Whether it’s 1959, 1978, or the 21st Century, it’s never okay to expect a woman to change for a relationship. Throughout “Grease,” fans watch both Sandy and Danny change aspects of themselves to be who they think the other wants them to be. Danny hits the gym and tries to be a jock for Sandy, and Sandy eventually dons a skimpy black outfit and a cigarette to be the kind of greaser chick she thinks Danny wants. Yet while Sandy makes it clear that Danny doesn’t need to change for her, Danny does no such thing. It’s the messed-up part of “Grease” fans are happy to ignore.
Sandy spends the entire film grappling with her identity, and the demure aesthetic society expects from her. Her walk on the wilder side could be an empowering moment for Sandy if she did it for herself and not her dream boyfriend. Yet she specifically asks Frenchy for a makeover to win Danny back after he assaults her in the car without so much as a conversation, let alone an apology. One simple line like, “I like the look, but you don’t need to change for me” could do wonders for the end of the movie. But instead of making us want to root for the duo, we feel a little icky looking back at “Grease” through a modern lens.
While Rizzo learns to stop putting on a cool front for the sake of high school shenanigans, Danny never does. On the one hand, Rizzo’s pregnancy scare highlights the possible adult ramifications of sex without punishing a young woman for life for embracing her sexuality. On the other, Danny never grows out of his childish high school act, and Sandy could save some of Rizzo’s type of energy for herself rather than a guy.