Superstar The Karen Carpenter Story Analysis

Todd Haynes' Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is a bold, provocative film. Using elements of drama, horror, biopic, documentary, and dark comedy, the film tells the story of Karen Carpenter, a popular singer who struggled with anorexia. Superstar features a constant, running critique of contemporary American society's views on feminism and commodity. In the film, Karen's femininity is tied to her own consumption of commodities, but also becomes a commodity of its own. Scholar Kristen Ross notes that after World War II, France entered a period of great consumption, as a way of cleaning itself of the horrors of war (ch. 2). Cleaning goods, such as soaps were a particular focus of this heightened consumption. This phenomenon is not relegated only to France, however. The United States of America experienced its own extremely brutal conflict in the Vietnam war, and after the end of that war Americans wanted something clean and safe to put the war out of their minds. The wholesome, clean version of femininity that Karen Carpenter was forced to personify was the perfect antithesis to the nation's troubles. The film's male characters, specifically Karen's brother, Richard, Karen's Father, and

is altered if a table is made out of it... But as soon as it becomes a commodity, it changes into a thing which transcends sensuousness." (Marx) By the logic of Marx, Karen herself becomes a commodity as soon as she goes from being a regular person, to a heavily promoted "superstar". Karen no longer embodies the ideal of an average woman, she must now transcend the form of a regular person and become the image of grace and gentleness personified. Richard and the producer both have a materialistic interest in Karen's success, as they stand to benefit monetarily from her success. Karen wants to create the type of music that she herself likes, but is forced into an false identity by those around