Reading female masculinities in the 1920s can not be looked at without discussing Radclyffe Hall. Hall was a lesbian and famous for her relationships and writings. The Well of Loneliness was her best known novel that features the life of Stephen Gordon a masculine lesbian who resembles Hall in many ways. In regards to the article, Hall’s appearance was a constant source of comment throughout her whole life. Her “sexual cross dressing” evoked a lot of controversy as far as dress and the implied meanings of that dress.Is it possible to dress completely masculine, and keep short hair, short nails etc. without being labelled a lesbian? In the 1920s the article states, boyishness as fashion meant passing neither as a boy nor as a lesbian and that we have to be careful in reading “masculine” as lesbian. There was a constant need to label one another during that time. Women who smoked and drank ‘like men’ called each other bi-sexual or sexless names such as, Bobbie, Jackie, Jo. Hall was exciting and brave to women and the Modern Girl was tempted to experiment herself.Hall created a style in affect by making her lesbianism more visible. Sexual ambiguity was broken down and the link between clothing and sexual identity was firmly established. A point of interest to me is the visual similarity found in Hall and Coco Chanel. Below is Radclyffe Hall, an established lesbian. Beside her, Coco Chanel, a straight woman. Both these women are fashion icons, one for masculine style the other for masculine design, yet very hard to differentiate which one is the lesbian.Sources: Doan, Laura. “Passing Fashions: Reading Female Masculinities in the 1920s.” Feminist Studies. (1998): 663-700.Wilson, Elizabeth. “A Note on Glamour.” Fashion Theory. 11.1. (2007): 95-108.11.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
femininity and dress.
Reading female masculinities in the 1920s can not be looked at without discussing Radclyffe Hall. Hall was a lesbian and famous for her relationships and writings. The Well of Loneliness was her best known novel that features the life of Stephen Gordon a masculine lesbian who resembles Hall in many ways. In regards to the article, Hall’s appearance was a constant source of comment throughout her whole life. Her “sexual cross dressing” evoked a lot of controversy as far as dress and the implied meanings of that dress.Is it possible to dress completely masculine, and keep short hair, short nails etc. without being labelled a lesbian? In the 1920s the article states, boyishness as fashion meant passing neither as a boy nor as a lesbian and that we have to be careful in reading “masculine” as lesbian. There was a constant need to label one another during that time. Women who smoked and drank ‘like men’ called each other bi-sexual or sexless names such as, Bobbie, Jackie, Jo. Hall was exciting and brave to women and the Modern Girl was tempted to experiment herself.Hall created a style in affect by making her lesbianism more visible. Sexual ambiguity was broken down and the link between clothing and sexual identity was firmly established. A point of interest to me is the visual similarity found in Hall and Coco Chanel. Below is Radclyffe Hall, an established lesbian. Beside her, Coco Chanel, a straight woman. Both these women are fashion icons, one for masculine style the other for masculine design, yet very hard to differentiate which one is the lesbian.Sources: Doan, Laura. “Passing Fashions: Reading Female Masculinities in the 1920s.” Feminist Studies. (1998): 663-700.Wilson, Elizabeth. “A Note on Glamour.” Fashion Theory. 11.1. (2007): 95-108.11.
Friday, February 13, 2009
dance magic dance.
helena: "if I tell you something weird will you think I am crazy?"
valentine: "yes, I'd expect so" -mirrormask.
If you know me, you still may not know this... I am utterly obsessed with all things fantasy and young girls in revolt. The combination of the two. Young heroines and their temptations of men and the unknown. The following is a comparison piece I wrote on MirrorMask, The Labyrinth and The Company of Wolves. If you have not heard of these films then I highly suggest if you have any childlike interest in stories of fantasy and adolescence to check them out. read more below:
photo credit: paper_wings(butterfly)flickr
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
rude:canadian film review.
I found the film Rude (1995), to not only be an excellent critical look at the Jane and Finch area and the struggle between the law enforcement and the criminals; but it gave a deep look at the struggle of marginalized groups. Not only was there a lot of critique of poor black individuals, but also it went further and looked at the marginalized groups within that group. For example it portrayed not just low-income black men, but as criminals. It used the Gaze on the black women with the constant use of the unwanted video filming, extreme violation of personal privacy and the scene of attempted rape at the end. Finally, portrayed lower in marginalization than the black woman, is the gay black man. Of course at the top of the entire hierarchy, is the white man, the puppeteer above it all.
Image credit: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2483067904/tt0114305
Monday, January 12, 2009
Implicitly put.
with strong encouragement from my professor and inspirer of all things I love, I started blogging. realizing that I have far too many opinions and an interest beyond the surface of all things media related, this blog is now an extension of my past education in all things experienced and wondered. enjoy.
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