This video never gets any less weird to sit through. I love the song, but are they supposed to be in college or high school? It sure looks like high school. Considering Agnetha sings about being taught the laws of geometry, I think it is meant to be high school. It’s also a sexual reference of course. Watch Benny on the right during the video decked out in his Miami Dolphins shirt. It’s so ridiculous that it looks like Björn–on the left–can barely keep himself from laughing.

I originally thought that the teacher was Lasse Hallström himself. However, it turns out that it is actor Magnus Härenstam. He seems to have been best-known as the host of a Swedish version of Jeopardy.

According to author Gene Provenzo, in his book called The Teacher in American Society: A Critical Anthology, this song is an example of “how teachers are viewed by [students] as sexual objects.” I only have that quote from the Wikipedia article on this song, so I have to assume that there’s some context that goes along with it.

School uniforms mean one thing these days, and that is sex. Yet, schools harass students if they dress in a sexual manner, and then will come along to institute school uniforms. In other words, they replace the student’s choice whether they want to dress in a sexual way with making it mandatory for all students. That doesn’t normalize it or anything. It institutionalizes it for the students.

Let’s not forget cheerleaders. Apparently it’s perfectly okay for them to go around wearing their uniforms during school, but spaghetti straps are forbidden. There are male equivalents to this too, such as Letterman Jackets–I know that women wear them too. How are those any different from other sexualized clothing?

You can go on and on with this. The point is, stop that nonsense first, then we can talk about teenage sex-drives causing teachers to walk on pins and needles around their students via ignorant knee-jerk parents and pushover school boards along with–I hope–the rare student who flat out lies about sexual harassment. Here’s one fix: Don’t require the teachers to dress in such a “professional” manner, aka a uniform, which plays into them being viewed as sexual objects.

I hope there’s context in that book to go with that statement. However, the reviews on his 1991 book called Video Kids: Making Sense of Nintendo say otherwise. The Teacher in American Society: A Critical Anthology was done in 2010. People change.

Enjoy!

ABBA retrospective:

1. Bald Headed Woman by The Hep Stars (1966, dir. ???)
2. En Stilla Flirt by Agnetha & ??? (1969, dir. ???) + 8 Hootenanny Singers Videos From 1966
3. Tangokavaljeren by Björn (1969, dir. ???)
4. Vårkänslor (ja, de’ ä våren) by Agnetha & Björn (1969, dir. ???)
5. Titta in i men lilla kajuta by Björn (1969, dir. ???)
6. Nu Ska Vi Vara Snälla by Björn & Agnetha (1969, dir. ???)
7. Finns Det Flickor by Björn & Sten Nilsson (1969, dir. ???)
8. Nu Ska Vi Opp, Opp, Opp by Agnetha (1969, dir. ???)
9. Det Kommer En Vår by Agnetha (1969, dir. ???)
10. Beate-Christine by Björn (1969, dir. ???)
11. En Stilla Flirt by Agnetha & ??? (1969, dir. ???) + 8 Hootenanny Singers Videos From 1966
12. Att Älska I Vårens Tid by Frida (1970, dir. ???)
13. Min Soldat by Frida (1970, dir. ???)
14. Söderhavets Sång by Frida (1970, dir. ???)
15. Ring, Ring by ABBA (1973, dir. Lasse Hallström)
16. Ring, Ring by ABBA (1973, dir. ???)
17. Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) by ABBA (1973, dir. ???)
18. Waterloo by ABBA (1974, dir. Lasse Hallström)
19. Hasta Mañana by ABBA (1974, dir. ???)
20. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do by ABBA (1975, dir. Lasse Hallström)
21. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do by ABBA (1975, dir. ???)
22. Bang-A-Boomerang by ABBA (1975, dir. Lasse Hallström)
23. SOS by ABBA (1975, dir. Lasse Hallström)
24. Mamma Mia by ABBA (1975, dir. Lasse Hallström)
25. Knowing Me, Knowing You by ABBA (1976, dir. ???)
26. Tropical Loveland by ABBA (1976, dir. ???)