Film #12: But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)
Introduction
The purpose of this essay is
to identify the queer films with four approaches to conduct queer reading of
the film, “But I’m a Cheerleader” by Jamie Babbit.
Theory
Discussion
Queer Cinema has been in
existence for decades but it was unnamed. It is identified with avant-garde
cinema. In 1991, queer cinema was introduced at Toronto Film Festival as a
concept that re-examined and reviewed the image of homosexuality.
Queer cinema became more
visible only in the 1990s with the global traumatizing effects of AIDS. The
effects of AIDS has challenged many cultural assumptions about justice,
identity, knowledge and desire such as homosexuality as a kind of fatality and
the consistent judgement of HIV/AIDS as a gay disease.
Queer cinema is reborn in the
1990s, which it is called “New Queer Cinema”. It is a term to describe the
renaissance of gay and lesbian filmmaking by the Americans. New Queer Cinema is
not a single aesthetic but a collection, taking pride in difference.
Unfortunately, it is a male homosexual cinema that focuses on male desires.
Lesbian cinema is quite invisible, resulting in an inequality of funding for
lesbian filmmakers.
Queer cinema is probably
around due to the growing trends in critical theory in the 1980s, namely, Queer
Theory. The theory challenges and pushes further debates on gender and
sexuality, formally prosed by Feminist Theory, and as a critical response to the
numerous discourses surrounding AIDS and homosexuality. Berlant mentioned that
one of the key concepts in queer theory is “heteronormativity” that concerns to
“the institutions, structures of understanding, and practical orientations that
make heterosexuality seem not only coherent – that is, organized as a sexuality
– butalso privileged”. Heteronormativity is the assumption that people should
fall into distinct and complementary genders such as male and female. It means
people should get married to the opposite sex and not with the same sex. It is
a form of power and control that applies pressure to both straight and gay
individuals, through institutional arrangements and accepted social norms.
There are four methods used to
conduct queer reading of texts. It is based on the audience reception.
Firstly, it is to assess
popular cultural texts that overtly address homosexual audience, such as
homosexual characters in a narrative film.
Next, there are texts that
address straight audience but it have gotten appreciation from non-straight
audiences.
Another approach is “to
describe straight-identifying film and popular culture theorist, critics or
producers that is concerned with non-normative straightness.” (Doty, 1998, 150)
Lastly, it is to approach “films and popular
culture texts, spectator positions, pleasures, and readings that articulate
spaces outside gender binaries and sexuality categories, whether there are
outside normative straight understanding of gender and sexuality or outside
orthodox lesbian and gay understandings”. (Ibid, 105)
Synopsis
But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)
is an American satirical/ironic romantic comedy movie directed by Jamie Babbit.
It is a story about Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne) being a typical American
white girl, a church-goer and a cheerleader who is dating a handsome football
player, Jared (Brandt Wille). One day, her parents said that she is a lesbian
because Megan is interested in being a vegetarian and having posters of Melissa
Etheridge, decided to send her to a boot camp called “True Directions” that
aims to help homosexuals to become straight again with the help of Mike (RuPaul
Andre Charles) being an ex-gay. At the camp, she met Graham Eaton (Clea
DuVall), later then she fell in love with her.
Film
Analysis
This film uses the first
approach of the queer theory. The film contains content that is targeted for
homosexuals. The story is about Megan being brought into a therapy home for
showing signs of being a lesbian and she fell in love with a girl named Graham.
This film shows how homosexuals are being discriminated and stereotyped of
being one. It is as if they are going to harm the society. The parents of the
children in the therapy home and the principal tried to change them from
becoming who they really are which is being a homosexual.
Conclusion
In conclusion, according to
Susan Hayward, queer cinema is one of the first postmodern theories born in the
age of postmodernism. Queer cinema examines queer work, makings and writing
that is done by all sexualities.
References
2) Hayward,
S. (2013). Cinema Studies The Key Concepts, 4th ed. USA: Routledge.
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