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Aug. 21st, 2014 04:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sorcyressWhile visiting my parents this most recent time, we made a point of watching some of the Step Up movies. See, my mother is a being of pure joy, she will watch (and enjoy watching) just about everything. But my father and brother each have different, slightly higher, standards. So anything that all three of them say is enjoyable is something I should look into.
So, Nik and Mum and I watched numbers 3 and 4 together (er, "Step Up: 3D" and "Step Up: Revolution"!) just during the day on Monday, and made plans for us+Da to go see the current-in-theatres Step Up All In1 on Tuesday night. It was Mandatory Family Fun, but you know, with more dancing.
My opinion for the whole series, at least as far as I've seen, is that each movie has a remarkably minimal, trope-riffic, yawn-worthy plot. Which is entirely okay, because that plot only exists as a way of loosely stringing together the fucking incredible dance sequences. My mouth pretty consistently2 was hanging open every time these dancers started moving their various bodies, in part because I am a person who does a lot of work with making their body move the way they want it and daaaaaaamn, can I appreciate the work and talent that goes into what these dancers are doing.
But then there was five, and the minimal, yawn-worthy plot decided inexplicably to go with all of the creepiest and rapiest tropes, instead of standard "communication would've solved this problem" bullshit that I'm used to in movies like this.
First off, there was the obvious creepy plotline, in which one of the ensemble team's dancers was a total "oo, so suave!" bro-type, who thinks he is God's Gift To Women. There's a scene where this dude douses himself in some sort of noxious bodyspray, and then goes and throws an arm around/gets into the space of one of the female dancers. She responds by stiffening up, and looking horrified, and eventually makes some comment along the lines of "you smell awful!" and tee-hee, it's funny because he is trying too hard.
But in the moments before that comment, when he is purring about how there's one big bed in the suite upstairs and wouldn't she like to join him, the horror on her face brings to mind every female friend I've ever had telling stories about horrific guys who couldn't read body language and wouldn't take a hint. She is stiff, she is pulling away, she clearly doesn't want him to be talking to her...and he ignores that entirely. She makes a joke, because a joke will cause the onlookers to laugh, instead of ask her why she's being so uptight.
Yeah, fucking of course the two of them get together at the end. It's framed as "empowering" because she's the one to kiss him, all fierce and dominant, wooo. But it's pretty gross, especially because damnit movie, you spent the whole movie with her being "you are creepy get away from me". Even if it wasn't awful for rape culture reasons, it's a pretty shit set-up just for plot reasons! Negative attention is not good attention, and teaching boys that if they just keep trying they will eventually wear the girl down and win her is _not a good lesson_.
And then...there's the bit of movie that made me sob later, breaking down quietly on the car ride home.
The main "plot" (after the dancing stuff) is pretty white boy liking pretty white girl and them having a series of will-they-won't-they tension. It's all pretty transparent and awful and clear from the very first that they're gonna have a dramatic kiss together at the end and everything will be happily ever after. That doesn't especially bother me --like I said, no one is watching these movies for the plot.
But early on, boy-dancer is choreographing, and he tries to make girl-dancer do a lift/jump thing that she is _not_ comfortable with (and she CLEARLY and loudly says so). He does a whole "come on, don't you trust me?" and she responds by explaining that she had injured her knee pretty badly a year ago, and doesn't actually want to do any lifts or jumps because she doesn't want to feel that crunch again3.
Then it's time for the big dance fight. And he tries to make her do the trick anyways, the trick that they haven't practiced, that she said NO to, that she even _explained her no_ which is not something anyone ever has to do. And I just felt my stomach sink, because she had said no, he had heard her say no, and he tried to make her do it anyways because his desire to do the trick was more important than her desire not to.
Because his desire to use her body was more important than her ability to say what does and doesn't happen with her body.
Afterwards, they talk, and he says "but it's okay, we won the battle anyways!" and she gives him this hurt look that basically just says that he has missed the point by a football field's worth. He was trying to take away her bodily autonomy. I don't know what her life has been like, but in my life, and in the lives of a lot of women I know, if people(men) don't listen to your "no" about small things4, they're not going to listen to your "no" about big things.
Of course at the very end of the movie, she turns and says that they should totally do the trick in the finale of their dance, and it goes off perfectly and blah blah unrealistic dance plot tropes. I'm bothered by that, because _seriously_ that's not how dancing works, that's not how practice works, that is not how _anything_ works, but it's a tried and true dance trope --mom brings up the end of Dirty Dancing having almost exactly the same thing.
