Media Diary: Week 4

The Text That Changed My Life:

Grease is a film that has changed my life. Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film, staring John Travolta (Danny), Olivia Newton-John (Sandy), Stockhard Channing (Rizzo), Jeff Conaway (Kenickie), Didi Conn (Frenchy), Dinah Manoff (Marty), Jamie Donnelly (Jan), Michael Tucci (Sonny), Kelly Ward (Putzie) and Barry Pearl (Doody). During a visit to America, Australian Sandy meets Danny Zuko at the beach and falls in love. She is heartbroken when summer ends and she has to return. But fate lends a hand - her parents decide to stay in America and she finds herself attending the same school as Danny. But Danny at school is different from Danny at the beach. He is the leader of the T-Birds, a leather clad gang, and has a reputation to keep up. He can't be seen to fall in love with just one chick! Sandy is upset and seeks solace with some new friends she has made - a female gang called The Pink Ladies. But her prim and proper virginal ways do not fit in and she soon finds herself almost alone. A change must be made. Does she attempt to get her man by turning him into a jock? Or must she get rid of her "Sandra Dee" image?

I completely believe that this film has changed my life! When I was around 6 years old I jointed a dance troop called Inspirations that few of my cousins had been going to for years. Id been going there for a few months when a competition was coming up and the name of the song we would be dancing to would be ‘Grease Lighting’. As soon as I heard the song I instantly fell in love! I remember it being something I’d never heard before, completely different from the usual pop songs from Girls Aloud and Britney Spears. The dance moves and the costumes that were worn were like nothing I was used to. I went home and asked my mum if she would buy the movie for me, of course she was hesitant to let me watch it knowing some of the context involved but eventually bought it for me and ever since that day it has been one of my favourite films of all time!

Along with other things, Grease I believe has also affected personally. Around the age I first saw the film and maybe up till the age of nine I would have classed myself as a very shy and quite person not only around people I didn’t know but even some family members. However, one time when I was at dance class me and my cousin were chosen to play Danny and Sandy from the film Grease at the last musical number for our end of year production. It wasn’t like any other time I had performed as this time for half of the song it would just be the two of us on stage dancing and miming to ‘You’re The One That I Want’. I’m not saying that this moment alone made me build up my self confidence however there is no doubt that this was one of many stepping stones that has helped me become more confident as I get older.

Apart from that it made me more aware of songs from that era that I had never really paid any attention to when my parents have been playing them around the house and in the car. I began to love Elvis Presley songs such as Hound Dog and Born to Hand Jive which were featured in the films as well as Ray Charles ‘I Mess Around’. Because of this I started watching more musicals such as The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver, Annie, Bugsy Malone, Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Bed Knobs and Broom Sticks, Mary Poppins etc. And in more recent years Musicals like Les Miserable, Chicago, Hairspray, Burlesque and Mamma Mia. I’ve even been to see stage musicals such as Wicked, The Sound of Music and Legally Blonde. This all opened my range of music tastes, film genres, and fashion from very young age which has caused my now to appreciate these things more and get more enjoyment out of them which I hope I will carry later on in my life.

I guess when it all comes down to it, when I first saw it I was six and my needs were very few and simple and Grease met them all. It was about friends, school, first love, and rivalry, things I was familiar with or things I couldn't wait for when I grew up. It also had drive-ins, diners and jukeboxes that I was totally unaware that even existed. It opened my mind from a young age about music, lifestyles, fashion, gave me confidence and personal identity and helped me have aims about my future, and I couldn't thank it enough.Right from the opening sequence when the cartoon characters slick back their hair to Frankie Valli's Grease, everyone song excites me every time I watch it (besides Hopelessly Devoted, yawn). This text has changed my life.