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“I’m just a sweet travestite from Transexual Transylvania”. One of the most iconic lines from the critically acclaimed 1975 film titled Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the 70’s the idea of of LGBTQ based entertainment was not something that was usually talked about let alone shown on television or the local theatre. Rocky Horror Picture show was and continues to be a haven for those that don’t fit in on accounts of gender or sexual identity. To some this film is seen as transphobic in today’s time but I completely disagree with that point. The film was directed by Richard O’ Brien who happens to be transgendered. This film is truly an eye-opening and liberating experience. Rocky Horror Picture Show was a film that bent gender stereotypes and …show more content…
opened the world to trans imagery. This film was created mainly as a tribute to earlier low budget horror and science fiction films. A musical with a transvestite scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter from the planet Transexual which creates the perfect man “with blonde hair and a tan” named Rocky Horror. A couple by the names of Brad and Janet stumble upon a castle where they meet Dr. Frank N. Furter and his fellow alien friends Magenta, Columbia, and Riff Raff. Dr. Frank N. Furter is shown as the mad scientist who just so happens to be a transvestite thus resulting in people viewing Rocky Horror as transphobic in today’s time. The reason many people view Rocky Horror as transphobic is because the “bad-guy” or villain in the movie is portrayed by a transvestite thus resulting in many people seeing this as an attack on the transgendered and transexual community. That was not the intent of this film it was meant to be humorous and likable horror sci-fi film. Doctor Frank N.
Furter, who is portrayed by Tim Curry is the main character in the film who is a rather outlandish, loud, and rather complex individual who you could call the mad scientist. Frank N. Furter builds a creature to relieve his “tensions” named Rocky. Along come Brad and Janet a couple foolishly in love, while driving past the “Frankenstein Place” they get a flat and decide to go to the house and ask to use the telephone. Little did they know what awaited them inside was something they had never seen before nor human. Brad and Janet are greeted by Riff Raff and Magenta which are some of Frank N. Furter’s fellow friends. As they are taken further into the house they eventually meet Columbia and the man himself Doctor Frank N. Furter. Furter enters with a very seductive and amusing display singing a song about how he is a “sweet transvestite”. Brad and Janet are then invited to Furter’s lab where they will meet Rocky. Throughout the film sexual tendencies remain high. Furter shape shifts into Brad and sleeps with Janet and then shape shifts into Janet to sleep with Brad. Janet at the same time ends up sleeping with Rocky. After all this rather interesting sexual tension simmers down Doctor Everett V. Scott tries to stop all oh Furter’s madness. While all this madness is happening Riff Raff and Magenta turn against Furter and claim to be his new commanders. They plan to leave Earth and take everyone back to the planet Transexual their …show more content…
home. One of the biggest components and most memorable parts of this film is the soundtrack. The soundtrack to Rocky Horror is best described as an electric rock opera. The soundtrack follows the motion picture perfectly. Both the soundtrack and the movie are very eccentric, colorful, loud, and other world-y. Nothing is held back in Rocky Horror Picture Show all topics are shown or talked about and there’s no shyness with those topics they are displayed elegantly and tastefully. It highlights how one does not need to fit in in order to be the star nor do they need to conform to gender rules to be accepted. This film celebrates self-expression and fun. It’s a rollercoaster ride of music, flashy images, and a unique story line. It is a very important film in my opinion because it displays images that aren’t even shown on most movies today and the director and all involved created a truly monumental and historic film that is and will continue to be celebrated. A film that isn’t afraid to touch on controversial topics is hard to come by, it can be done but it it hard to be done right and Rocky Horror Picture Show does it right.
This film does not disrespect any certain group of people or portray an individual with a bad image, if anything this film shines a light of acceptance on all the topics portrayed such as trans imagery, gay tendencies, body image, etc. This is a film that I believe should be considered a classic American film because it broke boundaries in not only the LGBTQ community but broke social boundaries around the world. Almost everyone i’ve talked after having watched Rocky Horror Picture Show feels so liberated and ready to take on the world as corny as that may sound. This film empowers all to be themselves and to not be afraid to have a little self-expression especially in times like today where almost everyone strives to be the same or so it seems. People seem to be afraid to show their true colors because fear of judgment from the outside world or due to social pressures, I can relate to this because I was also once like this I was afraid to show my true colors in fear of being socially judged but after watching this film I felt the need to be myself and take in all the things that make me and show it to the world no matter what others may say or
think.
Movies are a new edition in today’s culture. They are a new form of art medium that has arrived in the late 1900s and were a new way to express ideas and viewpoints of the time. A good example of this is the movie The Manchurian Candidate. The movie had a simple plot a man is kidnapped after the Korean war and is hypnotized to work for the communists and take down the U.S. This movie showed the American public’s fear of communism at the time. If a movie like this can easily portray the fears of the American people at the time then it can easily portray stereotypes of gender. There have been thousands of movies where the male protagonist is a rough tough dude but there is one movie that has that stereotype is broken. That movie is none other than Napoleon Dynamite.
Brokeback Mountain is a book by Annie Proulx and was later adapted into a movie directed by Ang Lee. In Brokeback Mountain, the film conveys the life and secret love of two wyoming cowboys and shows the progression of their relationship through the years. I believe this film uses the characters Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, the setting of the story to convey typical gay life for people before the modern era.
