Flashdance was 1983's third highest-grossing film. A romantic drama, its soundtrack featured many hit songs, including "Maniac" and "Flashdance... What a Feeling." Not being a musical in the traditional sense, the film gained additional promotion on the fledgling network MTV, where portions of the film were shown as musical videos, including Jennifer Beals' now-infamous chair dance.
References[]
- The January 1, 1984 edition of The Muppets comic strip has Janice buying a torn sweater, claiming "I'm rilly [sic] into the Flashdance look."
- In the music video for "I'm Gonna Always Love You," Miss Piggy spoofs Jennifer Beals' chair-dancing sequence from the film.
- Miss Piggy aerobique sweatshirts featured a nod to the film in a sweatshirt which featured the quote "What a Feeling!" (a reference to the hit song "Flashdance... What a Feeling" performed by Irene Cara). Piggy is also seen in Jennifer Beals' signature look for the film.
- In episode 108 of Muppets Tonight, Kermit the Frog hosts Muppet Bandstand in the 70s where Jason Alexander made his television debut as a number one disco sensation. During his dance, he's dousing himself with water spoofing Jennifer Beals' chair-dancing sequence from the film.
- In the Abby's Flying Fairy School episode, "Sugar Plum Fairy Day", Blögg sings a brief parody of "Maniac" and imitates the chair-dancing sequence.
- After a night at Rowlf's Tavern in The Muppets episode "Pig Out", Scooter says he lost his glasses when he was doing "Maniac" from Flashdance and he stepped on them "like, 400 times."
- In "Elmo's Toothy Dance," a music video produced for Sesame Street in Communities, a Muppet toothbrush reclines in a dentist's chair and is doused with water, referencing the chair-dancing sequence.