Summary Ch 15 America on Film

7/26/2019 Summary Ch 15 America on Film

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CHAPTER 15 AMERICA ON FILM

SEXUALITIES ON FILM SINCE THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION

Topic: sexuality represetatio i A! "il! "ro! t#e $%s to t#e preset &ay'

(exuality: esp' #eterosexual sex outsi&e o" !arria)e *as see as a persoal

ri)#t a& a political tool to co!+at t#e repressi,e &octries o" pre,ious &eca&es'

Ho!osexuality: +e)a to ta-e o a e* ,isi+ility. +eca!e "ra!e& as a ci,il

ri)#ts issue a& ot a !e&ical or cri!ial oe'

/#ite patriarc#al heterosexuality.

Sexual revolutio! social a& cultural c#a)es re)ar&i) sex, gender andsexuality*#ic# too- place t#rou)#out /ester culture &uri) t#e $%0s a& %0s'

It0s itert*ie& *it# t#e rise o" t#e "outer"ulture.2ou) people a& #ippies

re3ecte& !i&&le4class ,alues a& t#e sexual #ypocrisy o" earlier )eeratios'

Play+oy6: a e*ly li+erate& sexual li"estyle'

Holly*oo& #a& a #ar& ti!e copi) *it# sexual re,olutio' (lo*ly7 it +e)a to

"eature #eterosexual #rota$oists a& love iterests *#o *et to +e&

to)et#er e,e t#ou)# t#ey *ere0t !arrie&'

8a!es +o&: t#e epito!e o" t#e Play+oy !ale 9ritis#;'

Holly*oo&: (trai)#t !ale prota)oists< sexier7 !ore ,iolet< )ere "or!ulas a&

i&eolo)ical !eai)s *ere +asically t#e sa!e' T#ey &e"eate& t#e ,illai a& )ot

t#e )irl' Occasioally7 t#e #eterosexual ro!ace is +et*ee people o" &i""eret

races or et#icities +ut heterosexual %oo$a%yis al!ost al*ays t#e i!plie&

e&poit o" t#ose cie!atic relatios#ips' &o%e's (il%s: re,ol,e arou& t#e

searc# "or Mr Ri)#t6'

FILM AND GAY CULTURE FROM STONEALL TO AIDS

(toe*all Riots 91=$=;: police rai& i a +ar "re>uete& +y all -i&s o" )ay a&

les+ia people7 tras)e&ere& people a& >ueers o" colour'

/#e t#e les+ia a& )ay ci,il ri)#ts !o,e!et +urst "ort# at t#e e& o" t#e $%s

t#e u!+er o" represetatios o" )ay a& les+ia people i !aistrea! cie!a

*as o t#e rise'


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T#ere *ere spora&ic atte!pts to pro,i&e !ore realistic i!a)es o" )ay li"e

a!o) !ay e)ati,e stereoty#es.

May "il!s portraye& #o!osexual c#aracters t#at "ace& tra)ic e&i)s

!ur&er7 &is)race7 ,iolece a& so "ort#' I so!e ot#ers7 #o!osexual

stereotypes cotiue& to +e use& as t#e +utt o" 3o-es'

1=%0s: Holly*oo& te&e& to use its e* licese to )eote!ore clearly t#e

sa!e #o!osexual stereotypes t#at it #a& e!ploye& "ootativelyi t#e past'

I se,eral !o,ies #o!osexuals are s#o* as !osters7 ,a!pires a&

!ur&erous trassexuals' Fro! Psyc#o 91=$%; o*ar&s7 t#e "ross*)ressi$

psyc#o4-iller #as +eco!e a o,eruse& stereotype' ?iller Fa)s6 @ a!pire

Les+ias6' Ho!op#o+ic "il!s' Cruising!It see!s to e>uate )ay sex *it# !ur&er'

Exa!ies t#e !ur&erous e""ects t#at ca arise "ro! t#e re"ressi#n o"

#o!osexuality'

T#ere *ere o* )roups o" )ay a& les+ia people *illi) to c#alle)e t#e

Holly*oo& status >uo'

Per#aps to atoe "or suc# i!a)es Holly*oo& release& a #a&"ul o" !ore

serious &ra!atic "il!s to exa!ie issues o" )e&er a& sexuality' Ho*e,er7

t#ere *as so!e &isco!"ort i s#o*i) t*o !e to)et#er7 as t#is is totally

oppose& to *#at is usually expecte& "ro! a Holly*oo& "il! 9%ale $a+e,

o-e"ti(i"atio o( /o%e;' T#is &isco!"ort is a-i to ho%osexual #ai":

*#e so!eoe +eco!es a)itate& *#e co"rote& *it# #is or #er o* potetial

#o!osexual "eeli)s' T#e i&eti"icatio is &istur+i) a& so!e spectators !ay

*at to ,ocally per"or! t#eir o* #eterosexuality7 *#ic# i psyc#oaalytic ter!s

is possi+ly i&icati,e o" a represse& co"lict'

