This is the blog for History 128, Claremont McKenna College, spring 2015. It is open only to students enrolled in the class. Please use this blog to post articles and links related to the themes of the course. You can also post comments or questions on our readings, reflections on outside events that you attend, and notices of upcoming events of interest to the class. To generate discussion, please also read and comment on other postings. Check back regularly for updates!
I think this article brings up a really interesting question: why is it that TV is more willing to portray LGBTQ characters—notably trans characters—than Hollywood films (even though both are doing poorly)? I think the conjecture at the end about the international box office doesn't really take it far enough, though... and the article seems to even answer that question itself with the example of the Imitation Game. It also kind of seems to shift all of the transphobia overseas...so convenient, right?
I wonder how much of it has to do with the stakes of the process of making a TV show vs. a film... or the stakes of a TV show failing versus a movie failing. In the Eaklor reading (which I definitely skimmed over...sry), it seemed like the most significant GLBTQ roles in the early 90s (I'm looking at you, "The Gay 90s" chapter...) were in TV rather than in film... so it seems like this has been a trend for quite a while. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!
I think this article brings up a really interesting question: why is it that TV is more willing to portray LGBTQ characters—notably trans characters—than Hollywood films (even though both are doing poorly)? I think the conjecture at the end about the international box office doesn't really take it far enough, though... and the article seems to even answer that question itself with the example of the Imitation Game. It also kind of seems to shift all of the transphobia overseas...so convenient, right?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much of it has to do with the stakes of the process of making a TV show vs. a film... or the stakes of a TV show failing versus a movie failing. In the Eaklor reading (which I definitely skimmed over...sry), it seemed like the most significant GLBTQ roles in the early 90s (I'm looking at you, "The Gay 90s" chapter...) were in TV rather than in film... so it seems like this has been a trend for quite a while. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!