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Hairspray Analysis

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Hairspray the Movie’s Social Messages In the 1988 version of Hairspray the movie directed by John Waters, focuses primarily on the political and social issue of segregation of the African Americans from Caucasians in Baltimore, Maryland during the early 1960’s. The focal issue was the lack of everyday integration of television shows, as African Americans were not allowed to join the white dancers on “The Corny Collins Show” except for the last Thursday of every month known as“Negro Day”. Although the main female protagonist Tracy Turnblad fought for integration throughout the movie, she also established the importance of self-acceptance when it comes to body image. This message is prominent in the story through Tracy’s ongoing acceptance of …show more content…

Similar to current issues with the mass media’s portrayal of what is a beautiful woman, the viewer of the “Corny Collins Show” notes that it is ideal for women to be skinny and attractive in show business. An example of this can be found when the girl stuffed her bra in order to appear to have larger breast in addition to her already thin frame. In the film, the main female protagonist Tracy Turnblad is a slightly overweight girl that wishes to appear on the “Corny Collins Show”, but has to face the backlash from the rather thin and pretty Amber Von Tussle, who fits the image of the girls that appear on the show all the time. Despite the constant ridicule from Amber with statements like “Aren 't you a little fat for the show?’‘Come on. The show 's not filmed in Cinemascope”, Tracy is able to keep a positive body image as she sees herself as a role model for other women that are big boned as she responded to Amber’s statement “I 'm sure many of the other home viewers out there are pleasantly plump or chunky”. Although Tracy does want to appear beautiful and attractive to viewers( and the boys of the show), she does not feel that she must be thin to appear so as she stays to Edna (her mother), “Finally all of Baltimore knows I am big, blond, and beautiful!”. Therefore, Tracy became the spokesperson for the Hefty Hideaway clothing shop owned by Mr.

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