Queer Culture: Gays and Dolls

Queer culture has been around for a long time. Originally the term queer just meant strange or odd, before becoming a slur that was primarily targeting gay men. Eventually over time the word ‘queer’ became reclaimed and nowadays has a neutral connotation to it. Queer culture comes in a plethora of forms and representations.

Since being queer was, and still is, partially seen as outside of the norm, queer communities have had to look for other ways to keep the culture alive. A huge part of this is the cult classic movies. Now, up until recently queer identities were either not given the opportunity to shine in Hollywood or they were stuck with strictly stereotypical portrayals. But there are still films that resonant with queer individuals.

A huge part of the connection between the queer community and the film world is escapism. Like in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, without being outwardly stated to be queer the film and it’s characters hold a lot of importance within the community. Films like this with characters like Frank-N-Furter are able to bring an indescribable feeling for lots of queer viewers. You of course can’t forget about the musical aspect and how that greatly has been a medium steeped in queer culture. 

The Wizard of Oz, Death Becomes Her, I’m Just a Cheerleader, Jennifer’s Body, and the list continues. Each of these films holds a huge place in the hearts of queer people everywhere. While not every one of these films explicitly deals with and talks about queerness, there is still a factor that appeals to people, that factor being camp.

Camp is the playful use of irony, exaggeration, and aesthetics. The movies listed above all play to this extremely well. Witches in bubbles and teenage girls possessed by demons, these films take the absurd and make them relatable for a lot of audiences and connect deeply to queer viewers. 

The epitome of camp and queer culture combined lies in drag performances, both queens and kings. As the famous drag queen RuPaul says, “We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag.” Drag is gender performance, and has been a staple of queer culture for decades and has only become more mainstream. From shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “The Boulet Brothers' Dragula” to artists like Chapelle Roan’s drag influences, drag has grown in notoriety and become a representation of queer communities.

As drag has become more recognized in the media, there has also been an uptick in drag queens being cast in musicals on and off Broadway. Queens like Jinkx Monsoon and Latrice Royale are being cast in productions of “Chicago” and “Little Shop of Horrors”, respectively. But it doesn’t stop there; shows like “Drag: The Musical” opened off Broadway in 2024, starring many famous Drag Race alumni and produced by Liza Minnelli. Even though it seems as if drag performances are newer, this isn’t necessarily true. Characters and roles such as Edna Turnblad from “Hairspray” and Miss Trunchbull from “Matilda” have always been played by men in drag.

Another queer subculture that has grown to see mainstream success is ballroom culture. The ballroom scene was created by black and brown, gay and trans people, where houses are created and community is found where people were previously segregated and barred from joining other communities. Shows like “Pose” and “Legendary” gave glimpses into this world within their three seasons each.

A common theme found within queer culture and media is the creation of communities and found families. Not every person who comes out can find love and acceptance from their biological families, so finding those people in the world who care for you is crucial. There is no ‘queer community’ rather there are queer communities that may overlap but these groups allow for queer individuals to live their lives with people they relate to.

With these trying times we have to want to uphold queer culture, as well as create new pinnacles. We need to be able to speak up for our rights and fight for them. There should be no fear in going to a gay bar, there should be more lesbian bars, period. Seeing characters played by queer actors and that not being their entire character needs to be the norm.

Written by Clark Gérôme

BETWEEN TWO STAGES: A Conversation Between Singles

In a time of the word “situationship” and too many dating apps to count, being single and ready to mingle in 2025 is not a small feat. There’s an onslaught of constant evolution from the world of social media and forms of communication to the ways we date. 

Jade Shine, comedy writer and mother of three children, is dating for the first time since she was nineteen after going through a divorce. Ana, a current senior in her undergraduate degree with no real idea of where her life is going, is just trying to figure it all out. 

The two single writers came up with five questions for one another, all about love, life after and before relationships, and understanding the state of the online dating stratosphere. Here’s what they found: 

Ana Marks: What are your approaches to dating in 2025, and how drastically do they differ from when you started dating? 

Jade Shine: When I was last dating (at age 19!!!), I wanted to find some idealized Prince Charming to spend my life with. Vomit emoji. 

