I'm not sure what the question is for this blog post...? Is it common in youth to dance..? Yes, it is, but this clip eaves a lot of things hanging. Such as, does she know this boy? If so are they close? Is he always so upbeat? Also their dancing seems really stiff, and I'm not sure if that is just how dancing looked in the 1960'2-1970's or if the acting is forced. I know that nowadays we do not dance around like we are part of a musical, and I would also never wear a dress and heels to a maids job or the market. Sometimes in older movies it’s hard to tell what is part of the times and what is just being exaggerated for the on-screen experience, since societal norms and fashion changes from generation to generation and the past is not somewhere we can visit just for the experience. --Burnsky012
Lol they did look stiff and some of the clothes were a little out there, but I guess for that time they thought that they were jamming. It will always seem funny to each generation that passes because of what is in at the time frame. When we get to be old our children will say the same about us, they will look at the clothes that we wore and the dances that we were into and think it was a comedy. But I begin to see that everything comes back around from the fashion all the way to the music just a repeating cycle that just adds on to the things of the past. Just me 012
I am so happy you mentioned that history tends to repeat itself because that is so true!! I mean if you think about it, overalls, “mom jeans”, tube tops,etc. Are all current fashion statements made long ago, just with a new twist, like rips in jeans for example. But I think that you should try to pay close attention to the sociological purpose of this film. This scene isn’t meant for us to look at and only see dancing, careless teens, but to more so find the reason for the scene. WHY would the director set the scene up this way? I think it would help you make more connections to it ff you veered away from the what your seeing and tried to figure out the why it’s important. Just food for thought... LayBae012
I agree how you said history repeats itself. Things of yesterday, now are being brought back with crazy twists on them. I thought the clip was trying to make us see two young teens not see each other as a different color, rather, as two people that enjoy the same thing. -CUBSFAN012
I agree, the question for the blog post was pretty unclear. I would guess that it was asking our opinions on how young people were portrayed being more quick to change. While I think that that was a type of dancing at the time, I also think that they were not the best dancers. I have seen dancing from that time period and they look really stiff. I don't think that it is unreasonable to think that they are bad at dancing because they are from a different time. Just compare them to videos and such of similar dancing of the same time period. -DMPeschy
It seems that she is more accepted by both sides of society, and shows how music can break the line between racism. At that time it wasn’t normal for interracial couples, I’m not sure if the two were dating but it seemed that they both were into each other. He offered to give her a ride to the market which also was something that was uncommon for the time period. The dancing looked crazy from both sides, but he looked more as if he was trying a little too hard. Another thing I noticed was how they didn’t have to much respect for the elderly maid, when she asked him a question e said a slick comment and so did the young woman. It also shows how the youth is more open with being around another race and has way more things in common then they may think. Such as the clothes that they were into to the music and dances that they had also. It shows you that children don’t really care about race it is what the parents install in them to make them believe what they say about other cultures is true. It is only when youth are in there own settings and get the chance to experience things for their selves. As seen the two are both from different parts of society but when the song is playing from the truck they both shut out the world and began to get down, it shows that even if from another culture or a different part of society that we all have many things in common then we may think we do. As seen the two must listen to similar music and also they are into the same dances. If only we could have everyone come together like the two who were dancing the world would be so much better, so maybe we just need to let the beats go on so we can keep it grooving. Just me012
I totally agree with your statement. It really does show some things that were very uncommon for the time period and that the different age groups thought about the situation. Even if the society puts a certain image out there on older people or people of different race we all take it in differently on we choose to view it. I also agree when you say that they didn't have much respect for the maid but I don't think it was intentional. I think that they were trying to prove to her that you can be friends and have fun with someone who is of different race then you. -ILIKETURTLES012
This scene from “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, is one of my favorite scenes in the entire film. I think that this shows the significance of ageism in society. The first thing I want to point out, is how the boy and Dorothy interact with Tillie. I think that the actions of the teenagers were used to highlight how teens appear to live their lives carefree. Throughout the entire scene, they were dancing and could really seem to care less about anything Tillie had to say. For example, when Dorothy went to grab her jacket, the boy faced his back towards Tillie and didn’t really show her any type of respect. Although their actions were more clear than Tillie’s, you can tell that she isn’t very fond of the boy either, and maybe even the girl as well. Her body language and facial expressions gave it all away! This is shown in society today as well. Older people and younger people are at a disconnect when it comes to communicating and chose to communicate in the ways in which they are most comfortable with. It would be correct for us to assume that younger people are also better at doing more things at once than older individuals. The boy was literally dancing, walking, bobbing and delivering all at once and I don’t think Tillie could do it, even if she tried. I think this was slightly exaggerated in the film, but still says alot about how different young and old people really are when it comes to the delivery of what they are trying to communicate to one another. Although Ageism is what got my attention the most in this scene, you can see the obvious difference in between genders as well. Dorothy was jamming out in a dress and heels, which seemed to be everyday attire for women at this time but is significantly different compared to what we see worn today. LayBae012
I agree that looking at the age differences is completely contrasting. This movie whether intentional, probably, or not seemed to show three distinct generations and their feelings about the world. The older generation, occupied by the Dreytons and the Prentinces, the current "adult" generation, Joey and John, and the young generation, the butcher delivery boy and Tillie. All three had distinct attitudes and values about what they thought the world was all about. It gives us a wonderful view of a world we no longer inhabit back in the 1960s. -twntyfourframes012
I thought of something similar for my post but didn't really think of it in the same way you did which is interesting. I agree with your thoughts on ageism. It does really show in this scene with the disrespect and multitasking. I can even relate this to other scenes in the movie, such as the one where Mr. Dreyton crashed his car into the back of a teens car at the ice cream place. The teens all banded together in that situation in thinking that he shouldn't be on the road and he's too old to drive etc. Many of the scenes in this movie are old versus young and the ways they contradict each other. -curlyhead012
I like that you pointed out the delivery boys back being to Tillie. It was something I saw but did not think much into. It could have definitely been a sign the younger generation has their own separate views and trends than the older one does and does not care to pay attention to what the elders have to say. Dorothy and the delivery boy were in their own world like most teenagers today are. gea012
I see your points being made in your response when it comes to teenagers being aloof and carefree in their day to day activities. Also spot on when it comes to not paying attention too much to the drama unfolding around them. But then when you state “It would be correct for us to assume that younger people are also better at doing more things at once than older individuals”- well, that’s just silly. I am not sure what the point of saying something like that is or how it ties into the context of the blog? Ageism is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a persons age- Tillie is not expressing any of this verbally or non-verbally. The girl was there to help Tillie with the work that needed to be done around the house and the girl just left with the boy who was obviously still on the clock (driving the delivery van). Maybe she was giving them a disapproving look for their disregard to what needed to be done and completed first as opposed to what they wanted to do?? Just a thought… TRM-012
I think that one of the easiest ways to see how youth of a time thought is to look at the popular music of the era. In this scene you can clearly see that the young man is enjoying the music and the girl who rides with him also enjoys it and dances with it. In 2018 both the dancing and the music are a bit outdated but that’s what 51 years will do to popular culture it makes it not...popular. Though more along the same idea I had before if you look at a youth and their music you will often see the expression of their feelings about culture and the world. Liking the same music is a very big positive in many people's book when it comes to starting a new relationship with a person, be that romantic or not. You can easily pinpoint groups of people throughout the years and music is so often associated. The grunge movement of the 1990s, the punk rock of the 1980s, the psychedelic rock of the 70s. Each immediately brings to mind a specific type of people. I think it is also interesting to think that what music is popular and brings youth together only stays that way for a short period. Even we have seen some waves of music over the least 10-15 years. We had the rise and fall of EDM and dubstep, as well as the resurgence of rock and alternative as a major music genre. Of course rap is most likely considered the most popular form of music amongst the younger generations today. It will be very entertaining to look back in 10 years or even 20 to the high school years of my life and see how much pop culture has moved on from the things my cohort enjoyed back then. -twentyfourframes012
Honestly this was one of my favorite scenes in the movies because it showed a lot of different conflict. Back in this time era race was a huge topic of discussion. I liked this video because it went against culture norms for back then. Back then it was almost frowned upon to see or be with someone of a different race. Seeing Dorothy and the delivery boy interact went against that. It showed that Dorothy and the delivery boy were dancing around and it didn't even phase them to let the color of their skin to keep them from getting along. I think tilly had a big impact on the situation too. We saw not only in that scene but throughout the movie how she felt about john and Joanna getting married. She didn't believe that it was right for a black man to marry a white women even thought she was African American herself. So, tilly seeing the delivery boy and Dorothy interact didn't just frustrate her but it was also the fact that they didn't care what tilly thought. We noticed that as Dorothy and the delivery boy interacted they ignored how tilly was scolding them both but mostly the boy. As Dorothy went inside to get her coat the delivery boy turned away because he knew tilly was going to say something. Again we noticed that he didn't care what she thought because he just continued to dance. Today it is a lot different because our norms have developed over the years. People of different races and ages can interact with each other and do not let it interfere with how we communicate. I thought this movie was very good because it showed a lot of differences on how our world has developed over the years and how drastically our norms can change. -ILIKETURTLES012
I like what you said about how Dorothy and the delivery boy interacted and how they both didn’t care what others thought about them dancing together. It seemed as if they just wanted to have fun and as you mentioned they were breaking social norms by dancing together since their races are different. -IDK123012
People in one generation tend to look down on the things that the generation following them engages in. Because trends change and people are not that accepting or flexible with change, they tend to hold on to their “traditional” values, without being able to see the world from the perspectives of the younger generations. I do not think that any generation does not experience something like this, yet it does not seem that as time progresses the older generations become any more accepting of the younger generations. In “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” I think the writers wanted to portray that the younger generation was much more accepting of racial differences. Not only does the entire movie revolve around the idea of a single interracial marriage, but this scene hints that the younger generation as a whole finds it easier to be attracted to and accepting of people of different races. Not only does Tillie not approve of interracial relationships, but she does not enjoy the sass that the delivery boy gives to her about him not being the one to rustle the cattle and carve up the meat. In this manner it seems that Tillie tends to stick to more traditional values that children are not supposed to talk back, give sass, or disrespect their elders. In addition, it is clear that Tillie does not approve of the dancing and jiving the delivery boy displays and then “infects” Dorothy with that same dance. Tillie sees the dancing as something that is completely uncalled for and maybe a symbol of sexuality. There is usually one big fad or activity that the younger generation engages in that the older generations come to define them as being deviant; however, there are generally more than one thing the younger generation do that annoy the people of the older generations. MySliceofthePi012
