Hairspray

Hairspray is a 2007 film based on a 2002 musical called hairspray. The film was set in America in 1962 in the times when the struggle for equality for blacks was gradually improving but there's still segregation. Throughout the film there's many binary oppositions, stereotypes and themes in the film which presents the society teenagers lived in back in the 60's. I think the film is good for several reasons: its fun as its a musical, it shows the reality of life for black teenagers in schools and hang out places and finally it goes against the typical stereotype that they had.

Themes

The themes in hairspray:

• Relationships: the dreamy guy falling for the "ugly" girl, interracial relationship, jealousy. 
• Celebrities: in the film the main characters are the celebrities of the TV station's teen school Corny Collins Show they are seen as role models to the other students in the school for example Lil Inez who envy's Tracy for getting onto the show. 
• Fame: link mainly has fame on his mind instead of his happiness, he didn't want to be part of the protest the black people did as he felt it was interfere with his theatrical career. 
• Locations: The film is set in the high school where it was segregated showing the struggle for equality, there's always hang out areas where the black people chilled out and had fun it contrast with where the white people hung out because the black people seemed to have more fun which represents what teenagers do in their spear time.  
• Music: the music for the film was fun and catchy and music that teenagers would think is worth downloading, all the tracks all had meaning to them and told a story about themselves. 
• The characters: in the film there's several characters that make hairspray a teen film. There's a good looking guy that every guys likes which is Link, there's a princess that is stuck up and gets what they want which is Amber, there's a cool, calmed and collected guy that understands things from both perspectives which is Seaweed and finally there's a larger girl that has ambitions but being hated on by everyone which is Tracy. 

Stereotypes 

The leading actress in the film is Tracy Turnbald, she's not the slimmest of actress and they are not seen to be able to do much because of their size but it contradicts the typical leading actress for the film. Usually teen films have the all so attractive female actor and the larger girls are constantly bullied and can't get the "dreamy guy's" attention. In the "Run and Tell That" scene, on the bus Link, Tracy and Penny (the white kids) was sitting at the back of the bus and the black teenagers are at the front, at the time where people sat on the bus was an major issue for America, so by the film having the black people sitting at the front of the bus and the white people at the back it goes against the stereotype. Another Stereotype in the film is white people in especially Velma Von Tussle felt that black people shouldn't be integrated with white people in anything. This is shown when Velma cancels negros day on the rock 'n' rock Corny Collins Show. In the film is black people constantly get into trouble as they are always in detention, this was the case as back in the 1960's some white teachers refused to teach black students as they thought it was morally wrong. 

Binary Oppositions 

In Hairspray the black  people are supportive with one another whereas the white people there's a sense of rivalry and selfishness between them. When times was hard or something good happened for the people you saw them stand together for example when negro day was cancelled of the show and they started to do their peaceful march. you saw how they stood together and believed in what each other had to say unlike the black people the white people have split personalities for one another. In the classroom scene before Tracy and Link get sent to detention Amber heavily insults Tracy to the class and then gets her in trouble. If she supportive of her peer and colleague she would have been saying nice things about her and welcoming her onto the show etc, this shows the split personality she has and represents how all the white kids act in the film, they're all going for fame, and glory instead of helping others succeed with them.