Olivia Newton-John dismisses claims Grease is sexist: 'It's just a girl in love with a guy'

6 January 2021, 14:49 | Updated: 6 January 2021, 14:50

Grease was a massive success at the box office in 1978, and remains one of the most popular musicals ever over 40 years later.

However, it has been met with criticism in recent years by some people, who have claimed that the film's story is sexist.

Olivia Newton-John - who famously played Sandy opposite John Travolta's Danny - has denied that Grease is sexist, arguing that there is “nothing deep in there about the #MeToo movement”.

Grease concludes with Sandy transforming herself from a plainly-dressed innocent girl to a leather-clad bad-girl, before heading off into the sunset with her greaser boyfriend Danny.

Read more: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John recreate iconic Grease scene 41 years on

However, Danny also changes his image and manners to make their relationship work before seeing Sandy's total overhaul.

While Sandy's new look is an iconic cinematic moment, it has been accused of misogyny in some quarters, as well a scene that implies she needs to change her image and personality in order to be appealing to boys.

See more: When Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta reunited after 24 years to sing ‘You’re The One That I Want’

“It’s a movie,” Newton-John said in response to The Guardian. “It’s a story from the Fifties 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.”

Read more: Where are the cast of Grease now?

She continued: “It’s just a girl who loves a guy, and she thinks if she does that, he’ll like her. 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."

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta are still good friends since Grease, and even reunited in 2012 on a Christmas album called This Christmas.