7.8
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Hairspray (1988)
Hairspray (1988)
Overview
'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Positive
Viewer Rating
7.8
Overview
'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
Hairspray explicitly critiques racial segregation and discrimination, championing social justice, integration, and body positivity through collective action and challenging established norms, which aligns with a clearly progressive ideology.
The movie features intentional and prominent casting of minority characters who are central to the narrative's themes of racial integration. It explicitly critiques traditional societal norms and portrays characters upholding segregation in a negative light, making the challenge to traditional identities a core part of its story.
Secondary
Hairspray offers a positive portrayal of queer themes, primarily through the casting of drag icon Divine as Edna Turnblad. This choice normalizes and celebrates queer performance within a sympathetic, central character, aligning with the film's broader message of embracing difference and challenging societal norms without ridicule.
The film critiques the hypocrisy and prejudice of conservative white society, which often operates under a veneer of Christian morality, to highlight the importance of acceptance and integration. By condemning bigotry and championing values of equality and love, the narrative implicitly aligns with the positive virtues often associated with the faith, rather than attacking Christianity itself.
The film "Hairspray" (1988) does not feature identifiable transsexual characters or themes. While a prominent female character, Edna Turnblad, is famously played by drag queen Divine, the character herself is presented as a cisgender woman, and the narrative does not explore transsexual identity.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The 1988 film "Hairspray" is the original source material. While the character of Edna Turnblad is famously portrayed by a male actor in drag (Divine), the character herself is canonically a woman within the narrative. This casting choice does not alter the character's established gender, thus it does not meet the definition of a gender swap.
The 1988 film "Hairspray" is the original cinematic depiction of its characters. There is no prior source material (like an earlier film, book, or comic with established character races) for its characters to be compared against, thus precluding any race swaps.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.0
6.8
Critic Ratings
9.8
7.7
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