The part that aches is watching him try to force past her "no", completely steamroll over her lack of consent, because HE is entitled to HER body and getting to use it however HE wants. (End Trigger Warning)
Besides that egregious plot awfulness, Step Up 5 was a perfectly awesome Step Up movie --the dance scenes were pretty much all incredible (MAD SCIENTISTS! STEAMPUNK! *SCREAMS AND FALLS OVER*) and the like...f-plot was a Madd Chadd robot love story and *SCREAMS MORE*. Next time they just need to accept that all audiences want are light and fluffy speechless robots being adorbs in love together, and make that the major non-dance plot, srsly.
(In case it is not obvious, I share my mother's total overwhelming love for Madd Chadd. He is _super adorbs_. I also have a lot of love for the Santiago Twins, who manage to be overwhelmingly flirtatious without being creepy about it5, and KIDO KIDO KIDO6! Unf, tiny snark-ass butt-kickers, *swoon*.)
So yeah, the Step Up movies (or at least 3-5, haven't watched 1-2 yet) are totally worth it for the fantastic dance scenes. I recommend watching them with friends so you can laugh at the plot absurdity together, and then all stare slack-jawed once the dancing starts. Maybe fast-forward the plot bits in 5 so you can skip the rape culture and get straight to the fucking incredible dances.
ANYWAYS, THAT WAS A LOT OF WORDS ABOUT STUPID MOVIES!
~Kat
MOOP!
1: This title is really stupid looking, especially when it is all strung together like that (instead of framed on the movie poster with cool graphic design) so I insist on pronouncing this one "stee-poo-pall-inn".
2: The only part that didn't impress me was when they started spinning poi in the fifth one. And yes, fire poi is always pretty cool, and the dancers spinning it were doing a good job of being flashy and consistent. But man, I have so many circus art friends, and based on what I've seen them do...that poi was boooooring! Dear Step Up franchise, either hire real circus artists to do your circus arts, or stick to what you're good at --dancing!
3: The part she doesn't get into, but man would I have is that he's asking her to do this lift/jump/toss/arial trick over a cement floor, with no spotters. Like, all the rest of the dancers have left, and they're just practicing alone in a hotel basement. YOU DO NOT DO ARIALS WITHOUT A SPOT. YOU DO NOT DO ACROBATIC TRICKS ON CEMENT, ESPECIALLY NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. GAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHH!
4: Not that this was exactly a small thing, again, she had suffered a nearly career-ending injury, and easily could again if this went off badly.
5: All their targets are always portrayed as flattered and maybe a little embarrassed, but not shamed or upset or tense. AMAZING!
6: She gets to OK-Go style treadmill-skate at the end of 5, only instead of on treadmills, she's running down the backs of her male co-dancers, and I am frantically waiting for that gif to appear on my tumblr so I can overlay it with a sparkly "Misandry!" caption. It's fantastic. Kido = best.
So, Nik and Mum and I watched numbers 3 and 4 together (er, "Step Up: 3D" and "Step Up: Revolution"!) just during the day on Monday, and made plans for us+Da to go see the current-in-theatres Step Up All In1 on Tuesday night. It was Mandatory Family Fun, but you know, with more dancing.
My opinion for the whole series, at least as far as I've seen, is that each movie has a remarkably minimal, trope-riffic, yawn-worthy plot. Which is entirely okay, because that plot only exists as a way of loosely stringing together the fucking incredible dance sequences. My mouth pretty consistently2 was hanging open every time these dancers started moving their various bodies, in part because I am a person who does a lot of work with making their body move the way they want it and daaaaaaamn, can I appreciate the work and talent that goes into what these dancers are doing.
But then there was five, and the minimal, yawn-worthy plot decided inexplicably to go with all of the creepiest and rapiest tropes, instead of standard "communication would've solved this problem" bullshit that I'm used to in movies like this.
First off, there was the obvious creepy plotline, in which one of the ensemble team's dancers was a total "oo, so suave!" bro-type, who thinks he is God's Gift To Women. There's a scene where this dude douses himself in some sort of noxious bodyspray, and then goes and throws an arm around/gets into the space of one of the female dancers. She responds by stiffening up, and looking horrified, and eventually makes some comment along the lines of "you smell awful!" and tee-hee, it's funny because he is trying too hard.
But in the moments before that comment, when he is purring about how there's one big bed in the suite upstairs and wouldn't she like to join him, the horror on her face brings to mind every female friend I've ever had telling stories about horrific guys who couldn't read body language and wouldn't take a hint. She is stiff, she is pulling away, she clearly doesn't want him to be talking to her...and he ignores that entirely. She makes a joke, because a joke will cause the onlookers to laugh, instead of ask her why she's being so uptight.
Yeah, fucking of course the two of them get together at the end. It's framed as "empowering" because she's the one to kiss him, all fierce and dominant, wooo. But it's pretty gross, especially because damnit movie, you spent the whole movie with her being "you are creepy get away from me". Even if it wasn't awful for rape culture reasons, it's a pretty shit set-up just for plot reasons! Negative attention is not good attention, and teaching boys that if they just keep trying they will eventually wear the girl down and win her is _not a good lesson_.
