Week Four of our queer cinema class introduced the concepts of heteronormativity and creating meaning by the repeat use of words, actions or phrases. This was supplemented with the viewing of Tomboy, a French queer film that follows a little girl struggling with her identity. We discussed and learned about the importance of hidden meaning, and analyzing hidden meaning.

We discussed the term ‘tomboy” and the meanings in both French society and American society. In French society the term literally translates to being a failed woman. Here in the States, the term is used to bully women who might not be as feminine as the world expects them to be. We have these expectations of women in society, arguably more than men, in addition to domestic housework that is placed upon women, getting less pay than men, societal beauty standards for women are just beginning to relax.

In a brief analysis I did of Tomboy, I suggested that Mikael deciding to live life as a man is the realization that life as a man must be easier than living life as a woman. The desire to play sports was already much harder than it would be if Mikael lived life as a female. Being a man in our current world dominated  by male leaders, and a rhetoric that says women can only be certain occupations is daunting, especially for a young woman.

What does this film speak about in society? First and foremost, we should lower our expectations that we have of women in multiple ways, the beauty standards are atrocious, and the way we as a society treat women athletes is ignorant. The limits that we impose on women for their profession can be dangerous for the future of society. Mikael has a relationship with their father unlike one that a daughter and father would have for a stereotypical nuclear family. This should also be normalized, and no relationship should confined in to gender norms.

Secondly, this film tackles the issue of what heteronormativity says is okay for us as a society to do, and perform. For myself, if I wanted to wear make-up (however, this is becoming more accepted in main stream society), I might have to worry about discriminatory remarks in public, or getting attacked. Queer film in general flips these ideas around on their heads and asks us to rethink the hegemonic expectations of society.

Third and finally what Tomboy asks us to do is rethink the idea of children not being allowed to make decisions about their identity without a parent being present or making the final decision for them. These ideas on identity start at an early age, and we as the generation that is influencing and/or raising these children should be open to letting children think for themselves.

These blog posts have followed the history of queer film, how it affects us politically and socially, and what we can do as a society to implement these changes on a broad scale. We are the ones who create change, and to implement it, we must learn from queer film, and the radical ideas they propose to us.