Mahana You Ugly!
"Mahana You Ugly!" The first time someone said that to me, I was not laughing. In fact, I was preparing to open up a can of whoop-fast. Luckily just before his face hit the pavement, someone mentioned something about a movie (assault charge averted). The first time someone called me an 8-cow woman, they had 8 seconds to explain to me why they had just called me a heifer. Something was said about "Johnny Lingo" and I think they took off running. About 5 years ago I finally saw the movie Johnny Lingo, and that person had it twisted, I am a million-cow woman! For all of you who learned the hard way that not everyone has seen this movie, I feel for you. For those of you out there who have never seen this movie, please know that if you ever find yourself trying to figure out if a Mormon has just referred to you as an ugly cow, they may have actually been trying to give you a compliment.
Johnny Lingo is a 1969 LDS film. In Johnny Lingo, Mahana is a young woman who is constantly told she is ugly, she believes she is ugly and she appears to be ugly. Once her suitor is willing to pay an unprecedented 8 cows for her to become his bride, she becomes beautiful in appearance.
The argument has been made that the story of Johnny Lingo focuses on physical beauty and the idea that a woman can only see herself as a beautiful woman once a man finds her attractive. I often think of self-worth as something that you define for yourself, people shouldn’t need to tell you that you’re amazing, you should already know and believe that you are. However, as I contemplate the story of Johnny Lingo, I actually find a message of power. The power we have to change attitudes, responses, how others feel about us, and yes, how others may feel about themselves.
One school year my Mother had the ludicrous idea to send us to our non-uniform wearing public school in uniforms. She sewed us 4 hideous uniforms. One for each day of the week and then we could repeat one on Fridays. Most of the Uniforms were skirts, which we wore knickers under so we could go to P.E. and not have to the change. (If you don’t know what knickers are don’t feel bad, I think only my family and pioneers do.) The collection wasn’t even cohesive (I've been watching too much Project Runway). There was a pink and black polka-dotted skirt, which was just a poodle shy of needing saddle shoes to go with it. I don’t know what "General Store" my Mother found the fabric for the other uniforms in, but if you ever catch a rerun of Little House on the Prairie, you’ll see Laura Ingalls Wilder wearing the jumper-dress she sewed us. Oh, and yes, of course mine and my sister’s uniforms were matching, what’s that you ask, are we twins? Nope! My sister and I were seriously traumatized!
The first week of school our classmates just thought that we were shopping at the ugly store, but by the third week of school they began to see a pattern. I didn’t attend one of those schools where the other kids whispered and made fun of you behind your back. I attended the kind of school where kids just shouted at you from across a crowded lunchroom, “Girl, why you wearing the same ooglay (worse than ugly, so ugly it’s ooglay) outfit every day.” Although I felt like someone should report my Mother to Child Protective Services, I had made up my mind that I was going to own those ooglay uniforms. “Why you wearing that same ooglay face every day,” I replied. I wasn't being mean, that’s just how you nip it in the bud where I come from.
I told my friends that I was wearing uniforms this year because I didn’t want to take the time to pick out something new every day. Plus, I got way more sleep since I didn’t need to wake up and pick something to wear. “It was my idea but, you know the lil’ Sis has to copy everything I do. Told my Mom not to make us the same uniforms, but the lil’ Sis was buggin, so I was like, it’s cool.” Of course my BFF knew what was up and she had my back. She’d say, “Girl that skirt is bomb, where’d you buy that, I need to get me one.” I would say, “Thanks girl, my Mama made it, it’s an original, you can’t just get this off the rack.” She bought a plaid skirt and she would wear hers to school. Of course hers was name brand, short and cute, but I really appreciated it.
So although I still can’t believe my Mother did that to me, the school year didn’t turn out to be a complete disaster because I realized that I GOT THE POWER! So the next time you’re in a situation where you can effect positive change in your attitude, the attitude of others, how someone else perceives themself or how others perceive you, do it, cause YOU GOT THE POWER!
For those of you who have never seen Johnny Lingo, here you go!
God is Love,
Sista Laurel
28 comments:
You are right If someone said Mahana your ugly to me I wouldn't have known what they were talking about, but now I will. This was a nice movie with good message. I hope Baptists are allowed to use this too because I want to share it with my churches young peoples group. Keep preaching Sistas, I truely enjoy your messages.
