21 years later, I’m still carrying that watermelon

Dirty Dancing has come of age, you guys. Today marks the 21st anniversary of the movie’s release in theatres!

I remember Dad got in a lot of trouble the night my sister & I watched Dirty Dancing for the first time. We watched it on TV while Mom was out (I must’ve been about 9, my sister 7). Of course she came home at the part where Jennifer Grey dances with Patrick Swayze in his bedroom— walked in just as he pulled Baby’s shirt over her head.

Mom was all, “Paul! What are the kids watching?!” And all three of us were like, “This is the only part that was like this! You just walked in at a bad time!” And we got sent to bed. :(

I took dance lessons growing up, and I remember LIFTS became very popular in the years following Dirty Dancing’s release. Man, it was an exciting day when one was choreographed into your routine— especially if you were “the chosen one” being lifted, which I was a couple of times! Of course, I was never hoisted over the head of just one person. Always a couple lifters, for safety.

I gotta tell you, though. “Hungry Eyes” was definitely one of my very favorite songs as a pre-teen. I remember selecting it on jukeboxes at birthday parties & everything.



When was the last time you watched Dirty Dancing? Will you watch it again to commemorate its coming of age? Will you try to bring back the saying “Nobody puts Baby in a corner?”

Remember when you first watched this film? Remember being like, Wow, what is this sexual wonderland she carried the watermelon to? Remember not understanding that blondie had a botched abortion, and just thinking she had a bad case of the flu?