In Defense of Sexual Taboos On Screen

I am a loud and proud self-proclaimed pervert. I was there for May December’s opening weekend. Jane Campion is one of my most favorite filmmakers, and I think Mary Gaitskill is an American hero. You’d think fifty-six years out from the Hays code’s extinction we’d be a more open-minded, freaky little weirdo accepting culture. But with the rise of sex scene discourse and literary censorship, it appears that the culture at large is becoming increasingly moralistic in its views on media. There’s nothing wrong with approaching art critically, but I’d argue that we’ve moved away from cultural sensitivity and into morality policing. 

If sex scenes in general seem to be loathed more and more every day, sexually transgressive cinema, your Crashes, and The Piano Teachers, ​​are a dying breed these days. This isn’t to say that taboo sex onscreen was more acceptable in previous years, (You Must Remember This’ episode on the nineties Lolita craze is a great exploration of America’s former relationship with taboo), however, the film market was much more diverse in the 1990s than it is now. Most twentieth-century erotic and psychosexual thrillers were mid-budget to indie projects, meaning that they were cheaper to produce. In the golden age of the erotic thriller circa the late 80s and early 90s, the amount of sexually taboo films being released made the controversy around them less dire because they were more common. In a media landscape dominated by superhero movies and legacy sequels, the release of something like Challengers feels substantial because there simply aren’t that many movies like that being funded anymore. On top of this, the barrier to art criticism is becoming increasingly lower.

The internet has drastically changed the culture since its boom in the last 20-30 years. Social media has made it so anyone with a brain can unleash their varied opinions on the world wide web, whether it's warranted or not. In the 20th century, the discussion around cinematic taboos was managed by critics. The discourse was born out of analysis and a genuine desire to start a conversation about the things we were seeing in the media. These days, anyone with a Twitter account can scream their hot takes until they're blue in the face. Obviously, meritocracy is bad, but there’s something to be said about letting qualified people talk about what they’ve spent actual time and effort into understanding. On top of this, more and more people are basing their opinions on art from a moralistic viewpoint, rather than a cultural or artistic one. It’s become less about dissecting what art means to a person and more about finding out who is the secret problematic guy whose opinions are indicative of their badness. 

There are a million reasons why I could defend transgressive art. One is that it’s cathartic. When we consume art that portrays immorality, it allows us to confront our own capacity for such a thing. It also has the power to normalize fringe identities which can allow for cringe culture to become obsolete. But more than anything, sexual taboos on screen are fun to interact with. I like being challenged. I value being uncomfortable. Watching a film like Titane and being allowed to leave cultural norms at the door is exciting, and I’ve become disheartened by the way we’ve started policing our interaction with explicit material. Instead of meeting art on a human level, we’ve been conditioning ourselves to view every piece of taboo art with a moral compulsion. You can’t enjoy a film that depicts immorality, you have to acknowledge what it’s portraying is objectively and morally wrong at all times. This is what happened with May December, in my opinion. So many people viewed the film from the perspective that it's inarguably a horror film purely because it features childhood sexual abuse. Thus, they failed to realize that it’s actually a very funny movie and is encouraging you to laugh at it when warranted. Look at me and tell me Julianne Moore’s hushed, lispy exclamation of “It’s graduation!” after Joe finally calls her out isn’t hilarious. Is it unbearably awkward and at times horrifying? Yes. But it’s not a children’s fable. I can’t imagine watching every movie from this mindset. It’s just so depressing. How would you enjoy anything? And more importantly, how would you grow? Art is meant to challenge us. If you meant every piece of art with the idea that you’re holier than thou, then you wouldn’t learn anything from it. If anything, you’d be stuck. This might sound obnoxious, but I think it must be said: that art isn’t real. You’re not hurting anyone by consuming “problematic” media. Just because it depicts something you, and most people, disagree with doesn’t mean you’re suddenly endorsing it by consuming it. You just might learn something about yourself through such media. Live a little. I promise you won’t become an unequivocally evil person if you go into sexually transgressive films with an open mind. 

I love filth, mess, degeneracy, and anything that makes me feel something strongly whether it’s positive or negative. The world needs sexually taboo art to remind us that being confronted with things we wouldn’t interact with in our daily lives is healthy. Censorship is becoming all too popular these days thanks to a myriad of reasons, from conservatism to cancel culture. As a culture, we shouldn’t further this narrative as we risk ousting others for simply engaging with deviant works. Art that elicits emotion, any emotion, is all the more valuable in a post-superhero movie world. The only alternative to banning explicit material is inoffensive content made for mass appeal. Despite the universality of such media, no one wins in that case except for the suits producing them. If you’re in the mood for some transgression, I’ll leave a list of some great sexually taboo films below. Enjoy!

