Damn! What a great video! I kinda wanna cry. I felt so seen, you know? I love certain characters since I'm a child and realizing that it had something to do with my sexual/gender identity, makes things make a little more of sense. I love your channel. I can't wait for more content :)
This comment means so much to me! I'm always happy when I can bring something to the conversation about a piece or pieces of art I love, but to know this video was able to help you reevaluate and feel empowered through media reminds me exactly why I love to make videos in the first place. I hope to continue this level of content into the future, and I'm happy to hear you'll be sticking around for it.
I view Jennifer’s change more as a metaphor for how abuse/assault can cause someone to then become the abuser and repeat the cycle But I did like your view on it, I’ve never really thought of it that way
I definitely see that interpretation, I actually made a whole video deep dive into Jennifer’s Body not too long ago that touches on that interpretation extensively!
i absolutely adore the "im not a monster, jake" clip from the chucky tv series. as much im hopeful to see more queer characters featured in horror, i like when queer identity isnt made a plot point and is simply just part of a character :) imo it makes it not feel like an attempt for inclusivity points - you dont ever see cis/het identities being used as a plot point (apart from in relationships obv)
I love this essay but to me, the story of Sleepaway Camp is WAY more a story of a boy child (transmasculine or cis male) being forced to be female and the pressure and disphoria driving him to extremes. Maybe that is just my own trans man lense, but "Angela" is forced into a female role by his aunt and to me always looks like a transmasc person trying to survive by "playing the role" of the girl everyone wants to see. Which I always read the scene where he sheds his clothes in the end as showing the "real him" and peeling back the layers of masking and "girlmode" to show who he really is and the pain it caused him.
I've been writing a paper for school on the subtext reading within Frankenstein of transness and how it has influenced queer horror, and I'll say, in my research, I've found no paper addressing it, and everyone I've spoken to about it in person has rolled their eyes and told me I'm just projecting my transness onto 'everything'. So I want to say, Frankenstein being the first media mentioned at the beginning of this video (aside from SOTL in the intro) made me feel so seen. I haven't finished the video yet, but I know it'll be a banger. Thank you so much for making this video. You deserve every single like and sub
I'm actually really interested in hearing your analysis! I can guess it has something to do with crafting a new body for yourself (even though in Frankenstein it's not his own body, but it is something he sees as his own creation). What movies did it inspire? Tell me more please! 😊
@@risacooper I apologize for the following rant. I've been having a lot of trouble having the subject approved for the assessment so I haven't been able to do a lot of work on it, but you're dead on, it's based on the crafting of your own body, becoming both god and Adam in the creation of being (male in this case, I'm a trans guy, so I'm basing it largely on a trans male perspective) along with the creature's own stated relatability to simultaneously Adam and Lucifer within John Milton's Paradise Lost. I also use how we are often depicted. As a young trans guy, seeing people close to me talk about people like me as if I was some monster for not fitting within my skin properly took such a toll on me, as did the creature's rejection from his creator and wider society. This, along with the Prometheus aspect of it from Victor's perspective, where, and I don't say every trans person is like this, but you just get so obsessed with the transition itself. You get frustrated that the waitlists are so long, not everybody takes you seriously, and that HRT can take ages to come to full effect. (I've been on T for a year and I still look just as feminine as I did preT and it frustrates me to no end) For me, for some time, I was not able to focus on literally anything else in my life because the dysphoria really got to me and I was trying to treat it as effectively and quickly as possible. (Certain parts of chapter 4 and 5 read like my depressive episodes a couple years ago) For me, it got to the point where, I'm sure at least some other trans people have had intrusive thoughts of self mutilation in this context (at least I hope I'm not the only one) and the sheer horror you feel at yourself for thinking that honestly feels so familiar with certain things Victor says about his creature upon it's wake. The tie into horror as a whole is more on Frankenstein with queer horror and body horror. I've chosen to focus on Rocky Horror Picture Show (It's an adaptation of Frankenstein and it's so very queer, see, Dr Frankenfurter.) The Lighthouse (It's themes of Prometheus and coming to terms with sexuality and maritime masculinity) and I've been trying to find a well-suited third film that has a heavier focus on body horror but I haven't been able to find one that fits quite well I hope that spiel answers your questions in some way. Feel free to ask more :)
Speaking to Buffalo Bill, I remember having two very different reactions to him before and after coming to understand own transness. The first time I saw him, he deeply disturbed me. I didn't know that trans people were even a thing that long ago before watching the movie (I was very, very sheltered) and was really surprised to learn otherwise. I remember not thinking of Bill as trans back then and was actually made more empathetic towards trans people by simply understanding that we've been around. But Bill disturbed me because he made me feel repulsion at the amount of gender nonconformity I had even back then. The other time I saw him, I literally cried. Because now it was like, "I know this was a long time ago but is this how people see me?" It gave me nightmares. The idea of being this hideous personification of violent misogyny and self loathing. Tied to this thing that made me start to love myself for the first time in my life. But I think now I've made some peace with the character. Mostly out of necessity. He's horrible and damaging and there's no purely good way to read him. But Silence of the Lambs is a really important film evenso, and I think you can get out of art what you put into it sometimes. And so I choose to read him now as a monster created. One who never had the support he needed. Who was told he wasn't real, and who came to represent cis het vilification of queer and especially trans people. Not because he had to be, but because he was literally made to be (in that he's a fictional character that someone made).
Thank you for sharing this, I think your interpretation of Bill as a character and how you chose to make peace with him is pretty spot on to how I feel as well. It’s certainly a complicated character, and hurtful in many ways, but I definitely find some power in reframing the portrayal and having my interpretation of it change with time.
YAY What’s crazy is I remember watching his videos one queer horror while writing this one just to see what else there was on the platform to make sure I wasn’t making redundant points, crazy how things go lol
@makingmediamatter3633 omg thats so ironic haha, his favourite video of mine was the hannibal "essay" that went into why queer people are drawn to horror, yours reminded me a little of it and I'm happy I have a new video with a new pov about a similar topic 🫶
@@makingmediamatterI mean, you could be making redundant points, but as long as they're your own words, they're still worthwhile. Unlike a certain dramatic boy we all know too well by this point. 😂
I honestly can't wait for new queer horror movies/series/media to come out in the future. There's lots of potential and I too often see queer coded or feminine characters be killed off or even worse, have that side of the character be blatantly ignored/destroyed. So I hope as time goes on and being LGBTQ+ is more accepted, that more queer horror will come around.
That's so kind of you to say! Honestly, I'm quite surprised this video didn't get more views, I felt like it was my best work to date. Maybe it has something to do with the algorithm not promoting queer content, but who knows. But I'll definitely be uploading more videos in the near future that are comparable to this one. Hopefully, I can gain more of a following with that stuff!
i’ve been watching a lot of queer horror analysis lately, mostly as i grapple with my attraction to the macabre. as an asexual demi romantic person things like sexuality, which i experience dramatically different from the norm do to my ace-ness, are extremely difficult to interpret. somehow horror has become my outlet for this and i think a major part is the inherent queerness of it, as well as the brutal honesty. An inherent part of queer villains is the unapologetic divergence and disregard for the norm, which is something that speaks to me on a visceral level as someone who has spent most of my life lying about who i am. There is something captivating about such honest and wholehearted displays of the horrific insides of the queer experience
I've always seen Buffalo Bill as a warning of treating people like monsters. You treat innocent people as monsters they become monsters. He would be a beautiful trans woman if the treatment was better.
well the thing is that buffalo bill had killed many many times before he began his skin harvesting. its stated that BB killed even the old lady who previously lived in the house (the random corpse in the basement bathtub in the movie) and had apparently killed women before and put them in poses like mannequins in one of the basement rooms and then sealed them away behind a wall. BB was always disturbed murderer and it has nothing to do with treatment.
It’s sad Penny Dreadful (the first two seasons anyway) are never referenced in videos like this. It’s a decade old now, but both Vanessa Ives and The Creature can be read as analogy for queer identity, particularly because the writer is himself a gay man.
i just found your channel since i’m writing a piece about jennifer’s body and your videos are so incredibly well articulated! I considered myself a Jennifers Body expert BEFORE your video and I love that there’s so much I still hadn’t noticed (the beauty of good art, man) Your channel deserves so so much more attention. You inspire me as a journalist!
That means so much, thank you. Hearing that I inspire you as a journalist is awesome to hear especially because I’m actually a journalism major myself!
This is an amazing video, I'm writing a thesis at the moment on how queer people are represented through horror, specifically monsters in horror and this video is so perfect for research and a reminder that these ideas are shared by other people like me! It's such a breath of fresh air, thank you!
