FOOTLOOSE HAS A SCREW LOOSE

                                    

I stumbled upon the movie Footloose while channel surfing.  Made in the eighties, it’s another one of those of adolescent films in which the kids outsmart the adults.

The 17-year-old hero moves from Chicago to a provincial town whose leaders had recently outlawed dancing.  The town’s moral leader is a 40ish preacher who stammers about how drugs and dancing are “ruining our youth.” When the preacher’s daughter comes home late one night and is questioned by her father, she angrily wonders why he doesn’t trust her.  Incensed, she pushes him out of the way and storms upstairs.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” the preacher stammers helplessly. (Not the best of parenting techniques).

The preacher’s wife is a non-sexual, nervous, mouse-like creature who defers to her husband.  In general, the adults are portrayed as ineffectual, ignorant, inarticulate, small-minded, provincial, religious, book burning ignoramuses. The teenagers are all smart, understanding, exciting, adventurous, sexual, cool, open-minded, philosophical and clever.

In the climactic scene, the kids plead their case for a dance with the town council.  After the preacher makes his case about the evils of dancing, the kid from Chicago asks for the floor.  Sitting casually on the stage, the teen-age-sage from The Big City lectures the small-minded adults.  He speaks directly to the preacher, making him out to be a sanctimonious fool because the preacher’s very own book – the bible – sanctions dancing.

 The adults squirm in uncomfortable silence.  Finally, an enlightened parent calls out, “If we don’t start trusting our children, how will they become trustworthy.” Seeing the folly of their ways, and outtalked by the Chicago Kid, the preacher relents and allows them to have their dance.

Since the creators of this teenage-power-ego-trip-fantasy, have an agenda, I would like to offer my own version.  After the teenager from Chicago has dominated the conversation, the preacher sighs, stands up and smiles benevolently at the boy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.  We should certainly admire this young man for having had the courage to speak in front of the assembly.  Perhaps someday he will be a leader; perhaps someday he will be making policy, but that day has not yet come.

“You tell us that dancing is in the bible, implying we are hypocrites.  However, you must understand that we do not object to dancing, just certain types of dancing.  We do not approve of dancing that simulates fornication.  We do not want to promote teen age sex because of the emotional, psychological, and economic toll it takes. These words – emotional, psychological and economic – might seem lofty and empty to you, but they are very real to the many thousands of kids who’s lives have been terribly disrupted.  We’ve seen it.  On this you must trust us.

“Children you must understand that we love you.  We want the best for you.  If we set no guidelines, if we gave you complete freedom, you would feel abandoned.  Deep in your hearts, you must know that we do not restrict you because we are tyrants, but because we are concerned about you.  We restrict you because at the age of sixteen you are not fully formed; you are not ready for complete freedom.

 “You tell us that if we don’t trust you, that you will not become trustworthy.  That is just playing with words.  We do not trust infants with sharp objects because they might hurt themselves.  Similarly, we do not trust adolescents who lack parental guidelines because they might hurt themselves. You will become trustworthy if we adults set honest examples and if we live honest lives.  You will become trustworthy if we adults parcel out your freedoms little by little, until you are on your own.

“We will give you your dance, but we will be there for the same reason we are always there for you: because we love you.  Because we sometimes fear for you.  Because there is a world of problems out there and we want to help you avoid them.

“Go ahead, have your dance, but in return, give us something back; give us respect.  Recognize that we are not just cardboard stereotypes but are real people with real feelings.  Recognize that we are not tyrants and that we are willing to listen and talk.  But also recognize that at this point, our word must be the final one.

“We are all emotionally drained tonight, not from hate but from love.  Have your dance.  But be home on time.