Modes of Passing Lina Medaglia-Miller, Ph.D. The Great Pretender: The Art of Passing GSSC 1073 May 2010 There are many different ways that living things pass as other creatures and things Anti-predator adaptations Antipredator adaptations are evolutionary adaptations developed over time, which assist prey organisms in their constant struggle against their predators Antipredator adaptations are evolutionary adaptations developed over time, which assist prey organisms in their constant struggle against their predatorsevolutionary adaptationsprey strugglepredatorsevolutionary adaptationsprey strugglepredators Animals avoid detection as prey Animals avoid detection as prey They avoid being attacked by predators They avoid being attacked by predators They avoid capture by predators They avoid capture by predators Batesian mimicry Batesian mimicry is a form Batesian mimicry is a form Batesian mimicry Batesian mimicry of mimicry typified by a situation mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a common predator. predator It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, Henry Walter BatesHenry Walter Bates after his work in the rainforests rainforests of Brazil. Brazil Camouflage Camouflage is, perhaps, the most common form of passing among all antipredator adaptations. Camouflage is, perhaps, the most common form of passing among all antipredator adaptations. Camouflage antipredator adaptations Camouflage antipredator adaptations A camouflaged Orange Oak Leaf butterfly Many species, like the flounder, seen here, can blend in against features in theirenvironment, to avoid detection Cephalopods Particular cephalopods, such cephalopods as cuttlefish and octopus, can cuttlefishoctopuscuttlefishoctopus actually change their texture and appearance in order to be virtually undetectable on any environmental feature The Possum, and other species, have even mastered the art of playing dead (apparent death) in order to avoid predation The Possum, and other species, have even mastered the art of playing dead (apparent death) in order to avoid predationPossumapparent deathPossumapparent death The undisputed master of the art has lent his name to this activity: playing possum Humans and Passing Many humans try to pass, when they can. Many humans try to pass, when they can. There are a variety of ways in which human beings have chosen to pass as other human beings or other types of human beings. There are a variety of ways in which human beings have chosen to pass as other human beings or other types of human beings. Human modes of passing In literature In literature In mythology In mythology In fairy tales In fairy tales In religion In religion In theatre In theatre In opera In opera In movies In movies Racial passing Racial passing Gender Passing Gender Passing Class Passing Class Passing Sexual orientation passing Sexual orientation passing Disability passing Disability passing Everyday passing Everyday passing Job passing Job passing Criminal passing Criminal passing FICTIONAL NON-FICTIONAL Fiction Literature In The Odyssey, Athena disguises The OdysseyThe Odyssey OdysseusOdysseus as an old, ragged beggar Odysseus so that he can return to Ithaca to confront his wife Penelopes suitors the disguise is so effective that even his wife does not recognize him Mythology The God Zeus poses as a swan in order to seduce Leda The God Zeus poses as a swan in order to seduce LedaZeus as a swan in order to seduce LedaZeus as a swan in order to seduce Leda Fairy Tales The predator/wolf, in Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood poses as LRRHs grandmother Religion The Bhagavata Purana describes Bhagavata PuranaBhagavata Purana Vishnu's avatars as innumerable, though there are ten incarnations (Dasavatara, Sanskrit: ten avatars) DasavataraSanskritDasavataraSanskrit that are widely seen as his major appearances. Krishna and Rama are the two mostly widely known and worshipped avatars of Vishnu, with their stories told in the two popular epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Krishna and Rama are the two mostly widely known and worshipped avatars of Vishnu, with their stories told in the two popular epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.RamaMahabharataRamayanaRamaMahabharataRamayana Matsya, fish avatar of Vishnu Gender passing in the arts A remarkably common theme in theatre, opera and movies is gender passing gender passinggender passing (e.g. the following 3 slides) Robin Williams as Mrs. DoubtfireMrs. Doubtfire Theatre William Shakespeare made substantial use of cross-dressing for female characters, who take on masculine clothing to carry out actions difficult for women. William Shakespeare made substantial use of cross-dressing for female characters, who take on masculine clothing to carry out actions difficult for women.William Shakespearecross-dressingWilliam