As a self-proclaimed movie-aholic, I’ve seen a vast amount of movies over the past two decades of my life. I’ve watched everything from big budget blockbusters like Titanic to cult classics like Dazed and Confused and Clueless; I’ve seen endless amounts of romcoms such as 50 First Dates to cheesy horror movies like the Leprechaun. So, when we briefly discussed the representation of transgendered people in media, a particular movie came to mind. I remember first seeing To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar when I was really little, sitting on the couch as my older sister laughed away at Patrick Swayze in a wig and dress. Now older, and able to understand why Patrick Swayze is wearing the wig, I still love this movie. The film, which centers around three drag queens travelling across country, keeps me laughing from beginning to end.
But maybe a question I should ask myself is what kind of impact this had on me as a child. The mid 1990s (aka my childhood,) much like today, showed a severe underrepresentation of transgendered people in films and TV shows. So, naturally, with little else to go off of, I assumed on some level that the three drag queens in this movie were an accurate portrayal of all transgendered people. I assumed that every transgendered person wore bright, noticeable clothes and had red painted fingernails. Moreover, I assumed that every transgendered person was funny and witty. Because this movie, like most movies that portray transgendered people, showed the drag queens being feisty and outspoken, there is a lot of comedic situations they find themselves in. So, to the five, ten, fifteen year old self, I assumed that all transgendered people looked and talked outlandishly and were unabashed by gaining the attention of the others around them.
What’s wrong with this, as much as I love this movie, is that it is a mockery of transgender. While the characters in the movie are kind and portrayed in a positive light, they are nonetheless structured to illicit laughs. In class, we discussed the idea that the image of transgendered people is sometimes portrayed as “freakery.” The very limited representation of transgendered people in media such as movies has been, for the most part, linked to the idea of “freakery. “ Even in movies such as this one, where the characters are portrayed positively, there’s still the idea that they are “different” and that they are something to be marveled at. Even if this “freakery” isn’t always explicitly negative, it exists in the fact that transgendered people, as portrayed in the media, are something to be laughed at.
As transgendered people have slowly started receiving recognition and slightly more representation in society, it’s important to keep a close eye on how they are represented. While I obviously find it appalling that transgendered people are represented mostly in forms of mockery, I believe that representation (even if it is not very positive) is the first step in their being accepted into mainstream culture. However, what’s important is that now that transgender is being recognized and debated, the mockery of transgender representation has to soon fade. We need to start seeing positive representations of transgender in films and other media. Otherwise, how are we (and by we, I mean all of us who have only the media to understand transgender, without being opened up to transgender in person) going to be able to realize the scope of what transgender means. Transgender does not explicitly mean a flamboyant drag queen. Transgender is a large, and somewhat confusing term, and as such it needs to be represented carefully and with respect. It needs to finally be steered away from the idea of “freakery” in order to accurately educate people.
I grew up absolutely loving this movie. I agree that it presents a limited view of transgender. Though I absolutely adored the film, it didn't really challenge my understanding of gender at all. My favorite character was Wesley Snipe's Nooxema. Though she wore the flashiest, feminine ensembles, her super buff biceps reminded me that I was just looking at Wesley Snipes in a dress. Another childhood obsession of mine was Dennis Rodman. Though his appearance stirred up a lot of conversation in my middle school cafeteria, the consensus was always that he was just a guy in a dress. I can only imagine how I would have viewed this film differently had the 90s had more people who pushed our minds out of the comfort of the gender binary.
ReplyDeleteThe movie that came to mind for me was Kinky Boots with Chiwetel Ejiofor (a well-known Comedian/Actor) when asked "how are transgendered people represented in the media?" The main character (Lola) was fearless, flamboyant, wise, funny, fashionable and creative. I grew up thinking that "transgender" meant a cross-dresser, with a hilarious personality and knack for style. The persona that was portrayed was not all freakery, the character had positive attributes as well (wise, fashionable, creative). Although the movie was enjoyable, it wasn't until class that I questioned what image is the media portraying about transgendered individuals? There needs to be a more open-minded, realistic, less "freakery-like" characters displayed in the media. It is rude and misleading the images we have to base our perspectives on of transgendered peoples.
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