It’s no secret around these parts that Dirty Dancing is one of my absolute favorite movies. But I’m not alone.

Just take a look around the internet today for proof of that.

I remember one particular viewing of the movie, back when all the cool kids had VCRs. Also known as, when I was in college. A bunch of us girls, including Chelleybutton and Triplesalchow, had piled into one of our dorm rooms and crowded around the TV to watch Dirty Dancing.

As the movie drew to a close, with Johnny and Baby dancing their hearts out in the final scene, one of our guy friends happened to stop by. He could not understand for one minute why each one of us was staring at the television, heads angled to the side, eyes fuzzy and smiles dreamy.

He could not understand how we could be so in love with a movie.

But we were! And, though I can’t speak for all those girls, I can say that I still am.

I realize everyone and their sister is quoting Patrick Swayze movies today. But since Chelleybutton has so kindly requested it, I’ll share my favorite Dirty Dancing quotes. Most will come as no surprise, since I use them so often that at least four of them have ended up in this blog. But here they are:

  • I carried a watermelon. [I carried a watermelon?]
  • I won’t tell your mother about this. Right now, I’m going to bed. And take that stuff off your face before your mother sees you.
  • No, the way he saved her. I mean, I could never do anything like that. That was somethin’. I mean, the reason people treat me like I’m nothin’ is because I’m nothin’.
  • Me? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.
  • I’ve never known anyone like you, you look at the world and you think you can make it better.
  • Fight harder, huh? I don’t see you fighting so hard, Baby. I don’t see you running up to daddy telling him I’m your guy.
  • I feel pretty. Or what do the simple folk do. Or I feel pretty. What do you think daddy?
  • Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
  • When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong.
  • I think she gets this from me.

And last, but not least, the monologue when Baby faces her father after revealing her, ahem, relationship with Johnny. My friend Kimi performed this during drama class in high school, and since then, I’ve always remembered these emotional words:

I’m sorry I lied to you. But you lied too. You told me everyone was alike and deserved a fair break. But you meant everyone who is like you. You told me you wanted me to change the world, to make it better. But you meant by becoming a lawyer or an economist…and marrying someone from Harvard.

I’m not proud of myself. But I’m in this family too. You can’t keep giving me the silent treatment.

There are a lot of things about me that aren’t what you thought. But if you love me, you have to love all the things about me.

And I love you.

I’m sorry I let you down. I’m so sorry, Daddy. But you let me down too.

From Ghost to Dirty Dancing, from Road House to Saturday Night Live and even that strange dance movie you starred in with your wife, you never let me down, Mr. Swayze.

(Please, don’t mention Red Dawn. We just won’t go there today.)

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