I think what you said about the kids and what the author was intending to show is absolutely right! I was confused as to why they show that in that scene nobody cared that a black girl was dancing with a white boy. Yet the movie is based on an interracial marriage. So, yes they are just trying to show the changes of trends and how the older can't respect our traditions, as we can't respect theirs neither. Probably why we tend to annoy the older generations. ^~^Itis012
In this video, I see two young people having fun by dancing. I think it is like our youth of today. We listen to music and dance just like these two from this movie. I don’t know if they were perhaps a couple, or just two good friends. But either way, I would do this too. Although the place they were at was kind of weird. Like they started dancing out of nowhere to no music. It was a older movie so it was just kind of of cheesy. I wouldn’t be doing this with random people that I just met by giving them meat. I do think our generation is a like to previous but there has been some changes. Like the kind of clothes we wear to the music we listen to. Heck, even the way we dance is different. You can see the different trends of the past and compared them to our times trends. Like hairstyles or the type of shoes even. I do find it interesting how no one cares about those two hanging out and being buddy buddy. But when the main characters are introduced, every family member was shocked. So that kind of confuses me. Although, it might just be a change in the times for those younger generations of the 1960’s, where everyone is learning to accept one another for who they are. Then again, I might just be seeing it wrong. ^~^ Itis012
In this clip from Guess Who’s coming to Dinner I saw from prior knowledge in the start a wife and husband standing together closely talking about their daughter and how happy she was the emotion the wife showed was important as her husband comforts her. This encounter shows how a couple views personal space this connects to how we interact with others today in modern day if two stagers are talking you can see that both aren’t standing 1inch from each other faces usually the two people are a few feet away. Though two people who know each other like two friends the space in between the two would be closer together because they are comfortable with being close which is. What I’m getting at is that personal space is a norm in our culture it’s considered rude to stand to close to someone especially a stranger. You can also, see how then the scene changes to the delivery man giving the maid some type of meat and you can see the interaction he has with the black girl that comes to the door they start to dance and the way they dance is obviously different than the way we dance today that has to do with the time, this movie was made in the 1960’s and it is now the 2018 our culture has change including the way we dance and speak to one another. While watching the two teenagers dancing the audience could possibly feel a culture shock because as someone who doesn’t dance that way or if they were seen dancing that way could feel as if they don’t belong in that place meaning they don’t feel like the actors in the movie should be dancing how they are because for our culture its not “cool” to even watch. I think overall that it’s not a lot to pull from this scene but there are still ways to connect it to sociological terms. -IDK123012
I enjoyed the film, I though it was good. It’s been a while since I have seen an old movie. My reactions towards this scene was funny I thought. I am just thinking to myself why is he dancing and all the sudden goes out with Tillie’s daughter? I believe that’s her daughter, but correct me if I am wrong. He just kind of shows up delivers some steak or whatever, but then the girl (forgot her name) takes off with out even asking Tillie. I know that history between whites and blacks was bad, and in the clip, showed nothing bad but two young teens getting along like if nothing was wrong, which should be the case, but back then it was not like that. Overall, the film was big on race and that race should never be a problem, but society has come and made it into a problem. I believe there is always going to be a person who is racist and but of course, that should not be the case. Al though, Tillies attitude just seems off because she seems like she really does not like everybody or most people. She did have an attitude towards the boy but nothing heavy. There is some obvious differences but I think the take away is that, both young teenagers didn’t mind what was happening because all they both want to do is to have some fun, and me I would too. There both not thinking about color in the situation other than the elderly in the film. Could also be that music connects people and both oung teenagers have the same taste of music, so it does not separate them at all because they have the same taste of music.
I too noticed Tillie’s off sort of attitude, but this actually surprised me based on what we learned in class about minorities being able to distinguish a situation from a more sociological perspective. Since Tillie is a minority, I thought she would have a more open attitude toward interracial relationships. I thought she would view this as a progressive movement toward gaining equality. But I guess traditional attitudes sometimes overshadow our sociological perspective. Maybe Tillie could not imagine people like her going with people like the ones’ she worked for. In this way the new ideas emerging with the younger generation gave way to a type of culture shock. MySliceofthePi012
I think this is the one really strong scene in the movie that shows commonality in youth despite race. Because the meat delivery boy and Dorothy are about the same age they share a common interest in the same type of music. The way they both dance to the music is the same which makes me thing this style of dance was popular at the time when the movie takes place. I think how they dance also shows how carefree they are and really the stereotype of how teenagers live their life, even now. I think it is really interesting how teenagers are seen as carefree in the same way they are today. In the scene from the movie, even though race is a big issue, this is one scene that it doesn’t seem to matter at all. I think this is because the delivery boy is carefree first and foremost but is also aware that he has a low job just like Tillie and Dorothy. In fact, he really probably has an even lower job than Dorothy and Tillie because he is the one that is serving them. So, essentially, he is the lowest on the totem pole. This also seems to be a time when America was starting to grow out of segregation because in the movie it was stated that interracial marriages were legal in California but not in 16 or 17 other states. This generation of teens, therefore, would care less about the color of your skin than their parents would. In this film age and race are related very closely and I didn’t really realize it until now. This also clears up why Joanna is so optimistic about her quick marriage to John. Her parents raised her to think that the color of someone’s skin doesn’t matter only what’s on the inside. -curlyhead012
I also think the scene is very powerful as well because of what it shows like what you said, however, I do not think it was as wide spread as it looks because of the racial tension and mindset during that time. Commonality between youth is not uncommon but during this time period, you would think it would be quite difficult for exchanges of culture to occur when discrimination of races is blatant at that time. -TheMarshall012
Commonality in youth is something that happens in the modern day quite often and can be seen anywhere where youth can mingle unopposed by laws, cultural norms, and any other factor that my drive them apart. It is very common to find similar trends and actions rampant throughout youth of similar groups. These groups include color / race, age, location, etc. A modern day example of this would be the spread in popularity off things like books, movies, songs, etc. In my class in elementary, a book series spread and became very popular within a couple days after several groups became attached to it. However, back then in the 1960s, several things impeded the commonality between races because of the racial tension and racist culture that was rampant back then. This did not stop commonality in youth between races, however, it only made it harder to have it cross. Back then, cross racial commonality was considered extremely taboo back then and any interracial commonality was usually hidden or not heard of. This movie shows that it is there however in an enclosed environment away from prying eyes and or shown without knowing that it was shown. I believe that with the way things were back then, commonality in youth, it was of course a things. I do not believe, however, that interracial commonality was as common as the movie portrayed it to be. This is because of all of the racial tension caused by the mindset and what was taught at the time. It was in the culture of that time for race to be a factor in things, unfortunately. Commonality, however, was still something that happened for all races back then and even today. It will continue into the future and is happening as we speak / type. It is not unusual for something like this to happen, past or present. –TheMarshall012
When I think of commonality of youth in this video I pick out them both dancing and also them not seeing the difference of race between one another. Tilly is the oldest in the scene and she is serving staff to the white family. Then we see the delivery boy and Dorothy both engage in music and dance. The boy is white Dorothy is black and the boy is going to do something for Dorothy by giving her a ride. Then you see Tilly receiving the meat from the delivery boy and she will go in and prepare it for the white family. All the younger people in this movie see one another as just humans while the older see each other that way but still see race first and foremost. It is a thing for a generation to have similar views and be into the same stuff like the delivery boy and Dorothy portray in this video. I think this clip is saying a lot in a small amount of time. It is showing certain dancing trends and showing the change in segregation or racial discrimination. The whole movie revolves around the two people wanting to get married while this clip showed it was not just those two who were seeing black and white relationships differently than seen before but others were too. The delivery boy seemed to expect to see Dorothy and vice versa. They enjoy eachother like Joey and the Dr do. It is a moment in the movie to take away from the two main characters and show the rest of the younger generation is thinking the same too. gea012
The title of this blog “Commonality in Youth… Before?” is a bit vague, but I suppose it is meant to be as such. There will be many different interpretations of this as well as answers. I believe in going with the thoughts that while tying into the movie, that particular scene is just that- common. It’s what kids did before this timeframe and after and still do to this age. We are presented with the teenage girl who is supposed to be helping Tillie with things around the house but seems very disinterested in doing so especially when the delivery boy shows up. The boy is quite lackadaisical when he pulls into the driveway as well as when he runs the steaks up to the door to Tillie and aloofly says “someone having a steak fry tonight?”. It’s obvious that the two are familiar with each other as it was very fluid of her asking for a ride and that his agreement came so quickly and without any hesitation. Also, I am quite certain that Tillie would have said something as well. Every generation has this in common- going out and dancing no matter where it is done. Teenagers have always been congregating in groups to do things that almost seem ‘forbidden’ but in all retrospect, we’ve all done it. Now if the race thing were an issue- that then would be an entirely different discussion. Was Tillie frowning because the kids were lacking regard toward her as well as their work or was it because she was not fond of the friendship those two had? Was it only frowned upon to be dating outside your race or was it also frowned upon to be friends as well? So when I see this clip alone, all I see is two teenagers being dorky (as most teenagers are), and leaving to go do teenager things. It’s the same now as it was then. TRM-012
I like your points on this. I also felt like this video was vague and it was kind of a struggle trying to interpret it. I had a different approach than you when trying to decipher the relevance of this scene in the entire film. You talk about how the commonality of the two people's age's was what was important here. I kind of thought that the contrasting races was what was the focus of the scene. But I feel as though we could both be right. Clearly younger people during this time had a lot in common regarding their views and interest. But not just younger people, younger people of different races. I felt as though it showed the coming togetherness of people as a whole. More so than just young people. I don't know though.
