For this blog post, I have opted to reflect on representations of queer realities in media- examining the intersectional narratives featured in the documentary film Paris Is Burning (Livingston, 1990) and the TV drama Pose (Murphy et al, 2018-2021), while contrasting them to mainstream queer narratives such as depicted in TV dramas such as Will & Grace (Mutchnick et al, 1998-2020) and Transparent (Soloway and Sperling, 2014-2019).
I have selected Paris Is Burning (Livingston, 1990) and Pose (Murphy et al, 2018-2021) as both works engage in intersectional representations of ballroom sub-culture in New York City during the late 1980's. Paris is Burning highlights the first-hand experiences of Black and Latino queer and trans communities participating in the ballroom scene at the time of the AIDS crisis and rapid gentrification of NYC. Pose, which is an episodic TV series heavily influenced by Paris Is Burning, explores similar narratives through its fictionalized characters and exploration of New York ball scene around the same time period.
Both Paris Is Burning (Livingston, 1990) and Pose (Murphy et al, 2018-2021) approach the intersectionality of its characters, both real and fictionalized, by examining their relationships to systems of power in an increasingly gentrified and socially oppressive context. In each instance, the characters participate in the ballroom scene- consisting of organized dance or lip sync competitions while in drag makeup and clothing, while navigating homophobia, transmisogyny, racism and classism. The ballroom scene emerged in response to such oppressive social systems, while providing a space for community and refuge for those at the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, ability, and low socioeconomic status. Given the inherently political origins of ballroom, and the representations depicted in Paris Is Burning and Pose, it would seem that these media examples align with Hill and Bilge's (2016) view that intersectionality goes beyond "the richness of multiple identities that make individuals unique" (p. 89) and considers "the politics of identity and intersectionality as a form of critical inquiry and praxis" (p. 89).
For additional background on the ballroom scene, Baume (2020) provides a brief history of ball culture and contrasts media representations of the scene over the last 60 years:
When contrasted with other examples of popular queer representations in media, such as mainstream TV series Will & Grace (Mutchnick et al, 1998-2020) and Transparent (Soloway and Sperling, 2014-2019)- the complex, intersectional narratives that were present in Paris Is Burning (Livingston, 1990) and Pose (Murphy et al, 2018-2021) appear to be absent. In this instance, both shows address queer identity through it's fictional characters: Will & Grace's depiction of Will Truman's gay male experience, and Transparent's depiction of Maura's experience of being a trans woman. At the same time however, the main characters across both shows are white, able-bodied and situated in privileged upper-middle class contexts. As such, the absence of intersectional class struggle or racial identities addressed through these shows results in a vary narrow representation of queerness. Where the main characters in Paris Is Burning and Pose face inequities across multiple axises of their identity, those in Will & Grace and Transparent do not.
Baume, M. (2020, July 28). Ballroom history: The 1960s, paris is burning, and today [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/zjfzvo-zRPo
Hill, C. P. & Bilge, S. (2016). Intersectionality. Polity. (Chapter 6: Intersectionality and Identity)
Livingston, J. (Director). (1990). Paris is burning [Film]. Off-White Productions.
Murphy, R., Falchuk, B., Jacobson, N., Mock, J., Simpson, B., Woodall, A. M., Marsh, S., Canals, S. (Executive Producers). (2018-2021). Pose. [TV Series]. Color Force, Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Television, Touchstone Television, 20th Television.
Mutchnick, M., Kohan, D., Burrows, J., Marchinko, J., Greenstein, J., Herschlag, A., Flebotte, D., Kinnally, J., Poust, T., Janetti, G., Malins, G., Wrubel, B., Quaintance, J., Martin, S., Barr, A. (Executive Producers). (1998 - 2020). Will & Grace. [TV Series]. Universal Television.
Soloway, J., Sperling, A. (Executive Producers). (2014-2019). Transparent. [TV Series]. Amazon Studies, Picrow, Topple.