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Olivia Newton-John has defended Grease, saying that viewers who call it “sexist” need not take the 1978 musical film so “seriously”.
The movie was broadcast in the UK by the BBC over Christmas 2020, and drew complaints from viewers who labelled it sexist and misogynist.
Now, Newton-John has addressed those views during an appearance on the podcast A Life Of Greatness. “I think it’s kind of silly,” she said on the episode. “I mean, this movie was made in the 1970s about the 1950s.”
Grease tells the story of a summer romance between high schoolers Sandy Olsson (Newton-John) and Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and surrounding teenage antics. Among other examples, the film has been criticised for depicting Sandy ditching her “good girl” looks and persona in order to reconcile with Danny [via The Mirror].
Newton-John continued: “It was a stage play, it’s a musical, it’s fun. It’s a fun movie musical not to be taken so seriously.”
The actress and singer added that people “need to relax a little bit and just enjoy things for what they are” and that she “didn’t see it like that at all – I think it’s a fun movie that entertains people”.
In related news, a prequel to Grease is reportedly in the works some 40 years after the iconic movie was first released. According to The Hollywood Reporter the movie is aptly titled Summer Loving and tells the story of how troublesome greaser Danny first met Sandy.
A TV spinoff is also reportedly in development for HBO Max.
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