Learning about the historical context regarding the massive persecution of several gays and lesbians has provided a really interesting backdrop for other classes of mine. I am also in "Civil Liberties and Fundamental Rights" where we interpret and critique several court case decisions through the lense of the constitution. This class drew my attention to this absolutely fascinating article and I thought it might be interesting to anyone interested in the side of judicial power as far as LGBTQ rights. It's quite theory based and a little dense, but it essentially finds parody in Supreme Court decisions (specifically the transition from Bowers v. Hardwick to Lawrence v. Texas) and compares that to the popular TV show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Her article provides a different explanation that is not "conventional constitutional discourse" and focuses of the application of queer theory. I had a little trouble understanding the article, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you want any notes that I took in class that may help you better understand the author's point!
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4148040?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Thank you for sharing this! Certainly a very interesting read. The author's claim that "popular culture provides a unique insight into the everyday operation of political power that may under certain circumstances transform, rather than simply mirror, status quo power relations" was particularly noteworthy to me. However, I was somewhat inclined to question her the parallels she drew between constitutional discourse and the specific example of "Queer Eye." In my personal experience, I have felt that Queer Eye, at the end of the day, does little more than pander to straight audiences and perpetuate caricatures of gay men. Thus, while Lawrence v. Texas was certainly a "makeover" of Bowers v. Hardwick, I feel that said makeover directly benefits queer communities, whereas Queer Eye benefits heterosexuals at the expense of commodified/stereotypical gay labor. Not sure if my point is coming through, but I would love to discuss this with you if you have any questions!
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DeleteI completely agree with your critique regarding the way the author compares the TV show and the court case. Your comment shows great insight and I'm so glad you enjoyed the article!
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