Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

1. How does the film relate to Chapter 24 in Foner? (at least two themes)

"Thanks to television, images of middle-class life and advertisements for consumer goods blanketed the country. By the end of 1950s, nearly nine of ten American families owned a TV set (Foner 921)." With how easy and common it was for Americans to own a TV set, it made putting advertisements and shows on the TV a must. In the movie, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Rock Hunter is far down on a totem pole of people who work at an advertising agency. He needs to come up with something new and different for their agency, who are possibly losing their biggest client. It's at this time that Foner also wrote, "TV ads, aimed primarily at middle-class suburban viewers, conveyed images of the good life based on endless consumption(921)." Catchy jingles, useful products, and celebrity endorsements were a few of the different approaches advertisers took to sell their products. Celebrity endorsement was shown by Rita Marlowe, a sex symbol of a celebrity. Hunter wants Rita to endorse his campaign selling lipstick, which she agrees to do after they strike a deal.Television was also used throughout the movie to show where Hunter and Rita were, to watch them be in love, and for the advertising messages. Rita also drove her car a lot in the film. This makes for the perfect way as to way the automobile is also so important to advertising in the film. "On the road, Americans were constantly reminded in advertising, television shows, and popular songs, they truly enjoyed freedom. They could imagine themselves as modern versions of western pioneers, able to leave behind urban crowds and workplace pressures for the "open road" (922)." Rita uses the open road to take Hunter for a marriage right away, even though it never ends up happening. But the headlines in the news spread and got the messages across that way.

"Women who worked outside the home remained concentrated in low-salary, nonunion jobs, such as clerical, sales, and service labor, rather than better paying manufacturing positions (922)." This character was portrayed by Rock Hunter's very own secretary, Jenny Wells. The two are in love, and barely scraping by with plans to marry. When she finds out about Hunter going behind her back she makes the change to become more like Rita because that's who she thinks he really wants. Jenny is of average appeal and status in the movie, which is how most women would compare themselves with those of movie star appeal. She takes it onto herself to work harder and try to win Hunter back. "Films, TV shows, and advertisements portrayed marriage as the most important goal of American women (922)." This is shown in just about every female character in the movie. Rita has a long lost love that she can't let go of, her secretary Violet also has a love interest that didn't work out, and lastly Jenny is still fighting for the love of her life who is stuck with Rita. 

2. How can you interpret the film as a commentary on the concept of "The American Dream" and the meaning of success during the 1950s?

The American dream at this time was to own your own home, a car, a TV set, air conditioning, a long distance phone, and other consumer goods. "Consumer culture demonstrated the superiority of the American way of life to communism and virtually redefined the nation's historic mission to extend freedom to other countries (920)."  It was at this time that Americans were all about products that could make their life easier, give them more comfortm and take them places they hadn't been before. Having a car meant you could drive to your destination, jets made it able for you to fly someplace far. Because America was now a place of higher standard of living, higher wages and stable prices people were spending more money to enjoy their freedom. Advertisers helped with spreading the message of freedom around too when telling people to buy their products. In class we called this "The Golden Age" at this time people were set on the idea of making a better life for themselves then their parents and grandparents had. To Succeed during this time you needed to have these products, to other people it signified your success, you were able to afford these items that made life easier. At this time it wasn't all happy times though, there was still the big problem of segregation and how come we aren't dealing with it. Some people couldn't be a part of this success simply because of their race and so the 1950s was still a time to work on our society.

3. How is the workplace portrayed in the film? What does the depiction reveal about life in the 1950s?

The first thing we're told in the opening of "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" is about the private bathroom only certain privileged employees that are higher up on the ladder get to enjoy. We see how Rock Hunter greets the president and does receive a greeting back because he's not even on his radar. As the movie progresses we see Rock Hunter try to show the corporate CEO's an idea he has for the lipstick they're trying to sell, he wants the celebrity endorsement of a huge start with "kissable lips", Rita Marlowe. After being kicked out of the meeting and essentially fired, he drops the pictures he was working on and goes back to Jenny. He had dropped the pictures in front of the president and he wants Hunter to continue on with his idea and to get Rita to sign on to agree to do the commercial. As the movie continues we see the president trying to say hi to Hunter in the halls, and he ignores him like what happened before. The two men then sit and talk in his office one night about the success and how the president wanted to work on his roses because they mean more to him. By the end of the movie Hunter has moved up the chain, he gets the key to the special washroom, and even his own private one for himself. He realizes he doesn't want any of the success though and quits to become a farmer with Jenny. Throughout the movie we see all the ugly sides to working in a corporation, how you don't matter as much you wish you did, how hard work pays off, but only if that's what you want. What you're going to give up to be on top is huge too. The workplace here is portrayed as an ugly side, but it shows how hard work can take you places. This depiction shows that life in the 1950s was just as hard as life is now. Everyone is always working to do better, to climb the ladder, and do anything they can to get higher. Hunter did was he had to, because he thought it would make him happy if he was successful.. which is what everyone always thinks. If you have more money then you'll be happy. Hunter learned that it didn't matter his position as long as he could be happy with Jenny it was fine. Rita learned that her first love was the right one for her, and no one else can compare to who that person is. It showed a lot of negative sides to work, and how hard it can be to obtain your dreams.

4. How are gender roles and sexuality represented in the film? What do the films various representations of gender and sex reveal about life in the 1950s?

Two words- Rita Marlowe. In the movie Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter she was a huge sex symbol. It was in the clothes she wore- or the lack-thereof. It was in the make up she wore, and the laugh she would give that sounded high pitched and funny. Rita Marlowe worked her sexuality because that was her job, she was successful actress and was all take about men and sex. She nicknamed Hunter "Loverboy" so she could get back at an ex that cheated on her. Which he ex is portrayed as a huge muscled almost Tarzan like man. He has rippling muscles and he's the typical good looking hollywood guy. When Jenny decides she needs to look more like Rita she takes on doing push ups until she's frozen and on the ground which as it turns out when they bring a doctor in is a normal problem. Tabloids in the movie also exploit the sexual appeal of Hunter whenever he's with Rita, that his "kiss makes her faint" and she does nothing to stop this. She wants it out there to show off how happy she is without her first love in her life and how great Loverboy is. Hence his nickname being Loverboy, it gives the media something to call him and make up rumors about. From just seeing this movie one could say that the 1950s was okay with putting sex and gender on display and that it was okay to be open about sex, and your relationship with everyone. It was telling everyone that if you're of celebrity status it's okay to tell the word what's going on with you. Rita was always selling herself and sex. She was the perfect person for Hunter to get for his lipstick campaign since the media had already nicknamed her because of her kissable lips.