I think writing Frank N Furter off as just another queer villain is a pretty reductive way of looking at the movie. The whole thing is a pretty obvious sendup of the Hayes code, he exists as a parody of the queer villain and everything that comes with that role. It's also worth mentioning that RHPS also has non-villainous queer characters, Rocky, Brad, Eddie and Columbia are all bi and they're all victims of Frank (aka, victims of the queer villain archetype) and none of them do anything particularly bad within the story.
This comment deserves a lot more likes. Something about the novie just feels more queer freindly, and not forced the way a lot of other "queer" media does, even though there are a couple troubling themes or elements
It's kind of interesting when it comes to The Silence of the Lambs because I think there was an awareness Thomas Harris (the author) had about the negative impact Buffalo Bill could have on Trans people, so he attempted to make it clear to the reader that BB is not Trans and Trans people are not a threat. Unfortunately, it wasn't that successful and Buffalo Bill did have a negative impact.
NBC's Hannibal is my personal favorite example of queer representation, the plot is themed around ideas of facing who you truly are, and i really like that Hannibal and Will are depicted as having a messy, atypical relationship. They are one of my favorite canon queer couples, and i think there's something to be said about how many aroace people I've seen (including myself) that like the series, and how the choice to not present their relationship as typically romantic plays into that.
Also Hannibal Lecter in that specific iteration is a villain that happens to be queer, not a villain because of his queerness. He is just allowed to exist as he is in a way that a lot of other queer characters aren't. They don't need to name his sexuality or explicitly explain his queerness to the camera, he just is and that's the start and end of it. Also his queerness is never positioned as the only part of his character, in the way that a lot of well meaning but ultimately tokenizing representation does. I had honestly never seen a queer character just unquestioningly existing in the fullness of themselves before. He was also one of the first examples of an older queer person I've seen in live action media. Hannibal NBC (and really the franchise as a whole) is ultimately just really special to me tbh.
The first trans coded character I ever saw on screen was HIM from the Powerpuff Girls. HIM was also the first fictional character I looked at and said, "Oh, that's me." As a gender non-conforming transmasculine femboy, HIM's inherent androgyny was always beautiful to me. The voice, the fashion, even the demonic aura... it all just made sense. At the time I first saw HIM, I was already a very gender non-conforming child with a lot of anger about forced femininity. I didn't get angry often, but when I did, I was always in a dress I didn't want to wear. My anger has always been Feminine in nature, so seeing a femme demon openly expressing their queerness and rage was incredibly healing. ❤
Was an at the time unaware/repressed/idk nb when I watched Titane. The whole movie had this very special feel to it, but I legit couldn't breathe during the dancing scene at the fire station and I did not know why. Excited for a rewatch, and kinda nervous for some reason. Also, Nyx Fears is the fucking best, been watching her for years! Also also, my recommendations did a great job and I am now subscribbled.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the video and will be sticking around for more in the future! And Titane is definitely a watch that can stir up lots of feelings as a queer person, it's a film that's simultaneously one of my favs and one I rarely ever watch.
I have been watching SO many videos on queer people and our relationship with horror and I just wanted to say this was absolutely fantastic, thank u!!!!
I was suggested your Nope video thanks to the algorithm and now I can’t stop watching your videos! So excited to be part of your YT community as your channel grows! Also, you have a very relaxing voice to listen to :)
I discovered you through the Nope video and slowly immersed myself into your backlog of videos/analysis. You make lovely videos, and if it's okay to say, you really got into a groove and look very comfortable with explaining things and how they may relate to more difficult topics, such as this video. I'm really happy to have found you and would love to listen, and even talk, about your opinions on film and other media!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I also feel like I’ve found a good flow lately with my work and I’m really excited to bring new content to my channel going forward. If we’re being honest, this is actually my favorite video I’ve made so far, and I tend to enjoy each one more than the last!
18:38 one thing that's also really interesting about viewing hereditary from a trans aspect (that in my opinion only strengthens it) is that the demon involved wants a male form, having accidentally instead been brought into the daughter. It's a demon, it's theoretically got no need for gender, and doesn't seem to make a fuss about being in the daughter, but the daughter must be killed so it can be free of her body and take its preferred form in the son, who also must be broken down and in a way killed to allow it in. I mean. I can't expound upon that very well but I think it highly supports a trans reading. Other things -the daughter in general being portrayed as others finding her extremely strange -the way toni colettes character blames and berates the son for not owning up to 'killing' the daughter because he was, essentially, too busy doing the things a young man does instead of nurturing the girl, ignoring her own responsibility for both her children (or in the case of this interpretation, him wanting to be a man killed the daughter and has separated both of them from her, despite that the only one to blame is her) -The movie ending with the daughters rotting head literally on a stake, and the mother having self decapitated while also posessed once her husband is out of the picture, ie, no longer enabling her, fully separating the son from girlhood and his family as a whole -as mentioned, the mom making miniatures - she's playing house, and things have to be the way she envisioned it, while also showing how much the son had no choice in who he became mentally and physically
The algorithm SCORED with this one! It's the EXACT video I'm looking for as research for a story I'm writing, AND it has Frank n Furter in the thumbnail??? I'm almost upset that someone made the same logical connections six months before I did
When you mentioned the trans reading of Hereditary I immediately thought of May/Nyx Fears' video, I was very happy to see we both first saw this interpretation coming from her mouth haha
So happy you enjoyed the video! And I find that interpretation of Hereditary so interesting too, definitely made me rethink my initial thoughts on the film.
great video, and your insight is deep and mature in all the best ways. the queer lens applied to hereditary is honestly a massive stretch though. I love Nyx Fears as well, and the insight they bring to things, but I just can't get on board with this interpretation of Hereditary. I don't need to be on board though for it to work for people. I would be intrigued to hear Ari Aster on it though. to be clear, if you apply this lens in a way that helps, go for it. the beauty of horror films is the way we all interpret them differently and use those interpretations to provide growth and unique perspectives in our own lives. your discussion of queer coded villains being empathetic is frankly gold.
For me personally I see Carrie as a story of both religious trauma and asexuality. The visceral feeling of knowing your body was made for something you don’t want, and when it starts showing people start pressuring and sexualising you. Sometimes you just wanna flip your shit and burn them so that they will just shut up and let you live in peace. I understand fully her fear of being sexualised by her mother and peers, just bc I’m talking to somebody does not mean I want to have sex with them! So in conclusion you have just witnessed first hand the claiming of a character by the ace community *swoops down steals character and leaves*
Hello I’ve just discovered your videos but would like to bring my own personal favorite horror movie franchise to the table: Re-Animator. Obviously body horror in itself is a constant through out the three movies, but what interests me is the queerness of Herbert West. He comes off as an obvious queer coded mad scientist a la Frankenstein, though he has a seeming aversion to sex. Only employing interest in the topic when he wants to lure Dan into continuing their work. He’s instantly attached to Dan beyond any other person we see, even Dr. Gruber his former mentor, and there is no clear explanation for this. Unless he’s attracted to the man. The body horror itself can be seen in Herbert of you look at the sequel with the creation of ‘The Bride.’ The Bride cause be seen as Herbert trying to portray his feelings towards Dan in the form of a more normal body. A female figure built to perfection with everything Herbert could think of a straight man wanting. Yet he is still rejected in this more societally conventional form. Basically Herbert West is an gay ace icon that deserves better than whatever the fuck happened in Beyond Re-Animator 👍
First off, thank you so much for bringing this film series to the conversation and having already put so much thought into its queer themes! This is definitely something I picked up on in my watching of the first film (still yet to see the other two), but you really crystallized the queer elements of it all here. This has genuinely inspired me to reexamine the film with a new lens and try to watch the other movies in the series, there may even be a video on it in the future, who knows. Not sure if you’re interested in video making yourself, but I would definitely encourage you to create your own video about this topic if you’re interested. I for one know I would be super interested to watch!
@@makingmediamatter I’m glad I could provide further insight! Just be aware that Beyond, the third one, is a lot worse quality and queer wise than the first and second films. I have actually considered being a TH-cam, though that was a few years ago. However wincing finding TH-camrs like you my interest has been peaked in doing it. I don’t have any of the equipment right now, but we’ll see if that changes at all. Thank you for the encouragement though! Also if your at all interested in hearing a more in depth version I’d gladly keep discussing it with you on Discord. I had to cut down a lot of details cause I didn’t wanna ramble too much. You don’t have to, but because of your clear interest in the topic I wouldn’t mind providing you with some of the things I’ve read on the topic.
That’s so kind of you to say! I definitely plan to produce more content like this in the future and keep up the kind of work I’ve been putting out lately. Also I’ve heard of May and I definitely want to check it out. Thank you so much for the recommendation and, if I ever make a sequel or companion to this video I will most definitely talk about that film.