I can relate to your initial thoughts of the film McFarland, USA. Often, the “savior” of a group deemed troubled tends to be of different race and ethnicity. There are many stereotypes perpetuated in American Society. However, I appreciated the fact that Jim White genuinely cared about his students. I loved how he immersed himself in the townspeople’s culture and was willing to pick crops with his students if it meant they would keep competing in cross country running.
The culture and society of the American South can be categorized into a variety of groups through stereotypes from outsiders, politicians, music and among other things. To help depict the American South, literature and films that we have watched in class such as Mandingo, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Color Purple, Gods Little Acre, Tomorrow, Jezebel, The Littlest Rebel and with special focus on O Brother Where Art Thou will help capture and reflect southern culture to those not accustomed to the ways of southern society.
Overall the film was a very informative film for a more homophobic audience. The content was relatable and connected well with the information and discussions that have been within our society for a long time. It was a well-done film that really questions the homophobic opinions and while this is still a very real debate in today’s society the film does a great job at arguing the homophobic opinions.
The term “hillbilly” is a stereotype for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the USA. Because a stereotypical expression, “hillbilly” includes images of being violent and backward, many Americans feel offensive when they hear the word.
The setup of the film really allowed the viewer to imagine the social issues such as racism, homophobia and AIDS that African-American gay men were facing at
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them.” -Denis Waitley. This quote can be interpreted to mean that if you accept things as they always were, then stereotypes will never change. However, if you want to change societies generalizations then you need to change your actions. The theme of the novel The Outsiders is do not let stereotypes define who you will become and how you act.
Stereotyping throughout the film has created chaos. People are endangered and mislead. Stereotyping leads to sexual abuses, racial judgments, and power conflicts. It is all negative influences on individuals in which they are categorized and grouped together to be more easily discriminated. People are people. We are all the same, and come from similar experiences. We need to realize that we are all human and it should not be part of our life to misjudge on first sight. We need to improve, be more aware of others, and always keep an open mind. Avoiding stereotype improves our society and cultures from every person to every group. In the end, we are the same and we are all connected.
I have always believed that all races have their good and bad. Their is never going to be the perfect race. This movie definitely set a powerful message that life is not perfect for any race and that even though people are from different cultures, they are all interconnected somehow. The filmmakers did a great job at showing us that individuals should not be based on first impressions such as skin color or the social status.
Identity is a substantial component of a person, it’s something that determines who they are and help establish themselves with people who you find enjoyable and shares similar interests. It could bring people together, and provide a sense of belonging and unity. However, there are times where these people who are within certain cliques are perceived more negatively or believe that all people within that group perpetually have a certain set of traits. In most cases, these negative perceptions lead to discrimination and conflict, and obscures the positive and more genuine traits of an individual. In S.E. Hinton’s book, The Outsiders, there is a group of poor and lower-middle class teens who are labeled as greasers. This group of wild teenagers
The film being analysed is the Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes. Trapped in Saturday detention are 5 stereotyped teens. Claire, the princess, Andrew, the jock, John, the criminal, Brian, the brain, and Allison, the basket case. At 7 am, they had nothing to say, but by 4 pm; they had uncovered everything to each other. The students bond together when faced with the their principal, and realise that they have more in common than they think, including a hatred for adult society. They begin to see each other as equal people and even though they were stereotyped they would always be The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club highlights a variety of pressures that are placed upon teenagers through out high school. One of the most challenging aspects of screenwriting is creating characters that an audience can identify with, relate to, and be entertained by.
In the late 1980s when the film was created, the LGBT community faced many stigmas. Subjects in the film spoke about the harsh treatment that they endured due to stereotypes. People in mainstream society were not fully comfortable with the idea of homosexuality due to its lack of publicity in the media. It was rare at that time to have homosexual characters on television, and many athletes and professionals did not come out due to fear of judgment. Because of this, people who were openly part of the LGBT community faced discrimination. The Harlem ball circuit allowed the subjects to embrace their sexuality and come together as minorities. The mutual bonds that the minorities shared provided a judgment-free zone to enjoy themselves and form lasting
While watching movies, have you ever noticed that the villains in almost every single Hollywood film are of Middle Eastern or European descent? In a reoccurring theme of Hollywood, the villains in these films are almost always foreigners or people of color. This is a stereotype. On the other side of the spectrum, we often see that the heroes of these films are most often than not white males. This is another stereotype. Within the last few years, we’ve seen actors such as Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, and Zoe Saldana take the lead roles, so it can’t be said that there are no non-white heroes, but there certainly isn’t many. Hollywood action movies, moreover than other genres, are typically loaded with an abundance of stereotypes. The way these movies are composed and structured can tell us a great deal about the views held within the American psyche and who holds the social power. The harsh reality is that the media ultimately sets the tone for societal standards, moralities, and images of our culture. Many consumers of media have never encountered some of the minorities or people of color shown on screen, so they subsequently depend on the media and wholeheartedly believe that the degrading stereotypes represented on the big screen are based on fact and not fiction. Mary Beltran said it best when she stated in her “Fast and Bilingual: Fast & Furious and the Latinization of Racelessness” article, “ultimately, Fast & Furious mobilizes notions of race in contradictory ways. It reinforces Hollywood traditions of white centrism, reinforcing notions of white male master while also dramatizing the figurative borders crossed daily by culturally competent global youth – both Latino and non-Latino” (77). This paper will specifically look...
If I meet the wrong person or being forced to do something, I should reject and leave immediately. This movie brings a lot of thinking about sexuality, sexual orientation and gender issues, and it does influence audiences in many different