Grease - suitable for children ?

[swallowthree]

Grease has been chosen as the year 5/6 production at my children's school. I think it is totally inappropriate and conveys some very dodgy messages about being a girl, conformity and relationships. Or is it just me ?

[scuzy]

i am sure they are adapting it. perhaps enquire before you judge?

[BertieBotts]

I remember doing it in year 7, and the messages weren't a problem. We tended to discuss them in fact between ourselves and the consensus was that it was dodgy.

[FeakAndWeeble]

I think it sends a fantastic message about not comforming and staying true to yourself despite peer pressure. Can't see the problem.

[diamondsonthesolesofhershoes]

My friends and I were crazy over Grease aged about 5, I think for about 2 years every birthday party was grease themed!

It depends how the school handle it. If they focus on the whole 50s theme and the dancing and the friendship group (Chang Chang changa doo wop de wop) it could be fun.
YANBU but I don't think you should worry until you've seen how they're planning to interpret it.

[BertieBotts]

Huh, Feak? Have you seen the end scene?

[swallowthree]

Don't know how the message about not conforming is conveyed when the most abiding image from the film is of Olivia Newton John getting a make over and taking up smoking. And then the song - there are worse things I could do - hmm. But thanks for the thought. I realise not everyone will feel as I do about this film though and the musical will be different.

[iscream]

What ages are year5/6? Is that what we call grade 5/6, which is ages 10/11?
If so, that is too young.
They perform it here quite often at a local high school, but the elementary students were only invited once. So many parents objected when they received permission forms to attend, they cancelled the trip.
Usually they get to see all of the high school students performances.
I'd say age 14 and up is fine.

[swallowthree]

Although I can see if handled well it could provoke some really useful discussion.

[swallowthree]

They are aged 9 to 11. A bit young for the themes being covered, I think.

[squeakytoy]

Grease came out when I was 6.. as kids we all loved it, without thinking too deeply about the more "adult" parts of the storyline.. to kids it is just a fun film, with good songs, and I really cannot see how it would corrupt any child!!! YABU

[iscream]

I have to admit, I have not seen it since it was first out, and don't remember a lot of it.

[GeneHuntsMistress]

Rizzo's unplanned pregnancy (false alarm)

Then again the Greased Lightning song about sex does advocate the use of condoms (and travolta waves them around in that song whilst dancing on the car) so suppose that balances it out.

Dunno really. Sitting on the fence. Sure they see much much worse in eastenders etc

[swallowthree]

Would it be reasonable to go into school to discuss. My daughter will be mortified though.

[squeakytoy]

You will probably be the laughing stock of the staff room if you go in to "discuss".... I think you are being very over-reactive and seeing far more into it than any of the kids involved in it would..

[perceptionreality]

I know a teacher who adapted a Grease script for the primary school she works in. I am sure they would not include the inappropriate stuff.

[diamondsonthesolesofhershoes]

Oh Christ! I'd never made the link between greased lightning and sex, I always thought he just really loved that car!!

[singinggirl]

Our year 5 and 6's did Grease last summer, lots was adapted and edited - to shorten it as much as anything! The whole Rizzo storyline was omitted, lots of words were changed, i.e. 'the chicks will scream' in Greased Lightening was changed to 'the kids will scream'. Greased Lightening was a great song for the boys actually, really got them all involved. The school was also renamed to match ours, and various 'in jokes' were added to the script. So if adapted appropriately it can be a great production to do.

[LeeCoakley]

Stage version much more 'sexed up' than the film but the scripts that schools use will be appropriate for the age group. Just a lot of fun and the children know all the main songs anyway and will love it.

[SodoffBaldrick]

I first saw this aged 12 and thought the 'I won't go to bed 'til I'm legally wed' line meant that Sandy was never going to get any sleep ever again.

OP - YANBU in the sense that the message is appalling, but take heart - everyone sees right through it, even young kids, and thinks Sandy's submission and conforming is a bit pathetic.

[LeeCoakley]

But Danny conformed as well. He didn't know about her make-over. Love is all about compromises

[swallowthree]

I'll be interested to see what is left after they take out the main story line - the girl working out what she has to do to get the man (conform and put out) and pregnant girl singing about how much worse it is to be a prick tease bits. I suppose it could end up being about doing up a car, having a race, a dance competition and a lovely school fair at the end - in which case, fair enough. Has sparked some interesting discussion in our house already and quite pleased my daughter has said that she is not going to play the girl who takes up smoking and dresses cool to get someone to like her but she will have a look at the script first. As for being laughed out of the staff room - who cares ? and thats the message about conforming and standing up for what you believe in that that film undermines. Maybe you have been influenced more than you know.

[swallowthree]

Danny only put on a cardie and then whipped it off again.

[Maybetimeforachange]

It is my 6 year olds favourite film. Clearly I am a completely awful mother as it has never occurred to me that it should be censored. Off for a few learn to be a responsible parent lessons.