An Arrogant, Activist Alien: An Analysis of Negative Queer Tropes

To Download, Please Visit The Full Version of Enby Entertainment (Link on Main Page)

 

Abstract

This dissertation examines the negative representation of fictional non-binary characters in film and television. In contemporary culture, non-binary people are often victims to angry debates, hate speech, and assaults, which has the consequence of serious mental and physical harm. These negative opinions are a result of a lack of knowledge due to its recency in mainstream discourse, a lack of understanding due to engrained ideology, and the complicated associations with other LGBTQ+ identities. Entertainment media can allow for a safer and more relaxed environment to portray non-binary people in a respectful way and discuss information about the identity. Many examples do prove this is possible. However, others fail to achieve this, either purposefully or accidentally. As a result, film and television can reinforce negative beliefs.

 

Using queer theory, which has noted the causes and impacts of stereotypes for all LGBTQ+ portrayals for decades, this dissertation discusses the most common and problematic stereotypes and issues in non-binary characterisation. Its aim is to impart a greater understanding of what bad representation resembles. Chapter 1 examines the academic basis of the idea of being non-binary. It explores how negative portrayals of homosexuality in the 20th century have evolved into stereotypes about genderqueer people being annoyed activists, self-centred snobs, and angsty teenagers. Chapter 2 will examine stereotypes regarding the links to transgender people, and the associated representations of non-binary people as pathetic failures, deceiving rapists, and inhuman aliens. Finally, Chapter 3 will discuss the positives and negatives of visibility in reference to queerbaiting and cisnormativity, and whether no representation is more beneficial overall.

Contents

Introduction

• Ethnomethodological Clarification

Chapter 1: Stereotyping the Political - The Arrogant, Adolescent Activist

• Stereotypes, Discourse, and Reception Theory

• Giving Enbies an Identity: Activism vs Queer

• The Enby as a Self-Obsessed Snob

• The Enby as an Angsty Teen

Chapter 2: Stereotyping the Queer - Transgender Made Inhuman

• Finding Identity Under the Transgender Umbrella

• The Enby as the Pathetic Trans*

• The Enby as the Deceptive Trans*

• Non-Binary equals Non-Human

Chapter 3: Disregarding Stereotypes by Disregarding Identity - Can Enbies Ever Just Be?

• Cisnormativity and Queerbaiting

• The Positives and Negatives of Connoted Visibility

Conclusion: Not an End All for Enbies

Information

This is the link to my dissertation I wrote for my Media and Communications BA Honours Degree. It recieved First Class Honours, being highly praised by my lecturers. To celebrate International Non-Binary Day (14th July) I have decided to uploading it online.

It is a longer read than my normal blog posts, by that I mean it is around an hour. Fortunately, it is split into three chapters, and thirteen parts, each taking around 5 minutes to read each, if you prefer to break down the reading of it.

To read this dissertation, please download the PDF (at the top of the page). Unfortunately it is too long to be a blog post.

A Video Version is also available on my YouTube Channel "Satin Squares" 

Feel Good - "Allowing Enbies to Feel Bad and Feel Good"

In a more optimistic note, this post explores how stereotypes can be avoided while creating a compelling non-binary narrative.

 

 

Mae (Mae Martin, left) and George (Charlotte Ritchie, right) express many happy and sad queer stories through the 12 episodes of Feel Good [Image: Netflix] 

In my upcoming dissertation essay, I defined several negative tropes about non-binary representation in film and television. These include often being portrayed as an activist, an entitled youth, a pathetic crossdresser, a deceiving sexual harasser,  and as a tragic and cynical character. My analysis of that will be in a few months. However, I originally planned to end the essay with a positive example, but ran out of the word count so cut it. Thus, here it is: an analysis of why Feel Good is one of the best non-binary representations.

 

Ricky Gervais: SuperNature - "The Irony is Lost"

 It is only a week to go until Ricky Gervais's newest stand-up special releases on Netflix (for whatever reason Armageddon (Spencer, 2023) is coming on Christmas Day, which has a lot of implications into what the comedian thinks he is on level with). Ahead of this occasion, I thought it best to revisit last year's special, SuperNature (Spencer, 2022). Unlike other posts, this is an actual essay, which will be detailing whether Gervais' viewpoint that he can make jokes about anyone (including trans and non-binary individuals) is actually appropriate, or whether the "wokists" should cancel him forever.

