Olivia Newton-John slammed back after culture warriors of cancellation criticized her iconic film Grease.
After the film was broadcast on British TV during the Christmas holidays, it was criticized on social media as racist, sexist, homophobic and ‘slut-shame’.
The 72-year-old actress, who spoke to the A Life of Greatness podcast, was only too happy to defend Grease against a new generation of awake millennials.
Let her say: Actress and singer Olivia Newton-John hit back after culture warriors canceled her iconic film Grease.
Olivia said of the setback: ‘I think it’s very stupid. I mean, this movie was made in the 1970s over the 1950s. ‘
‘It was a stage play, it was a musical, it was fun. It’s a fun film music not to be taken so seriously, ‘she added.
The singer and medical marijuana campaigner said people take ‘popular culture’ too seriously these days.
Calm down, kids: After Grease aired on British TV during the Christmas holidays, it was criticized on social media as racist, sexist, homophobic and ‘slut-shy’.
“We need to relax a bit and just enjoy things as they are,” she said.
“I did not see it that way at all, I think it’s a fun movie that entertains people.”
Grease was one of the best-grossing films of the ’70s and became a Hollywood classic.
Measured answer: Olivia said about the setback: ‘I think it’s a little silly. I mean, this movie was made in the 1970s over the 1950s. It was a stage play, it was a musical, it was fun. It’s a fun musical not to be taken so seriously ‘
When the film aired on the BBC on 26 December, more than four decades after its release, many young people were furious about the high school antics.
In the final scenes, student Sandy (Olivia) lets go of her image of a good girl for skinny PVC pants and starts smoking so she can impress Danny (John Travolta).
It prompted one angry Twitter user to write: ‘Fat is far too sexist and too white and should be banned on screen. It’s almost 2021. ‘
How dare they! When the film aired on the BBC on December 26, more than four decades after its release, many young people were furious about the high school antics
Another angry viewer complained: ‘Fat sucks on so many levels and the message is pure misogyny. ‘
A third user agreed and said, ‘Fat is just the sexiest piece.
One scene that particularly offended young viewers was when Putzie, one of Danny’s friends in the T-Birds gang, placed him on the floor to look up the skirts of two female students in the fictional Rydell High.
Low point: One scene that particularly offended young viewers was when Putzie, one of Danny’s friends in the T-Birds gang, positioned himself on the floor to look up the skirts of two female students at the fictional Rydell High.
Other viewers have complained about the lyric “Did she fight?” in the hit song Summer Nights, in which Danny describes the seduction of Sandy.
“It looks like Grease is actually pretty raped,” one angry viewer tweeted, while another said, “Misogynistic, sexist and a bit of rape.”
When Grease was released in 1978, film sensors gave it an A rating, the equivalent of today’s PG, and only commented on some of the near-knuckle language.
The film still has a PG rating with a warning for ‘regular soft sex references and soft language’.
Kids Classic: When Grease was released in 1978, film sensors gave it an A rating, equivalent to today’s PG, and only commented on some of the language close to the knuckle. Pictured: Olivia and her co-star John Travolta