In Baltimore, Maryland in 1962, chubby teenager Tracy Turnblad’s desire is to dance on The Corny Collins Show (a local TV dance show that was based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. Tracy hears auditions will be held for the show and begs her mom to go, but her mom refuses, so she turns to her father. After she gets his permission, she auditions and bumps into teen heartthrob, Link Larkin, who she has a thing for. Velma Von Tussle, the show’s producer, rejects her because of her weight. She gets detention because of her big hair and meets Seaweed, a black dancer, and his friends. He teaches her new dance moves and she uses them in “The Madison.” When Corny sees her moves, he wants her on the show. Tracy then wins a spot on the show and becomes an overnight celebrity. Then she starts a campaign to integrate the show. She is arrested after protesting the station. She escapes, though, and she, Link, Seaweed and her best friend, Penny, all seek refuge in Motormouth Maybelle’s Record Shop, where they devise a plan to help Tracy win Miss Teenage Hairspray. On the day of the contest, Amber, Tracy’s nemesis, shows off her dancing in an attempt to get more votes from viewers. Tracy takes the stage over right before they announce the results. She is joined by Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna (her mom) and Motormouth in a dazzling finale and Tracy is announced the winner; she then declares the show is officially integrated. Hairspray is basically a social commentary on the biases of parts of 1960’s American society.