And then...there's the bit of movie that made me sob later, breaking down quietly on the car ride home.
The main "plot" (after the dancing stuff) is pretty white boy liking pretty white girl and them having a series of will-they-won't-they tension. It's all pretty transparent and awful and clear from the very first that they're gonna have a dramatic kiss together at the end and everything will be happily ever after. That doesn't especially bother me --like I said, no one is watching these movies for the plot.
But early on, boy-dancer is choreographing, and he tries to make girl-dancer do a lift/jump thing that she is _not_ comfortable with (and she CLEARLY and loudly says so). He does a whole "come on, don't you trust me?" and she responds by explaining that she had injured her knee pretty badly a year ago, and doesn't actually want to do any lifts or jumps because she doesn't want to feel that crunch again3.
Then it's time for the big dance fight. And he tries to make her do the trick anyways, the trick that they haven't practiced, that she said NO to, that she even _explained her no_ which is not something anyone ever has to do. And I just felt my stomach sink, because she had said no, he had heard her say no, and he tried to make her do it anyways because his desire to do the trick was more important than her desire not to.
Because his desire to use her body was more important than her ability to say what does and doesn't happen with her body.
Afterwards, they talk, and he says "but it's okay, we won the battle anyways!" and she gives him this hurt look that basically just says that he has missed the point by a football field's worth. He was trying to take away her bodily autonomy. I don't know what her life has been like, but in my life, and in the lives of a lot of women I know, if people(men) don't listen to your "no" about small things4, they're not going to listen to your "no" about big things.
Of course at the very end of the movie, she turns and says that they should totally do the trick in the finale of their dance, and it goes off perfectly and blah blah unrealistic dance plot tropes. I'm bothered by that, because _seriously_ that's not how dancing works, that's not how practice works, that is not how _anything_ works, but it's a tried and true dance trope --mom brings up the end of Dirty Dancing having almost exactly the same thing.
The part that aches is watching him try to force past her "no", completely steamroll over her lack of consent, because HE is entitled to HER body and getting to use it however HE wants. (End Trigger Warning)
Besides that egregious plot awfulness, Step Up 5 was a perfectly awesome Step Up movie --the dance scenes were pretty much all incredible (MAD SCIENTISTS! STEAMPUNK! *SCREAMS AND FALLS OVER*) and the like...f-plot was a Madd Chadd robot love story and *SCREAMS MORE*. Next time they just need to accept that all audiences want are light and fluffy speechless robots being adorbs in love together, and make that the major non-dance plot, srsly.
(In case it is not obvious, I share my mother's total overwhelming love for Madd Chadd. He is _super adorbs_. I also have a lot of love for the Santiago Twins, who manage to be overwhelmingly flirtatious without being creepy about it5, and KIDO KIDO KIDO6! Unf, tiny snark-ass butt-kickers, *swoon*.)
So yeah, the Step Up movies (or at least 3-5, haven't watched 1-2 yet) are totally worth it for the fantastic dance scenes. I recommend watching them with friends so you can laugh at the plot absurdity together, and then all stare slack-jawed once the dancing starts. Maybe fast-forward the plot bits in 5 so you can skip the rape culture and get straight to the fucking incredible dances.
ANYWAYS, THAT WAS A LOT OF WORDS ABOUT STUPID MOVIES!
~Kat
MOOP!
1: This title is really stupid looking, especially when it is all strung together like that (instead of framed on the movie poster with cool graphic design) so I insist on pronouncing this one "stee-poo-pall-inn".
2: The only part that didn't impress me was when they started spinning poi in the fifth one. And yes, fire poi is always pretty cool, and the dancers spinning it were doing a good job of being flashy and consistent. But man, I have so many circus art friends, and based on what I've seen them do...that poi was boooooring! Dear Step Up franchise, either hire real circus artists to do your circus arts, or stick to what you're good at --dancing!
3: The part she doesn't get into, but man would I have is that he's asking her to do this lift/jump/toss/arial trick over a cement floor, with no spotters. Like, all the rest of the dancers have left, and they're just practicing alone in a hotel basement. YOU DO NOT DO ARIALS WITHOUT A SPOT. YOU DO NOT DO ACROBATIC TRICKS ON CEMENT, ESPECIALLY NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. GAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHH!
4: Not that this was exactly a small thing, again, she had suffered a nearly career-ending injury, and easily could again if this went off badly.
5: All their targets are always portrayed as flattered and maybe a little embarrassed, but not shamed or upset or tense. AMAZING!
6: She gets to OK-Go style treadmill-skate at the end of 5, only instead of on treadmills, she's running down the backs of her male co-dancers, and I am frantically waiting for that gif to appear on my tumblr so I can overlay it with a sparkly "Misandry!" caption. It's fantastic. Kido = best.