I grew up with horror, I’m not that old but still see myself in those movies. Sleepaway camp and Texas chainsaw massacre have deeply impacted me some way. Even if they are show cased as villians, it never stops from being impactful.
Loved the video and found it quite meaningful. As a transperson myself I've always loved horror and found it incredibly relatable. Though not necessarily a flim or TV show, though it has been probably his most adapted work, the most relatable story I've experienced is H.P. Lovecraft's Shadow Over Innsmouth. Now this has a lot of baggage. That can't be denied. However I found the protagonists journey to be incredibly relatable. Going from seeing the queer and being horrified by it to fully embracing his own queerness mirrors my own journey so well.
ive been waiting for a video like this for a long time!!! body horror and queerness are so often linked and in most of the video essays ive watched its only briefly touched on, and so i was REALLY excited when i found this video!! i love your many interpretations and i think you'd really love movie "I Saw the TV Glow", which definitely has moments of body horror and is a intentional trans and queer allegory for living your life fully great work and keep it up >:)
watched this by chance on my lunch break at work and DAMN im glad this is the vid i clicked. u cover so much ground here!!!! everything is presented so creatively and well-articulated im obsessed with this. what a cool coverage of these topics!!! immediately subscribed
i thought this was really, really beautiful. your videos only get better (i found you through your midsommar video) and im really excited for your channel to take off. the part about AIDS was so poignant and wonderfully explained!!!
Omg thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it and I’m glad you enjoy the rest of my channel too! Currently working on more content like this, so I’m happy to hear you’ll be sticking around!
when u started talking about puberty, i IMMEDIATELY thought off ginger snaps and jokingly thought that the mc was a transmasc icon, now that u mentioned the movie i ran to the comments ahhaha
To be honest, im not the type who thinks too deeply about movies… I just watch and enjoy. But i do appreciate your point of view on things. Great video
I think you did an extraordinary video with this. I found your analysis fascinating and I really enjoyed the way you break it all down. You're right that the Hays Code didn't do the queer community and favors by basically forcing them to be villains and jokes or killers, although nowadays, real life seems to be catching up with fiction in some ways. You definitely should be proud of the work you did in this for sure.
I'm not sure if I quite understand this take on hereditary. Charlie does die but she doesn't possess her brother, rather the demon that had already possessed her moves on into him
Tiger Lily as Complicated Disabled Representation Tiger Lily the “Indian Princess” in Peter Pan is a most infamous stereotype! She either says “Ugg” or is mute paradoxically though I think that Tiger Lily is someone with a speech impairment, a possibility I will explore in this essay. The Disney Peter Pan presents us with a Tiger Lily who is mute, although she does yell “Pan!” as she sinks into the water. This is an interesting clue. My thoughts went back to a television program I saw called My Child Won’t Speak about Selective Mutism, which is an anxiety disorder where the child may speak around certain people, but be completely silent around most. Being that Tiger Lily’s role in the Disney film is so minor this is all the evidence I can offer. The Mary Martin Peter Pan presented a more fleshed-out version of Tiger Lily. She is the leader of her tribe, she rescues Peter on scooters and wears pants. But there’s the dreaded “Ugg” associated with the mean violent Indians in Westerns! Once again though the stereotype has to do with speech. In the song, “Ugg-A-Wugg” Tiger Lily alternates between perfect English and make-believe speech. This fits into the Critical Period Hypothesis, the idea that a child must learn a language before puberty or the opportunity is lost. I first learned about the Critical Period Hypothesis by watching Nova Secret of the Wild Child about Gene, a girl isolated by her parents who didn’t learn to talk until she was 14. Still, Susan Curtis reports that Gene would say things like “Apple sauce buy store” This fits Tiger Lily’s speech pattern perfectly. Phases Like “Ugga Wugga meatball” or “Uggle Wuggle ostrich” are examples. “Ugg-A-Wugg” also includes examples of autistic Echolalia with her echoing “I’ll just send for Peter Pan” after He sings “I’ll just send for Tiger Lily.” Sondra Lee the actress who played Tiger Lily in the Mary Martin production is white removing a sense of “otherness.” I guess this added to my interruption. I was six so I could only imagine. As a final note using “Ugg” to represent “Induain” language has been around for a long time, this makes the use of “Ugg” in Peter Pan conformist. Also as mentioned above “ugg” was used more often in realistic settings such as Westerins making “Ugg” a bad fit for the fantasy island of Neverland. What would I have done if I were writing this in the same historical context as these writers is come up with a unique fantasy language for Tiger Lily’s tribe? This would still be offensive today. Doing a unique language would at least not have the loyal brave Tiger Lily associated with the violence “Ugg” is associated with! As a disabled child, I wasn’t taught to view people who didn’t speak clearly as “Beneath Me” or as “The Othe” because I am just like Tiger Lily.Tiger Lily. th-cam.com/video/1fVp3ZdxrMs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WOULP0_Us78Mksvi "Peter Pan" was my first Broadway musical, and is one of my favorite musicals besides "The Phantom of the Opera," "Annie," and "Oliver!" When I was six my family and I went to BlockBuster and got the VHS tape of "Peter Pan" my mom had asked me "Do you know a woman named Mary Martin played Peter Pan?" I had seen the Disney version, so a woman playing Peter was special. I liked Peter because he didn't grow up, and he could fly. I watched the Mary Martin version with my family. My Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, and me. I LOVED it more than the Disney version. Though we lived out in rural New Mexico I saw it as often as I could, my Mom would make the special trip to get the VHS tape all the way from town. My siblings loved it too: we played this version of Peter Pan my sister made waves and costumes for all of us to wear. We built the house for Wendy with this toy building set we had and sang the song (I was Wendy though my favorite character was Peter) “Tender Shepherd” was sung after “Rock-a-Bye baby” at bedtime (it worked well because there are three of us and three Darling children.) Of course, my favorite part was the part where you would clap to save Tinkerbell. and it was always magical to see Tinkerbell come back to life. Being as young as I was I assumed Mary could see me through the camera and I would make eye contact with her and form an emotional bond with the woman whose name was read to me every time before the movie started. I couldn’t read then. Of course “Oh my Mysterious Lady” made me laugh my head off. The rescue of Peter by Tiger Lily and the Indians on scooters was also funny, the look on Cyril Ritchard's face is priceless. Then of course came "Ugg-A-Wug" I had been born with Cerebral Palsy and thus had to go to speech therapy so I assumed I was misunderstanding the characters and tried to understand them. The limits of my six-year-old vocabulary meant that all of the words meant "help" except "Ugg-Ugg-Wah" which meant "I Promise" Jerome Robbins' choreography is the reason I can get the meaning of the words I went to speech therapy as a kid with Cerebral Palsy, and the I Gotta Crow (Reprise) resonated with me at six years old because I had trouble with the “R” sound! Mary Martin was a #TransRoleModel as Peter Pan for me at six years old! This is really the only thing I remember seeing that was positive and affirming of my disabled identity. Then my seventh birthday came, and I got my own Mary Martin Peter Pan VHS tape by that time the Cathy Rigby version had come out and my Mom heard about it and got it for me for Christmas. I watched it with almost the entire side of my Dad’s family who was there for Christmas. My sister reminded me of Cathy Rigby, with my CP, my sister seemed like she could do anything. and I watched both versions on a TV that was above my head. I would look up at women doing what I wanted to do, go to Neverland! To me a small child they were larger than life and in a way still are. I also felt that I was in love with Mary Martin though at six years old with only exposure to straight romances in children's media coming out was impossible without the language. I also connected strongly with the fact Mary Martin and Cathy Rigby both played a boy. To me it was I can be a boy and a girl at the same time, The basic definition of Genderfluid was shown, taught, and absorbed without the need for the word. "Peter Pan" makes me feel how I want to think in my AFAB-gendered body, which is neutral! Then my mom decided that we should perform "I Won't Grow Up" in the school talent show because she thought it was cute and funny. This led to my VHS being taped over because it was always in the VHS player. I cried, of course. My Mom bought me the DVD, which I still have to this day. The VHS getting recorded over turned out to be a good thing. After all, all our VHS tapes got given away because we moved to Alabama.
Hi! Amazing video thank you so much!! I'm gonna go watch Titane when i have time *^* Another thing! I really recommend watching '' Le règne animal '' it's a French and Belgian movie. I don't wanna spoil it but it's really awesome to watch especially as a trans person (i cried a lot not gonna lie)
I vividly remember that one witch from the The Cure reboot mentioning she's trans and feeling so seen. Unfortunatly, not many people like this film -or so I've heard- but I liked it as a whole. They were actual friends who stayed friends.
