the protests of Amber Von Tussle, the hoighty toighty fancy pants classmate who discredits Tracy because of her weight. When the school deems Tracy "Special- Ed" because of her hair-do, she befriends some of her fellow black classmates and in return they teach her some sweet new dance moves. This all takes place during a time in Baltimore where integration is at hand and many are fighting to keep the "Whites white, and the blacks repressed". After Tracy's best friend Penny Pingleton begins dating Motormouth Mabel's (The co-host for Corny Collin's Negro Day) son, the racism hits the fan. Penny's mother proceeds to lock her in her room and use hypnosis as well as shock therapy to "Un-checkerboard" her. Through out the course of the film, Tracy turns herself into a spokesperson for the hefty and African American, trying to find equality for everyone, and that means getting blacks onto live television and integrating the Corny Collin's Show.
What I found interesting about this film was the way it went about addressing such a serious issue. John Waters did a fantastic job of turning all of the issues into a joke (showing how ridiculous the segregation was to begin with.) I especially enjoyed watching the monstrosity that was Mrs. Pingleton. I was appalled to realize that they actions she was taking while almost comedic in the film, weren't so funny when they actually took place in real life during that time period. (The 60's).
America at this time had already integrated most of it's schools and transportation, as well as some restaurants. Blacks and white were interacting on a day to day basis. The teens more so than the adults had found what seemed to be a mutual acceptance for each others race. Senior "White" America however was terrified of the unfamiliarities that came with the integration and stressed to their children that segregation was necessary. I was ecstatic to learn the the integrations of the "Buddy Dean Show" (the real life show that the Corny Collins Show was based off of) was actually based on a real life event that had been constructed and directed by a 21 year old named Danny Schecter. Schecter after working with teens of both races, plotted a scheme to force integration on the show by sneaking a group of white teens into Negro Day and then addressing racism through political speeches from the white and black perceptions.
I wonder sometimes if the youth of today is still as active politically as they were during the "Hippie Daze". I, myself, would have loved to have walked the streets of Baltimore picketing for equality. I suppose i'll just have to find another issue to address. After all. The world still isn't perfect, even with all the little Schecter's running amuck.
No comments:
Post a Comment