Ricky Gervais is known for his annoyed and judgemental persona, but has he taken it too far [Copyright: Netflix]

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There is an often-circulated rule of stand-up comedy which states “you can’t joke about it unless you are it”. This rule dictates that to make jokes about sensitive personal issues (being gay, trans, Black, female, Jewish, etc.) that you must yourself identify that way, otherwise it would be deemed inappropriate. However, many comedians take issue with this rule for various reasons. One such opposer of this is Ricky Gervais, a British, straight, cisgender, white, atheist man who regularly makes jokes regarding the holocaust, religion, and the LGBTQ+ community, specifically trans individuals. Gervais claims in his infamous stand-up special SuperNature (Spencer, 2022) that he “supports trans rights [as] trans rights are human rights” in real life. Although this is most likely true, his overall standpoint, persona, and use of comedy in SuperNature reinforces many stereotypes and perpetuates an anti-trans ideology in the audience’s mind. Therefore, this places into contention whether the "don’t joke about it unless you are it rule” should apply to Gervais’ comedy.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - "Bureaucratic Fairness"

Looking into the use of accidental negative stereotypes and the positives of actors choosing their own identity

The Adjudicator (portrayed by Asia Kate Dillon, left) is an interesting character with a lot of mystery, including their gender identity [Copyright: Lionsgate]

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After watching John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Chad Stahelski, 2019), I asked my family if they noticed that there was a non-binary character in the film. They all said that they did not. This would be understandable if the character in question made a minor appearance in one scene. However, the non-binary character is actually one of the main antagonists of the film: The Adjudicator (portrayed by Asia Kate Dillon). Surely a scene confirming the gender identity would be wanted by audiences (probably only second to getting to see Keanu Reeves kill three people in a bar with a pencil). However, similarly to the world of John Wick, the representation is not as black and white as it first seems.

Non-Binary = Non-Human - A Trope of Representation

Discussing a common negative trope in non-binary representation and how Netflix's Dead End: Paranormal Park combated it

Courtney (Bottom Left) in Dead End: Paranormal Park is not non-binary, but she is the best representation on this list

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Futurama, Good Omens, The Good Place, Loki, Solar Opposites; these are just some examples of shows that feature non-human characters who are defined on the non-binary spectrum. However, this creates a few issues. Firstly, does this imply to be defined as non-binary is to not be human? And secondly, why does a character have to be non-human for writers to add representation?

Zoolander 2 - "All that is Wrong"

Discussing the multiple flaws of non-binary representation in a film that uses the identity as attempted comedy

Trailer Still of All (Benedict Cumberbatch) [Copyright: Paramount Pictures]

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Zoolander 2 is a film that has many flaws. From its slow-to-get-going plot, to its jarring and frequent celebrity cameos, to just the fact it generally misses jokes, it is evident why this film has mixed reviews. However, another major issue is its offensive stance that feels less like mocking the fashion industry (the stance taken for the first film), to just purely mocking unfashionable people. Most notably is a series of fat jokes made at Zoolander’s teenage son. Although, to a different character, it also contains offense towards the non-binary community (obviously, that is why you are here). The character is called All, and this is basically all that could go wrong with representation.

Loki - "Bait and No Switch"

Discussing the use of queerbaiting in a mainstream show

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Mobius (Owen Wilson) [From Disney]

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This is nothing ground-breaking. Not just the show’s treatment of genderfluidity, but my analysis of its reveal as being nothing more than queerbaiting, as this was mentioned by many people at the time. However, ahead of the show’s second season (planning to be aired later this year), I thought I would revisit and apply the representation criteria to see if there are any merits. If the rating is yet to give it away, prepare for disappointment.

Loki is the third TV series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, releasing in 2021. It follows an alternate version of the titular Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who steals the Tesseract during a time travel scene in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and is hunted by the TVA, an organisation designed to make sure only one version of the timeline exists. However, when the alternate Loki is given a choice by TVA employee Mobius (Owen Wilson) to help them instead of being erased, he ends up finding that the organisation goes deeper and more nefarious than expected.

The Owl House - "Identity kept as a Whisper"

Discussing connoted viability in a series that is praised for LGBTQ+ representation

Raine Whispers from voice actor Avi Roque's Twitter (@ok_roque)

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The Owl House is an animated series about a quirky but socially-isolated human girl (Luz Noceda, voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles) who accidentally ends up in the Demon Realm, a fantasy land populated by witches and demons, and ruled by the mysterious Emperor Belos. The show follows Luz as she embraces her dream of living in a fantasy land and being looked after by the rebellious Eda “The Owl Lady” Clawthorne (Wendie Malick) and the confident and adorable King (Alex Hirsch) in the titular Owl House. The show, and its creator Dana Terrace, has been praised for its representation of LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent identities.

One such representation is the non-binary character Raine Whispers (voiced by Avi Roque, and Blu del Barrio (the latter voices the young version in flashbacks)). They are the first non-binary character portrayed in a Disney product. Raine features in a supporting role in nine episodes from their introduction in the episode “Eda’s Requiem” (S2:E7) to the most recent episode “For the Future” (S3:E2). In the show, they are the head witch of the bard coven, overlooked by the antagonist Emperor Belos, and are part of rebel groups against the emperor’s plans. They are also the ex of one of the main characters, Eda Clawthorne. Portrayed as an independent, cunning, and determined person, Raine is a complex and interesting character who is not defined by their identity. But is this lack of definition a positive or a negative for the wider representation?