Author: 007baby

For my cultural artifact, I chose a photo I took at The Rocky Horror Picture Show Musical in Lititz, PA this past year. I’ve been going with my close friends for the past couple years, and it has become a cherished tradition between us. The Rocky Horror Picture Show in both its film and musical forms has become one of the most recognizable pieces of queer media since its release.

When we had our in-class discussion and readings on camp, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was mentioned in one of the articles. The most interesting part of our discussion, I found, was the classification of certain symbols, behaviors, media, etc. as camp vs. campy vs. kitsch. I will summarize the definitions below:

Camp: ““one way of seeing the world as an aesthetic phenomenon” (Sontag).

Campy: “as a style and sensibility, comprises a set of widely appreciated characteristics: frivolity, the celebration of the “so bad it’s good,” the overwrought, the histrionic, what Sontag calls ‘failed seriousness’” (Lowder).

Kitsch: “considered to be in poor taste but appreciated in an ironic or knowing way” (Oxford Languages).

The three terms appear to be intersecting, in that something can be described as one, or multiple, of these things; however, that description depends entirely on how it is being perceived. For instance, when I think of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I think of it as an art piece-a way to have fun with the genre of science fiction while also acknowledging and giving in to the expression of sexuality and drama. I would describe it as camp. I showed my friend this same photo (keep in mind we had drastically different upbringings) and she said to me, “Oh… they’re not wearing a lot of clothes.” I believe that if she were in attendance with my friends and I that night, she may have become faint witnessing some of the choreography. She would most likely describe it as campy.

Writing this and thinking back on my discussion with my friend brought to mind the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I think that is true in any case we are called upon to describe something, even when not describing its beauty. In this course, we often discuss intersectionality in terms of people’s identities, but I think intersectionality can also be applied to our descriptions and world views.

In the series of articles by J. Bryan Lowder, “Postcards on Camp,” the author discusses the French philosopher and writer Barthes and his ideas on camp, describing it as “the rescue of nuance.” Barthes refers to nuance as the direct opposition of the perceived and stereotypical, coining the term doxa. There are multiple instances of challenging doxical conventions included in Tony Kushner’s play, Angels in America: a Gay Fantasia on National Themes. By challenging these doxical conventions, Kushner complicates the ideas of politics during the Reagan Administration and spiritual authority in Mormonism.

One example of this is Roy Cohen’s character, which challenges the doxical convention surrounding political inaction in regard to the AIDs epidemic. The Reagan Administration is criticized for their lack of initiative in combatting the AIDs crisis, which stems from the disease primarily affecting stigmatized groups. Cohen’s character holds lots of political influence and power, yet he is diagnosed with AIDs. Cohen says to his doctor “No, Henry, no. AIDS is what homosexuals have. I have liver cancer” (Kushner 2013, 47). Roy makes this distinction, lying about his condition, as a result of his internalized homophobia and because he is aware of the power and influence he could lose if others were to find out that he was diagnosed with AIDs.

Another example of this is the angel’s declaration of Prior Walter as a prophet, challenging the doxical convention surrounding homosexuality and religion. In the play, Prior and Harper meet in his dream and her delusion, and Harper says to him “Oh! In my church we don’t believe in homosexuals” (Kushner 2013, 32). Mormonism is a central theme to this play; it plays a major role in the lives of characters Harper and Joe. In Mormonism, acting upon same-sex attraction is considered a sin, often resulting in the homophobic and exclusionary attitudes towards homosexuality from Mormons. The idea of a gay man dying of AIDs being declared a religious figure is a doxical convention in and of itself.

In Eli Clare’s autobiography, Exile and Pride, Clare explores the intersectionality between class and sexuality. During this exploration, Clare discusses the narrative between rural versus urban communities, especially how rural communities are typically associated with rednecks, which are then associated with homophobia, bigotry, and so on; whereas, urban communities are associated with open-mindedness, the cultural salad bowl metaphor, and queer enclaves. This idea is summarized in metronormativity. While, on occasion, these stereotypes can be proven true, it is never good to generalize and assume based off what you have heard, rather than what you have experienced.

I grew in a very similar socioeconomic status to Clare. Both of my parents have worked their whole lives, and we have always straddled the line between lower and middle class. I also grew up in a rural community; a cow farm, to be more specific. Location is one of the most important factors in determining one’s socioeconomic status, and living in a rural area often coincides with being lower or lower-middle class. That being said, urban areas typically consist of those in the middle- and upper-class. Besides the obvious difference in land use in rural and urban communities, the concentration of wealth in urban areas and lack thereof in rural areas must be addressed. While it’s true that money can’t buy happiness, according to the cliché, it can buy accessibility to education, healthcare, and more. A lack of accessibility is at the root of the villainization of rural communities, and we as a society must learn to share and spread our resources equally if we ever hope for equality.

Whenever I read poems, the first thing I do is look at the title and try to decipher its meaning. Then, I read the poem and try to figure out how it applies, since titles are also supposed to be meaningful. From context gained through reading the poem, it appears that the narrator is in a secret relationship where there is little to no care or even solidarity. Post-coital, the narrator is left alone “to pick pine needles / from [their] hair, to brush brown / leaves off [their] shirt” (Saeed). This imagery conveys the narrator’s loneliness as they try to right themselves, putting themselves back together without any help. Themes of loneliness are not only present in this poem, but are relevant throughout this entire collection.

Thinking back to the title, being on the “…Edge of Woods” could be interpreted in multiple ways. In the most literal sense, the title refers to the location in which the narrator is having relations: at the edge of the woods. Although, my first thought was that the woods were a metaphor for sexuality, which is fitting in my opinion as the woods are often seen as wild and overgrow by some, but bring peace and a connection to life for others. Given this interpretation, I think that the narrator feels like they’re on the edge of their sexuality, in that they can’t experience or fully come to terms with the sexuality they identify with. This sentiment could be the reason why the narrator is in a secret relationship and/or the secret relationship could be reinforcing this feeling. Community also plays a large part in sexuality and the narrator may feel like they’re on the edge of their community because they feel like an imposter or they’re unable to accept or come to terms with their sexual identity.