This was a wonderful, well thought out video. It git me thinking about a few of my favorite films in a new light. I'm going to have to rewatch The Things again now lol.
This was incredible! Can I add to the recommendations? I will be heading into spoilers for Repo, the Genetic Opera. So if you haven't watched it, go. It's a delightful horror/sci-fi musical experience. So, why I'm recommending it: While being more strictly about the horrors of capitalism and medical necessity being put behind a paywall, there is a lot of body horror and trans experiences in the film, in both the protagonists and the secondary antagonists. Shilo, the protagonist, opens the show by lamenting how she's infected by her mother's genetics, believing herself to be so sick that she can't come out and experience life as a normal 17-year-old. I think that this feels like how a lot of AFAB people feel like they have to be like their mothers, or how some mothers react negatively when finding out they have a trans son, because they see their son's body as an extension of theirs or as what their body could've been/used to be before being pregnant/giving birth. We later learn that it's Shilo's father keeping her sick by giving her "medicine", which is actually the thing causing her symptoms. This could be interpreted as puberty blockers, with the Doctor trying to keep Shilo as his little girl for as long as possible, or even as hormone treatment reaffirming the wrong gender for intersex/gender queer people. Shilo wonders in her first song "how much of it is genetics, how much of it is fate, how much is the choices that we make?". And her final ballad has her walk away from her dead father while singing that her destiny is not up to her genes, but up to herself to choose. The other protagonist, Shilo's father, is a doctor who moonlights as the Repo Man, whose thankless job is to reposess the organs from people who couldn't make their payments. I feel like this could be interpreted as forcefully de-transitioning people, especially those of lower income, who rely on these life-saving medical procedures (the background plot is that the entire world was devastated by a virus that caused mass organ failure and the antagonists became rich by manufacturing replacement organs). The secondary antagonists, meanwhile, are three siblings: Luigi, the older brother, is the embodiment of macho hypermasculinity, complete with talking about how he "will find a hole" and if there is none, then he'll "make one". Pavi, the middle brother, is very effeminate and prides himself on his looks, to the point where he wears different faces (much like Buffalo Bill), including his sister's at the end of the film. And Amber Sweet, the youngest and the only girl, is also hypersexual but in a femenine way, where she sometimes offers to pay for drugs with her body. She changed her name to one who suited her performing persona better (her dad even brings it up in a confrontation they have, where he states "I did not protest when you changed your name"), and is "addicted to the knife", which I interpret as the exaggerated consequences of body dysmorphia and body dysphoria, where she just can't get her body to look quite right.
Wow, thank you for such an extensive recommendation! After looking up on the movie it definitely seems like something id be interested in, a watch might be in the future!
Thank you soo much for making this video. I feel like you have opened my eyes to something that I have never previously considered when watching those movies. Again, thank you. Confirmed Subscriber! I will now binge your other videos. 😅
Couldn’t agree more. That was definitely the chapter I spent the most time with because I felt so much relatability in it and just had to pick it apart as best I could.
so you have read Let the Right One In then? one of my biggest let downs from the film was how the gender identity aspects were removed. the book was confronting and made me think so much.
@@makingmediamatter oh my friend, you really must. If you don't know how the vampire was made, it is shocking. I'm disappointed they changed it from the book but also completely not surprised!!! Just discovered your channel and I love it by the way. Thankyou for you amazing commentary
32:21 fans didnt ship hannibal and will in hannibal nbc, that shit was canon. get ur facts straight and watch the damn queer arthouse romance. for people who havent watched the show, no im not exaggerating or going "my ship is canon!!!", they say it in the show. okay thanks
1:08 WOAAAH ur soo cute! First time i watched any video from your channel! Ur so pretty omggggg girlll how i love women making good content ffs i feel represented lmao
i thought that Fredy Kreuguer in NOES 2 represented the opposed: the pervasive sentiment of heterosexuality dominating a clearly gay character. i saw in other video that Fredy was borderline r*py when Billy was with his female friend/love interest and incredible volent against any male who was simpathetic or atracted to the protagonist. also, i found interesting the subvertion of gender roles with Glen/Glenda; when it comes to Glen, he is sweet, demure and more insecure but Glenda is full impulsive and violent.
God, 8:15 was an emotional whiplash. I remember being little, and being entranced by the wolfman, and desperately wishing i could be covered in hair and fangs and to truly be a man. It always saddened me when he was killed in the end, as i saw it as a lesson as to what would happen to me should i do the same. Ten years later im now on my second year if testosterone, and gid does it feel hood to be home in my body
I'm so sorry I know this isn't related to the point of the video ( i love it so much btw! :D ) but is it okay if I ask what songs/music was playing in the background? they were so pretty sounding!
Thank you for the kind words!!! And the music in the background is just some copyright free stuff off TH-cam, I think I googled dark piano and searched around for a bit lol.
Also, personal impression (if admittedly a lukewarm take): agent starling seems to me the headwaters birthing an archetype mirrored reverently in agent Dana Scully but VERY much Det. Olivia Benson on SVU. thoughts?
I think I might have missed the daughter being the possessing force in Alex in Hereditary. I understood it to be the demon prince Paimon that possessed him
Honestly, I just grabbed it off a copyright free piano beats playlist on here, I can’t remember the specific name but if you search up something like that you’re bound to find it!
Aw man. That sucks, Buffalo Bill part, he's based off a guy that wore women skin because he was chasing the memory of his mother. Nothing about being female gendered AT ALL. So ppl using him as a representative of transwomen... is really really not even valid
Any chance you/someone could tell us which films had footage in this video? I think you said most of their titles of not all of them, but my hearing isn't doing me any favors there 😭
Ofc! The ones I remember are: • Jennifer’s Body • Ginger Snaps • The Silence of The Lambs • Titane • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre • The Thing • The Fly • Interview With The Vampire (Movie and Show) • Adventure Time • Bit • They / Them • Sleepaway Camp • and a few others im probably blanking on
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Damn! What a great video! I kinda wanna cry. I felt so seen, you know? I love certain characters since I'm a child and realizing that it had something to do with my sexual/gender identity, makes things make a little more of sense. I love your channel. I can't wait for more content :)
This comment means so much to me!
I'm always happy when I can bring something to the conversation about a piece or pieces of art I love, but to know this video was able to help you reevaluate and feel empowered through media reminds me exactly why I love to make videos in the first place.
I hope to continue this level of content into the future, and I'm happy to hear you'll be sticking around for it.
I view Jennifer’s change more as a metaphor for how abuse/assault can cause someone to then become the abuser and repeat the cycle
But I did like your view on it, I’ve never really thought of it that way
I definitely see that interpretation, I actually made a whole video deep dive into Jennifer’s Body not too long ago that touches on that interpretation extensively!
i absolutely adore the "im not a monster, jake" clip from the chucky tv series. as much im hopeful to see more queer characters featured in horror, i like when queer identity isnt made a plot point and is simply just part of a character :) imo it makes it not feel like an attempt for inclusivity points - you dont ever see cis/het identities being used as a plot point (apart from in relationships obv)
I love this essay but to me, the story of Sleepaway Camp is WAY more a story of a boy child (transmasculine or cis male) being forced to be female and the pressure and disphoria driving him to extremes. Maybe that is just my own trans man lense, but "Angela" is forced into a female role by his aunt and to me always looks like a transmasc person trying to survive by "playing the role" of the girl everyone wants to see. Which I always read the scene where he sheds his clothes in the end as showing the "real him" and peeling back the layers of masking and "girlmode" to show who he really is and the pain it caused him.
I've been writing a paper for school on the subtext reading within Frankenstein of transness and how it has influenced queer horror, and I'll say, in my research, I've found no paper addressing it, and everyone I've spoken to about it in person has rolled their eyes and told me I'm just projecting my transness onto 'everything'. So I want to say, Frankenstein being the first media mentioned at the beginning of this video (aside from SOTL in the intro) made me feel so seen.
I haven't finished the video yet, but I know it'll be a banger. Thank you so much for making this video. You deserve every single like and sub
I'm actually really interested in hearing your analysis! I can guess it has something to do with crafting a new body for yourself (even though in Frankenstein it's not his own body, but it is something he sees as his own creation). What movies did it inspire? Tell me more please! 😊
@@risacooper I apologize for the following rant.
I've been having a lot of trouble having the subject approved for the assessment so I haven't been able to do a lot of work on it, but you're dead on, it's based on the crafting of your own body, becoming both god and Adam in the creation of being (male in this case, I'm a trans guy, so I'm basing it largely on a trans male perspective) along with the creature's own stated relatability to simultaneously Adam and Lucifer within John Milton's Paradise Lost.