My current approach is to manifest exactly what I want, but at the end of that manifestation, I add… “or something ten times better.”  I’m leaving space for God (or the universe) to give me more than I could imagine for myself. I have the mindset that each and every relationship is here to teach me something important about myself, and I need to stay open. 

​​JS: What is the most important thing I need to know about modern dating? Differences from when I last dated?

AM: Screen culture has changed everything. Commitment and communication is entirely different. I think both social media and remote working, while very different things, have greatly impacted the way we socialize and live within the world. So much of how we keep contact with one another is via words on the screen, and people have become less social due to the convenience of technology. I also think social structures around the roles within heterosexual relationships have totally changed. There's more discourse over who pays on a first date, and I think women have more agency in a sense within the relationship. 

AM: In what ways do your standards for a partner change as your life evolves? Are you looking more for practicality (career similarities, financial stability) or for emotional connection? 

JS: I’m not looking for a dream guy. For me, what is most important is being with someone who supports me being the best version of myself. I want any partner to be emotionally healthy, confident in who they are (not what they’ve accomplished), and to have a big heart.

JS: Are you trying to find “the one”? Get married/ have kids? Or do you have different dating goals? 

AM: I think in today's climate, marriage isn’t totally something a lot of people in my generation are totally thinking about when it comes to dating. I personally can’t imagine myself with kids and a more settled down life, but I’m also only 21. I grew up in Texas, so I open Instagram pretty often to see some engagement or pregnancy announcements, and I'm always so shocked, but then I remember that’s kind of the beauty of where our culture is today. It’s acceptable to be my age and have those things happen for you and also it’s more acceptable to not know exactly what you want at this age. I would say I’m looking for someone I want to share life with. I like existing in my own spaces and having my own hobbies, and I would want someone that can exist in those spaces with me and also create something outside of what I’ve built in my own life. I’m of the belief that my partner should be my best friend, someone I want to be around constantly and someone I can confide in. 

AM: How would you say your perceptions of love have changed by being a mother? 

JS: Being a mother teaches you a whole new level of sacrificial love you never thought possible. You never realize how much your mom (or another loving adult) loves you until you love your own child. You would sacrifice your life (and so much sleep!) for this child. You will never have your heart broken as much as when something terrible happens to your child. In some ways, it can make romantic love challenging because maternal love is so powerful. 

JS: Let’s talk about apps. Which ones should I try and why? 

AM: Personally, I had Hinge for about 24 hours before I was annoyed by the interface and disappointed with my matches. This probably speaks more to my impatient nature, but they’re daunting. I’ve heard good things about Bumble, but I’ve also met couples who met on Tinder. I think it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for when you start swiping and creating your profile. 

AM: Describe your ideal first date, how different is it from your ideal first date from when you first started dating?

JS: There is so much fake bullshit in the “getting to know you” date. Any first date where I can get beyond that and see a glimpse of who the person is, and let them see me, is ideal. Time is precious, and I don’t want to waste it showing each other our masks. 

When I was in college, my ideal first date was probably something romantic. Now I think that comes later. A personal gesture that is specific to one person is much more romantic than a date planned for a stranger. 

JS: What are the stages of dating? 

AM: The “talking stage” is a big one, which I would classify as a “getting to know stage.” A touch of flirting, but you’re still working on those early impressions. If talking is mostly dependent on screens (meeting over an app or social media, etc.) I would say the next stage is the “going on dates” stage. Seeing how the person is in different situations and in different atmospheres is important in finding a partner, if that’s what you’re looking for.  Depending on your own goals for the relationship, the following stages are entirely unique to the couple. If you’re looking for something more serious, I would think the next stage of dating is just that; defining the relationship for what it is and then acting on that. If the plan is to keep it casual, the stages are more of a go-with-the-flow vibe. 

JS: What is a situationship, and are they necessarily bad? 

AM: As I understand it, a situationship is something slightly more psychologically torturing than a friends with benefits situation. I think that if you’re looking for that kind of gratification and for something with absolutely no strings attached, a situationship doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world. I do think, however, that it takes a mental toll. More often than not, it’s one party who wants more out of the situation, and the other party could not care less, hence how the situationship is born. Labels are big these days, and they have to be agreed upon by both parties. 