- Holy Smoke, 1999 dir. Jane Campion

- Notes on a Scandal, 2006 dir. Richard Eyre

- Birth, 2004 dir. Jonathan Glazer

- The Piano Teacher, 2001 dir. Michael Haneke

- Titane, 2021 dir. Julia Ducournau

- Dogtooth, 2009 dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

- Tabloid, 2010 dir. Errol Morris

- The House of Yes, 1997 dir. Mark Waters

- Sanctuary, 2022 dir. Zachary Wigon

Written by Grace Bradley

Photography by AJ Ult

Creative Director, Production Manager: Jazzi Almestica

PA: Rain Mercado

Styled by Jaiden Alexis

Talent: Cecil Atkins and John Rodriguez

The Rise of Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan by Alec Conwell

She’s your favorite artist’s favorite artist, your dream girl’s dream girl, and she is serving CUNT! Chappell Roan has blasted into the scene with catchy queer music reminiscent of both the 80s and the early 2000s. Paying tribute to those who have come before while also creating a new, fresh sound that is sorely needed. This Femininomenon isn’t stopping anytime soon and reminds many of the early days of Lady Gaga or even Cyndi Lauper. While she grows larger every day, Chappell never forgets to give back and donates to queer charities while also inviting local drag artists to open her concerts. She never wants to forget where she comes from and wants to help those communities thrive. As a lesbian from the Midwest, seeing her gain a level of success that only continues to grow is very exciting. Her songs have given me a confidence that I didn’t have before, and can do this for so many other lesbians as Chappell is unapologetically queer. I hope to touch on her music in this article and what makes it so worthy of success and being the new music for your hot girl summer.

Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, starts with a punch, with Femininomenon. While the lyrics may be a bit nonsensical, “Get it hot like Papa John” comes to mind. The song is very fun and upbeat, exactly what a lot of pop music has been missing, and Chappell is bringing back fun pop in full force. The follow-up song, Red Wine Supernova, has very fun, danceable lyrics as well. The song is also unapologetically queer and sexual, something all too often shied away from, especially in combination. With raunchy double entendres like “I heard you like magic. I've got a wand and a rabbit!” Chappell is open about sex and is often specifically lesbian-coded about it. This is quite important, as many lesbians often see a lack of representation in every form of media, and being this explicit means so much to all of us in the community. After Midnight comes next, an ode to clubs and getting into trouble late into the night. It is also an ode to the freedom the club can sometimes give you to follow your inhibitions and just get a bit messy. With lyrics about kissing both your girlfriend and boyfriend, this is another ode to exploring sexuality, and it has fun with it.

The next two songs on the album are a little slower and more emotional. They include discussions of failed casual situations as well as failed romantic relationships. Coffee is a more emotional ballad about how hard it can be to meet with an ex after a breakup that you’re still slightly in love with. The feeling of how difficult it is to meet anywhere because every place you’ve been together holds such deep memories. How difficult it is to not cave in and go back to their place simply because you know them and they’ve always been there. It is one of the emotional hard hitters on the album and is quite a switch-up following the more upbeat pop songs. The follow-up song, Casual, is a bit angrier and explicit. It chronicles the tale of meeting the parents, storing stuff at a partner’s house, and they still claim it's a casual relationship. It displays the anger surrounding that situation and how it makes you feel crazy. The song also raised questions over what “knee deep in the passenger seat” really means, with Chappell once again willing to get explicit with lyrics, even in her more emotional songs.

The next three songs are all very fun tracks that chronicle the need for more than just a man, the desire to go home with someone at the club, and how karma can get your exes back for you. Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl is one of my personal favorites and such a good one to scream along to. The beginning is iconic, and the lyrics explicitly state how a man isn’t enough for her and how she needs a super graphic ultra modern girl, just like she speaks to sexuality on the whole. Hearing such an explicit rejection of a man for a woman is so important to so many lesbians, and it is such a switch-up from what is normal in pop music. The next song, Hot to Go!, might be the most silly and entertaining song on the album, even if it's not my personal favorite. Chappell even made a dance to it, which gets people engaged at concerts. She’s simply singing about going home with someone, and it is just so fun, nonsensical, and still amazing. Chappell seems to have the ability to make even the oddest lyrics truly magical when sung to a crowd. My Kink is Karma is another one of my favorite songs. It tells the story of all the bad things that happen to an ex after a bad breakup while you’re thriving. The song is so soothing to sing while remembering an ex or even a bad friend's breakup. It truly is an anthem to those who’ve had the worst relationships but are now thriving. 