T$E AIDS CRISIS

Ac>uire& i!!uo&e"iciecy sy&ro!e #a& "irst +ee a!e& BRI 9)ay4relate&

i!!uo&e"iciecy;'

HI: Hu!a i!!uo&e"iciecy ,irus'

T#e &isease *as associate& *it# #o!osexuals a& itra,eous &ru) users *#o

*ere see as social u&esira+les6' As a result t#ere *as ot a )reat cocer

"or it'

May coser,ati,e political a& reli)ious "i)ures use& t#e AI( epi&e!ic as

proo"6 o" Bo&0s ,e)eace a)aist #o!osexuals: de%#ni&ati#n'


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I T t#ere *as a !o,ie *#o &ealt *it# a )ay !a0s stru))le *it# AI( a&

oly ei)#t years later &i& t#is occur i a Holly*oo& "il! 9PHILAELPHIA 1=D;'

Ho*e,er7 +ot# o" t#ese !o,ies "ollo*e& t#e Holly*oo& so"ial #ro-le% (il%

"or!at7 &o*playi) politics i "a,our o" !olo&ra!a'

T'e (iss #) t'e S"ider #%an *+-./0+ase& o Mauel Pui)0s o,el7 its !aic#aracter *as a e""e!iate )ay !a i!prisoe& i a (out# A!erica 3ail' It

explore& t#e coectios +et*ee political a& sexual oppressio7 &i""eri)

costructios o" %as"uliity a& t#e role t#at popular cie!a #as #a& i

creati) li"e4sustaii) "atasies7 as *ell as politically &a)erous illusios'

1UEER T$EORY AND NE 1UEER CINEMA

E,e i" #o!osexuality *as +ei) ac-o*le&)e& at t#e ti!e7 it *as !ostly

u&erstoo& as a eit#er@or 2inary cocept7 re&uci) t#e &i,ersity o" #u!a

sexuality to si!pli"ie& cocepts o" )ay6 a& @or strai)#t6'

Acti,ists +e)a to use& t#e *or& 0ueer7 as i t#e )roup a!e 1ueer Natio7 to

&esi)ate a co!!uity o" &i""erece6 iclusi,e o" a +roa& ,ariety o" sexual

identities and 2e'a3i#urs! *#t'er %in#rities )#r 4'#% t'e la2els '#%#sexual5

and6#r 7'eter#sexual5 are n#t ade8uate are0 2isexuals, 9r#ss:dressers,

transgendered "e#"le, interra9ial 9#u"les, disa2led sexualities,sad#%as#9'isti9 sexualities/!E,e #eterosexuals ca +e >ueer t#e so calle&

strai$ht 0ueer+ecause >ueer as a cocept eco!passes all #u!a sexual

practices *#ile re3ecti) t#e opposi) +iary #ierarc#ies o" sexuality a& )e&er

t#at curretly )o,er our u&ersta&i) o" t#e ter!'

1ueer theory! t#ese t#i-ers +e)a to t#eorie o t#e "lui& a& so"ially

"ostru"te) ature o" sexuality' Hu!a sexualities @ )e&ers are ot

propositios7 +ut "luctuatio7 socially &eter!ie& positios' T#ese are

"er)#r%ati3e a9ts rat#er t#a essetial i&etities' It also explore& t#e social

costructio o" #eterosexuality i or&er to exa!ie t#e *ays a& !eas +y*#ic# he$e%oi" #atriar"hycostructs a& !aitais t#e i&ea t#at oly oe

sexuality is or!al a& &esira+le'

Gueeress o" texts6: it ca +e aalye& accor&i) to *#o *rote it a& also *#o

rea&s it' It explores #o* sexuality i"lueces textual pro&uctio'

Early =%s: the Ne/ 1ueer Cie%a' Also calle& Ho!o Po!o6 +ecause o" its

relatio *it# t#e post!o&er !o,e!et7 styles a& i&eas' ot# o" t#e! "ocus

o per!ea+le +ou&aries7 t#e crossi) o" styles a& )eres7 a& !ore

)eeralie& +or&er crossi)s *#et#er sexual7 re)ioal7 atioal7 et#ic or


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racial' It >uestios !o&els o" essetialist i&etity "or!atio a& it o"te

c#alle)es suppose&ly #2;e9ti3e s#9ial 9#nstru9tssuc# as #istory itsel"'

Alt#ou)# t#ese "il!s atte!pt to "ocus o t#e social costructio o" race7 )e&er7

class a& sexuality7 !ay o" t#e! still te& to carry a *#ite !ale +ias' &er

/hite #atriar"hal "a#italis%,>ueer *#ite !e are still !ore rea&ily a+le too+tai "u&i) "or pro3ects t#a are *o!e a& people o" colour'

It is so!eti!es less au&iece pleasi)6 +ecause it ca c#alle)e au&ieces

*eae& o Holly*oo& style' It !ay e,e criticie it &eli+erately7 suc# as t#e

"e!iist a,at4)ar&e "il!s o" t#e %s'

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Summary Ch 15 America on Film