I was watching Grease Live like everyone else almost three weeks ago, and of course I loved it. Since I was a teenager, I have dreamed one day of finding a bad boy who would think I am the one. Oh, and we would break out in song and run away together into the sunset. But, as I watched Grease as a college graduate, independent, and single. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Danny. I think we should all rethink how much we like him. He isn’t very nice to Sandy, never makes her a priority, and yet she gives up everything to be with him? Sounds like a f*ckboy to me.
1. In one of the first scenes, he is a total jerk to Sandy. He denies her in front of all his friends. Sandy was so upset about this that she told him that she never wanted to see him again.
2. We all know that Sandy gives Danny another shot. Danny screws up again, in typical f*ckboy fashion. He takes her to the diner and tried to hide the fact that he was there. He literally put the menu up so it would block both of their faces. He was trying not to be seen with her…come on now.
3. When they are finally eating at the restaurant, she wants him to meet her parents. Pretty typical in the 50s…what does he say? I don’t do parents? If you meet the parents, that’s a sign you are serious about them. Obviously he isn’t…
4. He asks her to go to the dance with him. You would think he would finally want to prove himself. Only to ditch her at the dance. He simply starts dancing with another girl…and they end up winning the dance off. Of course, so embarrassed and hurt, Sandy runs off again.
5. As Sandy forgives him once again…he gives her his class ring. Every girl’s dream…she tells him she’s glad he finally respects her…then what does he do? Tries to have sex with her.
6. The final thing is what Sandy does because she thinks it’s the only way to win Danny’s heart…she changes who she is…from her “good girl” image to leather pants and smoking. I Every girl wants to be the one who changes him, but because she couldn’t, she changed for him. Major f*ckboy red flag.
All of these signs we have seen in one way or another. Just like all of us I’m sure Sandy saw them as warning lights, but she choose to see the good in him, not the reality. I think we can all learn from Sandy that a guy who chooses to deny you, or keeps ditching you, isn’t the type you take home to mom and dad.
Whether you love Grease or not, you have to admit Danny is not very nice to Sandy. We all romanticize that dating would be so different back in the day and that men would respect us and take us out on nice dates, but Danny Zuko is just a friendly reminder that being a f*ckboy is not a new thing. If Sandy was my friend, I wouldn’t have let her put up with his shit.
Featured image via “Ross Hadley (Danny Zuko)” by Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Completely agree. Danny was a jerk in evey way – but it is stila great movie!