This scene to me was honestly extremely random in this movie. Just like the ice cream scene where Johanna’s father blindly slams into someone’s car. I just didn’t understand the relevance to the plot. But if I had to make a comment on it, I feel like it was placed in here just to show maybe how other people were during this time. The young black girl is shown dancing with a young white guy. Showing how similar their interest was. Which, you wouldn’t expect because whites and blacks kept separate for so long. You wouldn’t expect them to have the same upbringings and common interest. So it adds a little to the plot I suppose. Same with the ice cream scene. We saw the black man whose car was on the receiving end of the collision and took all the real damage, literally scream at the old white guy. He wasn’t scared, he didn’t care who it was, he just screamed at him. I feel like 20 or 30 years ago, one: would a black man even have a car? Two: wouldn’t you think the black man would just mind his p’s and q’s and not even think to open his mouth to address a white man. Because clearly way back in the day, and even so now, white men held all of the power. I think they might have added those scenes to show what life was like outside of the white family’s household. It kind of shows us just how integrated the two types of people, blacks and whites were now. It also can help explain why John and Johanna thinking there was a possibility they could be married was something that was happening. Clearly blacks and whites were starting to see each other as that different, and only saw each other as people now, despite the history between the races. I cant be sure but that’s my theory.
I do agree with you that those scenes were random, but they do represent what you just said. I think this movie is all about different things that were happening during that period because I saw a lot of scenes were discussing thing and then starting another scene that discuss completely different thing. However, total all the movie went amazing and it discussed issues that we might still see it currently. Moreover, it looks like the new generation were accepting both sides of the society and music was the only thing that connects them together as sharing the same interest which was not seen because it was only things for white people and things for colored people. I like how you pointed out your thoughts, thank you! POINTOFVIEW012
Every scene in show business has some sort of intention, even if it is something as simple as a humorous relief. In this case, I think the scene was included for the same reason as much of the rest of the movie, like the drive-in diner scene, to demonstrate the changing mindset among different generations. In this specific case, the goal was to demonstrate the new perspective among the youth about racial differences. Obviously these two characters know each other at least as friends, which would have been nearly unheard of but a decade prior! In my experiences, race is not even considered when making friends. In my high school, which was extremely diverse, you would find the most "unorthodox" of friends, which continues to demonstrate the youth rebelling against societal norms. This scene represents the changing of the guard into more accepting and progressive people. -CSP012
I definitely agree with you to a certain point. As I watched the movie I found this scene to be rather off-putting and quite confusing actually. I found myself wondering exactly what was supposed to be shared throughout this scene and what exactly the creator of the movie was trying to make a point of. However, now that I have come back and watched it again, event this small scene, I found that I really connected with it a little bit better and I could understand more fully what was going on. This movie, while being a easy movie to watch was at first very hard to figure out how to glean information from. However, now that I am truly looking I am finding all sorts of wonderful things. -THEARSONIST012
I am very thankful for professor White for letting us watch this amazing movie, Guess who's coming to dinner. It opened my eyes to different things, but the most important was being able to see things from different backgrounds and accept those ideas. This video is telling a lot maybe there are things I didn’t see not because I disrespect others, but it is because I was only exposed to one culture. Here it looks like the new generation is more open-minded to the idea that we all human being regardless, the color, race, ethnicity, etc. The norms at that period were living together but separately not because of racism mostly because the social standards of that culture during that period didn't accept that. It looks like the color problem had been there forever, but most it is incredibly amazing that people during that days were able to discuss and making films about accepting each other. The way they danced together represent that music is one language no matter who you are. We might be different but we all agree that music is beautiful and holding people together. Moreover, what caught my eyes was the delivery man was white which represent that white and colored people can work in the same place, and the lady that she worked with that family for more than 25 years is colored again it shows how things were moving around and people are willing to accept that what makes you different than me is NOTHING. We all taking the same breath and we all have the same color of blood which is red. The more we are understanding others the healthier society will be not only for us but to all the future generations. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts everything is writing here is opening my eyes to different things. POINTOFVIEW012
It really is a good movie and it too am glad that it was introduced to us. It shows show many things all wrapped up into one film. I to enjoyed that this film crossed barriers and more than likely gave people something to think about even today. i like what you said about us being all the same with no differences. This is the truth, we all are human above anything else and if we could just wrap our heads around this the world might just be a better place.`pj012
In this clip, you can see, in my opinion the power of music and how it brings people together. I think this clip was trying to show that the boy or girl saw each other as a different color. Rather, they saw themselves as a fan of music just dancing together because it was fun. I think also the clip was trying to get across the fact that these “kids” might be a little young to understand the weight of racism against each other. Rather their youth protects them from the outside influences. In terms of the movie, it did seem a bit random. I think it was to add some comic relief while also leaving the whole dancing thing up for interpretation. Overall, this clip was one the funnier ones of the whole movie. -CUBSFAN012
I agree, this clip does show the deep influence of music and the influence of society. It was an interesting music choice to say the least. I do wonder how music we listen to today will sound generations in the future. I like how you said that there youth protects them from outside influences. It does seem that without as many restriction and deep seated beliefs that grow with age in some cases that younger individuals can have a far more open mind.`pj012
This clip gives a view into a couple things. For one we can see how ageism affects our different viewpoints by just simply looking at Tilly's face when these two dance off together. Then while this played in the room I'm sure many of our faces appeared the same. It was strange to us and strange to Tilly, but for this group made sense for the time period there in. This goes to show that one age group will inevitably grow to see younger generations as different or less than what there generation was and is. In the same way the youth will see older generations as past their prime and stuck in there ways. Another interesting thing was that you could also see racial barriers being broken down and two people of a different race dancing with music which seems to eastern of sorts. This movie goes to show that with time all things break down, some for good others for bad. But eventual adaptation occurs and we all grow together one way or another for the benefit of our society. This of course doesn't always occur everywhere in the world as fast as others. Technology also plays a big factor in this. How we communicate now is different than 20 years ago and so on. Information is being transferred faster than ever. I enjoyed this clip because it showed the start of something that’s been progressing for 60 years now since this film. It also makes me wonder what those actors think about how they looked back then and if time has changed their views on how they danced. Dancing is something else that grows with time and our views change with that also. The dances of today won’t be popular tomorrow.`pj012
You are right! The first time I saw the scene, I was legitimately confused and unsure why it was included in the final cut of the movie. Tilly’s reaction was my reaction as well… “What?” However, after viewing it a second time, I could see what it was trying to depict - how the younger generation has different ways of interacting with people that can often look strange to people looking form the outside in (people from older generations). I really liked how the scene ignored the obvious racial conversation, and instead showed two “kids” enjoying each others' company without a care, it was touching.
I agree also! I was very confused in the beginning about what this scene could mean and what in contributed to the movie. I saw it as well saying how the young man and woman interact different and are just trying to have some fun. Tilly did not seem to excited about the situation with the reaction that I got while watching this clip. They did not seem to care waht Tilly thought and I really enjoyed that because I think that people focus too much on what others think of them rather than what they think of themselves. - mommaj'skid012
I’m not entirely sure what to analyze in this, but it does show that the racial discrimination is not as intense as before. The white boy is happily dancing with, almost in a flirtatious manner, an African American girl. They both seem happy, but do they know each other? I’m assuming so since he seemed to pick her up? But I found their brief interaction interesting. I suppose it can also represent a rapidly changing social norm/environment for not only the races, but for that age and time. It also had the music blaring and them dancing, which shows the mood of that time for that age group. Very interesting!