I also use how we are often depicted. As a young trans guy, seeing people close to me talk about people like me as if I was some monster for not fitting within my skin properly took such a toll on me, as did the creature's rejection from his creator and wider society.
This, along with the Prometheus aspect of it from Victor's perspective, where, and I don't say every trans person is like this, but you just get so obsessed with the transition itself. You get frustrated that the waitlists are so long, not everybody takes you seriously, and that HRT can take ages to come to full effect. (I've been on T for a year and I still look just as feminine as I did preT and it frustrates me to no end) For me, for some time, I was not able to focus on literally anything else in my life because the dysphoria really got to me and I was trying to treat it as effectively and quickly as possible. (Certain parts of chapter 4 and 5 read like my depressive episodes a couple years ago)
For me, it got to the point where, I'm sure at least some other trans people have had intrusive thoughts of self mutilation in this context (at least I hope I'm not the only one) and the sheer horror you feel at yourself for thinking that honestly feels so familiar with certain things Victor says about his creature upon it's wake.
The tie into horror as a whole is more on Frankenstein with queer horror and body horror. I've chosen to focus on Rocky Horror Picture Show (It's an adaptation of Frankenstein and it's so very queer, see, Dr Frankenfurter.) The Lighthouse (It's themes of Prometheus and coming to terms with sexuality and maritime masculinity) and I've been trying to find a well-suited third film that has a heavier focus on body horror but I haven't been able to find one that fits quite well
I hope that spiel answers your questions in some way. Feel free to ask more :)
Speaking to Buffalo Bill, I remember having two very different reactions to him before and after coming to understand own transness. The first time I saw him, he deeply disturbed me. I didn't know that trans people were even a thing that long ago before watching the movie (I was very, very sheltered) and was really surprised to learn otherwise. I remember not thinking of Bill as trans back then and was actually made more empathetic towards trans people by simply understanding that we've been around. But Bill disturbed me because he made me feel repulsion at the amount of gender nonconformity I had even back then.
The other time I saw him, I literally cried. Because now it was like, "I know this was a long time ago but is this how people see me?" It gave me nightmares. The idea of being this hideous personification of violent misogyny and self loathing. Tied to this thing that made me start to love myself for the first time in my life.
But I think now I've made some peace with the character. Mostly out of necessity. He's horrible and damaging and there's no purely good way to read him. But Silence of the Lambs is a really important film evenso, and I think you can get out of art what you put into it sometimes. And so I choose to read him now as a monster created. One who never had the support he needed. Who was told he wasn't real, and who came to represent cis het vilification of queer and especially trans people. Not because he had to be, but because he was literally made to be (in that he's a fictional character that someone made).
Thank you for sharing this, I think your interpretation of Bill as a character and how you chose to make peace with him is pretty spot on to how I feel as well.
It’s certainly a complicated character, and hurtful in many ways, but I definitely find some power in reframing the portrayal and having my interpretation of it change with time.
ooh I've been looking for a new Queer Horror TH-camr after the Somerton scandal!! I'm so happy this came across my feed
YAY What’s crazy is I remember watching his videos one queer horror while writing this one just to see what else there was on the platform to make sure I wasn’t making redundant points, crazy how things go lol
@makingmediamatter3633 omg thats so ironic haha, his favourite video of mine was the hannibal "essay" that went into why queer people are drawn to horror, yours reminded me a little of it and I'm happy I have a new video with a new pov about a similar topic 🫶
@@makingmediamatterI mean, you could be making redundant points, but as long as they're your own words, they're still worthwhile. Unlike a certain dramatic boy we all know too well by this point. 😂
I honestly can't wait for new queer horror movies/series/media to come out in the future. There's lots of potential and I too often see queer coded or feminine characters be killed off or even worse, have that side of the character be blatantly ignored/destroyed. So I hope as time goes on and being LGBTQ+ is more accepted, that more queer horror will come around.
I am absolutely floored that this channel does not have a bigger following
That's so kind of you to say!
Honestly, I'm quite surprised this video didn't get more views, I felt like it was my best work to date. Maybe it has something to do with the algorithm not promoting queer content, but who knows.
But I'll definitely be uploading more videos in the near future that are comparable to this one. Hopefully, I can gain more of a following with that stuff!
Same. It's criminal. Hopefully that changes soon!
i’ve been watching a lot of queer horror analysis lately, mostly as i grapple with my attraction to the macabre. as an asexual demi romantic person things like sexuality, which i experience dramatically different from the norm do to my ace-ness, are extremely difficult to interpret. somehow horror has become my outlet for this and i think a major part is the inherent queerness of it, as well as the brutal honesty. An inherent part of queer villains is the unapologetic divergence and disregard for the norm, which is something that speaks to me on a visceral level as someone who has spent most of my life lying about who i am. There is something captivating about such honest and wholehearted displays of the horrific insides of the queer experience
I've always seen Buffalo Bill as a warning of treating people like monsters. You treat innocent people as monsters they become monsters. He would be a beautiful trans woman if the treatment was better.
well the thing is that buffalo bill had killed many many times before he began his skin harvesting. its stated that BB killed even the old lady who previously lived in the house (the random corpse in the basement bathtub in the movie) and had apparently killed women before and put them in poses like mannequins in one of the basement rooms and then sealed them away behind a wall.
BB was always disturbed murderer and it has nothing to do with treatment.
It’s sad Penny Dreadful (the first two seasons anyway) are never referenced in videos like this. It’s a decade old now, but both Vanessa Ives and The Creature can be read as analogy for queer identity, particularly because the writer is himself a gay man.
I’ll definitely keep that in mind if I ever make a sequel to this video! Thanks for the recommendation.
@@makingmediamatter no problem!
Penny Dreadful was peak. It deserves so much more recognition.
@@geeker6350 it’s my favorite show, and I agree.
@@ladyredl3210 "With me, you will behold terrible wonders."
i just found your channel since i’m writing a piece about jennifer’s body and your videos are so incredibly well articulated! I considered myself a Jennifers Body expert BEFORE your video and I love that there’s so much I still hadn’t noticed (the beauty of good art, man)
Your channel deserves so so much more attention. You inspire me as a journalist!
That means so much, thank you. Hearing that I inspire you as a journalist is awesome to hear especially because I’m actually a journalism major myself!
This is an amazing video, I'm writing a thesis at the moment on how queer people are represented through horror, specifically monsters in horror and this video is so perfect for research and a reminder that these ideas are shared by other people like me! It's such a breath of fresh air, thank you!
I think writing Frank N Furter off as just another queer villain is a pretty reductive way of looking at the movie. The whole thing is a pretty obvious sendup of the Hayes code, he exists as a parody of the queer villain and everything that comes with that role. It's also worth mentioning that RHPS also has non-villainous queer characters, Rocky, Brad, Eddie and Columbia are all bi and they're all victims of Frank (aka, victims of the queer villain archetype) and none of them do anything particularly bad within the story.
This comment deserves a lot more likes. Something about the novie just feels more queer freindly, and not forced the way a lot of other "queer" media does, even though there are a couple troubling themes or elements
It's kind of interesting when it comes to The Silence of the Lambs because I think there was an awareness Thomas Harris (the author) had about the negative impact Buffalo Bill could have on Trans people, so he attempted to make it clear to the reader that BB is not Trans and Trans people are not a threat. Unfortunately, it wasn't that successful and Buffalo Bill did have a negative impact.
NBC's Hannibal is my personal favorite example of queer representation, the plot is themed around ideas of facing who you truly are, and i really like that Hannibal and Will are depicted as having a messy, atypical relationship. They are one of my favorite canon queer couples, and i think there's something to be said about how many aroace people I've seen (including myself) that like the series, and how the choice to not present their relationship as typically romantic plays into that.
Also Hannibal Lecter in that specific iteration is a villain that happens to be queer, not a villain because of his queerness. He is just allowed to exist as he is in a way that a lot of other queer characters aren't. They don't need to name his sexuality or explicitly explain his queerness to the camera, he just is and that's the start and end of it. Also his queerness is never positioned as the only part of his character, in the way that a lot of well meaning but ultimately tokenizing representation does. I had honestly never seen a queer character just unquestioningly existing in the fullness of themselves before. He was also one of the first examples of an older queer person I've seen in live action media. Hannibal NBC (and really the franchise as a whole) is ultimately just really special to me tbh.
