The Feminine Male
Comments(3) The first time I saw Charlie Chaplin was in the 1931 film City Lights. In my ignorance, I thought that the particular scene was a strange one, the Tramp was in a locker room with a brutish boxer towering above him. Chaplin, in an attempt to make nice with the thug, avoids an aggressive demeanor. He opts instead to smile and actually cuts eyes at him in a flirting manner. Since I did not know about Chaplin’s life or his infatuation to many young women (his true downfall), I figured that he was, bluntly put, gay.
I had missed the point. After Rudolph Valentino’s adrogynous appeal took the nation by storm, Hollywood presented a new sort of hero, one that could simultaenously be masculine and feminine, attracting both sexes. This tradition has definitely continued throughout the twentieth century mainstream culture, and without much uproar from gender role traditionalists. James Dean, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presely, David Bowie and Mick Jagger all manage to be both pretty and manly. The attraction here is sexual for both male audiences and female.
I think the most notable Feminine Male of today is Brando’s protege Johnny Depp. Audiences were delighted and won over with Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Carribean. If Sparrow is not bisexual, he is just a tease for Orlando Bloom. And one can see a connection in those action movies we viewed in class Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse and Son of the Sheik with a rip roaring adventure on the high seas. The hero is able to show his dainty side, but can also throw a punch to balance it out. As for Chaplin, he’s not exactly an action star, but breaking past gender roles often gets a laugh…except for you Mel Gibson. What Women Want? Give me a break.
Hey Craig, I agree with you about society’s aspect with gender-bending. Musician’s have been doing it for years with great success. It seems to increase their appeal as well as sales. There seems to be something inherently erotic about a guy that is a little pretty. The appeal seems to lie in the fact that they are masculine enough to perform as men (kicking butt and whatnot), while also being able to be sensitive. Also, they show women how pretty they could be. It’s definitely a weir phenomenon in that society is attracted to something it should be repulsed be. This is a spectacle in and of itself.
I’m glad that you know what I’m talking about and I agree with your logic behind it. But I don’t think society should be repulsed by it, that’s a subjective statment and depends on your own personal standards and mores.
[...] I’ve spent a while reflecting on the discussion of Valentino’s appeal–both in class and in Craig’s blog–and decided to make a list of the ten most iconic actors and actresses, in my opinion. I intentionally chose iconic rather than greatest, because I think there is a significant difference between the two. ‘Iconic’ is more about recognizability and enduring influence on popular culture rather than skill or importance to the evolution of the film industry in general. (For example, Veronica Lake was iconic, while Bette Davis was great.) So here they are, in no particular order. I think. (Or it could be in a mysteriously devious order that will take you months of intense thought to work out. Ha. You may never know.) [...]