Rocky Horror: A Queer Landmark

 

Rocky Horror is a cult classic for a reason. It is hilariously campy and silly and strange in extra leaps and miles. I understand why people don’t like this movie, I used to be one of those people. It was very hard for me to digest all the wackiness and all I saw was a bad movie. I mean, looking at it on paper it should be a horrible movie: It’s full of hypocrisy, has poor taste, has cheap and ridiculous plot points, etc. However! The cheese in the movie prevails through and turns it into cheesy gold. It's when you learn to laugh at and with the movie that it opens up and becomes a very fun time, almost like an amusement park ride (in the best of ways). 

In terms of the movie’s sexuality, it can be best described as; a lot. Sexuality is everywhere in this movie and never gives up the spotlight. Not to mention, it is widely progressive compared to anything else we’ve seen in class and is still progressive even in today's standards. The unapologetic atmosphere of the entire movie is really what stands it apart from most other things. Everyone is themselves and there is no shame in self-identity. Dr. Frank N. Furter himself, the “sweet transvestite from transexual Transylvania”, is an icon of unapologetic sexuality, and that one line is a perfect encapsulation of the entire movie’s sexuality and its exploration in that sexuality. From the opening lips, to the scandalous costuming, to the alien departure, Rocky Horror is a monument to queer film culture.

Post-Class Update:

The class discussion helped me view Rocky Horror in a more artistic lense. This sounds a little weird but I’ve had a hard time viewing Rocky Horror as something more than a silly fun movie. 

The argument during class I found to be the most interesting is the comparison of the Transylvanians to a religious group. It makes a lot of sense to me, and in terms of the roles within the religion, Frank N. Furter is by all means the messiah-like figure at the top. The Transylvanians worship him and he exhibits the behaviors of a god in that he creates, destroys, and changes life (He creates Rocky, kills Eddie, and forever changes the lives of Brad and Janet). He even has a biblical-like death in the end, where his followers turn on him out of their own greed and he dies surrounded by his followers. I wouldn't be surprised if there were even more biblical connections to make in the movie. The whole idea is very interesting :)