Not many people will pass up a funny, feel-good chick flick. Especially women, and yes, even some men (I swear, my boyfriend has seen more chick flicks than I have).
Desperately Seeking Susan is an example of the perfect chick flick. It has the love story, humorous one liners, ridiculous characters, good music, and desirable fashion. The overall plot is fun and interesting, but not so complicated that it takes a lot of effort to follow. I feel like for our generation, it’s even more fun to watch because the music and the fashion is from a time period that we didn’t live through. It’s just all so bizarre and fascinating! Not like I wouldn’t love to dress up like Madonna everyday...
Madonna’s role in the movie resulted in an association with second wave feminism of the 80’s. Her outright celebration of being a woman and expressing enjoyment of her sexuality created an uproar, but also made her
incredibly popular. Publicly admitting to enjoying sex was unheard of. Her fashion choices were incredibly controversial (lingerie and crosses? *GASP*), yet she became a trendsetter. Personally, I see Madonna as the pioneer of grunge style in the 90’s. Jane Miller’s article
Madonna states that she was “engaged in blatant, ongoing self-invention, a manipulation of the good/bad girl.” This was essentially what set second wave feminism apart from the previous feminist movement. Women were allowed to look pretty, wear makeup, and express their sexuality. But they did not do this for men; they did it for themselves. Roberta’s role in the movie is also feminist at its roots. Roberta is bored with her static life and lackluster marriage, so she lives vicariously through the personal ads. She begins to try and transform herself into someone she wants to be and through the help of a case of amnesia, she eventually finds herself and stands up against her husband. Roberta proves that women do not have to confine themselves to what society sees fit if they are not happy with their lives.
The combination of classic chick flick style, Madonna’s superstardom, and feminist undertones made
Desperately Seeking Susan a blockbuster hit. It inspired women and entertained many more, instantly gaining classic status.
I really enjoyed this film. It was definitely the perfect recipe for a chick flick! I find it interesting that a woman expressing her sexuality was/is so crazy for people to believe. When a man can express his with no issue and no one even bats an eye lash! I wonder what it would be like if women and men were able to express their sexuality freely and on an equal playing field.
ReplyDeleteThird-wave feminism, actually. Also postmodern--the idea of self-presentation as a matter of images as opposed to, say, personality or accomplishments--also very postmodern.
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