TEXT CHOSEN:
I have chosen as a text to read for my midterm: Is Paris Burning by Bell Hooks
DESCRIPTION/SUMMARY:
Here is what this text means to me:
I wasn’t familiar with the black drag-queen culture before watching Paris is Burning. However, the way of how this film documents this culture really grabs my attention. I love how the film documented this culture in a way that show how queer people tried to survive in a community that does not respect their identity; it is very touching to me. However, I was not aware of how the director being a white woman would cause so many controversies to this film. I think Bell Hook’s argument in Is Paris Burning provides an interesting point of view toward this film.
AUDIENCE SPECULATION:
The intended audience I am imagining for my close-reading essay is
People, like me, who found the film Paris is Burning interesting, but are not aware of the cultural / racial controversies behind the production of the film.
FORMAL AND GENERIC CONVENTIONS:
The 2-3 formally/generically similar texts I have discovered through research are
- “Race and Ethnicity in ‘Paris is Burning’” by Laura Murphy.
This article is formally similar to the text I chose. Like what Bell Hooks wrote, this article by Laura Murphy is also a review of Paris is Burning. Both text talked about the arguments on the role Livingston played as a director in the film. The difference of the two text would be that Laura focused more on how Livingston created a platform for the minority black / Latino queer groups to talk about their culture and share their struggle of living with their identity. However, Laura also argued that Livingston could definitely film it in another way that draws more awareness to the obvious racial issue stemmed in this culture.
Murphy, Laura. “Race and Ethnicity in ‘Paris Is Burning’.” Bimbo Mag, 1 Apr. 2021, https://www.bimbomag.com/post/race-and-ethnicity-in-paris-is-burning.
- “Burning down the House: Why the Debate over Paris Is Burning Rages On” by Ashley Clark.
This article is generically similar to Is Paris Burning also by being a review on the film. This article acknowledges the debate over the film and focused on the lives of the characters appeared in the film. One interesting point focused on this article was the argument between whether should Livingston pay the participants in the film or not. Ashley interviewed Livingston and cited her opinion on the aftermath of the participants in the film. This article differs from the one Bell Hooks wrote by including more about the good side of Livingston instead of arguing that Livingston’s lack of awareness on the racial issue of the film.
Clark, Ashley. “Burning down the House: Why the Debate over Paris Is Burning Rages On.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 June 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/24/burning-down-the-house-debate-paris-is-burning.
CONTENT:
I intend to talk about my object in relation to
Bell Hook’s argument on how Paris is Burning is a portrayal of how white supremacy influence the culture of a minority group. I would like to focus on the following two points:
- How the black drag-queens’ admiration toward womanhood was linked to their idealization of ruling-class whiteness
- Although, in Bell Hook’s argument, Jennie Livingston might have helped promote the idea of white supremacy by producing Paris is Burning, I do not think that this is her true intention of documenting the black-drag queen culture.
This would be done by reciting quotes from Bell Hooks and movie scenes from Pairs is Burning, considering arguments from other reviews for the film, and researching into Livingston’s interview about the film.
COURSE THEMATICS:
I think that my object intersects/overlaps with class in these ways: racialization, close reading, queerness, identification and disidentification of a minority group
QUESTIONS:
I am struggling with/ cannot seem to figure out/ do not know how to approach with choosing the specific passage that I want to do my close reading on. Also, I am having a hard time on trying to include my disagreement with Bell Hook’s argument of Livingston being an inappropriate director into my essay. I would like more clarification on how to organize my thoughts into a coherent essay. I need support with constructing a strong thesis statement and reviewing the outline of my essay.