The Breakfast Club

               I've always really liked The Breakfast Club and considered it a favorite of mine.  Looking at it under these different class and feminist lenses offered a different perspective.  The most obvious one I believe is the depiction of the different classes and social stereotypes.  Each character, the nerd, jock, criminal, princess, and basket case represent the variety of common high school stereotypes and cliques.  It doesn't really feel like a real depiction of high school, but more an exaggerated version of high school stereotypes.  It doesn't have to be accurate, it's the stereotypical characters and their interactions that make it a classic.  The ragtag group of strangers from different cliques coming together in a rebellion bond, and understanding that all of their lives are similar.  Despite their social class differences and different upbringings, they all were discontent with their home lives.  They realized they had nearly as much in common as they differed.
              Looking at Molly Ringwald's role as a positive feminist role like the article says seemed more pointed toward Sixteen Candles than The Breakfast Club, but I do see various aspects through The Breakfast Club that the article stated as "the same “individualist, acquisitive, and transformative” values of postfeminism" (Bleach 28).  I've never seen Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink, so I can't reference those in the sense of feminism.  In The Breakfast Club, she's the stereotypical princess who's spoiled by her father, and used as a pawn between her parents.  Like the others, she too rebels against her home life, although by shopping.  She's the popular girl, but finds the pressures of her social role and her friends too much.  By the end, she's more positively represented, but I agree with Anthony Michael Hall's character when he asks what will happen Monday, and she responds that they'll end up ignoring of making fun of each other, that's a shitty thing to do as he pointed out.  It's tough to say if by the end she, or any have changed enough.  Will the kiss at the end between the two couples lead to anything real? That's something that can be debated, but by the end they all seemed to have grown and discovered something about themselves and those around them.

Purple Rain

          I had never seen this movie before, and never really knew too much Prince before.  I listen to all kinds of music, but I just never really delved into Prince that much before.  I liked the music of the film, and took it for what it was meant to be like we had discussed in class, one long music video.  Instead of trying to analyze the film on plot structure, or lack there of, or on the acting, I just enjoyed the 80's vibe and style that it showcased.  I enjoyed the music, so in turn I enjoyed it as the promotional sky rocket it was for Prince and his career.
         It has a formula we have all seen done many times like mentioned in class. Footloose, Saturday Night Fever, An Officer and A Gentleman was another with the similar structure, no music of course. The idea of the tough masculine guy with issues, and the girl who changes him.  The protagonist struggle is there, but who cares, that's not the point of the movie.  The point of it though was successful in it's use of synergy to promote Prince, like mentioned in the article.  The soundtrack was a huge hit, and the movie went on to become a cult classic and created a worldwide icon of Prince.  I wasn't around in the 80's to experience his rise, but now after watching Purple Rain, I'd be lying if I said I haven't listened to the soundtrack and other Prince songs now, so the effect is still there.  Nowadays there are still examples of artists using films to promote their music, but now they are done with much more substance, and in cases like Eminem's 8 mile, or 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', not only were they promoting their music and their image, they also told their personal stories and struggles, something Purple Rain didn't do, which was mentioned in class.  Purple Rain wasn't meant to be like that though, the purpose wasn't to show his struggle as the same struggle as the Kid, but to string together the music.  I saw online that there is a sequel to Purple Rain, Graffiti Bridge, but I assume that it was not nearly as successful as Purple Rain, being that if you say Prince, likelihood is people are going to instantly associate Purple Rain, not Graffiti Bridge. I may look into it though at some point just out of curiosity.