Drag shows is a form of comedy entertain that has its own unique twist. This form of entertain is very important to the gay community. To me, drag shows were emphasized in this class mentioned in some of the readings, like the navy base in Rhode Island. From stories about same sex companionship, like Alice and Freida and Weston’s stories, being gay or showing same sex romantic feelings were thought of as an embarrassment. In Alice and Freida’s case, Alice’s family disproved of such relationship, and in many of Weston’s stories, many were debated about the idea of coming out, because they were afraid that they would be shamed upon. The reason why drag shows, especially drag queens, work so well in the gay community is because the idea of norms are flipped in this environment. Outside of the drag show, the idea of crossdressing is thought of as weird and wrong, but in a drag show, it is encouraged. Within the drag show, homosexuality is treated as the norm, whereas outside, homosexuality is not “normal”. This almost provides a safe environment for homosexuality.
In the beginning of the drag
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The dance was to embarrass the man, and she was successful. This act shows how the roles are flipped in a drag show. Outside of the drag show, homosexuality is thought of embarrassing and different. However, homosexuality in a drag show is welcomed. Heterosexuality is not necessarily unwelcomed, but heterosexual looking men are picked on, because Taryn wanted to reverse the role. From reading the stories that Weston collected, it seems like many of the people would want a world where homosexuality is normal, so that they do not have to come out. Drag show tries to create this environment. It becomes a place where being different is welcomed and encouraged. I think this is the reason why many people, especially people of the gay community, would want to go to a drag
Sex and Gender was the subject of the two movies Dreamworlds 3 and Further Off The Straight & Narrow. In Dreamworlds 3 Sex is portrayed as a status of life and happiness in the media. This media displays people as objects that can be manipulated for sexual pleasure. As the media is populated with sex it tiptoes around gender, specifically that of gays or lesbians. The film Further Off The Straight & Narrow emphasized the movement through media gay and lesbian topics. This text analyzes iconic television programs and how they reflect the societal stance during that time. As a member of a generation that has had the topic of these issues prominent I believe they are important but are banal. In this reflection I will be responding to two questions, what would woman driven Dreamworlds look like? And Do you agree with the statement that if you are not on television you don’t exist?
Her goal was to move, not dance. She challenged the notions of what a quote on quote “female dancer” was and could do. Dance to her was an exploration, a celebration of life, and religious calling that required an absolute devotion (pg. 11, Freedman). She considered her dancers “acrobats of God”. An example of a dance which symbolized the “essentialized” body was Martha Graham’s Lamentation, choreographed in 1930, which served as an expression of what person’s grief, with Graham as the solo dancer in the piece. The costume, a tube-like stretchy piece of fabric, only allowed her face, hands, and feet to be seen, and, as Graham stated, “The garment that is worn is just a tube of material, but it is as though you were stretching inside your own skin.” In the beginning of the piece, she started out by sitting on a bench with her legs wide spread and arms held tight. Her head was going back and forth as if she was feeling sadness or maybe replaying thoughts in her head. By the way she was holding her hands so tight and close to her body, it symbolized the deep pain within her––the essence of her piece was grief, and she danced it from inside out. Russel Freedman, the author of Martha Graham A Dancers Life, stated, “She did not dance about grief, but sought “the thing itself”- the very embodiment of grief (p. 61).” Graham, dancing with strength and power, was encapsulated with her movement and was completely surrendered
Furthermore, a few of his plays are written about drag queens and others about being gay. Mr. Fierstein grew up in a time when being gay was a very hard lifestyle to be open about. Over the decades the support group lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community or better known as LGBT, has supported the mass movement worldwide. Mr. Fierstein set out to illustrate to the world that it is ok to be yourself and that the LGBT community will not accept any more bigotry. His plays focus on the hardships faced by the oppressed and the tyrants.
“What’s ruining television today are those big productions – It’s the fairies who are going to ruin show business.” For some, this quote from The Jack Paar Show may seem unsettling. In the midst of a Supreme Court that has recently extended even more rights to a community so harshly oppressed, it is shocking to think that just fifty years ago, thoughts like this represented the majority opinion. The evolution of homosexuality in television has seen tremendous leaps and countless obstacles; yet what has emerged in the wake of it all is a form of media that has drastically impacted discourse surrounding gay men. This analysis aims to discuss the show Glee, as well as the key aspects of homosexuality that are portrayed. It will examine the characters
Funnily drag did not n’t start out as a form of expression but as a necessity. In Ancient Greece, women could not n’t perform in plays because it was considered deemed “too dangerous”(Conger). In the middle ages, Europe’s Christian church continued the ban
Imagine living in a world that did not cater to you. A world that did not approve of the types of relationships you had or desired; a world that only used you for the punchline of a joke or for taboo sex appeal; a world that would rather pretend that you do not exist. For members of the LGBT community, this is their reality. Television shows, movies, music, advertisements — all of these mediums are most assuredly intended for a heterosexual audience. True, there are handfuls of television shows that have queer characters, but it is very rare for these television shows to be on primetime television. Primetime television is the hotspot of all media. It is the time when all of America is watching, and the shows featured during these time-slots
In our study of women across cultures, and women empowerment it is imperative to include not just heterosexual women but lesbian and bisexual women as well, due to the fact that it integrates a sense of multiculturalism that inputs and values multiple perspectives of women experiences. In the fight for women’s equality heterosexual feminists have often overlooked lesbian and bisexual women, because of the negative connotations that have emerged, that deem all feminists lesbians, and haters of men. This is also frequent due to the fact that homophobia and heterosexism are often used to combat feminism, causing heterosexual women to resent the association of lesbians with feminists. In the specific context of the United States, lesbian feminism has created a foundation for women who like other women, to take a powerful stand and contend against patriarchal traditions. From the workplace, to marketplace, lesbians and bisexual women face daily discrimination and unacceptance, due to the incomprehensibility of people to understand and tolerate their specific way of life. In the paper I plan to discuss, the origins of lesbian movements in the United States. Secondly, talk about the oppositions towards lesbians and feminists to live non-heterosexual lives, due to factors such as compulsory heterosexuality, and heteropatriarchy. Third, I will entail the consequences of society’s perversion towards lesbian and bisexual women, forcing them to hide, known a lesbian and bisexual invisibility. Lastly I will touch upon the responses lesbians in America have disclosed as a means to normalize lesbianism and reduce its negative stereotypes, as well as mention grass root organizations that have been created to fight against the inequality present i...