Shakespearecross-dressing In Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, Portia and her maid dress as lawyers to plead in court on the merchant's behalf, and are quite successful in their ruse. In Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, Portia and her maid dress as lawyers to plead in court on the merchant's behalf, and are quite successful in their ruse.The Merchant of VenicePortiaThe Merchant of VenicePortia Opera An entire cross-dressing genre of operatic roles is called "pants roles or "trouser roles. These are male roles performed by women, typically mezzo-sopranos. Some female opera singers specialize in these roles. An entire cross-dressing genre of operatic roles is called "pants roles or "trouser roles. These are male roles performed by women, typically mezzo-sopranos. Some female opera singers specialize in these roles.pants rolestrouser rolespants rolestrouser roles A major artistic reason for "pants roles" was that some storylines required young boy characters, but the actual performance required an adult's vocal strength and stage experience in addition to a high, boyish voice. Women were thus better suited to these boy roles than actual boys. A major artistic reason for "pants roles" was that some storylines required young boy characters, but the actual performance required an adult's vocal strength and stage experience in addition to a high, boyish voice. Women were thus better suited to these boy roles than actual boys. Tess Altiveros as Cherubino in "Marriage of Figaro." Movies Among the most common of all comedic plots in Hollywood is that of a person pretending to be of the opposite gender (gender passing) gender passinggender passing in order to get a job or position. Movies Class passing is Class passingClass passing also a common theme in comedy. In Trading Places, Trading PlacesTrading Places on a bet, two meddlesome moguls switch the circumstances of a hustler and a Wall Street trader. Each victim must then pass, temporarily. Non-Fiction Racial Passing Racial Passing Writer John Howard Griffin John Howard GriffinJohn Howard Griffin (Black Like Me) pretended Black Like MeBlack Like Me for six weeks to be an African-American travelling on Greyhound buses (occasionally hitchhiking) throughout the racially segregated states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia Gender Passing Gender Passing Writer Norah Vincent Norah VincentNorah Vincent dressed as a man for an entire year, in order to understand better the male experience Class Passing Class Passing Writer Judith Rollins Judith RollinsJudith Rollins pretended to be a domestic in order to understand the relationships between the wealthy and their domestic help Sexual Orientation Passing Latin music superstar Ricky Martin is just one of many LGBTQ LGBTQ entertainers who came out came outcame out after many years in show business. Due to rampant homophobia homophobia in our society, many public figures are advised to disguise their sexual orientation for fear of discrimination. DisabilityDisability Passing Disability Psychologist David Rosenhan Psychologist David Rosenhan and eight other pseudopatients eight other pseudopatientseight other pseudopatients infiltrated 12 American psychiatric hospitals in order to prove that standard psychiatric diagnostic labels and patient diagnoses were often mistaken, arbitrary, or biased Everyday Passing Everyday Passing OnlineOnline passing: A Moroccan Online man named Fouad Mourtada was arrested for pretending, on Facebook, to be the Moroccan kings younger brother, Prince Moulay Rachid. The specific charge was villainous practices. Justice is swift in Morocco. Mourtada was convicted, and sentenced to three years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Job Passing Ferdinand Waldo Demara Ferdinand Waldo Demara (the Great Impostor) masqueraded as a civil engineer, a sheriffs deputy, an assistant prison warden, a Doctor of Psychology, a hospital orderly, a lawyer, a child-care expert, a Benedictine monk, an editor, a cancer researcher, and a teacher. Most famously, he was a Navy Doctor who saved many lives. Criminal Passing Christophe RocancourtChristophe Rocancourt is Christophe Rocancourt an impostor and con artist impostorcon artistimpostorcon artist who scammed affluent people by masquerading as a French member of the Rockefeller family Rockefeller Without looking at the Passers page, test yourself. Without looking at the Passers page, test yourself.Passers Can you think of other types of passing, or of famous people who have passed under the categories of passing we have just covered? Can you think of other types of passing, or of famous people who have passed under the categories of passing we have just covered? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the next class. I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the next class. Fin