Queer theory is the field of gender studies that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of gay and lesbian studies, and feminist studies. Although many people believe that queer theory is only about homosexual representations in literature, it also explores categories of gender, as well as sexual orientation. It is not only concerned with sexuality but also with identity. It sees gender as constructed socially, to some extent through our association with the media.
An example of this threory is in the children's television programme 'Scooby Doo'. Three of the five main characters have defined roles which have been set through queer theory. These include;
- Fred - Leader, Male
- Daphne - Female, follows Fred, and is a Girly Girl
- Velma - Brainy/Nerd, Intelligent, Lesbian
Queer theorists analyse texts to expose underlying meanings within and to challenge the notions of 'straight' ideology. They generally challenge the idea that what appears to be straight is in fact a subversion of homosexual desires.
No comments:
Post a Comment