Hairspray 1988 version takes place in Baltimore in the early 60’s and include racial segregation in America at the time. The newer version (2007) is based off the same time period and same issues except with less comedy and more seriousness about integration issues and more dancing shown by African Americans. The most important being who gets the title of Mrs. Hairspray. White (1988) vs. Black female. (2007).
Adaptation: In the 1988 version of the Film “Hairspray”
it takes place in Baltimore, early 60’s when Dancing was popular. However, Segregation
was very prominent during this decade and African American’s had to fight to
dance with white people. They were separated and forced to dance only on Thursdays
at the end of the month. Throughout the entire film, racial slurs like “negro
day’ are made and white people are constantly afraid and screaming at them
claiming that they will cause harm. Tracy is part of the Integration movement and
ends up getting arrested because of it, but in the end she gets out and makes history
in the Corny Collins show is finally integrated!
In the more modern version of things, in 2007 “Hairspray” takes
on a different approach, and at first Tracy is not accepted on the show right
away. She gets invited by Amber’s partner to be on the show, and then Tracy is
accepted in the council. Amber and her mom are involved more in this movie and
try to get rid of the host and negro day all together. However, once the show starts
making more progress, there is nothing Amber’s mom can do about her. In the
end, the one to win the Hairspray title is the Host, Motormouth Maybelle’s daughter
and marks the official day of integration on tv.
Ideology:
Both films share ideas and beliefs about “colored” people
and the way they behave and everyone including Tracy has to fight for integration
on TV to overcome Racial inequality.
Genre:
|
Hairspray 1988 |
Hairspray 2007 |
|
1988 Version is classified as a Musical Comedy, focuses heavily
on self-image, many racist remarks are made throughout and majority of the
time only shows white males and females dancing. |
2007 Version is classified a Musical Romance, this movie focuses
less on appearance, more on singing and dancing and shows whites and blacks parts
while dancing. |
|
Social History: “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation
forever” “one black face gets on camera; this shows off the air.” Amber is the new Mrs. Hairspray, until Tracy gets bailed
out of jail, and becomes the new Mrs.Hairspray.and then Blacks and whites
join together and become integrated on the Corny Collins show. |
Social History: Tracy doesn’t get accepted into the show right away for “being
too big” She gets invited to the show Negro day ended Inez Stubbs, an African American Female, is the new Mrs.
Hairspray and that is when the Corny Collins show becomes official forever integrated. |
Semiotics:
Pragmatic Relationships:
One aspect that both films have in common is racism. African
Americans have to fight for integration. African American folks have to “break
in” to be part of the dance and In the original movie a white female gets the Mrs.
Hairspray title, and the show officially becomes integrated.
In the 2007 version integration is still a big part of the
plot, only this time only African Americans’ dance skills are shown way more.
Also an African American teenager gets the title of Mrs. Hairspray and that’s
how integration happens on television for the first time. This is a major
change from the original film.
Syntagmatic Relationship:
Self image and Racism is being represented throughout the
movie. In the 1988 Version we see women focused a lot more on appearance than
anything else and they worry about impressing their partners. Black and white
are forbidden to be together ( penny and seaweed).
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