Did you know you can purchase t-shirts stating how many cows you are worth? Only at BYU, my friends.
i saw this movie in seminary in the 80's. the 'mahana, you ugly" stuff lasted for weeks afterward. i think the message of johnny lingo is so layered it would takes us weeks of discussion to really get to all it really means.
I met Sister Manaen at a fireside of the Los Angeles LDS African-american Affairs Council a few hours after she was baptized in June, 2007. They had her stand to be introduced at the beginning of the meeting and asked us all to talk to her afterwards. I did, we were married last February, and we're still talking!
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As I -- who she calls "home grown" -- tried to help her become familiar with our unique culture, I showed her "Johnny Lingo." She liked the message.
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She decided just a few months ago that her engagement ring with 8 small diamonds + her wedding ring with one large diamond make her a "NINE-cow wife." Sometimes, I just get lucky!
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BTW, the movie's msg for me is very deep: our power to love someone and to help them see the divine within themselves can be life- and nature-changing. A stake president, who hugged me and told me he loved me after a long conversation about how *unlovable* I had been, was the catalyst for this change within me. He opened the door and I felt for the first time God's love wash through my heart. My nature was changed permanently that evening long ago and I now enjoy this nagging sense of well-being.
Oh Sista Laurel...My mother once made me re-wear this super-fly outfit to school two days in a row, because the first day, I wore it immodestly! And this was one of those early-90's show-stoppers, not easily forgotten, especially after just one day. I echo your comments. The power comes from inside and how you feel about yourself, not from what threads you happen to be lucky enough to own.
I got called "Casper the UGLY Ghost" for years when I was a kid. I never did come up with a good come back, but I did cause a black eye or two. It is true, we need to say we have POWER! Thanks for this post Sista Laurel. My daughter needs it a lot!!
Hah! Now I too can aspire to be an eight-cow wife! Way to go, women-as-property! How bout it, beauty-as-value! Let's hear it for Johnny Lingo and the moral message that a girl is worth just as much as the highest bidder is willing to pay. Boo-yah! Hold your heads up high, girls! You can be Mahanas, every one of you!
I always wondered if there were a male equivalent to the eight cow wife...but would an "eight bull" husband mean the same thing? I suspect not...
The Project Runway reference really got me. I was laughing the whole way through. Really great blog! I'm glad I discovered it!
I have laughed myself silly at some of the all-too-familiar circumstances in your posts. Being brought up in the Bible Belt among "good Christian folks" sure didn't dampen their enthusiasm in "talkin' a little smack" when it came time to throw down the insults or knock my religion. (Momma just said to use it as fuel to make my testimony stronger... some days I would have much rather thrown a fist in their general direction!)
Thanks for the blog and thanks for the attitude recharge. Sometimes, we all need to look more on who we are and what we have instead of marinating in our self-involved pity!
Sister Laurel, you're reminding me of when I ran for student council in high school in a predominantly-LDS area. I ran against a girl who's slogan was "The 8 cow candidate!" Ok, wow! So, she did beat me. But I'm over it, no seriously I am. It's just too funny!
IMO, Tatiana (January 25, 2010 8:48 PM) missed the symbolism here. This is not an auction to the highest bidder. It is a test of how much the one man who offers to share his life with a woman values her in terms of how he values all else he has.
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An interesting aspect of this test is the balance to be achieved among the man’s resources, how much display of value to offer to have this wife, and how much value to retain for their home afterwards. After all, the more cows he does not give to get her, the more cows he and she will share in their new family.
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In “Johnny Lingo,” the man’s value for his new wife is measured in cows; our society measures it in carats. (Of course, in our society, she gets the carats). The character of the main characters is revealed in how they balance the showy display of putting value out of their home against providing for their future. Like we do with expensive, showy rings and receptions.
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Johnny Lingo chose the balance of giving top value for Mahana but not what appears to be as much as he could have paid. I see this as showing his high value for her at the beginning while retaining the ability provide for her and to do extras, like buy the mirror for her, later. The mirror is important because it shows his continuing value of her.
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Mahana is not “property.” Johnny loves her and uses his means first and last as a tool to live this.
manean, I got the symbolism, and the message, that we value others only to the extent that we recognize their worth. When we see others as worthy, then we treat them as worthy, and inspire them to feel worthy themselves. That's a pretty good message. But oh my gosh what a story they chose to convey that!
