Website mulls mutants as gay metaphor
AfterElton.com, a website about gay and bisexual men in media, ponders the homo superior versus homo sapiens dilemma of the X-Men mythos (well, at least as shown in the movies) as "a most powerful metaphor for the factual reality of homosexuals living among heterosexuals":
The writer also notes a "gay sensibility" in the X3 ad campaign: "As TV's Smallville did in its initial ads, where it used the very emotive, very Matthew Shepard-ish gay imagery of a young, beaten, shirtless Clark Kent tied to a fence-post–so too posters for the upcoming X-Men: The Last Stand offer the iconic gay imagery of a young handsome, shirtless angel (think Angels in America). In fact, this gay iconic image is an actual character in the film, the mutant Angel."X-Men poses questions about homosexuality that gays rarely address in our own queer pop culture. Just where does homosexuality fit in with human evolution? What actually are our defining “gifts” or “powers” that qualitatively validate us as a worthy part of human society? Other than our mere sexual orientation, what distinguishes us amongst all creatures on earth?
... The upcoming X-Men: The Last Stand boldly goes where Gattaca dared only hint at. The Last Stand takes the series' underlying theme of alienation and social intolerance to its terrible yet logical conclusion. The film's entire plot is based on a "cure" for mutations.
The introduction of a cure presents each mutant character with a choice whether to accept themselves as they are or take the chance at becoming "normal." Such a controversial issue directly touches on many of the issues surrounding homosexuality in the real world: Whether or not being gay is a choice; what it means to be normal; whether society should tolerate those who aren't.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:22 AM
6 Comments:
Thanks for not replicating AEl's hyphenated version of the species name, but please remember that it's a capital H on "Homo," in this context.
Also, thank you for not writing "sapien:" Marvel Comics may think that it's a singular/plural deal, but it ain't.
The X-Men should be a metaphor for any oppressed culture, whether it's sex-, gender-, ethnic- or religion-based. One might reasonably expect the stories to occasionally reflect the relationship between mainstream societies and their immigrant populations, for instance.
If Marvel hadn't ethnically cleansed their mutant population, they might derived some good stories out of the notion of mutanity as a subculture, or even a lifestyle choice. There was, and is, a massive hole in the mythology for a proper exploration of baseline humanity's relationship with mutants - above and beyond the pitchfork and Sentinel brigade, of course.
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One might reasonably expect the stories to occasionally reflect the relationship between mainstream societies and their immigrant populations, for instance.
That's one of the things that intrigued me about the Mutant Town concept, at least pre-Decimation or "M-Day," or whatever Marvel is calling its "No More Mutants" magic wand (magic Wanda?).
The idea of a mutant neighborhood was interesting, because in some ways it reflected the communities established by immigrants in countless large cities -- or the so-called "gay ghettos" that have developed in many urban areas. (The only problem, of course, is that I think it became sort of a DMZ in some books, one that "regular" people/police were afraid to enter. I think so, at least; I confess to quickly losing interest in that Bishop solo series.)
The only problem, of course, is that I think it became sort of a DMZ in some books, one that "regular" people/police were afraid to enter.
Really? See, now I'm sure I've heard examples of that in real life. Irrational or otherwise, there are places that certain people will try to avoid - or seek out! - because of the reputation/people that surrounds it.
For instance, the Gay Village area of Manchester enjoys(?) a certain degree of straight female tourism, becuase, in theory, the girls can go for a good night out without being bothered by lecherous men (And also because of shows like Queer as Folk and Will & Grace).
It may not be enough for more than a single story, but it'd add flavour to the stew, surely?
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If that Smallville poster was gay imagery, then every crucifix is gay icon. Which may be true, but I hadn't been told yet.
Of course, the ORIGINAL X-Men (who disguised their mutant identities and "passed" as normal humans) were created by two Jewish men who changed their names to hide their own minority status.(Makes me wonder what they'll be a metaphor for in a hundred years...)
If that Smallville poster was gay imagery, then every crucifix is gay icon. Which may be true, but I hadn't been told yet.
It's "gay imagery" in so far as that, for many, it brings to mind how Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence and left to die by his attackers.
But, as you imply, the image can be viewed as quasi-religious. It's all a matter of perspective.
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