Norms of gender performance are policed through social means; extreme deviations from appropriate displays of gender are either stigmatized or treated as entertainment for a “normal” audience to find it comical, for instance the way the media portrays RuPaul’s Drag Race, or the homosexual couple in the television show, Modern Family instead of respecting feminine men that do not fit the standard of what society defines as a man (Butler,
“The unprecedented growth of the gay community in recent history has transformed our culture and consciousness, creating radically new possibilities for people to ‘come out’ and live more openly as homosexuals”(Herdt 2). Before the 1969 Stonewall riot in New York, homosexuality was a taboo subject. Research concerning homosexuality emphasized the etiology, treatment, and psychological adjustment of homosexuals. Times have changed since 1969. Homosexuals have gained great attention in arts, entertainment, media, and politics. Yesterday’s research on homosexuality has expanded to include trying to understand the different experiences and situations of homosexuals (Ben-Ari 89-90).
The 1990s saw a surge of gay characters in both television and movies. From Ellen Degeneres and her character Ellen Morgan coming out under much scrutiny on the TV show ‘Ellen,’ to Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett comedically playing off each other in the motion picture ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding.’ Sure, gays and lesbians have been around forever, especially in Hollywood. But never has there been a time to be more out. With the popularity of shows like Will and Grace, which feature leading gay characters, as well as Dawson’s Creek
The most trending music genre gets a lot of listeners because of its the discrimination. As the songs and advertisements gain followers, it starts to become realized by the citizens. Pop culture artists sing about drugs, alcohol and women. The portrayal of women by these composers is dreadful because it degrades the significance and importance of their existence. Pop culture has always been a home for gender domination and discrimination. It is becoming increasingly “pornified.” As Valenti quotes, “After all, while billboards and magazines ads may feature a ripped guy from time to time, it’s mostly women who make up what sexy is supposed to be. And it’s not just sexy-it’s straight-up sex” (Valenti, 44). The pornography has been a part of the culture and has been accepted by younger women. Feminists have argued that this has increased the inculcation of “raunch culture” in the lives of younger women who fall into it as they feel it empowers them. However, it is a kind of faux empowerment. This illustrates that the media is promoting and utilizing pop culture to change the social norms in an attempt to instruct women on their role in the society. In essence, pop culture with its propaganda desires to change women’s view on nudity until it can become inherent in American culture, and thus eliminating opposition to benefit pop culture in the long run. Valenti persuades her readers by saying, “ the ‘show’ is everywhere. In magazines like Maxim and Playboy. And in the insanity of Girls Gone Wild, with teens putting on fake lesbian make-out sessions so guys will think they’re hot.” Levy also mentions a character, influenced by raunch culture and a reader of Playboy magazines, named Erin who is piqued her curiosity and provided her with inspiration because of this culture. Erin says, “There’s countless times in my life where I know I’ve turned people on just by showing off (by putting on a
The term drag is a reference to the female clothes worn by a male performer in William Shakespeare’s plays when the boys played the girls roles.
Dance is a part of every culture. Whether it is the fire dances of the native Hawaiians, or the Tango from Spain, dance is a part of every culture. This event is not an event I would usually attend. I am not into art of any kind except music. At first, there were two reasons I went to this performance.
Have you ever thought about the history of dance, or how long human life has known it? Dance has been here longer than we actually think. We can take dance back all the way to 600 BC to Now. Dance has made very big changes overtime. It went from doing it in honor for only the dead or religious situations to now just doing it for fun. The way or different moves have also changed over this big course in time. It ways and moves have changed, and the outfits used to perform these different types of dances. There has been clean and dirty dancing all along, some of things in those dances have stayed, others haven’t. Dance has been a very great thing and will stay being a great thing during human life because it expresses a lot. It expresses itself, and a person can express their feelings, in the different kind of moves. It does take time to get to know the moves but you can get through.
In Julie Serano’s book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity she emphasizes that while the LGBTQ community is important and serves a purpose for its members, she also believes there is life outside such a community. Serano strongly states in her book that while the LGBTQ community serves a purpose, they would be more effective if they did not discriminate within their own community. According to Serano, discrimination within a community hurts all its members because not everyone feels accepted. In Andrew Holleran’s book Dancer from the Dance, he places a large emphasis on the need for community for those that identify as LGBTQ. In Dancer from the Dance, the community is portrayed as a place of safety and acceptance. Holleran illustrates through his characters that discrimination does not exist within their community, but he also paints the picture that there is little e...