Top 10 Jokes Only Adults Get in Hairspray

After an interaction with the police that gets wildly blown out of proportion, Tracy finds herself on the run. She turns to her best friend, Penny, for help hiding from the police and is taken to the Pingleton’s basement bunker. Although Penny can’t explain the fully stocked safe room, those with some knowledge of American history will recognize the fallout shelter fit for a post-nuclear wasteland. Considering the rest of Prudy Pingleton’s compulsions, we’re not surprised she’s prepared for the socialist invasion. Of course, those with no context of the Cold War will probably find themselves as clueless as Penny.

Based on a stage musical which itself is based on a 1988 film directed by John Waters, the 2007 movie musical is one of many versions of this story to exist. In every version, however, Penny has some sort of, shall we say, oral fixation. Whether it’s sucking on a Fireball hard candy, licking a lollipop or popping gum, her admittedly innocent yet mouthy habit can be interpreted as having a sexual undertone. Her love interest Seaweed J. Stubbs implies as much in the 2016 televised event “Hairspray Live,” when he compliments Penny’s mouth muscles. While the kids might be impressed with Penny’s ability to chew two packs a day, the adults know what is being implied.

Although many of the songs are adapted from the Broadway musical, the number “Ladies’ Choice” is original to the 2007 film. The lyrics are mostly metaphorical and compare the performer, Link, to a toy or a car waiting to be purchased. While the comparisons themselves are perfectly kid friendly, the expressions Link uses tend to have more mature implications. Link asks to be unwrapped and taken for a test drive. He even implies that playing with him would be easier than playing alone, and we’re pretty sure he’s not talking about board games. The innuendos may be obvious to adults, but are vague enough to go unnoticed by the younger crowd.

As far as dancers go on The Corny Collins Show, Link has always been Tracy’s favorite. So when he finally notices her dancing at school, Tracy is sent into a musical fantasy. Singing “I Can Hear the Bells,” she spends the rest of the school day imagining all the romantic milestones she might share with Link, including moments that are more... intimate. During driver’s ed, she sings about hooking up with Link in his car, much to her instructor’s discomfort. While she only specifies kissing, she implies just how intimate she’s willing to get. This line doesn’t reveal anything too mature, so it probably goes unnoticed by the little ones, but it’s not exactly subtle.

The film’s costumes, sets and dialogue are all influenced by the early 1960s’ time period. While the colorful aesthetic can be enjoyed by all ages, some of the dated references require knowledge of American history to land. For example, Amber and company’s jab at Tracy during her audition probably doesn’t make much sense to people who don’t have a previous knowledge of mid-century anamorphic lenses. While the joke isn’t for everyone, it helps solidify that nostalgic American feel while staying in line with the film’s catty humor. It’s not surprising the lyrics work so well considering they’re based on one of Amber’s lines in the original John Waters film.

With a cast of mostly teenagers, it’s no surprise that there are hormone-fueled shenanigans happening on set of The Corny Collins Show. As station manager, Velma usually takes it upon herself to monitor the cast and ensure their appearance is up to her standard. Part of her work apparently includes removing the extra padding from cast members’ wardrobes. There’s no trying to hide it when Velma pulls a wad of stuffing out of a young ladies’s top, however the prepubescent audience probably doesn’t understand what’s going on. Older viewers, of course, need no explanation for why that padding was there in the first place. We’re just happy Velma gets stopped before reaching into a teenager’s pants.

While musical comedy naturally suits family friendly content, there’s a bit of irony when more raunchy material is presented through song and dance. Take, for instance, Corny’s closing remark in the song, “(It’s) Hairspray.” The song is performed by the regular cast of The Corny Collins Show, sans Tracy, for the opening of the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant. Corny’s finale double entendre is a little out of left field considering the song is about a stiffening hairstyling product and could almost pass as a coincidence. That is, until Amber, posed, right next to Corny, winks at the camera and confirms the pun’s subliminal messaging.

With Tracy on the run and the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant underway, both Velma and the police are eager to find her. Velma posts some police at the TV station during the live broadcast of the pageant in the hopes of catching Tracy sneaking onto set. The police chief expresses doubt that Tracy would show up but, as a previous pageant girl herself, Velma knows better. When she was a contestant, Velma ensured her own victory by pursuing intimate relationships with judges. As a woman who has apparently risked “communicable diseases,” the threat of incarceration seems like small peanuts. Of course, the children watching probably don’t understand what kind of diseases Velma is referring to. Just wait until health class, kids.

Although it’s Tracy’s dream come true when a spot opens up on The Corny Collins Show, the reason behind cast member Brenda’s choice to leave temporarily is never explicitly explained. All she tells Corny on air is how long she intends her leave of absence to last. Like Tracy and Penny, the younger audience members probably won’t think too much of it, but older viewers will notice something funny about how long Brenda plans to be away. Even Corny implies Brenda is leaving because of her “free-wheeling” ways. The fact that Brenda can be spotted holding her belly while having a serious conversation with Velma pretty much confirms it: there’s a tiny dancer on the way.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The “Ideas” of March
Unless You Know Your Roman History, This One Might Go Over Your Head

Wire-Tapping in the Grave
Before Geo-Tracking & Data Mining, There Was Wire-Tapping

Grass Stains
Amber’s Probably Not Suggesting Tracy Got Grass Stains Running Practice Drills

Holy Moly
With a Mature Vocabulary, It’s Easy to Guess What Word Is Being Implied Here

All the Time on “Lassie”
After Nineteen Years on Air, It’s No Surprise the Iconic Pooch Was Recast More Than Once

Based in Maryland, the story takes place during the Civil rights movement in a segregated America. The fight for equality is at the heart of the narrative and racism is embodied by the villian, Velma Von Tussle. She reveals her racial prejudice more than once in the film, sometimes on purpose but often subconsciously. One particular Freudian slip has her mispronounce “right” as “white,” implying that something other than white is wrong. Since prejudices are learned, children watching hopefully won’t understand why Velma would have this slip of the tongue. Unlike other jokes that are too mature to be explained though, this could be an opportunity to have a little historical lesson with the kiddos.