People rewatching Grease the movie call it 'sexist' and 'problematic'

Former fans and new viewers of the cult classic flick Grease have been taking aim at the movie due to its ‘problematic’ storylines.

At 45 years old, the Randal Kleiser-directed film is still very much still in the mainstream.

With constant television reruns and the musical never being too far away from London’s West End, it’s still somewhat impossible to get away from the iconic high-school romance.

However, viewers who are rewatching Grease for the first time in a while and those who are brand-new to the concept are only just realising how many problematic elements feature in it.

In case you are unfamiliar, the musical follows Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and Danny (John Travolta) who are coming off the back of a passionate romance.

Despite saying farewell to his summer fling, Danny is in for a reality check when he realises Sandy has transferred to Rydell High School to see out her senior year.

Will the pair be able to rekindle their love, or has too much changed between the pair?

Getty Images / Paramount

As well as the romantic storyline, the 1978 movie also features a stunning soundtrack consisting of songs such as ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ and ‘You’re The One That I Want’.

However, more than four decades on, many first-time viewers and keen rewatchers believe that the script and general themes of Grease has aged poorly.

Taking to social media to air their grievances, one X user wrote: "Rewatching Grease for the first time in years and realising how problematic it is.”

A second said: "I used to watch this movie so much growing up and it's been a while since I've seen it and it's all I remember it to be and more [...] and by that I mean misogynistic, homophobic, and just a gross culture of toxic masculinity, rape culture, and paedophilia.”

"I loved Grease as a teenager, now I see it as a pile of misogynistic c**p,” replied another.

A fourth simply commented: “WOW, Grease is a problematic movie.”

However, some viewers believe that they can still enjoy the film, despite some song lyrics and lines being pretty outdated.

In defence of the 1978 comedy, one fan wrote: “Grease is on the telly. I am taking no more questions.

“Yes it’s problematic. But I honestly don’t care. I’m here for the songs, the clothes, Stockard Channing and John Travolta.”

Paramount Pictures

Prior to her death in August 2022, Newton-John actually addressed claims that the movie has misogynistic undertones.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2020, she said: "It's a movie. It's a story from the 50s where things were different.

“Everyone forgets that, at the end, he changes for her, too. There’s nothing deep in there about the #MeToo movement.”

She also pressed on to say that Grease is simply about a ‘girl who loves a guy’ and thinks that if she changes ‘he’ll like her’.

She added: “And he thinks if he does that, she’ll like him. I think that’s pretty real.

"People do that for each other. It was a fun love story."