Defining the monster queer in the classical Hollywood horror film Article by Harry M. Benshoff Presentation by Chris Chafin

Outline 20 th century homosexual history (4 mins) Activity (5 mins) Queer movie monsters, including clips (13 mins) Review Questions (1 min) Questions (2 mins)

The state of homosexuality in the early 20 th century Defined in terms of gender deviance, not sexual object choice

That Is to Say... I can have sex with Kurt Loder and not be gay, as long as I’m doing the inserting. The important thing is the act, not the people involved.

Having Said That... Into the 1930s, doctors and psychoanalysts held that homosexuality was a neurosis. Some thought it was related to epilepsy, some thought it was sexual immaturity, but very few thought that it was inborn.

Those Crazy Queers Urban-dwelling heterosexulas familiar with, curious about homosexuals in 1920s Correspondingly, there are gay characters in movies, gay content in magazines This is called the “panzy craze”

End of the “panzy craze” After the stock market crash of 1929, “lesbian chic” and “panzy craze” are over. Country returns to more pressing concerns

Disappearing Gays Correspondingly, explicitly gay characters disappear from media. Production Code helped, too

Into Films!

Activity Time! Tell me some things about myself:

The Monster Usually a single male or a male with male companions. Lives in gothic, strange surroundings that reflect his “dark and mysterious secrets.” Sometimes evil, sometimes sympathetic Was he created by man or nature?

The Queer Usually a single male or a male with male companions Good decorator Sometimes a moral threat to us normal folk, sometimes amusing. Created by man or nature?

Ellipses Production code meant camera pans off screen and fades to black to show sex Same thing done in a monster attack Adds sexual dimension to attack

Interaction Many times, solo male monster attacks aggressively normal couple. Villian involves one or more members of couple in his plot. Monster vanquished, couple continue with their normal lives, both bodily secure and secure in their sexuality.

It’s clip time! Watch closely:

Review Questions Movie monsters share many traits with ________ (Heterosexuals, Walruses, Homosexuals). Homosexuals were more/less visable in media after the stock market crash of A monster attack on film resembles ______ (yo-yoing, sex, cooking)

Questions?