The first trans coded character I ever saw on screen was HIM from the Powerpuff Girls. HIM was also the first fictional character I looked at and said, "Oh, that's me." As a gender non-conforming transmasculine femboy, HIM's inherent androgyny was always beautiful to me. The voice, the fashion, even the demonic aura... it all just made sense. At the time I first saw HIM, I was already a very gender non-conforming child with a lot of anger about forced femininity. I didn't get angry often, but when I did, I was always in a dress I didn't want to wear. My anger has always been Feminine in nature, so seeing a femme demon openly expressing their queerness and rage was incredibly healing. ❤
Was an at the time unaware/repressed/idk nb when I watched Titane. The whole movie had this very special feel to it, but I legit couldn't breathe during the dancing scene at the fire station and I did not know why. Excited for a rewatch, and kinda nervous for some reason.
Also, Nyx Fears is the fucking best, been watching her for years!
Also also, my recommendations did a great job and I am now subscribbled.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the video and will be sticking around for more in the future! And Titane is definitely a watch that can stir up lots of feelings as a queer person, it's a film that's simultaneously one of my favs and one I rarely ever watch.
Lol. "It's... It's about sex."
Another great video! Nice editing. Pairs well with Contrapoints J.K. Rowling video... and a nice Chianti.
And fava beans! XD
I have been watching SO many videos on queer people and our relationship with horror and I just wanted to say this was absolutely fantastic, thank u!!!!
Happy you enjoyed it!!!!
I was suggested your Nope video thanks to the algorithm and now I can’t stop watching your videos! So excited to be part of your YT community as your channel grows!
Also, you have a very relaxing voice to listen to :)
Thank you! Happy to have you in the community and thankful that you enjoy my voice lol.
I discovered you through the Nope video and slowly immersed myself into your backlog of videos/analysis.
You make lovely videos, and if it's okay to say, you really got into a groove and look very comfortable with explaining things and how they may relate to more difficult topics, such as this video.
I'm really happy to have found you and would love to listen, and even talk, about your opinions on film and other media!
Thank you so much for the kind words!
I also feel like I’ve found a good flow lately with my work and I’m really excited to bring new content to my channel going forward.
If we’re being honest, this is actually my favorite video I’ve made so far, and I tend to enjoy each one more than the last!
What a beautiful video, watching this while I work on a body horror gravure collection for art class is thematically satisfying
18:38 one thing that's also really interesting about viewing hereditary from a trans aspect (that in my opinion only strengthens it) is that the demon involved wants a male form, having accidentally instead been brought into the daughter. It's a demon, it's theoretically got no need for gender, and doesn't seem to make a fuss about being in the daughter, but the daughter must be killed so it can be free of her body and take its preferred form in the son, who also must be broken down and in a way killed to allow it in. I mean. I can't expound upon that very well but I think it highly supports a trans reading.
Other things
-the daughter in general being portrayed as others finding her extremely strange
-the way toni colettes character blames and berates the son for not owning up to 'killing' the daughter because he was, essentially, too busy doing the things a young man does instead of nurturing the girl, ignoring her own responsibility for both her children (or in the case of this interpretation, him wanting to be a man killed the daughter and has separated both of them from her, despite that the only one to blame is her)
-The movie ending with the daughters rotting head literally on a stake, and the mother having self decapitated while also posessed once her husband is out of the picture, ie, no longer enabling her, fully separating the son from girlhood and his family as a whole
-as mentioned, the mom making miniatures - she's playing house, and things have to be the way she envisioned it, while also showing how much the son had no choice in who he became mentally and physically
What a great essay! This deserves so much more views! Thanks a lot for your great work! :)
The algorithm SCORED with this one! It's the EXACT video I'm looking for as research for a story I'm writing, AND it has Frank n Furter in the thumbnail??? I'm almost upset that someone made the same logical connections six months before I did
It's past midnight and I keep having to get up to cheer because of how great this video is.
You’re words are too kind, thank you! So happy this video was just the thing you needed right now!
When you mentioned the trans reading of Hereditary I immediately thought of May/Nyx Fears' video, I was very happy to see we both first saw this interpretation coming from her mouth haha
Awesome video! I can't wait to rewatch Hereditary from that angle, it's a deeply fascinating theory that has honestly blew me away!
So happy you enjoyed the video!
And I find that interpretation of Hereditary so interesting too, definitely made me rethink my initial thoughts on the film.
great video, and your insight is deep and mature in all the best ways. the queer lens applied to hereditary is honestly a massive stretch though. I love Nyx Fears as well, and the insight they bring to things, but I just can't get on board with this interpretation of Hereditary. I don't need to be on board though for it to work for people. I would be intrigued to hear Ari Aster on it though. to be clear, if you apply this lens in a way that helps, go for it. the beauty of horror films is the way we all interpret them differently and use those interpretations to provide growth and unique perspectives in our own lives.
your discussion of queer coded villains being empathetic is frankly gold.
For me personally I see Carrie as a story of both religious trauma and asexuality. The visceral feeling of knowing your body was made for something you don’t want, and when it starts showing people start pressuring and sexualising you. Sometimes you just wanna flip your shit and burn them so that they will just shut up and let you live in peace. I understand fully her fear of being sexualised by her mother and peers, just bc I’m talking to somebody does not mean I want to have sex with them! So in conclusion you have just witnessed first hand the claiming of a character by the ace community *swoops down steals character and leaves*
Hello I’ve just discovered your videos but would like to bring my own personal favorite horror movie franchise to the table: Re-Animator.
Obviously body horror in itself is a constant through out the three movies, but what interests me is the queerness of Herbert West.
He comes off as an obvious queer coded mad scientist a la Frankenstein, though he has a seeming aversion to sex. Only employing interest in the topic when he wants to lure Dan into continuing their work.
He’s instantly attached to Dan beyond any other person we see, even Dr. Gruber his former mentor, and there is no clear explanation for this. Unless he’s attracted to the man.
The body horror itself can be seen in Herbert of you look at the sequel with the creation of ‘The Bride.’ The Bride cause be seen as Herbert trying to portray his feelings towards Dan in the form of a more normal body. A female figure built to perfection with everything Herbert could think of a straight man wanting. Yet he is still rejected in this more societally conventional form.
Basically Herbert West is an gay ace icon that deserves better than whatever the fuck happened in Beyond Re-Animator 👍
First off, thank you so much for bringing this film series to the conversation and having already put so much thought into its queer themes!
This is definitely something I picked up on in my watching of the first film (still yet to see the other two), but you really crystallized the queer elements of it all here. This has genuinely inspired me to reexamine the film with a new lens and try to watch the other movies in the series, there may even be a video on it in the future, who knows.
Not sure if you’re interested in video making yourself, but I would definitely encourage you to create your own video about this topic if you’re interested. I for one know I would be super interested to watch!
@@makingmediamatter I’m glad I could provide further insight! Just be aware that Beyond, the third one, is a lot worse quality and queer wise than the first and second films.
I have actually considered being a TH-cam, though that was a few years ago. However wincing finding TH-camrs like you my interest has been peaked in doing it. I don’t have any of the equipment right now, but we’ll see if that changes at all. Thank you for the encouragement though!
Also if your at all interested in hearing a more in depth version I’d gladly keep discussing it with you on Discord. I had to cut down a lot of details cause I didn’t wanna ramble too much. You don’t have to, but because of your clear interest in the topic I wouldn’t mind providing you with some of the things I’ve read on the topic.
i discovered you a few days ago but you've become one of my favorite video essayists!
That’s so kind of you to say! I definitely plan to produce more content like this in the future and keep up the kind of work I’ve been putting out lately.
Also I’ve heard of May and I definitely want to check it out. Thank you so much for the recommendation and, if I ever make a sequel or companion to this video I will most definitely talk about that film.
I grew up with horror, I’m not that old but still see myself in those movies. Sleepaway camp and Texas chainsaw massacre have deeply impacted me some way. Even if they are show cased as villians, it never stops from being impactful.
Loved the video and found it quite meaningful. As a transperson myself I've always loved horror and found it incredibly relatable. Though not necessarily a flim or TV show, though it has been probably his most adapted work, the most relatable story I've experienced is H.P. Lovecraft's Shadow Over Innsmouth. Now this has a lot of baggage. That can't be denied. However I found the protagonists journey to be incredibly relatable. Going from seeing the queer and being horrified by it to fully embracing his own queerness mirrors my own journey so well.
Can't wait for your channel to blow up. This was excellent ❤
Thank you! This video is already preforming great, hopefully the it gets more eyes in the future.
