Nixon
In a speech sending high school graduates on their way out into the real, the principal mentions several people famous whom they might emulate. Among them are baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and WWII hero-turned-President Dwight Eisenhower. She ends things by suggesting the potential that one may even wind up becoming Vice-President like Richard Nixon. The film was released just four years after Nixon resigned the office the Presidency in disgrace so the irony would have been even intensely recognized at the time.
“You can't just walk out of a drive-in.”
A goofier example of irony is Danny’s admonition for Sandy against leaving in anger after a disagreement. Although the inherent irony does have a ring of truth to it, the greater irony in this case is that he proves to be absolutely mistaken. Turns out you can do just what he says - quite easily, in fact.
The Message
The film’s opening seems to suggest that it is being yourself that leads to the true love. After all, it is the Danny who is no longer under peer pressure to act like a tough greaser that Sandy falls in love and, likewise, it is the innocent Sandy which attracts Danny. By the end, however, Sandy has changed and Danny is still playing the greaser. So by the end the message seems to be that the course of true love is not being yourself.
Happily Ever After?
The dance number which signals the reconciliation of Danny and Sandy takes place in a carnival funhouse where mirrors distort, floors sway back and forth and the general environment is one of loss of balance and equilibrium. If the irony isn’t clear enough, there also happens to be painted sign inside the funhouse: “Danger Ahead.”
“We Go Together”
The film climaxes with the entire cast—including at least two reconciled couples—singing a song about always being together that includes lyrics such as “we go together” and “that’s the way it should be” as well as “we’re one of a kind” and “we’ll always be like one.” The upbeat optimistic of the lyrics suggesting confidence in the future are, however, consistently interrupted by nonsense lyrics like “Ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong” and “Like boogy boogy boogy boogy shooby do wop she bop.” The thematic pattern of the film suggests that characters recognize that the actual lyrics are the nonsense and the nonsense lyrics are an ironic commentary on the absurdity of thinking high school friendships last far beyond graduation.
