The Theme Of Homosocial Desire In The Films Of Kevin Smith

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Homosocial Desire in the Films of Kevin Smith

In present society, any man who loves another man is labeled a homosexual. If a man is not a homosexual, then he is not allowed to display any form of affection for another male. If a man does go beyond the boundaries of showing affection for another man, that man runs the risk of being labeled a homosexual. However, there are those who see the error of this and want to change this societal viewpoint. Two examples of individuals who have strikingly similar views on this issue believe that there can be a balance between homosexuality and heterosexual male bonding. In relation to this balance, the term “homosocial” describes bonds between persons of the same sex. Even though these …show more content…

In each film, Jay and Silent Bob are inseparable and have a relationship that transcends the status quo of the male bonding relationship. Jay, on many occasions, calls Silent Bob his “hetero-life mate” and is not afraid to touch Silent Bob affectionately in public. The first time the pair is seen in Clerks, Silent Bob takes Jay’s jacket off for him and then hands him a drink. Later on in the movie, while the two are talking with Dante, Jay graphically humps Silent Bob in an attempt to show what he would like to do to Caitlin. In Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob leave a scene with their arms around each other and then Jay quickly grabs the crotches of Brodie and T.S. Jay’s ability to be physical with Silent Bob in public displays his comfortable acceptance of homosocial desire. Besides the physical moments the two share, Silent Bob is not afraid to show emotional sensitivity that would often be classified as feminine in today’s society. In Chasing Amy, Jay speaks with Holden and informs him that Silent Bob listens to Barbara Streisand all the time and cries when she sings “You don’t Bring me Flowers.” Similarly, in Dogma, Jay and Bethany have a conversation, which reveals that Silent Bob watches John Hughes movies religiously and always cries at the end of Pretty in Pink. The examples of the pair’s physical actions in public and Silent Bob’s emotional sensitivity breach the idea of male bonding and support the homosocial desire

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