This is absolutely FANTASTIC!! I don't know if I can say much else. You obviously enjoy the subject and are very well read about it. Heck yeah!
ive been waiting for a video like this for a long time!!! body horror and queerness are so often linked and in most of the video essays ive watched its only briefly touched on, and so i was REALLY excited when i found this video!! i love your many interpretations and i think you'd really love movie "I Saw the TV Glow", which definitely has moments of body horror and is a intentional trans and queer allegory for living your life fully
great work and keep it up >:)
I absolutely love this take on Sleepaway Camp!!
watched this by chance on my lunch break at work and DAMN im glad this is the vid i clicked. u cover so much ground here!!!! everything is presented so creatively and well-articulated im obsessed with this. what a cool coverage of these topics!!! immediately subscribed
i thought this was really, really beautiful. your videos only get better (i found you through your midsommar video) and im really excited for your channel to take off. the part about AIDS was so poignant and wonderfully explained!!!
Omg thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it and I’m glad you enjoy the rest of my channel too!
Currently working on more content like this, so I’m happy to hear you’ll be sticking around!
when u started talking about puberty, i IMMEDIATELY thought off ginger snaps and jokingly thought that the mc was a transmasc icon, now that u mentioned the movie i ran to the comments ahhaha
To be honest, im not the type who thinks too deeply about movies… I just watch and enjoy. But i do appreciate your point of view on things. Great video
Thank you! Happy I could shine a light on some of the deeper themes in these movies.
First time watching, and I appreciated your perspective with your interpretation. Definitely worth a like and follow.
I think you did an extraordinary video with this. I found your analysis fascinating and I really enjoyed the way you break it all down. You're right that the Hays Code didn't do the queer community and favors by basically forcing them to be villains and jokes or killers, although nowadays, real life seems to be catching up with fiction in some ways. You definitely should be proud of the work you did in this for sure.
Thank you so much! This is easily one of the videos im most proud of so that means a lot!
I'm not sure if I quite understand this take on hereditary. Charlie does die but she doesn't possess her brother, rather the demon that had already possessed her moves on into him
Tiger Lily as Complicated Disabled Representation
Tiger Lily the “Indian Princess” in Peter Pan is a most infamous stereotype! She either says “Ugg” or is mute paradoxically though I think that Tiger Lily is someone with a speech impairment, a possibility I will explore in this essay.
The Disney Peter Pan presents us with a Tiger Lily who is mute, although she does yell “Pan!” as she sinks into the water. This is an interesting clue. My thoughts went back to a television program I saw called My Child Won’t Speak about Selective Mutism, which is an anxiety disorder where the child may speak around certain people, but be completely silent around most. Being that Tiger Lily’s role in the Disney film is so minor this is all the evidence I can offer.
The Mary Martin Peter Pan presented a more fleshed-out version of Tiger Lily. She is the leader of her tribe, she rescues Peter on scooters and wears pants. But there’s the dreaded “Ugg” associated with the mean violent Indians in Westerns! Once again though the stereotype has to do with speech. In the song, “Ugg-A-Wugg” Tiger Lily alternates between perfect English and make-believe speech. This fits into the Critical Period Hypothesis, the idea that a child must learn a language before puberty or the opportunity is lost. I first learned about the Critical Period Hypothesis by watching Nova Secret of the Wild Child about Gene, a girl isolated by her parents who didn’t learn to talk until she was 14. Still, Susan Curtis reports that Gene would say things like “Apple sauce buy store” This fits Tiger Lily’s speech pattern perfectly. Phases Like “Ugga Wugga meatball” or “Uggle Wuggle ostrich” are examples. “Ugg-A-Wugg” also includes examples of autistic Echolalia with her echoing “I’ll just send for Peter Pan” after He sings “I’ll just send for Tiger Lily.” Sondra Lee the actress who played Tiger Lily in the Mary Martin production is white removing a sense of “otherness.” I guess this added to my interruption. I was six so I could only imagine.
As a final note using “Ugg” to represent “Induain” language has been around for a long time, this makes the use of “Ugg” in Peter Pan conformist. Also as mentioned above “ugg” was used more often in realistic settings such as Westerins making “Ugg” a bad fit for the fantasy island of Neverland. What would I have done if I were writing this in the same historical context as these writers is come up with a unique fantasy language for Tiger Lily’s tribe? This would still be offensive today. Doing a unique language would at least not have the loyal brave Tiger Lily associated with the violence “Ugg” is associated with!
As a disabled child, I wasn’t taught to view people who didn’t speak clearly as “Beneath Me” or as “The Othe” because I am just like Tiger Lily.Tiger Lily.
th-cam.com/video/1fVp3ZdxrMs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WOULP0_Us78Mksvi
"Peter Pan" was my first Broadway musical, and is one of my favorite musicals besides "The Phantom of the Opera," "Annie," and "Oliver!" When I was six my family and I went to BlockBuster and got the VHS tape of "Peter Pan" my mom had asked me "Do you know a woman named Mary Martin played Peter Pan?" I had seen the Disney version, so a woman playing Peter was special. I liked Peter because he didn't grow up, and he could fly. I watched the Mary Martin version with my family. My Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, and me. I LOVED it more than the Disney version. Though we lived out in rural New Mexico I saw it as often as I could, my Mom would make the special trip to get the VHS tape all the way from town.
My siblings loved it too: we played this version of Peter Pan my sister made waves and costumes for all of us to wear. We built the house for Wendy with this toy building set we had and sang the song (I was Wendy though my favorite character was Peter) “Tender Shepherd” was sung after “Rock-a-Bye baby” at bedtime (it worked well because there are three of us and three Darling children.) Of course, my favorite part was the part where you would clap to save Tinkerbell. and it was always magical to see Tinkerbell come back to life. Being as young as I was I assumed Mary could see me through the camera and I would make eye contact with her and form an emotional bond with the woman whose name was read to me every time before the movie started. I couldn’t read then. Of course “Oh my Mysterious Lady” made me laugh my head off. The rescue of Peter by Tiger Lily and the Indians on scooters was also funny, the look on Cyril Ritchard's face is priceless.
Then of course came "Ugg-A-Wug" I had been born with Cerebral Palsy and thus had to go to speech therapy so I assumed I was misunderstanding the characters and tried to understand them. The limits of my six-year-old vocabulary meant that all of the words meant "help" except "Ugg-Ugg-Wah" which meant "I Promise" Jerome Robbins' choreography is the reason I can get the meaning of the words
I went to speech therapy as a kid with Cerebral Palsy, and the I Gotta Crow (Reprise) resonated with me at six years old because I had trouble with the “R” sound! Mary Martin was a #TransRoleModel as Peter Pan for me at six years old! This is really the only thing I remember seeing that was positive and affirming of my disabled identity.
Then my seventh birthday came, and I got my own Mary Martin Peter Pan VHS tape by that time the Cathy Rigby version had come out and my Mom heard about it and got it for me for Christmas. I watched it with almost the entire side of my Dad’s family who was there for Christmas. My sister reminded me of Cathy Rigby, with my CP, my sister seemed like she could do anything. and I watched both versions on a TV that was above my head. I would look up at women doing what I wanted to do, go to Neverland! To me a small child they were larger than life and in a way still are. I also felt that I was in love with Mary Martin though at six years old with only exposure to straight romances in children's media coming out was impossible without the language. I also connected strongly with the fact Mary Martin and Cathy Rigby both played a boy. To me it was I can be a boy and a girl at the same time, The basic definition of Genderfluid was shown, taught, and absorbed without the need for the word. "Peter Pan" makes me feel how I want to think in my AFAB-gendered body, which is neutral!
Then my mom decided that we should perform "I Won't Grow Up" in the school talent show because she thought it was cute and funny. This led to my VHS being taped over because it was always in the VHS player. I cried, of course. My Mom bought me the DVD, which I still have to this day. The VHS getting recorded over turned out to be a good thing. After all, all our VHS tapes got given away because we moved to Alabama.
Hi! Amazing video thank you so much!! I'm gonna go watch Titane when i have time *^*
Another thing! I really recommend watching '' Le règne animal '' it's a French and Belgian movie. I don't wanna spoil it but it's really awesome to watch especially as a trans person (i cried a lot not gonna lie)
I vividly remember that one witch from the The Cure reboot mentioning she's trans and feeling so seen.
Unfortunatly, not many people like this film -or so I've heard- but I liked it as a whole. They were actual friends who stayed friends.
girl u almost made me tear up in that final staement wrap up TTnTT
It was definitely more of an emotional one, happy to hear it was able to resonate with you so strongly.
Terrific video!! Now time for me to go watch gay vampire media
Yes! I really can't recommend the Interview With The Vampire show on AMC, it's so good!
