The Classical Film Grease

Watch the classical film Grease and one can understand how relationships function in Western Society. The film tells a story of a boy (Danny) and a girl (Sandy) who falls in love. Through a series of misunderstandings they break up, but still somehow care for each other. Through ballads such as Summer Night’s that are still popular today, the film shows how differently males and females view relationships. Films like Grease are like a mirror, reflecting societal values and how it socializes its members. It makes it clear that in relationships, males are socialized to view relationships as mostly a physical, sexual endeavor, while females view it as a perpetual bond –a deeper connection between the two individuals within a relationship.

It is tempting to believe that when a couple says that they are “in love,” they view their love in the same way –that they have successfully “defined their relationship.” But it turns out that love is in the eye of the beholder. Researchers of heterosexual love found out that love changes definition based on the gender of the party. Males, according to surveys, were more likely to score higher on romanticism scales and more likely to recognize their romantic feelings earlier than females (Kanin et al. pg. 64). Since males tend to recognize the love feeling earlier, for males to be determined as “more romantic,” the definition must be based on the speed of the recognition of the romantic feeling (Kanin et al. pg 71). Females are much more cautious and judicious when attributing their reactions as love (Kanin 70).

This may have developed due to the evolutionary history of our species. Males, have lower parental investment then females. Animals strive to reproduce their species and the cons...

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...he end of Grease Sandy and Danny and Sandy do get back together seemingly repairing their misunderstandings of their relationship. They all do this to a ballad that is still one of the standards in today’s culture You’re the One that I want. But despite, the making up, they is still a misuerstanding between them two. Sandy, dresses up much more sensually to get Danny back telling him throughout the song that he “needs to shape up,” because she must be true to her heart. In the end, Danny, is attracted to her mostly for her physical qualities, and Sandy, obviously sees potential in him to make satisfy her needs and wants. They are still in love, but despite the notion of “true love” they both look at it complety differently. Males, still view relationships as mostly physical and sexual and females, as a means to satisfy her needs and her possible offspring needs.