This video demonstrates two major concepts: generational differences and youthful mindsets. Tilly obviously was not a huge fan of the market boy, we get a glimpse of his behavior towards her in the movie. He is very blunt, which was probably viewed as impolite at the time, and is just trying to get the job done. This is a major example of the transitioning of society. Nowadays, we want things done and need them done fast. In Tilly's generation, things got done at their own pace, which the delivery boy rejects. I see some major commonalities as well as differences among the youth of this film and current youth. In both instances, blasting music and enjoying it is commonplace. Whereas now we may just chill and listen to music, back then they danced to it, and it was completely normal. Additionally, they were obviously either open-minded, or rebellious to societal norms, or both! I doubt one would generally see a white boy and black girl hang out together, yet obviously they know each other well enough to dance and banter, as well as give each other rides around town. I definitely see this societal trend nowadays as well, as rebellion is the name of the game amongst teenagers nearly universally, all to differing degrees. -CSP012
I found this blog to be very interesting. It truly adds another dimension to the movie and the way we view it. I thought it was very interesting the way that the younger generation didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the racial difference between this young man and the young woman. I also began to wonder about the differences in this couple (although they were not proposing marriage) and Johanna and John. I wondered if the fact that this couple happened to be a white man and a black woman instead of a back man and a white woman if that had any play into the acceptability of their friendship during that time in the United States. I also found it interesting to observe the way that Tilly, the maid, viewed this friendship. It seemed as though she wasn’t completely approving of it, yet I also didn’t find her to be completely disapproving either. Maybe simply because this friendship was something that had been existent for a longer period of time; I don't have a concrete answer to any of these questions, however I really do find it fascinating the many different parts of this movie that you could begin to pick apart and really study. Something that came to mind about the music side of this video clip; both of the young people found the music playing to be desirable and enjoyable to listen and dance to regardless of their race and the dancing between the two of them was very much the same. This made me wonder if it was already so normal between young people to go to the club together and dance and such as well as listen to similar genres of music throughout the middle and working class Americans. I am curious as to if we could study the acceptance of a biracial marriage as it relates to class and what class would be most or least accepting of such a thing, especially during the 1960’s when this movie was made. -THEARSONIST012
The beginning part of this segment depicted the two parents of Joey coming to terms with their opinion on the marriage that was going to be taking place within their family. The mother was just happy that Joey (Joanna) was happy and safe, and was slowly dissolving the reaction of shock and awe that initially overtook her. The remainder of the video segment is taken up by a rather charming scene. A young white boy drove a van up to the house to deliver meat (where he presumably works as the delivery boy). The van was blaring a loud, funky, danceable beat throughout the front yard, and he proceeded to bop up to the door. The younger black girl who came to the house on some days to help the maid with certain tasks (and seemed to be just about the same age as the delivery boy) heard the music, and they frolicked off the screen together, dancing all the while. The point of this scene was initially somewhat confusing, but after watching it a second time, I was able to see what the producers of the movie were really trying to depict. This scene introduced the idea that the younger generation was much more accepting and not yet socially/sociologically conditioned to be so hung up on skin color. The topic of race was not even broached as they bopped off to the van - they were just enjoying the music together. This scene shows that there is a lot more cohesiveness when people don’t even consider things like race, and just value each others' time and company. While there are in fact certain times that discussions about race are called for and productive, dancing to music is not one of those times. This scene just shows the simplicity of letting those things go, but in a subtle way.
I do agree with you on the fact that this scene also subtly hinted at the idea of the younger generation being more accepting of interracial couples. Although it was unclear if the two of them were together, there was definitely some sort of an interest there. Due to the fact hat Tilly was already unhappy with the current situation of the household, she did not seem very happy about this whole situation either. The two young adults clearly were not affected by Tilly though because they went about their business as if she were not there opposing them. “Patriots012”
“Guess Who’s Coming to dinner” is a great movie and shows a lot of things that are out of cultural norms. In this scene, it looks as if the white boy and Dorothy do not care what anyone especially Tilly thinks. They are just trying to have fun. One of the ways to enjoy theirselves is dancing. That is one thing I like about dancing. Dancing and music have a way of bringing people together. Even today, if there’s a party or something going on, people will come together. Despite differences and any other conflict. Obviously it brought this white boy and Dorothy together. I’m not quite sure if they knew each other before. When I watch this scene it just makes me think of typical teenagers. Teenagers honestly just want to enjoy life. They are young and have no worries. The boy looked carefree from the time we got out of the van. It didn’t look as if it bothered him a black lady answered the door and took the meat. He seen Dorothy and they made music and they just enjoyed their selves. Throughout the whole movie we seen how two different races were brought together. That is what I absolutely love about this movie. Simply how it had things out of cultural norms and how it brought individuals of different races together. prettygirlhd012
I didn't get the reason for this scene in the movie. It came out of nowhere and was never talked about again. I think that it might have been there to show that young people were more accepting of interracial relationships than older people by juxtaposing them next to the maid, but they had no plot relevance and the same message was shown at other parts of the movie and they did have relevance to the plot. As an example, when the two main characters were out to dinner with another young couple, they did not chastise them for it but instead encouraged them to fly up to Africa together. This had much more significance to the plot, was more interesting to watch, and conveyed the same message. I think that that entire scene could have been removed from the movie in general and it would not have lost anything for it. The message that young people are generally more accepting of new ideas is true however. I think that this movie did convey that message pretty clearly, but I also think that it was a bit ham handed in the ways it showed some of these messages, and this scene was the worst offender. It didn't have any reason to be there except to say "look, this is how things are". -DMPeschy
The scene confused me a bit, but it also made me laugh. I was not exactly sure what they were trying to portray here, but the one thing that stuck out to me was the difference between generations. The guy delivering the meat was clearly much younger than Tilly. He was extremely spry and it was clear that he was making the best out of his job. He was dancing and seemed to find a joy in the simple thigs in life. Although he was working he was about to make the most of his time doing so. On the other end of the scale was Tilly, who clearly had no desire for the foolishness of dancing. She wanted to get the meat and wanted to make sure that the quality was good. In a sense this portrays the shift from youth into adulthood. Many of us are so quick to want to grow up and do things on our own, when many of the simple things in life can be found in youth. Tilly was too focused on her job and responsibilities that entertain the idea of dancing. This is so true for many adults, and many of us will end up falling victim to the same thing. Adults get so wrapped up in making money and working that they often forget the joy that is supposed to accompany life. This being said, it does not mean that every day is going to be amazing, but more that life is what you make of it. I am sure delivering meat is not where this guy wants to be for his whole life, but it is where he is at in the here and now, so he is making the best of it. Oh and honestly, who can’t have fun when they are dancing and letting loose once in a while. “Patriots012”
I was also a little confused on this part of the movie just as many others seemed to be as well. The only thing I got out of this scene that I saw was the fact that the young man and theyoung woman did not seem to care what Tilly thought of and just did their own thing. That seemed to be out of cultural norms during this time period and I'm glad they were having a little fun during this time. He was working and delivering the steaks that Tilly needed to make for dinner for Joanna and John's parents. He knew Tilly was being "judgemental" I'm sure, but continued to do his own thing which I admire. People this day and age care way to much about what others think of them, I am guilty of this as well. You do stuff so that others will accept you and or not judge you in any way. You end up doing things that you would not normally do because it is not in your nature, but that just shows part of the way that society has changed since the 1960's. Tilly did not care to partake in the fun and dancing and she just wanted to make sure she recieved good product so she could get to work. I think Tilly needed to let loose a little bit during this movie. She was too caught up in what she needed to get done and did not live in the moment. I think that living in the moment is a common thing for the youth to do back then and now because you never know if you could get the chance to do something again or not. I like to take every opportunity given to me if it is possible. - mommaj'skid012
I think this scene was meant to be fun as well as meaningful. The commonality in youth is clear: the young man and the young woman both gel immediately and begin dancing, and she then leaves with him. Neither of them cared what Tilly thought, but I wonder if they would have acted the same way had it been Mr. Drayton watching them. They knew Tilly was judging them, but they could not care less. I think younger generations of society feel the same way today. We typically have our own ideas on how the world should work and the older views of the world do not matter as much to us. People these days come out as gay or transexual multiple times more frequently today than ever before, for example. I truly believe this is just because we as a generation have become more accepting of it, therefor the older people who don't accept it do not matter as much to the equation. The same thing is true of marijuana, I believe. The social stigma has gone away in younger generations. At the highschool I came from, nearly everyone I knew had either tried it or still used it at that time. Older people still view marijuana with contempt, which I see every day in my fathers eyes. Of course, there were the trailblazers of their times, the hippies, the disco dancers, who used it and know the truth, but they were considered social deviants even among their own generations at times. YoungPlug012
I'm not sure what the question is for this blog post...? Is it common in youth to dance..? Yes, it is, but this clip eaves a lot of things hanging. Such as, does she know this boy? If so are they close? Is he always so upbeat? Also their dancing seems really stiff, and I'm not sure if that is just how dancing looked in the 1960'2-1970's or if the acting is forced. I know that nowadays we do not dance around like we are part of a musical, and I would also never wear a dress and heels to a maids job or the market. Sometimes in older movies it’s hard to tell what is part of the times and what is just being exaggerated for the on-screen experience, since societal norms and fashion changes from generation to generation and the past is not somewhere we can visit just for the experience.