1) The girl's worth is clearly shown by her beauty. Want a hot wife? Pay more for her! Value her! Even ugly wives turn hot when you do that.
2) The name of the movie isn't "The Transformation of Mahana" it's "Johnny Lingo". He's the one who gave Mahana her worth in this story. She didn't just come to understand it herself and embody it. Her transformation was Johnny's work, not her own, so he's naturally the one the story is named for.
3) The women themselves when they talk among themselves compare their value according to the cow schemata. They brag amongst each other and totally buy into the "you're worth just as much as your husband paid for you" paradigm. What about their own qualities besides beauty? What about courage, hard work, principles, kindness, generosity, intelligence, character, leadership, etc.? Those qualities are never mentioned at all. They're not important in property, you see. Not in those acted upon. They're qualities only of human beings with agency who interface with the world through their own efforts and abilities. Women, as the story clearly shows, don't do that. Women aren't actors in the movie, only acted upon. They have almost no speaking roles. Women are all but invisible here, even though the story is supposedly about them.
I've heard references to Johnny Lingo in the bloggernacle but never seen it. If this is the sort of garbage the current generation of LDS leaders was raised on, no wonder. No wonder! Suddenly a whole lot becomes clear. Sheesh.
I can't believe so many people believe this to be innocuous. Try it out in your mind if a story was about a white woman buying a black servant, for instance. Horribly, horribly offensive! Why don't people automatically see that it's just as offensive when directed toward any of the children of our Heavenly Father? The lack of outrage is more telling than the original film, even. Sheesh!
I guess I never saw the film as negative. In fact I did a whole night about being an 8 cow woman for Relief Society. When I watch the movie I think more about how Heavenly Father always sees the best in us. How we doubt our own abilities, but when we put our faith and trust in him we can see ourselves as we truly are, daughters of a loving Heavenly Father.
I don't believe that the message of the movie was, "you need a man to love you. Women are property." or any other such nonsense. I believe the film was meant to inspire people to realize that no matter what someone else says about you, you are full of infinate potential.
I always saw this movie as a message not about Mahana, but about Johnny. He used his influence to help a soul that was suffering. He treated her as he wanted her to be, and loved her until she became what he knew she always was.
Good post! Presentation is everything, and it sounds like you had that down, even as a kid.
I also agree that women need to own their own power.
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At least I know i'm not the only one whose mom was inspired to create clothing for the educational experience. I never had good comebacks either... just me and my multi-colored jumper outfits inspired by her latest Tina Turner infatuation, er, I mean inspiration.
Now... I've heard of, but never seen, Johnny Lingo. And while I do think the simple and easy answers about the movie's meaning equated to the gospel and Heavenly Father's love for us are good, I also think Tatiana makes a few good points.
I have a girlfriend who moved here to Utah, for the distinct purpose of hopefully finding a husband. She's been told, in her singles ward, that the girls are "too intimidating" to the guys and should stop talking about their jobs, education, goals, etc while on dates so that the males feel comfortable.
Even when you have a deeper knowledge/understanding about women and our role in the Church - it doesn't negate the fact that most lessons in Young Women's classes will encourage them to "slow down" or "act a certain way" so that guys will like them and not feel intimidated to approach them. "Attract a guy by dressing neatly, but don't be too attractive because guys can't control themselves or their thoughts very well and your physical development is at fault."
And we wonder how unrighteous dominion happens? It probably starts with insecurity. Only in Utah have I seen women sacrifice themselves and their education to support a husband through his. He loses his job or they get divorced and she's worse off than when they started.
There's a need for unashamed empowerment of our young women. Being a strong woman and a strong wife are not mutually exclusive. If anyone knows how to balance the two... it's going to be a woman anyway.
Just remember this movie was made back in the 60's and the Church still hadn't given the priesthood to all worthy men yet. It does have it's positive points, but it is a product of the society that made it. I'm certainly not going to show this to my daughters now. If I were doing the remake, Mahana would be out secretly working to get her own herd so she could move out of her abusive father's house and support herself. Then if Johnny Lingo was the right guy who could respect her as a person, a merger might be possible.
RE: LaShawn February 1, 2010 7:28 PM
"There's a need for unashamed empowerment of our young women."
