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Women with Beards and Men in Frocks: Gender Nonconformity in Modern American Film

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Abstract

The present study examines the portrayal of gender nonconformity in 36 American films released from 2001 to 2011. Mainstream and independent films with at least one character portrayed in a gender transgressive way were chosen for analysis. The films were coded at two levels: (1) the entire film, and (2) the individual characters. The entire films were coded for mainstream versus independent production, genre, and screen time of gender nonconforming characters. The characters were coded for the type of gender transgression, the characters’ demographics, and their purposes in the plot. The most common purpose of the non-conforming characters was humor, especially in mainstream films. Exploring identity was a much less common purpose and these films were far more likely to be independent films. The non-conforming characters were far more likely to identify as a static identity, man or woman, rather than anything else. Gender identity was almost always presented as something simple, static and binary.

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Notes

  1. A number of female characters, such as Trinity from The Matrix, who exhibit gender nonconformity in their masculine, and often very violent behavior are not included in this sample. These characters are more androgynous in their gender identity than non conforming, similarly, androgynous men were also left out. This was done to better focus on how characters who clearly defy, rather than just question, gender identity are portrayed. However, this paper, and the databases it draws from, focuses on characters whose appearance differs from the gender norm.

  2. These lists can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_transgender_characters_in_film_and_television, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-dressing_in_film_and_television on September 4, 2012. Unfortunately, a more reliable database than Wikipedia lists, and IMDb was not found. Watching each film released in the United States from 2001 to 2011 was not possible in the time available for this project. These two sources are not academic, and, while they are policed by fans, they are not held accountable for their content in any truly reliable way.

  3. Major film production companies are those companies that release a large number of films every year and gross a high amount of box-office revenue every year. A few examples of large production companies are Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount and Walt Disney Studios.

  4. These films tend to be made by either individuals or small production companies, often owned and run by the producer or director of the film.

  5. Pass is being used here as it is described by Renfrow (2011). They are not performing as the identity they see themselves as, but in a way to convince others of a certain identity.

  6. Pronoun chosen here based on character's outfit.

  7. Voiced by Aaron Warner, one of the producers. Big Bad Wolf is the only acting credit he has in the various films.

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  1. Towson University, 1547 Star Pine Drive, Annapolis, MD, 21409, USA

    Victoria Kronz

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Kronz, V. Women with Beards and Men in Frocks: Gender Nonconformity in Modern American Film. Sexuality & Culture 20, 85–110 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-015-9311-4

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