Dirty Dancing was a welcome reprieve in class. It’s the kind of movie that leaves you with the feeling of “god, I love movies”. 

The whole rest of my day I was daydreaming about the soft cinematography of the 80’s, long takes, and humming it’s iconic soundtrack. 

It makes you think a lot about the gaze of the film, who it’s made by and who it’s for. When you start watching a movie from the 80’s you’re expecting a lot more sexism and probably some jokes that haven’t aged well. Dirty Dancing holds up pretty well, with no slut shaming outburst from the male love interest, or really any turning on her. 

Swayze’s character is a sensitive and understanding guy, dressed like Danny Zuko from Grease without attachment to his boys club. Really the absence of a boys club altogether.

Baby has an understanding father who even cries when his daughter tells him she’s disappointed in him. The men in this movie are for the most part, soft and gentle. They don’t benefit from shaming the women around them. 

It’s a feel good movie about a girl standing up for others and asserting herself in a world that wants to decide who she is for her.  

I do wish that we got to see where penny ends up in all this!