ReplyDelete--Burnsky012
Lol they did look stiff and some of the clothes were a little out there, but I guess for that time they thought that they were jamming. It will always seem funny to each generation that passes because of what is in at the time frame. When we get to be old our children will say the same about us, they will look at the clothes that we wore and the dances that we were into and think it was a comedy. But I begin to see that everything comes back around from the fashion all the way to the music just a repeating cycle that just adds on to the things of the past. Just me 012
DeleteI am so happy you mentioned that history tends to repeat itself because that is so true!! I mean if you think about it, overalls, “mom jeans”, tube tops,etc. Are all current fashion statements made long ago, just with a new twist, like rips in jeans for example. But I think that you should try to pay close attention to the sociological purpose of this film. This scene isn’t meant for us to look at and only see dancing, careless teens, but to more so find the reason for the scene. WHY would the director set the scene up this way? I think it would help you make more connections to it ff you veered away from the what your seeing and tried to figure out the why it’s important. Just food for thought...
DeleteLayBae012
I agree how you said history repeats itself. Things of yesterday, now are being brought back with crazy twists on them. I thought the clip was trying to make us see two young teens not see each other as a different color, rather, as two people that enjoy the same thing.
Delete-CUBSFAN012
I agree, the question for the blog post was pretty unclear. I would guess that it was asking our opinions on how young people were portrayed being more quick to change. While I think that that was a type of dancing at the time, I also think that they were not the best dancers. I have seen dancing from that time period and they look really stiff. I don't think that it is unreasonable to think that they are bad at dancing because they are from a different time. Just compare them to videos and such of similar dancing of the same time period.
Delete-DMPeschy
It seems that she is more accepted by both sides of society, and shows how music can break the line between racism. At that time it wasn’t normal for interracial couples, I’m not sure if the two were dating but it seemed that they both were into each other. He offered to give her a ride to the market which also was something that was uncommon for the time period. The dancing looked crazy from both sides, but he looked more as if he was trying a little too hard. Another thing I noticed was how they didn’t have to much respect for the elderly maid, when she asked him a question e said a slick comment and so did the young woman. It also shows how the youth is more open with being around another race and has way more things in common then they may think. Such as the clothes that they were into to the music and dances that they had also. It shows you that children don’t really care about race it is what the parents install in them to make them believe what they say about other cultures is true. It is only when youth are in there own settings and get the chance to experience things for their selves. As seen the two are both from different parts of society but when the song is playing from the truck they both shut out the world and began to get down, it shows that even if from another culture or a different part of society that we all have many things in common then we may think we do. As seen the two must listen to similar music and also they are into the same dances. If only we could have everyone come together like the two who were dancing the world would be so much better, so maybe we just need to let the beats go on so we can keep it grooving. Just me012
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your statement. It really does show some things that were very uncommon for the time period and that the different age groups thought about the situation. Even if the society puts a certain image out there on older people or people of different race we all take it in differently on we choose to view it. I also agree when you say that they didn't have much respect for the maid but I don't think it was intentional. I think that they were trying to prove to her that you can be friends and have fun with someone who is of different race then you. -ILIKETURTLES012
DeleteThis scene from “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, is one of my favorite scenes in the entire film. I think that this shows the significance of ageism in society. The first thing I want to point out, is how the boy and Dorothy interact with Tillie. I think that the actions of the teenagers were used to highlight how teens appear to live their lives carefree. Throughout the entire scene, they were dancing and could really seem to care less about anything Tillie had to say. For example, when Dorothy went to grab her jacket, the boy faced his back towards Tillie and didn’t really show her any type of respect. Although their actions were more clear than Tillie’s, you can tell that she isn’t very fond of the boy either, and maybe even the girl as well. Her body language and facial expressions gave it all away! This is shown in society today as well. Older people and younger people are at a disconnect when it comes to communicating and chose to communicate in the ways in which they are most comfortable with. It would be correct for us to assume that younger people are also better at doing more things at once than older individuals. The boy was literally dancing, walking, bobbing and delivering all at once and I don’t think Tillie could do it, even if she tried. I think this was slightly exaggerated in the film, but still says alot about how different young and old people really are when it comes to the delivery of what they are trying to communicate to one another. Although Ageism is what got my attention the most in this scene, you can see the obvious difference in between genders as well. Dorothy was jamming out in a dress and heels, which seemed to be everyday attire for women at this time but is significantly different compared to what we see worn today.
ReplyDeleteLayBae012
I agree that looking at the age differences is completely contrasting. This movie whether intentional, probably, or not seemed to show three distinct generations and their feelings about the world. The older generation, occupied by the Dreytons and the Prentinces, the current "adult" generation, Joey and John, and the young generation, the butcher delivery boy and Tillie. All three had distinct attitudes and values about what they thought the world was all about. It gives us a wonderful view of a world we no longer inhabit back in the 1960s.
Delete-twntyfourframes012
I thought of something similar for my post but didn't really think of it in the same way you did which is interesting. I agree with your thoughts on ageism. It does really show in this scene with the disrespect and multitasking. I can even relate this to other scenes in the movie, such as the one where Mr. Dreyton crashed his car into the back of a teens car at the ice cream place. The teens all banded together in that situation in thinking that he shouldn't be on the road and he's too old to drive etc. Many of the scenes in this movie are old versus young and the ways they contradict each other.
Delete-curlyhead012
I like that you pointed out the delivery boys back being to Tillie. It was something I saw but did not think much into. It could have definitely been a sign the younger generation has their own separate views and trends than the older one does and does not care to pay attention to what the elders have to say. Dorothy and the delivery boy were in their own world like most teenagers today are.
Deletegea012
I see your points being made in your response when it comes to teenagers being aloof and carefree in their day to day activities. Also spot on when it comes to not paying attention too much to the drama unfolding around them. But then when you state “It would be correct for us to assume that younger people are also better at doing more things at once than older individuals”- well, that’s just silly. I am not sure what the point of saying something like that is or how it ties into the context of the blog? Ageism is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a persons age- Tillie is not expressing any of this verbally or non-verbally. The girl was there to help Tillie with the work that needed to be done around the house and the girl just left with the boy who was obviously still on the clock (driving the delivery van). Maybe she was giving them a disapproving look for their disregard to what needed to be done and completed first as opposed to what they wanted to do?? Just a thought… TRM-012
DeleteI think that one of the easiest ways to see how youth of a time thought is to look at the popular music of the era. In this scene you can clearly see that the young man is enjoying the music and the girl who rides with him also enjoys it and dances with it. In 2018 both the dancing and the music are a bit outdated but that’s what 51 years will do to popular culture it makes it not...popular. Though more along the same idea I had before if you look at a youth and their music you will often see the expression of their feelings about culture and the world. Liking the same music is a very big positive in many people's book when it comes to starting a new relationship with a person, be that romantic or not. You can easily pinpoint groups of people throughout the years and music is so often associated. The grunge movement of the 1990s, the punk rock of the 1980s, the psychedelic rock of the 70s. Each immediately brings to mind a specific type of people. I think it is also interesting to think that what music is popular and brings youth together only stays that way for a short period. Even we have seen some waves of music over the least 10-15 years. We had the rise and fall of EDM and dubstep, as well as the resurgence of rock and alternative as a major music genre. Of course rap is most likely considered the most popular form of music amongst the younger generations today. It will be very entertaining to look back in 10 years or even 20 to the high school years of my life and see how much pop culture has moved on from the things my cohort enjoyed back then. -twentyfourframes012
ReplyDeleteHonestly this was one of my favorite scenes in the movies because it showed a lot of different conflict. Back in this time era race was a huge topic of discussion. I liked this video because it went against culture norms for back then. Back then it was almost frowned upon to see or be with someone of a different race. Seeing Dorothy and the delivery boy interact went against that. It showed that Dorothy and the delivery boy were dancing around and it didn't even phase them to let the color of their skin to keep them from getting along. I think tilly had a big impact on the situation too. We saw not only in that scene but throughout the movie how she felt about john and Joanna getting married. She didn't believe that it was right for a black man to marry a white women even thought she was African American herself. So, tilly seeing the delivery boy and Dorothy interact didn't just frustrate her but it was also the fact that they didn't care what tilly thought. We noticed that as Dorothy and the delivery boy interacted they ignored how tilly was scolding them both but mostly the boy. As Dorothy went inside to get her coat the delivery boy turned away because he knew tilly was going to say something. Again we noticed that he didn't care what she thought because he just continued to dance. Today it is a lot different because our norms have developed over the years. People of different races and ages can interact with each other and do not let it interfere with how we communicate. I thought this movie was very good because it showed a lot of differences on how our world has developed over the years and how drastically our norms can change. -ILIKETURTLES012
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about how Dorothy and the delivery boy interacted and how they both didn’t care what others thought about them dancing together. It seemed as if they just wanted to have fun and as you mentioned they were breaking social norms by dancing together since their races are different.
