-
Essay / Stewie in Family Guy and The Queer Theory Applied
Queer theory refers to any deviation from heterosexual values that can be marked as non-, anti-hetero, or counter-. Alexander Doty believes that homosexuality should be considered anything that does not follow the norms established by a heterosexual society. Many activists oppose the reductive view of homosexuality in reference to sexual orientation. Doty proposed that homosexuality resides in everyone with varying intensities and consistencies. That being said, classifying a person based on a single trait is wrong. Queerness is fluid, without boundaries. Sullivan's main idea in "Performance, Performativity, Parody, and Politics" is that an individual's identity is based on the factors around him or her and that it is through these factors that we identify as we do. Sullivan mentions Queer Theory as a deconstructive strategy aimed at denaturalizing norms of sex, gender, sexuality and the relationships between them. Power structures dictate the characteristics of a man or woman with the intention of becoming “natural.” These standards vary depending on time, place or situation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In Hollywood films, queer moments are common across all genres. Queer readings can be used to undo heterosexual norms set by the film industry as a whole. By using this different perspective, the audience is exposed to many sexual codes that are found in the products of cultural film production. I chose to analyze “Family Guy” with a focus on the character of Stewie. In the series, Stewie never comes out as "gay". Throughout the series, he always wants to kill his mother Lois and mentions taking over the world. Stewie's outbursts are due to his constant struggle with not knowing and having to repress his sexuality. This suggests that homosexuality is violent and distorts community. This plays into how homosexuality is seen as deviant and strange, as opposed to how heterosexuality is seen as normal and good. In a close reading, I will analyze a scene where Stewie plans to kill Lois. The shot begins with a wide shot with Stewie on the left and Brian on the right. The two are sitting on the couch in their typical outfit. Stewie begins the conversation by listing the terrible things he wants to do to Lois. Stewie claims he will: "Drip hot candle wax down her back while he rides her on all fours." Brian then responded with "Are you going to shower her after all that candle wax?" The two go back and forth, each remark escalating for the rest of the scene. Stewie's violence towards his mother is linked to his dissatisfaction with his sexual identity. Otherness and other deviations with links to the mother further reinforce sexual deviance as an anomaly. This also ties in with Sullivan’s ideas. Sullivan mentions that an individual can identify themselves based on the factors that have shaped them during their life. When a mother like Lois fights Stewie's actions by repressing him further, the results are a deviation from the norms set by society. It's the constant changes and fluidity of homosexuality that decides whether something is homosexual or not..