Unit 26 - What is Queer Theory and What is Genre analysis

Queer theory is built upon the challenges of feminism to the idea that gender is apart of oneself as well as gay/lesbian studies' examinations of the constructed nature of sexual acts and identities.



The tern 'gay' normalises homosexuality however the term 'queer' is a break with the belief that gayness arises from gay liberationist  and lesbian feminist models.


Queer theory is based in sexuality and gender, due to this association a debate often arises weather orientation of sexuality is natural or if it is essential to one's person or if sexuality is a social construction that can change.
Queer theory was originally associated with radical gay politics and that the term 'queer' became an identity label.
Two examples in films where Queer theory is used is Brokeback mountain which is set in the 1960's where homosexuality is seen as wrong and vile and the two main characters have to hide their sexuality. A second example is in X-Men: The Last Stand however this is more of an comparison as Sir Ian Mckellen who plays one of the films antagonists compares the cure to mutations in the film like a cure to homosexuality which is like removing a part of who you are.


Genre Analysis
Genre analysis is the academic subject which studies genre theory as a branch of general critic theory. literary genre studies is a structuralist approach to the study of genre in film theory and other cultural theories. Genre is used by audiences and production staff to match a film with a set of conventions. Audiences expect certain things from different Films. And production staff use it as a set of rules to know how to create the required elements of certain genres and how to much to spend.
For example Science Fiction often abbreviated to Sci-Fi. Science Fiction often features aliens, spaceships, advanced technology, moral and ethical issues. the expected conventions are

• Aliens - independence day, Star trek Star Wars, Doctor who these films show that the sci-fi genre of Aliens either they be invading the earth or just part of a cultural menagerie.
• More advanced technology then current human technology such as faster then light travel, the ability to destroy a planet in a single shot for Example Star Wars
• Another convention of the Science Fiction Genre is the moral and ethical questions which asks she would we let technology replace what we are as humanity's core, and what it means to be human, like Blade Runner which had replicants for example or Transcendence which dealt with downloading a human mind into the internet.