Really glad I subbed to you after the Kendrick video, happy to see you do a wide range of topics!
what a great video! as a queer man, I never really understood why I'm so fascinated by horror, I just know I simply love it 🖤🖤🔪
This was a wonderful, well thought out video. It git me thinking about a few of my favorite films in a new light. I'm going to have to rewatch The Things again now lol.
you are so incredibly intelligent!!! I'm so glad I found this channel, such interesting & refreshing perspectives
Thank you, I really appreciate your words and I’m really happy I could bring something new and valuable to the conversation around these films!
This was incredible! Can I add to the recommendations? I will be heading into spoilers for Repo, the Genetic Opera. So if you haven't watched it, go. It's a delightful horror/sci-fi musical experience.
So, why I'm recommending it:
While being more strictly about the horrors of capitalism and medical necessity being put behind a paywall, there is a lot of body horror and trans experiences in the film, in both the protagonists and the secondary antagonists. Shilo, the protagonist, opens the show by lamenting how she's infected by her mother's genetics, believing herself to be so sick that she can't come out and experience life as a normal 17-year-old. I think that this feels like how a lot of AFAB people feel like they have to be like their mothers, or how some mothers react negatively when finding out they have a trans son, because they see their son's body as an extension of theirs or as what their body could've been/used to be before being pregnant/giving birth.
We later learn that it's Shilo's father keeping her sick by giving her "medicine", which is actually the thing causing her symptoms. This could be interpreted as puberty blockers, with the Doctor trying to keep Shilo as his little girl for as long as possible, or even as hormone treatment reaffirming the wrong gender for intersex/gender queer people. Shilo wonders in her first song "how much of it is genetics, how much of it is fate, how much is the choices that we make?". And her final ballad has her walk away from her dead father while singing that her destiny is not up to her genes, but up to herself to choose.
The other protagonist, Shilo's father, is a doctor who moonlights as the Repo Man, whose thankless job is to reposess the organs from people who couldn't make their payments. I feel like this could be interpreted as forcefully de-transitioning people, especially those of lower income, who rely on these life-saving medical procedures (the background plot is that the entire world was devastated by a virus that caused mass organ failure and the antagonists became rich by manufacturing replacement organs).
The secondary antagonists, meanwhile, are three siblings: Luigi, the older brother, is the embodiment of macho hypermasculinity, complete with talking about how he "will find a hole" and if there is none, then he'll "make one". Pavi, the middle brother, is very effeminate and prides himself on his looks, to the point where he wears different faces (much like Buffalo Bill), including his sister's at the end of the film. And Amber Sweet, the youngest and the only girl, is also hypersexual but in a femenine way, where she sometimes offers to pay for drugs with her body. She changed her name to one who suited her performing persona better (her dad even brings it up in a confrontation they have, where he states "I did not protest when you changed your name"), and is "addicted to the knife", which I interpret as the exaggerated consequences of body dysmorphia and body dysphoria, where she just can't get her body to look quite right.
Wow, thank you for such an extensive recommendation! After looking up on the movie it definitely seems like something id be interested in, a watch might be in the future!
love editing in that video, great work
Thank you soo much for making this video. I feel like you have opened my eyes to something that I have never previously considered when watching those movies. Again, thank you. Confirmed Subscriber! I will now binge your other videos. 😅
Idont think many of these connections were intentional, but the discussion is very interesting
super underrated channel
Thank you, hoping to become not so underrated soon!
ik this video was is old but id love to hear your take on i saw the tv glow, sickassvideo btw
SHOOOOOOT THE POINT ON MONSTROUS PUBERTY ALREADY HITS SO CLOSE TO HOME FOR ME AS A TRANS PERSON
Couldn’t agree more.
That was definitely the chapter I spent the most time with because I felt so much relatability in it and just had to pick it apart as best I could.
I loved this! Super interesting! Also the way you say warewolf is so cute!
so you have read Let the Right One In then? one of my biggest let downs from the film was how the gender identity aspects were removed. the book was confronting and made me think so much.
@@schmuelking1535 haven’t read it yet but I definitely want too!
@@makingmediamatter oh my friend, you really must. If you don't know how the vampire was made, it is shocking. I'm disappointed they changed it from the book but also completely not surprised!!!
Just discovered your channel and I love it by the way. Thankyou for you amazing commentary
This is incredible and has really helped me develop my art major work that will highlight queer horror!
If you ever do a part two I Saw The Tv Glow is one of the best queer body horror movies i’ve ever seen, I highly recommend!
32:21 fans didnt ship hannibal and will in hannibal nbc, that shit was canon. get ur facts straight and watch the damn queer arthouse romance. for people who havent watched the show, no im not exaggerating or going "my ship is canon!!!", they say it in the show. okay thanks
I just found your channel and I like it hope to see what will the future bring much success
Great job keep up the good work!!!
I really loved this video, thank you!
PLEASE make a video about I Saw The TV Glow!!!
Would love too once I get a chance to watch it!!!
1:08 WOAAAH ur soo cute! First time i watched any video from your channel! Ur so pretty omggggg girlll how i love women making good content ffs i feel represented lmao
Loved this video essay!!
Shoutout here to AudioDramas which have been Trail Blazers in queer horror
i love this so much!!! insane you arent a million sub channel??
Omg thats so nice of you to say! Really happy you enjoyed the video I put so much effort into this one
A movie you should definitely check out if you missed it is "The Skin I Live In"
I'm so happy I found your channel
💖👄💖
i thought that Fredy Kreuguer in NOES 2 represented the opposed: the pervasive sentiment of heterosexuality dominating a clearly gay character. i saw in other video that Fredy was borderline r*py when Billy was with his female friend/love interest and incredible volent against any male who was simpathetic or atracted to the protagonist.
also, i found interesting the subvertion of gender roles with Glen/Glenda; when it comes to Glen, he is sweet, demure and more insecure but Glenda is full impulsive and violent.
@@porfiriodiazcarrillo7551 Both super interesting observations, not entirely sure what they imply but that’s something to think about for sure!
Amazing video!!!
18:00 At first I was like "how did she get 'Alex' from 'Peter?'" but after googling it, it looks like that's the name of the actor
This was a great video!!
Thank you!
I feel like in so many things people are digging to hard into it when there isn’t really anything there
God, 8:15 was an emotional whiplash. I remember being little, and being entranced by the wolfman, and desperately wishing i could be covered in hair and fangs and to truly be a man. It always saddened me when he was killed in the end, as i saw it as a lesson as to what would happen to me should i do the same. Ten years later im now on my second year if testosterone, and gid does it feel hood to be home in my body
33:45 thought you said transsaw and now i think thatd be an awesome name for a movie lol
I cried a few times watching this
I'm so sorry I know this isn't related to the point of the video ( i love it so much btw! :D ) but is it okay if I ask what songs/music was playing in the background? they were so pretty sounding!
Thank you for the kind words!!! And the music in the background is just some copyright free stuff off TH-cam, I think I googled dark piano and searched around for a bit lol.
Also, personal impression (if admittedly a lukewarm take): agent starling seems to me the headwaters birthing an archetype mirrored reverently in agent Dana Scully but VERY much Det. Olivia Benson on SVU. thoughts?
Edit: ESP Benson of the earlier seasons, with darkest hair and earlier 90's idk you get it lol
good video
needy actually does get revenge on jennifers killers in jennifers body, its in the credits
I think I might have missed the daughter being the possessing force in Alex in Hereditary. I understood it to be the demon prince Paimon that possessed him
I think the daughter was Paimon’s vessel but then they needed a male body so she transferred into her brother.
NEED you to talk about John Waters
definitely am a fan from what I’ve seen but he’s someone I want to do more research on fs!
Veeeery late comer to this video (and new subscriber), but I am very curious to see your opinion of Lilly Wachowski's adaptation of the novel Manhunt.
Sent here by Meromorphic. Hello :)
thank you for a great analysis
I love this video!!!
I can't believe I'm just now realizing Bubba cross dressed!!!!
What show/movie is the piano song in chapter five from; I know I’ve hear it before but I can’t place it!
Honestly, I just grabbed it off a copyright free piano beats playlist on here, I can’t remember the specific name but if you search up something like that you’re bound to find it!
mindblowing
Aw man. That sucks, Buffalo Bill part, he's based off a guy that wore women skin because he was chasing the memory of his mother. Nothing about being female gendered AT ALL. So ppl using him as a representative of transwomen... is really really not even valid
Any chance you/someone could tell us which films had footage in this video? I think you said most of their titles of not all of them, but my hearing isn't doing me any favors there 😭
Ofc! The ones I remember are:
• Jennifer’s Body
• Ginger Snaps
• The Silence of The Lambs
• Titane
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
• The Thing
• The Fly
• Interview With The Vampire (Movie and Show)
• Adventure Time
• Bit
• They / Them
• Sleepaway Camp
• and a few others im probably blanking on