I found the readings from chapter one of Undoing Gender especially interesting in an abstract sense in her discussions of fantasy. To Butler, fantasy seems almost necessary to reality in that it is a mechanism (a discursive mechanism, if you will) that establishes boundaries through one of my favorite motifs in literature: excess.
The concept of excess in fantasy versus reality becomes important as far as the evolution of acceptance. The more extreme of an excess the more extreme the normalizing shift will be, granted that some form of acceptance, whether socially, legally, culturally etc., can be garnered. This makes the kiss-in protest movement especially prescient because it is an excess in terms of public displays of gay relationships. The important thing in establishing the fantasy that excess reveals as a possibility for reality or truth is the teleology. The end goal of any form of excess should be considered and I think this consideration relates to the assimilation of excess against normality.
Another example of this is in the video clip that we have for Monday. The clip is from the HBO show Hung and involves contrasting the reactions of people at a high school reunion with those of the main character and that of the character in contention. The problem centers around the 'excessive' demonstration made by a transgender character (played also by a transgender actress) in an attempt to either deceive or assimilate into a former public community. The questions that I would propose to think about before watching this next week would be: would this count as an example of excess? If so, what is the goal of this excess? And then just any opinions that one might have towards the intentions, action and consequences of this scene.
Hi Clyve,
ReplyDeleteThose are really good questions you asked at the end. I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by excess, but I'm basing my interpretation on your saying that excess establishes boundaries, and that the more extreme the excess, the more extreme of a normalizing shift will result. This makes me think that excess in literature is when norms are challenged by a fantastic occurrence or character, and that the bluntness of these confrontations causes change in whatever norms are present. I think with this definition, the scene from Hung would be an example of excess. It seems that the transgender character in this scene is using the reunion, a reminder of her childhood and adolescence in which she felt she did not belong, to revisit this childhood as the woman she feels like rather than the out of place boy she was. I don't know if it resulted in change in the norms, because once the others at her reunion realize who she is, they begin to deride her. But it did result in a change in both Ray and the transgender character, where they decide to dance despite the ridicule of the room and in so doing robs the others of their power.
-Ziev
I am also interested to hear more about exactly what you mean by excess. Also, I found your use of the concept teleology within your conclusion "The important thing in establishing the fantasy that excess reveals as a possibility for reality or truth is the teleology" interesting. I'm not sure if you were playing with the concept of the natural in drawing on teleology, but whether or not excess is natural, or if the excess within this clip is naturalized on some level despite the reaction of her peers seems interesting. Her choice to remain at the party, and Hung's support of this, struck me as a powerful claim for the reality of her new identity. And though it can be argued that not introducing herself was based in a desire for self reassurance of some kind, it also seems powerful that it took quite a while for the crowd to realize she was not someone they would consider a "natural woman", putting pressure on this structuring of reality.
ReplyDeleteTracy
Clyve,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the clip. I've heard of the show but haven't ever watched, and now I'm quite interested. I'll be ordering the series once i'm done with classes.
I've been thinking about it for a bit now, and I'm wondering about life after surgery for transgendered individuals who go through the physical transformation. Do they generally feel an obligation to tell the world about their life-altering change? Do they feel an urge to fit into their newly elected gender without notice -- like Kyla from the show? What's the aftermath like, dealing with the looks, the questions, the scrutiny? It seems to me that the physical transformation, as immense and intense as it is, is only the beginning. Entering the public again, rife with the memories and previously held notions, seems at least as daunting as the surgeries and treatments. Just more questions for consideration, I suppose.
- terese