That really is a great read. I kind of agree with Derb about a lot of it too, though I hadn’t thought much about it before. A few thoughts:

I hope Derb never saw the sequel, Staying Alive, because it would break his heart. It was directed by Sylvester Stallone and to say it was awful is an insult to some perfectly enjoyable-but-awful movies.

Second, how could he not mention the shoes with the fish-tank heels?

Third, I’m trying to think how many other recent movies, with broad appeal like SNF, showcased working-class whites in the same way. Obviously, if you go back far enough there were plenty, On the Waterfront, for example. And, as an aside, I’m always shocked by how poor the Honeymooners were.

You could say the first Rocky movie (a great movie), was a showcase for the whites Derb is talking about. But we’re used to boxer-stories beginning with down-and-out palookas. I wonder if SNF was in fact the last pop-culture-phenomenon movie of its kind. Working Girl , was the complete opposite in that Yuppihood was attained and the audience celebrates (and it wasn’t quite the cultural event Saturday Night Fever was). Anyway, a great, eye-opening read.