Delete-IDK123012
People in one generation tend to look down on the things that the generation following them engages in. Because trends change and people are not that accepting or flexible with change, they tend to hold on to their “traditional” values, without being able to see the world from the perspectives of the younger generations. I do not think that any generation does not experience something like this, yet it does not seem that as time progresses the older generations become any more accepting of the younger generations. In “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” I think the writers wanted to portray that the younger generation was much more accepting of racial differences. Not only does the entire movie revolve around the idea of a single interracial marriage, but this scene hints that the younger generation as a whole finds it easier to be attracted to and accepting of people of different races. Not only does Tillie not approve of interracial relationships, but she does not enjoy the sass that the delivery boy gives to her about him not being the one to rustle the cattle and carve up the meat. In this manner it seems that Tillie tends to stick to more traditional values that children are not supposed to talk back, give sass, or disrespect their elders. In addition, it is clear that Tillie does not approve of the dancing and jiving the delivery boy displays and then “infects” Dorothy with that same dance. Tillie sees the dancing as something that is completely uncalled for and maybe a symbol of sexuality. There is usually one big fad or activity that the younger generation engages in that the older generations come to define them as being deviant; however, there are generally more than one thing the younger generation do that annoy the people of the older generations. MySliceofthePi012
ReplyDeleteI think what you said about the kids and what the author was intending to show is absolutely right! I was confused as to why they show that in that scene nobody cared that a black girl was dancing with a white boy. Yet the movie is based on an interracial marriage. So, yes they are just trying to show the changes of trends and how the older can't respect our traditions, as we can't respect theirs neither. Probably why we tend to annoy the older generations.
Delete^~^Itis012
In this video, I see two young people having fun by dancing. I think it is like our youth of today. We listen to music and dance just like these two from this movie. I don’t know if they were perhaps a couple, or just two good friends. But either way, I would do this too. Although the place they were at was kind of weird. Like they started dancing out of nowhere to no music. It was a older movie so it was just kind of of cheesy. I wouldn’t be doing this with random people that I just met by giving them meat. I do think our generation is a like to previous but there has been some changes. Like the kind of clothes we wear to the music we listen to. Heck, even the way we dance is different. You can see the different trends of the past and compared them to our times trends. Like hairstyles or the type of shoes even. I do find it interesting how no one cares about those two hanging out and being buddy buddy. But when the main characters are introduced, every family member was shocked. So that kind of confuses me. Although, it might just be a change in the times for those younger generations of the 1960’s, where everyone is learning to accept one another for who they are. Then again, I might just be seeing it wrong.
ReplyDelete^~^ Itis012
In this clip from Guess Who’s coming to Dinner I saw from prior knowledge in the start a wife and husband standing together closely talking about their daughter and how happy she was the emotion the wife showed was important as her husband comforts her. This encounter shows how a couple views personal space this connects to how we interact with others today in modern day if two stagers are talking you can see that both aren’t standing 1inch from each other faces usually the two people are a few feet away. Though two people who know each other like two friends the space in between the two would be closer together because they are comfortable with being close which is. What I’m getting at is that personal space is a norm in our culture it’s considered rude to stand to close to someone especially a stranger. You can also, see how then the scene changes to the delivery man giving the maid some type of meat and you can see the interaction he has with the black girl that comes to the door they start to dance and the way they dance is obviously different than the way we dance today that has to do with the time, this movie was made in the 1960’s and it is now the 2018 our culture has change including the way we dance and speak to one another. While watching the two teenagers dancing the audience could possibly feel a culture shock because as someone who doesn’t dance that way or if they were seen dancing that way could feel as if they don’t belong in that place meaning they don’t feel like the actors in the movie should be dancing how they are because for our culture its not “cool” to even watch. I think overall that it’s not a lot to pull from this scene but there are still ways to connect it to sociological terms.
ReplyDelete-IDK123012
I enjoyed the film, I though it was good. It’s been a while since I have seen an old movie. My reactions towards this scene was funny I thought. I am just thinking to myself why is he dancing and all the sudden goes out with Tillie’s daughter? I believe that’s her daughter, but correct me if I am wrong. He just kind of shows up delivers some steak or whatever, but then the girl (forgot her name) takes off with out even asking Tillie. I know that history between whites and blacks was bad, and in the clip, showed nothing bad but two young teens getting along like if nothing was wrong, which should be the case, but back then it was not like that. Overall, the film was big on race and that race should never be a problem, but society has come and made it into a problem. I believe there is always going to be a person who is racist and but of course, that should not be the case. Al though, Tillies attitude just seems off because she seems like she really does not like everybody or most people. She did have an attitude towards the boy but nothing heavy. There is some obvious differences but I think the take away is that, both young teenagers didn’t mind what was happening because all they both want to do is to have some fun, and me I would too. There both not thinking about color in the situation other than the elderly in the film. Could also be that music connects people and both oung teenagers have the same taste of music, so it does not separate them at all because they have the same taste of music.
ReplyDelete- LILPUMP012
DeleteI too noticed Tillie’s off sort of attitude, but this actually surprised me based on what we learned in class about minorities being able to distinguish a situation from a more sociological perspective. Since Tillie is a minority, I thought she would have a more open attitude toward interracial relationships. I thought she would view this as a progressive movement toward gaining equality. But I guess traditional attitudes sometimes overshadow our sociological perspective. Maybe Tillie could not imagine people like her going with people like the ones’ she worked for. In this way the new ideas emerging with the younger generation gave way to a type of culture shock. MySliceofthePi012
DeleteI think this is the one really strong scene in the movie that shows commonality in youth despite race. Because the meat delivery boy and Dorothy are about the same age they share a common interest in the same type of music. The way they both dance to the music is the same which makes me thing this style of dance was popular at the time when the movie takes place. I think how they dance also shows how carefree they are and really the stereotype of how teenagers live their life, even now. I think it is really interesting how teenagers are seen as carefree in the same way they are today. In the scene from the movie, even though race is a big issue, this is one scene that it doesn’t seem to matter at all. I think this is because the delivery boy is carefree first and foremost but is also aware that he has a low job just like Tillie and Dorothy. In fact, he really probably has an even lower job than Dorothy and Tillie because he is the one that is serving them. So, essentially, he is the lowest on the totem pole. This also seems to be a time when America was starting to grow out of segregation because in the movie it was stated that interracial marriages were legal in California but not in 16 or 17 other states. This generation of teens, therefore, would care less about the color of your skin than their parents would. In this film age and race are related very closely and I didn’t really realize it until now. This also clears up why Joanna is so optimistic about her quick marriage to John. Her parents raised her to think that the color of someone’s skin doesn’t matter only what’s on the inside. -curlyhead012
ReplyDeleteI also think the scene is very powerful as well because of what it shows like what you said, however, I do not think it was as wide spread as it looks because of the racial tension and mindset during that time. Commonality between youth is not uncommon but during this time period, you would think it would be quite difficult for exchanges of culture to occur when discrimination of races is blatant at that time. -TheMarshall012
DeleteCommonality in youth is something that happens in the modern day quite often and can be seen anywhere where youth can mingle unopposed by laws, cultural norms, and any other factor that my drive them apart. It is very common to find similar trends and actions rampant throughout youth of similar groups. These groups include color / race, age, location, etc. A modern day example of this would be the spread in popularity off things like books, movies, songs, etc. In my class in elementary, a book series spread and became very popular within a couple days after several groups became attached to it. However, back then in the 1960s, several things impeded the commonality between races because of the racial tension and racist culture that was rampant back then. This did not stop commonality in youth between races, however, it only made it harder to have it cross. Back then, cross racial commonality was considered extremely taboo back then and any interracial commonality was usually hidden or not heard of. This movie shows that it is there however in an enclosed environment away from prying eyes and or shown without knowing that it was shown. I believe that with the way things were back then, commonality in youth, it was of course a things. I do not believe, however, that interracial commonality was as common as the movie portrayed it to be. This is because of all of the racial tension caused by the mindset and what was taught at the time. It was in the culture of that time for race to be a factor in things, unfortunately. Commonality, however, was still something that happened for all races back then and even today. It will continue into the future and is happening as we speak / type. It is not unusual for something like this to happen, past or present. –TheMarshall012
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of commonality of youth in this video I pick out them both dancing and also them not seeing the difference of race between one another. Tilly is the oldest in the scene and she is serving staff to the white family. Then we see the delivery boy and Dorothy both engage in music and dance. The boy is white Dorothy is black and the boy is going to do something for Dorothy by giving her a ride. Then you see Tilly receiving the meat from the delivery boy and she will go in and prepare it for the white family. All the younger people in this movie see one another as just humans while the older see each other that way but still see race first and foremost. It is a thing for a generation to have similar views and be into the same stuff like the delivery boy and Dorothy portray in this video. I think this clip is saying a lot in a small amount of time. It is showing certain dancing trends and showing the change in segregation or racial discrimination. The whole movie revolves around the two people wanting to get married while this clip showed it was not just those two who were seeing black and white relationships differently than seen before but others were too. The delivery boy seemed to expect to see Dorothy and vice versa. They enjoy eachother like Joey and the Dr do. It is a moment in the movie to take away from the two main characters and show the rest of the younger generation is thinking the same too.