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IMO what you said is the point of this movie -- and that we should help each other get there. This is why Johnny Lingo says at the end of the movie,
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“Many things can happen to make a woman beautiful. The thing that matters most is what she thinks of herself.”
(Part 3, 4:49 – 4:59)
Wish I'd had the ability to own the ugly like you did, Laurel. :) I have a patent-leather shoe story from the 4th grade that I wish didn't end up with me getting pushed into a mud puddle.
Just discovered you guys and have had several good laughs this evening. Great to know you're here! Adding you to my RSS feeds.
Sorry Tatiana
You missed the point in a big way on several fronts. First the point of the movie IS that all of those other traits, kindness, generosity, character etc. are more important than physical beauty and that they are what attracted Johnny Lingo in the first place. Everyones physical appearance takes on an improvement when they feel loved, confident, of worth, and appreciated. One of the points of the movie was to show the unfairness and disrespect of that cultural custom and to dispel it. They want all of us to stand taller and be prouder because we are worth it. Physical beauty is skin deep but REAL beauty goes all the way through. Your outrage and sarcasm shows that you missed the beauty of the story.
love love love this post. Makes me feel all loved and hugged n such!
I'm with you on the million cow woman!!
great post I am always looking forward to my visits...Aloha
Brandi
My husband gave my dad 12 little stuffed cows at our wedding breakfast. They were individually wrapped. It was funny to listen to the ripples of chuckles as people started to catch on to what was going on.
You are half right about healthy self-confidence coming from your own heart, but it doesn't come if you are not given what you need to grow it; that need is love.
If a little kid is constantly told s/he is bad/ugly (usually those two are kinda pleated toghether anyway), s/he starts to believe it unless s/he is a very exceptional personality.
Remember this story is based on an old legend; there's a longer movie that's sold by Deseret Book; produced by Number 8 Production LLC. It tells the longer story, and it has a lot to it.
The take-home message, the short version is, the echo tends to sound like our own yell. If we give ugly messages, we tend to get ugly results.
The longer version should be about integrity and willingness to sacrifice for others to mature.
So there's a classic romantic story about a girl waiting for a guy to take care of her and the militant feminist sees just that in it? So go shoot everyone who tells old stories that teach good lessons. Life has never been perfect, but it can become better. However, it will not become better by complaining.
Yes, there are wrongs that should be righted. Let's all decide to be perfect from now on. I'll even beat myself for all the wrongs that women and others have had to suffer because of males, especially WASPy ones (though I'm not one myself, just speak the language) who have usurped and abused their power (power that I never had....)
And I don't mean that in a mean sarcastic way, I mean it for real. We should be chastised. The power clique never sees the clique themselves, because it never makes their life difficult. ("I'm not a racist! And I don't know anyone who is; I don't even know what you're talking about!" You must have heard that?)
Mind if I introduce body image here? Mahana is a skinny little thing, and the other women have some signigicant meat on their bones. Can we reverse that and have Mahana be a chubby little thing--terribly shy because everyone calls her fat. But (happy ending) Johnny lets her know she's allowed to like herself. He wants her healthy, not a size 2. And he buys her a FULL-LENGTH mirror, not that little hand-held thing which shows only how well she applied her make-up. "Mahana," he says, "you look so healthy. Damn, girl, you the healthiest thing I seen since summer. Oh, and by the way, I bought you a mirror. See? Seven boys are bringing it, each one riding a cow."
"Oh," she says, "It's so big. I wish I had something for you. Like a car. Maybe I'll get you one for Christmas. Would you like a Jaguar?"
"Mahana," he says, "how will you afford a car? And where would we drive it? The island is small"
"We will be able to afford it because I will start selling Tahitian Noni juice, and then we will park your car in front of our hut. Or we can live in it."
"But will it be big enough?" Johnny asks.
"Johnny," she says, "it's all in the eye of the beholder."
"Mahana, you healthy," he says, and his eyes brim with tears. Mahana gives him a red hibiscus bloom, which he puts behind his left ear. They meander towards the ocean, hand in hand.
Sigh.
"Healthy" sounds very good to me (the dig at Noni juice notwithstanding ;) ).
I want to love a whole person, not a pretty picture. Besides, it is in the eye of the beholder. My love has always been for me the prettiest thing there is.
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