Film and Commodity

This chapter considers the representation of straight girl and queer guy within mainstream film, relating the context of the star persona, or the life world of the star. Initially considering the representation of Kenneth Williams within a range of Carry On films, arguing that his imagined real-life friendship with female characters influences how we might read these films, aspects of camp, fantasy, irony and parody are foregrounded. Later more explicit filmic representations of the straight girl and the queer guy are examined, contextualizing the self-reflexive influence of John Schlesinger and Christopher Isherwood respectively within the landmark films Sunday Bloody Sunday (John Schlesinger 1971, UK) and Cabaret (Bob Fosse 1972, US). This leads into an examination of the explicitly commoditized representation of queer man in union with the straight girl, in the films My Best Friend’s Wedding (P. J. Hogan 1997, US), The Object of My Affection (Nicholas Hytner 1998, US) and The Next Best Thing (John Schlesinger 2000, US). As part of this the life world and the cultural capital of the female co-star dominates in providing the cultural reading.

The Hetero Media Gaze

This chapter considers the emergence of the female gaze upon the queer male, foregrounding the concept of the hetero media gaze, framing histories of female representation within Hollywood film. As part of this foundational theories of the gaze are critiqued, relating issues of genre and audience identification. The central case studies include, an examination of the emerging female gaze considering the representation of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, within the films Pillow Talk (Michael Gordon 1959, US), Lover Come Back (Delbert Mann 1961, US) and Send Me No Flowers (Norman Jewison 1964, US), considering the notion of the star persona. At the same time more explicit representations of the straight girl and the queer guy are explored, considering three diverse films and their connection to social realism: A Taste of Honey (Tony Richardson 1961, UK), Darling (John Schlesinger 1965, UK), and Zee and Co (Brian G. Hutton 1972, UK).