ReplyDeletegea012
The title of this blog “Commonality in Youth… Before?” is a bit vague, but I suppose it is meant to be as such. There will be many different interpretations of this as well as answers. I believe in going with the thoughts that while tying into the movie, that particular scene is just that- common. It’s what kids did before this timeframe and after and still do to this age. We are presented with the teenage girl who is supposed to be helping Tillie with things around the house but seems very disinterested in doing so especially when the delivery boy shows up. The boy is quite lackadaisical when he pulls into the driveway as well as when he runs the steaks up to the door to Tillie and aloofly says “someone having a steak fry tonight?”. It’s obvious that the two are familiar with each other as it was very fluid of her asking for a ride and that his agreement came so quickly and without any hesitation. Also, I am quite certain that Tillie would have said something as well. Every generation has this in common- going out and dancing no matter where it is done. Teenagers have always been congregating in groups to do things that almost seem ‘forbidden’ but in all retrospect, we’ve all done it. Now if the race thing were an issue- that then would be an entirely different discussion. Was Tillie frowning because the kids were lacking regard toward her as well as their work or was it because she was not fond of the friendship those two had? Was it only frowned upon to be dating outside your race or was it also frowned upon to be friends as well? So when I see this clip alone, all I see is two teenagers being dorky (as most teenagers are), and leaving to go do teenager things. It’s the same now as it was then. TRM-012
ReplyDeleteI like your points on this. I also felt like this video was vague and it was kind of a struggle trying to interpret it. I had a different approach than you when trying to decipher the relevance of this scene in the entire film. You talk about how the commonality of the two people's age's was what was important here. I kind of thought that the contrasting races was what was the focus of the scene. But I feel as though we could both be right. Clearly younger people during this time had a lot in common regarding their views and interest. But not just younger people, younger people of different races. I felt as though it showed the coming togetherness of people as a whole. More so than just young people. I don't know though.
DeleteHOOTIEGRL012
This scene to me was honestly extremely random in this movie. Just like the ice cream scene where Johanna’s father blindly slams into someone’s car. I just didn’t understand the relevance to the plot. But if I had to make a comment on it, I feel like it was placed in here just to show maybe how other people were during this time. The young black girl is shown dancing with a young white guy. Showing how similar their interest was. Which, you wouldn’t expect because whites and blacks kept separate for so long. You wouldn’t expect them to have the same upbringings and common interest. So it adds a little to the plot I suppose. Same with the ice cream scene. We saw the black man whose car was on the receiving end of the collision and took all the real damage, literally scream at the old white guy. He wasn’t scared, he didn’t care who it was, he just screamed at him. I feel like 20 or 30 years ago, one: would a black man even have a car? Two: wouldn’t you think the black man would just mind his p’s and q’s and not even think to open his mouth to address a white man. Because clearly way back in the day, and even so now, white men held all of the power. I think they might have added those scenes to show what life was like outside of the white family’s household. It kind of shows us just how integrated the two types of people, blacks and whites were now. It also can help explain why John and Johanna thinking there was a possibility they could be married was something that was happening. Clearly blacks and whites were starting to see each other as that different, and only saw each other as people now, despite the history between the races. I cant be sure but that’s my theory.
ReplyDeleteHOOTIEGRL012
I do agree with you that those scenes were random, but they do represent what you just said. I think this movie is all about different things that were happening during that period because I saw a lot of scenes were discussing thing and then starting another scene that discuss completely different thing. However, total all the movie went amazing and it discussed issues that we might still see it currently. Moreover, it looks like the new generation were accepting both sides of the society and music was the only thing that connects them together as sharing the same interest which was not seen because it was only things for white people and things for colored people. I like how you pointed out your thoughts, thank you! POINTOFVIEW012
DeleteEvery scene in show business has some sort of intention, even if it is something as simple as a humorous relief. In this case, I think the scene was included for the same reason as much of the rest of the movie, like the drive-in diner scene, to demonstrate the changing mindset among different generations. In this specific case, the goal was to demonstrate the new perspective among the youth about racial differences. Obviously these two characters know each other at least as friends, which would have been nearly unheard of but a decade prior! In my experiences, race is not even considered when making friends. In my high school, which was extremely diverse, you would find the most "unorthodox" of friends, which continues to demonstrate the youth rebelling against societal norms. This scene represents the changing of the guard into more accepting and progressive people. -CSP012
DeleteI definitely agree with you to a certain point. As I watched the movie I found this scene to be rather off-putting and quite confusing actually. I found myself wondering exactly what was supposed to be shared throughout this scene and what exactly the creator of the movie was trying to make a point of. However, now that I have come back and watched it again, event this small scene, I found that I really connected with it a little bit better and I could understand more fully what was going on. This movie, while being a easy movie to watch was at first very hard to figure out how to glean information from. However, now that I am truly looking I am finding all sorts of wonderful things. -THEARSONIST012
DeleteI am very thankful for professor White for letting us watch this amazing movie, Guess who's coming to dinner. It opened my eyes to different things, but the most important was being able to see things from different backgrounds and accept those ideas. This video is telling a lot maybe there are things I didn’t see not because I disrespect others, but it is because I was only exposed to one culture. Here it looks like the new generation is more open-minded to the idea that we all human being regardless, the color, race, ethnicity, etc. The norms at that period were living together but separately not because of racism mostly because the social standards of that culture during that period didn't accept that. It looks like the color problem had been there forever, but most it is incredibly amazing that people during that days were able to discuss and making films about accepting each other. The way they danced together represent that music is one language no matter who you are. We might be different but we all agree that music is beautiful and holding people together. Moreover, what caught my eyes was the delivery man was white which represent that white and colored people can work in the same place, and the lady that she worked with that family for more than 25 years is colored again it shows how things were moving around and people are willing to accept that what makes you different than me is NOTHING. We all taking the same breath and we all have the same color of blood which is red. The more we are understanding others the healthier society will be not only for us but to all the future generations. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts everything is writing here is opening my eyes to different things. POINTOFVIEW012
ReplyDeleteIt really is a good movie and it too am glad that it was introduced to us. It shows show many things all wrapped up into one film. I to enjoyed that this film crossed barriers and more than likely gave people something to think about even today. i like what you said about us being all the same with no differences. This is the truth, we all are human above anything else and if we could just wrap our heads around this the world might just be a better place.`pj012
DeleteIn this clip, you can see, in my opinion the power of music and how it brings people together. I think this clip was trying to show that the boy or girl saw each other as a different color. Rather, they saw themselves as a fan of music just dancing together because it was fun. I think also the clip was trying to get across the fact that these “kids” might be a little young to understand the weight of racism against each other. Rather their youth protects them from the outside influences. In terms of the movie, it did seem a bit random. I think it was to add some comic relief while also leaving the whole dancing thing up for interpretation. Overall, this clip was one the funnier ones of the whole movie.
ReplyDelete-CUBSFAN012
I agree, this clip does show the deep influence of music and the influence of society. It was an interesting music choice to say the least. I do wonder how music we listen to today will sound generations in the future. I like how you said that there youth protects them from outside influences. It does seem that without as many restriction and deep seated beliefs that grow with age in some cases that younger individuals can have a far more open mind.`pj012
DeleteThis clip gives a view into a couple things. For one we can see how ageism affects our different viewpoints by just simply looking at Tilly's face when these two dance off together. Then while this played in the room I'm sure many of our faces appeared the same. It was strange to us and strange to Tilly, but for this group made sense for the time period there in. This goes to show that one age group will inevitably grow to see younger generations as different or less than what there generation was and is. In the same way the youth will see older generations as past their prime and stuck in there ways. Another interesting thing was that you could also see racial barriers being broken down and two people of a different race dancing with music which seems to eastern of sorts. This movie goes to show that with time all things break down, some for good others for bad. But eventual adaptation occurs and we all grow together one way or another for the benefit of our society. This of course doesn't always occur everywhere in the world as fast as others. Technology also plays a big factor in this. How we communicate now is different than 20 years ago and so on. Information is being transferred faster than ever. I enjoyed this clip because it showed the start of something that’s been progressing for 60 years now since this film. It also makes me wonder what those actors think about how they looked back then and if time has changed their views on how they danced. Dancing is something else that grows with time and our views change with that also. The dances of today won’t be popular tomorrow.`pj012
ReplyDeleteYou are right! The first time I saw the scene, I was legitimately confused and unsure why it was included in the final cut of the movie. Tilly’s reaction was my reaction as well… “What?” However, after viewing it a second time, I could see what it was trying to depict - how the younger generation has different ways of interacting with people that can often look strange to people looking form the outside in (people from older generations). I really liked how the scene ignored the obvious racial conversation, and instead showed two “kids” enjoying each others' company without a care, it was touching.
Delete- MAXIMA012
I agree also! I was very confused in the beginning about what this scene could mean and what in contributed to the movie. I saw it as well saying how the young man and woman interact different and are just trying to have some fun. Tilly did not seem to excited about the situation with the reaction that I got while watching this clip. They did not seem to care waht Tilly thought and I really enjoyed that because I think that people focus too much on what others think of them rather than what they think of themselves.
