I was a charming four-and-a-half in the Summer of 1987 when Dirty Dancing first hit the screen. Though I was clearly too young to see it, I have a distinct memory of hearing "Hungry Eyes" playing on the radio while patiently waiting in the lunch line at Spring Lake Day Camp with my little red tray, and thinking to myself: "this song is about wanting a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries." Then, upon listening to the lyrics more closely, I remember thinking: "There is magic in grilled cheese! And when there's a tomato squished inside, that does take me by surprise! This is a great song!" Indeed, that was my own Dirty Dancing fantasy -- grilled cheese at day camp. Yum.
It wasn't until I was 14 that I saw Dirty Dancing for the first time while attending the Genesis program at Brandeis. I was more captivated by the dancing and by Patrick Swayze glistening than by the issues of class, religion, and abortion in the film, but I did have some understanding of the film's historical context and its Jewish subtext. Curiously, when I talked to my 16-year-old sister the other day--she's a dancer who thoroughly enjoys this film--and told her about JWA's celebration, she asked: "What does Dirty Dancing have to do with being Jewish?" Baby's Jewishness wasn't ever part of my sister's consciousness. Neither was Jewish life in the Catskills. As I brought all of this to her attention, I suddenly sensed disappointment -- almost embarrassment -- in her voice as she exclaimed: "What?! Baby is Jewish?! "Yes," I said. She is. Does this now make Baby and the film less cool?" "No," she replied. "It isn't less cool. I just hadn't ever thought of Dirty Dancing as Jewish or not Jewish. And I don't think it matters one way or the other. It's just a fun film about dancing and falling in love." <sigh>
Maybe in a few years I should encourage her to put on her historian's hat and have a Dirty Dancing fantasy of her own... hopefully, by that time, being Jewish actually will matter.</sigh>
I was a charming four-and-a-half in the Summer of 1987 when Dirty Dancing first hit the screen. Though I was clearly too young to see it, I have a distinct memory of hearing "Hungry Eyes" playing on the radio while patiently waiting in the lunch line at Spring Lake Day Camp with my little red tray, and thinking to myself: "this song is about wanting a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries." Then, upon listening to the lyrics more closely, I remember thinking: "There is magic in grilled cheese! And when there's a tomato squished inside, that does take me by surprise! This is a great song!" Indeed, that was my own Dirty Dancing fantasy -- grilled cheese at day camp. Yum.
It wasn't until I was 14 that I saw Dirty Dancing for the first time while attending the Genesis program at Brandeis. I was more captivated by the dancing and by Patrick Swayze glistening than by the issues of class, religion, and abortion in the film, but I did have some understanding of the film's historical context and its Jewish subtext. Curiously, when I talked to my 16-year-old sister the other day--she's a dancer who thoroughly enjoys this film--and told her about JWA's celebration, she asked: "What does Dirty Dancing have to do with being Jewish?" Baby's Jewishness wasn't ever part of my sister's consciousness. Neither was Jewish life in the Catskills. As I brought all of this to her attention, I suddenly sensed disappointment -- almost embarrassment -- in her voice as she exclaimed: "What?! Baby is Jewish?! "Yes," I said. She is. Does this now make Baby and the film less cool?" "No," she replied. "It isn't less cool. I just hadn't ever thought of Dirty Dancing as Jewish or not Jewish. And I don't think it matters one way or the other. It's just a fun film about dancing and falling in love." <sigh>
Maybe in a few years I should encourage her to put on her historian's hat and have a Dirty Dancing fantasy of her own... hopefully, by that time, being Jewish actually will matter.</sigh>