For the next three, I’m going to skip around a bit and pull the other three slower songs together. While Picture You doesn’t seem to explicitly state what gender she’s singing about, it heavily implies it is another woman. She sings sensually about taking off her dress and touching herself while thinking of this person. Another song where Chappell freely discusses sexuality and sex in general, a beautifully sung sensual song that I appreciate, is included in the album. The follow-up song, Kaleidoscope, follows a love that wasn’t meant to be. It hits me particularly hard, as I’m reminded of both ex-relationships and ex-friendships. Chappell sings about lost love but still wishes well for the person. She discusses not fully how love works and maybe never knowing but still allowing it to come into your life and stay for however long it does. For me, it is the most emotional song on the album and hits hard after all the earlier upbeat pop songs. Finally, I want to discuss California. This is another personal song for me, as I know the feeling of leaving the Midwest for new, different places. However, I chose the East Coast, while Chappell chose the West. She sings about how difficult it can be to transition to a new place and how you can miss home but not at the same time. She sings about how sometimes plans don’t pan out and life doesn’t always go how you want it to. However, she could never have imagined in 2020 that in 2024 she would be the next rising star. It is very interesting to see where she came from and how she’s come from there.

The final three songs to discuss are more upbeat pop anthems. Guilty Pleasure once again seems to be another song about a woman. About how she feels both guilt and pleasure towards her sexuality. I feel like a lot of lesbians, especially depending on where they’re from, feel this when they first come to terms with their sexuality. I love how she sings the song not as a confession but more of an admission. She wants this pleasure to continue, and she doesn’t care about the consequences. It is nice to hear a song like this. Naked in Manhattan is another explicit song about the first time with a woman. Another song that is so important to hear as a queer person. She sings about how the first time would go in the city and calls for her partner to touch her. She also states in the beginning how boys stink, and she finally wants to try women. Such a refreshing take from the all-too-often boy-obsessed pop music that is on the radio. Finally, I want to discuss what, to me, is the most defining song on the album, Pink Pony Club. This is an anthem to being yourself, no matter who you are. It truly feels like a queer album and a fuck you to those who try to put us in a box. How we shock our hometowns in the midwest and south with queerness and eccentricity while still stating that these things exist everywhere, even in the towns that don’t want it. This is a defining song for Chappell, and seeing it sung even on a screen at Coachella was awe-inspiring. The crowd looked so explicitly queer, and everyone is stating that they are different and proud, and I love this so much. Chappell does inspire so many queer people to be open and free.

Overall, it is so exciting to see a lesbian pop gaining so much popularity. Her new song, Good Luck Babe, even got pretty high on different charts. She inspires others to be open and free while supporting local drag queens and queer communities throughout the Midwest. She calls back to her roots while still moving forward and changing. Community is important to her, and so is inspiring others to be their authentic selves. It is very interesting to hear her discuss how she sees Chappell as a drag persona and what she means for the industry in general. I am so excited to see where she goes next and know she’ll go far.

Written by Kat Reed

Illustration by Alec Conwell

The Politics of Queerness

Illustration by Alec Conwell

If you’ve followed any sort of news in the past couple of years, you’re probably aware of the ongoing attack on queer and trans rights in the United States (and the rest of the world, to be fair, but we’re going to focus on the US). As of last year, there have been hundreds of anti-trans bills and anti-queer bills introduced to a variety of state and federal legislatures, and the number continues to grow. 

Many of the bills are targeting trans kids since far too many people run under the assumption that people under the age of eighteen are incapable of making choices about their own bodies and well-being. This includes restrictions on access to hormones and hormone blockers for people under eighteen, restricting people from using the bathrooms that coincide with their gender, and banning trans people from playing on sports teams that coincide with their gender. Plenty of these bills are also trying to demonize the parents and health professionals that support trans kids, such as charging parents with child abuse if they allow their children to receive hormone therapy and restricting doctors from practicing for administering it. 

There are, unfortunately, outspoken “LGB” groups who try to distance themselves from the trans part of the queer community. They seem to think they are morally superior, and that the cishet people in power will see that they’re just so different from us trans folk. The truth is that the community as a whole is being attacked—there have been numerous states trying to ban drag performers, and there have been a multitude of bills introduced trying to prevent any education on the queer community, inclusive sex education, and queer history. 

There are also people who try to claim that queer and trans rights are not an issue of politics, but that could not be further from the truth. Queerness and transness are inherently political; it does not matter if we wish they were not. We will exist regardless of whether or not the government has deemed it right or lawful—we have always been here, and we will continue to. Still, it is important for us to be recognized and respected by government officials, so those of us who wish to seek medical care and procedures are able to do so safely. The people in power should be able to influence the public in some way, so we do not have to continue to see hundreds of hate crimes documented in the news each year. 

Change has to start somewhere. Sign petitions, research the politicians you support, and keep up with what they are or aren’t doing, call them out if they aren’t doing enough (and they probably aren’t). Support your queer and trans friends, stay up to date with how these laws are affecting their lives where you live, and respect and try to understand their identities even if it doesn’t match how you’re used to seeing certain people present. Trans people especially do not owe you attempts at “passing,” and your respect and support for them should not waiver if they don’t match up with your binary ways of thinking.

To my queer and trans friends reading, I have faith that things will get better, and know that you are absolutely not alone in any of this. Seek support from your friends and family, and don’t ever think you’re a burden for existing. Don’t settle for anything less than you know you deserve. 

Written and Illustrated by Alec Conwell