Delete- mommaj'skid012
I’m not entirely sure what to analyze in this, but it does show that the racial discrimination is not as intense as before. The white boy is happily dancing with, almost in a flirtatious manner, an African American girl. They both seem happy, but do they know each other? I’m assuming so since he seemed to pick her up? But I found their brief interaction interesting. I suppose it can also represent a rapidly changing social norm/environment for not only the races, but for that age and time. It also had the music blaring and them dancing, which shows the mood of that time for that age group. Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteStarlight012
This video demonstrates two major concepts: generational differences and youthful mindsets. Tilly obviously was not a huge fan of the market boy, we get a glimpse of his behavior towards her in the movie. He is very blunt, which was probably viewed as impolite at the time, and is just trying to get the job done. This is a major example of the transitioning of society. Nowadays, we want things done and need them done fast. In Tilly's generation, things got done at their own pace, which the delivery boy rejects. I see some major commonalities as well as differences among the youth of this film and current youth. In both instances, blasting music and enjoying it is commonplace. Whereas now we may just chill and listen to music, back then they danced to it, and it was completely normal. Additionally, they were obviously either open-minded, or rebellious to societal norms, or both! I doubt one would generally see a white boy and black girl hang out together, yet obviously they know each other well enough to dance and banter, as well as give each other rides around town. I definitely see this societal trend nowadays as well, as rebellion is the name of the game amongst teenagers nearly universally, all to differing degrees. -CSP012
ReplyDeleteI found this blog to be very interesting. It truly adds another dimension to the movie and the way we view it. I thought it was very interesting the way that the younger generation didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the racial difference between this young man and the young woman. I also began to wonder about the differences in this couple (although they were not proposing marriage) and Johanna and John. I wondered if the fact that this couple happened to be a white man and a black woman instead of a back man and a white woman if that had any play into the acceptability of their friendship during that time in the United States. I also found it interesting to observe the way that Tilly, the maid, viewed this friendship. It seemed as though she wasn’t completely approving of it, yet I also didn’t find her to be completely disapproving either. Maybe simply because this friendship was something that had been existent for a longer period of time; I don't have a concrete answer to any of these questions, however I really do find it fascinating the many different parts of this movie that you could begin to pick apart and really study. Something that came to mind about the music side of this video clip; both of the young people found the music playing to be desirable and enjoyable to listen and dance to regardless of their race and the dancing between the two of them was very much the same. This made me wonder if it was already so normal between young people to go to the club together and dance and such as well as listen to similar genres of music throughout the middle and working class Americans. I am curious as to if we could study the acceptance of a biracial marriage as it relates to class and what class would be most or least accepting of such a thing, especially during the 1960’s when this movie was made. -THEARSONIST012
ReplyDeleteThe beginning part of this segment depicted the two parents of Joey coming to terms with their opinion on the marriage that was going to be taking place within their family. The mother was just happy that Joey (Joanna) was happy and safe, and was slowly dissolving the reaction of shock and awe that initially overtook her.
ReplyDeleteThe remainder of the video segment is taken up by a rather charming scene. A young white boy drove a van up to the house to deliver meat (where he presumably works as the delivery boy). The van was blaring a loud, funky, danceable beat throughout the front yard, and he proceeded to bop up to the door. The younger black girl who came to the house on some days to help the maid with certain tasks (and seemed to be just about the same age as the delivery boy) heard the music, and they frolicked off the screen together, dancing all the while. The point of this scene was initially somewhat confusing, but after watching it a second time, I was able to see what the producers of the movie were really trying to depict.
This scene introduced the idea that the younger generation was much more accepting and not yet socially/sociologically conditioned to be so hung up on skin color. The topic of race was not even broached as they bopped off to the van - they were just enjoying the music together. This scene shows that there is a lot more cohesiveness when people don’t even consider things like race, and just value each others' time and company. While there are in fact certain times that discussions about race are called for and productive, dancing to music is not one of those times. This scene just shows the simplicity of letting those things go, but in a subtle way.
- MAXIMA012
I do agree with you on the fact that this scene also subtly hinted at the idea of the younger generation being more accepting of interracial couples. Although it was unclear if the two of them were together, there was definitely some sort of an interest there. Due to the fact hat Tilly was already unhappy with the current situation of the household, she did not seem very happy about this whole situation either. The two young adults clearly were not affected by Tilly though because they went about their business as if she were not there opposing them. “Patriots012”
Delete“Guess Who’s Coming to dinner” is a great movie and shows a lot of things that are out of cultural norms. In this scene, it looks as if the white boy and Dorothy do not care what anyone especially Tilly thinks. They are just trying to have fun. One of the ways to enjoy theirselves is dancing. That is one thing I like about dancing. Dancing and music have a way of bringing people together. Even today, if there’s a party or something going on, people will come together. Despite differences and any other conflict. Obviously it brought this white boy and Dorothy together. I’m not quite sure if they knew each other before. When I watch this scene it just makes me think of typical teenagers. Teenagers honestly just want to enjoy life. They are young and have no worries. The boy looked carefree from the time we got out of the van. It didn’t look as if it bothered him a black lady answered the door and took the meat. He seen Dorothy and they made music and they just enjoyed their selves. Throughout the whole movie we seen how two different races were brought together. That is what I absolutely love about this movie. Simply how it had things out of cultural norms and how it brought individuals of different races together.
ReplyDeleteprettygirlhd012
I didn't get the reason for this scene in the movie. It came out of nowhere and was never talked about again. I think that it might have been there to show that young people were more accepting of interracial relationships than older people by juxtaposing them next to the maid, but they had no plot relevance and the same message was shown at other parts of the movie and they did have relevance to the plot. As an example, when the two main characters were out to dinner with another young couple, they did not chastise them for it but instead encouraged them to fly up to Africa together. This had much more significance to the plot, was more interesting to watch, and conveyed the same message. I think that that entire scene could have been removed from the movie in general and it would not have lost anything for it. The message that young people are generally more accepting of new ideas is true however. I think that this movie did convey that message pretty clearly, but I also think that it was a bit ham handed in the ways it showed some of these messages, and this scene was the worst offender. It didn't have any reason to be there except to say "look, this is how things are".
ReplyDelete-DMPeschy
The scene confused me a bit, but it also made me laugh. I was not exactly sure what they were trying to portray here, but the one thing that stuck out to me was the difference between generations. The guy delivering the meat was clearly much younger than Tilly. He was extremely spry and it was clear that he was making the best out of his job. He was dancing and seemed to find a joy in the simple thigs in life. Although he was working he was about to make the most of his time doing so. On the other end of the scale was Tilly, who clearly had no desire for the foolishness of dancing. She wanted to get the meat and wanted to make sure that the quality was good. In a sense this portrays the shift from youth into adulthood. Many of us are so quick to want to grow up and do things on our own, when many of the simple things in life can be found in youth. Tilly was too focused on her job and responsibilities that entertain the idea of dancing. This is so true for many adults, and many of us will end up falling victim to the same thing. Adults get so wrapped up in making money and working that they often forget the joy that is supposed to accompany life. This being said, it does not mean that every day is going to be amazing, but more that life is what you make of it. I am sure delivering meat is not where this guy wants to be for his whole life, but it is where he is at in the here and now, so he is making the best of it. Oh and honestly, who can’t have fun when they are dancing and letting loose once in a while. “Patriots012”
ReplyDeleteI was also a little confused on this part of the movie just as many others seemed to be as well. The only thing I got out of this scene that I saw was the fact that the young man and theyoung woman did not seem to care what Tilly thought of and just did their own thing. That seemed to be out of cultural norms during this time period and I'm glad they were having a little fun during this time. He was working and delivering the steaks that Tilly needed to make for dinner for Joanna and John's parents. He knew Tilly was being "judgemental" I'm sure, but continued to do his own thing which I admire. People this day and age care way to much about what others think of them, I am guilty of this as well. You do stuff so that others will accept you and or not judge you in any way. You end up doing things that you would not normally do because it is not in your nature, but that just shows part of the way that society has changed since the 1960's. Tilly did not care to partake in the fun and dancing and she just wanted to make sure she recieved good product so she could get to work. I think Tilly needed to let loose a little bit during this movie. She was too caught up in what she needed to get done and did not live in the moment. I think that living in the moment is a common thing for the youth to do back then and now because you never know if you could get the chance to do something again or not. I like to take every opportunity given to me if it is possible.
ReplyDelete- mommaj'skid012
I think this scene was meant to be fun as well as meaningful. The commonality in youth is clear: the young man and the young woman both gel immediately and begin dancing, and she then leaves with him. Neither of them cared what Tilly thought, but I wonder if they would have acted the same way had it been Mr. Drayton watching them. They knew Tilly was judging them, but they could not care less. I think younger generations of society feel the same way today. We typically have our own ideas on how the world should work and the older views of the world do not matter as much to us. People these days come out as gay or transexual multiple times more frequently today than ever before, for example. I truly believe this is just because we as a generation have become more accepting of it, therefor the older people who don't accept it do not matter as much to the equation. The same thing is true of marijuana, I believe. The social stigma has gone away in younger generations. At the highschool I came from, nearly everyone I knew had either tried it or still used it at that time. Older people still view marijuana with contempt, which I see every day in my fathers eyes. Of course, there were the trailblazers of their times, the hippies, the disco dancers, who used it and know the truth, but they were considered social deviants even among their own generations at times.
ReplyDeleteYoungPlug012