Project1:Video/DVDAnalysis

ThemovieIchosetoanalyzesociologicallyisHairspray(2007),whichisdirectedby
AdamShankman.ItissetinBaltimore,Marylandin1962duringtheCivilRightsMovement.
TracyTurnblad,anoverweightteenager,isthemaincharacter,andshehelpsrallyagainstracial
segregation.Shefindsthathertownhasalocaltelevisionshowcalled,TheCornyCollinsShow.
Sheandherbestfriend,Penny,becomeobsessedwiththisshow,mainlybecauseofthedreamy
hotleadoftheshowLinkLarkin.Velma,Amber's(theevildancequeen)motherwho
immenselydiscriminatesagainstAfricanAmericans,runstheshow.Sheonlyallowsthemon
theshowonceamonthforNegroDay.Whenoneofthemaindancersleaves,TheCorny
CollinsShowhostsopenauditionstofillthespot.Tracysdreamistomakeanappearanceonthe
showsosheskipsschoolwithPennyandsheauditionsforthespot.However,duetoTracybeing
overweightandbeinginfavorofintegration,Velmarejectsher.However,Seaweed,Tracys
friendandPennysboyfriend,getshertherole.Meanwhile,LinkfallsforTracy.Tracywants
AfricanAmericanstonotbelimitedtojustonedayandfeelstheyshouldnolongerbe
segregated.WiththehelpofLink,Penny,andSeaweed,Tracyfightsforintegration.Velmaisso
disgustedthatTracyhasbeenselectedandthatsheisrallyingtostopsegregationthatVelma
cancels"NegroDay.TogetherTracyandherfriendsstartamarch.
Comtewouldinterpretthestorylineofthismovietoinvolvesocialdynamics(the
factorsthatbringaboutthechangeinsociety)inthewayinwhichthecharactersfromdifferent
backgroundsinteractwithoneanother.Forexample,howTracy(prointegration)interactswith
Velma(prosegregation)createsaverypositivesocialchangeattheendofthemovie,despiteall

oftheobstaclesandbalancingofsocialstatusesthatmustoccur.Additionally,Durkheims
theoryofsociologyverycloselyresemblesHairspraysplot.Forexample,thereisadeep
divisionbetweensomeofthewhitesandtheblacksinasensethatonegroupbelievesin
segregationandtheotherwantsnosegregationbutonlyintegration.Bothofthesegroupsshare
lesscommonexperiences,ideas,andvaluesfromoneanother.Thistypeoftheoryisvery
prevalentinHairspraybecauseasthetwogroups(whiteandAfricanAmericans)grewdistant
fromoneanother,oursocietyhadaweakenedforceofsocialintegrationortheprocessofthe
wholesocietyassimilatingandfittingintogether.Finally,theapproachthatKarlMarxtakeson
sociologyisquitedistinctlyseenwithinthemovieHairspray.Thistheorydescribessocial
inequalityasbasedonwhatcertainpeopleofsocietyown/donotown.Marxwouldanalyzethe
moviebypointingoutthatthewhitepeopleinthemoviearethesuperiorracebecausetheyare
theoneswhoappeardailyonTheCornyCollinsShow.Theyareseenontelevisioneverydayby
teensallacrosstown.TheracewhoisatthelowerendofthisladderistheAfricanAmericans
becausetheyareonlygivenonedayamonthontelevisiontoshareandexpressthemselvesto
theircommunity.Thisdividedsocietycausesconflictbecausethetwogroupsarenotseenas
equal.
TheparadigmthatismostrepresentedinthemovieHairsprayistheconflictperspective.
Thiscertainperspectiveisbasedontheinequalityandthetensionbetweengroups.Inthemovie
thereareextremedifferingopinionsofwhitesversusAfricanAmericans(giventhetimeperiod).
ThecharactersinthismovieportraytheCivilRightsMovementandtheeventsandscenarios
detailinghowAfricanAmerican'sgottreatedunequallyandwrong.Forexample,Velmarefused
toletTracyhavetheopenspotontheshowmainlybecauseshewasprointegration,andTracy

feltthatVelmawasbeingveryracist.Thisisjustoneofseveralmomentsinthismoviethat
portraysgreatconflictbetweentwocharactersorgroups.Anotherfactoroftheconflict
perspectiveisthatpeopleareshapedbypower,coercion,andauthority.InHairspray,which
portraystheCivilRightsMovement,whoeverhasauthoritycanshapewhoevertheywantinto
whatevertheywant.ThewhitekidswhowatchedTheCornyCollinsshowdailyweremost
likelyinfluencedbythepeoplewhoappearedontheshowandthusthosepeopleontelevision
weretheoneswhohadthemostpower.