Another take on The Rocky Horror Picture Show

[Kimberly Kael]

I know I'm sticking my neck out here, so please bear with me. I understand why the movie gets a bad rap in TG circles. Frank-N-Furter is a bully with masculine qualities many of us are trying to disassociate ourselves from. He's a bisexual, which is a stereotype we'd like to play down because it's no more likely to be true in our case than anyone else's. More significantly, he's an unrepentant murderer which is clearly an unwelcome association. He may also be an alien, though that's far from clear.

On the flip side, though, he's also completely comfortable with his cross-dressing and is clearly seen as a leader among his people. No, these don't balance the scales enough to turn him into a sympathetic character or a role-model - but they do result in an interesting dynamic among the regulars that attend the showings and this is where I see the real upside.

The participation leaders in the theatre are invariably cross-dressed, and get a chance to hold their head up high and feel celebrated. The social climate at showings also offers a distinctly blurred gender boundary so it's a safe haven for experimentation. I had a female friend drag me into the women's bathroom to put makeup on me and in an instant I was past a handful of potential awkward first steps.

Just something to think about. I'd love to see more clearly positive TG role models in cinema, but I'd hate to see our community completely deny the positive impact that the movie has for some individuals.

[DonnaT]

I wasn't aware that there were TG circles giving the movie a bad rap.

In fact, many TGs attend a showing of the movie regularly, as a celebration and an opportunity to cross dress.

[Kimberly Kael]

I wasn't aware that there were TG circles giving the movie a bad rap.

Interesting. I've seen it used as an example of a negative TG stereotype quite a few times recently - but then that could very well be more of an activist viewpoint than a widespread TG community perception. I've certainly seen the same kind of reaction from others who get too close to a cause and get overly sensitive about it.

I'm glad to hear the perception isn't universal. It seemed a shame to disregard the positive aspects and just focus on the negative.

[Tekla]

If it gets a bad rap, I've never seen it happen in public where many in the SF gay/CD community adore it. Of course they get that its both a parody and a product of a couple of teenagers and take it at face value.

My only problem with it is that the original idea was brilliant, but when they had to make it full length it falls off. So that the original five songs ("Science Fiction/Double Feature" / "Dammit, Janet!" / "Over at the Frankenstein Place" / "The Time Warp" / "Sweet Transvestite") are awesome, after that it drags and gets boring.

Still, I'm sure that there are many CDs who's first outing in public was RHPS, and for many its perhaps their only outing. So if nothing else, its good that way.

[Amanda Barber]

I've never known it to have a bad rap in the TG community either.
It does seem to have a bad rap in the heterosexual tri-ess style crossdresser circles though.

[Tekla]

Things that treat crossdressing with humor are not tri-ess style. Tri-Ess is not exactly mainstream or well-regarded in the TG community either where that militant heterosexuality has alienated so many in the LGBT cause (in fairness, I think that SSS does not want to associate with LGBT either), so I don't see where their opinion counts for much past their meetings. Give a choice between meetings of that kind (or meetings of any kind, god I hate meetings), or another round with a satanic mechanic I'll take the Time Warp every time.