Hairspray: Baltimore in the 60s

The musical Hairspray portrays the atmosphere of Baltimore in the 60s. Tracy, the main character, shows a strong sense of pride for her city. In the song Good Morning Baltimore, she refers to the sounds of the city as a “symphony,” and says that “every day is like an open door.” In her view, Baltimore encourages Tracy to achieve her goal of being a movie star.

In fact, Tracy uses the atmosphere of Baltimore in the sixties to encourage her mom to dance as well. In the song Welcome to the Sixties, Tracy tells her mom to “look around” because “everybody’s groovin’ to a new sound.” The atmosphere of Baltimore in the sixties contributes to the development of Tracy’s mother as well as Tracy.

The racial segregation present in Baltimore in the sixties adds to the culture of the city and the way the people who lived there are shaped. In Run and Tell That, Seaweed addresses his struggle with stereotypes.

I can't see

Why people look at me

And only see the color of my face

And then there's those

That try to help, god knows

But always have to put me in my place

Hairspray challenges the racial discrimination that was so prominent in the sixties. Through the interracial relationship of Penny and Seaweed, the director portrays that race should not be something that characterizes a person. In The Intuitionist, Whitehead also portrays the absurd yet present color barriers. When Pompey receives a promotion, he is also kicked in the butt to remind him that he is still inferior to the white employees. Segregation greatly impacted the environment of cities like Baltimore during the this time and changed the way people in the city viewed each other.

More information of Baltimore’s Racial Segregation:

http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2010/03/15/history-of-baltimores-racial-segregation-includes-a-hard-look-at-newspapers-role/

Hairspray:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairspray_(musical)