Queer Theory & Cultural Studies Gender Bending Homoeroticism Camp COM 327 February 20, 2014

QUIZ!

1. Gauntlett: “queer theory, despite one interpretation of its name, is not a theory of ____________ (although it does have some things to say about that)”. a) popular culture b) homosexuality c) queer people d) heteronormativity

2. In contrast to viewing gender as a fixed and stable “attribute”, Gauntlett writes that Judith Butler encourages us to see gender as a ____________ a) “fluid variable” b) “bodily fluid” c) “convenient myth” d) “shameful secret”

3. What movie does Doty use as an example of how we’ve been culturally trained to assume that all non- stereotypically queer characters are straight? a) The Princess Bride b) Psycho c) American Beauty d) The Blair Witch Project

4. What is the term Doty uses to describe academics who combine rigorous critical work with autobiographical, celebratory enthusiasm for the subject? a) Scholar-fans b) Academic wannabes c) Invested critics d) Subjectivists

BONUS Which female entertainer does Gauntlett reference in considering how pop culture might help us disrupt heteronormative gender stereotypes? a) Celine Dion b) Lady Gaga c) Madonna d) Dolly Parton

feminism(s) There’s not one form 1 st wave / 2 nd wave / 3 rd wave Black feminism (bell hooks) Standpoint feminisms Marxist feminism

vs What do feminists look like? What do feminists act like? Feminists are supposed to be i) female and ii) unconcerned with their appearance

Notion of gender relations as “zero-sum game”: That gains for women come at the expense of men’s rights

the price of being a ‘feminist’ “golden dipwad”

the price of being a ‘feminist’

Group presentation!

“Gender, then, is what you do at particular times, rather than a universal who you are”. (Gauntlett) Last class: Gender & sex are not the same thing Sex is the scientific / ‘natural’ rationale for gender norms

This class: ‘Queer’ and ‘homosexual’ are not the same thing - Closeted gay; queer heterosexuality

Foundations of queer theory 1.Foucault -> Queer theory ‘Sexual difference’ is a discourse that reads ‘male’ vs ‘female’ as the most fundamental distinction in human bodies & brains 2.Political economy -> Queer theory Society is organized along gender lines (male breadwinner; female housewife) that support the production of capital 3.Cultural studies -> Queer theory Heteronormativity is the ‘dominant code’ in terms of reading gender; but there are always other, equally legitimate ways of reading 4.Feminist theory -> Queer theory Gender is a performance, not a fixed attribute. We don’t have to perform according to how society codes our bodies.

HETERONORMATIVITY The configuration of politics, law, economics, medicine, technology and culture around the belief that heterosexuality is normal & natural......and that everything else is deviant / immoral / unnatural

Doty: Queerness is “any nonnormative expression of gender, including those connected with straightness” (p. 18) Queerness is a performance that disrupts conventional ideas of “normative” identity

“encoding/decoding” 1.In the realm of sexual identity, heterosexuality is the dominant code 2.there can be multiple readings of a text 3.even the most heteronormative texts can be analyzed from a queer perspective 4.because texts are polysemic, my reading does not spoil the pleasure or significance you get from the text

Implications of Doty’s analysis: 1.Queer characters are not always queer positive 2.Queer readings are possible even when (especially when?) no characters are explicitly queer

Vocabulary for “queer” readings Homoeroticism - Taking pleasure from watching / being with members of the same sex Camp - over-the-top portrayal of sexual identity (often to the point of irony) Essentialism - Characterizing a group of people using limited stereotypes

homoeroticism Heteronormativity as a “discourse” forbids taking pleasure in same-sex interactions “bromance” “man crush” In heteronormative (or heterosexist) societies homoeroticism must be policed

From last class - How do straight guys make homoeroticism “safe”?

Homoeroticism

What makes homoeroticism “safe?” -A gay(er) villain

“What makes you think this is my first time?”

What makes homoeroticism “safe?” -Violating and/or protecting women

What makes homoeroticism “safe?” -Violence

Queer readings are possible with almost any text, whether or not they have explicit queer characters/themes A queer reading does not necessarily reflect on your own identity (e.g. just like Marxist analyses don’t make you a socialist) Reading a text as queer simply means not assuming that every non- stereotypically gay person is straight.

Queer reading – - Means asking “what if” instead of “obviously they’re not”

Form into groups of 5 Choose a ‘text’ you want to look at -- -Hunger Games -Harry Potter -Duck Dynasty -Gears of War Do a queer reading -- Without descending into stereotypes