AM: What is one important piece of relationship advice that you wish you were told in your early 20’s? Is it something you learned recently?

JS: Fight for what is important. By nature, I don’t like conflict, but any relationship worth keeping is going to require you to set strong boundaries that will bring conflict. This doesn’t mean being rigid and having a “my way or the highway” attitude, but to engage in a safe and loving way with a partner to discover how you can both get your needs met. This requires a partner who is emotionally healthy enough to see this not as a criticism, but a beautiful negotiation. 

Jade Shine’s Writing Bio: 

Jade Shine writes MOM-COMS to voice the flaws, fears, and ferocious wants of moms. She seeks to demolish the established archetype of “mother” to allow women to be the fullest versions of themselves. Jade has optioned two comedy features and has placed in many contests, including PAGE, Austin, and Cinestory.  Born in San Francisco to hippie parents who joined a cult,  Jade was uprooted from that life to grow up on a farm in Iowa. After graduating from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Jade is also an Occupational Therapist, where she assesses her patients’ strengths and weaknesses. She transforms her characters like they are her patients – with specific treatment plans designed to heal. Jade currently resides and writes in Houston, Texas, but plans to someday hit the road as a backup singer for P!nk.

Ana Marks’ Writing Bio: 

Ana Marks is a freelance music, film, and culture writer born in Houston, Texas and based in New York City. Writing for various publications such as 47Magazine, Off the Record Press, and the Washington Square News, she has covered new releases and done various pop culture retrospectives. She is currently in her last year of her undergraduate degree at New York University, with a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Media, Culture, and Communications. She channels her passion for film through her editorial and archival research work. When she’s not writing or working at one of her three jobs, she’s probably at the movies or calling her mom and dad to complain. 

We Can’t Follow the Spotlight Forever: The Last Showgirl and Expectations of Female Performers

In 2022, the sensationalized relationship between actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crue’s Tommy Lee became a victim to the limited series biopic wave of television. The series focused on the stealing and leaking of their honeymoon sextape, with a highlighting of the man who did it (Seth Rogan) as well as its impacts on both Anderson and Lee (Lily James and Sebastian Stan, respectively). The show went on to receive high accolades, mainly from the lead performances. Rogen, Stan and James received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for their portrayals and the overall was nominated for “Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.” 

The issue, however, is the fact that Pamela Anderson, main character of the true story being told, did not approve of the project.  Pam and Tommy was made without the permission or aid of Anderson in the slightest, which she confirmed in her own Netflix documentary in 2023’s Pamela, a Love Story. 

This regressive representation of Anderson as a sex symbol from the 1990’s is a direct reflection of the contents of the show, in which she, her body, and sexuality are exploited for the media once again without her consent entirely. Since the release of the show, Anderson has become a feminist icon of the mid 2020’s; she embraces a bare face at fashion and film events, she released a plant-based cookbook, and simply has a newfound agency for herself. She made her return to acting in the 2022 Broadway production of Chicago, and following the release of her documentary, Gia Coppola sent her the script for The Last Showgirl. 

From the director that brought us critical Tumblr text Palo Alto in 2013, Gia Coppola was the writer and director of this film. A common critique to this Coppola nepo-baby’s auteurism is her “style over substance” approach. Beautiful frames are composed to accompany a script that only seems to scratch the surface of what it could say. In the case of The Last Showgirl, Coppola interestingly keeps the edges of the frame blurry, with her subject being the only aspect in focus, typically in the center of the frame. Even when the narrative tries to tell us otherwise, the showgirl is always the center of attention from Coppola's gaze and the audience's perspective.  

 We are introduced to Anderson’s “showgirl” via an audition. She stands center stage, with a bright light illuminating her as she fumbles through her audition. Firstly, she lies about her age and it's obvious.  She quickly follows up with a clarification that she hasn’t “auditioned in a while.” It is an unfortunately perfect introduction to Anderson’s character, who we come to learn is Shelly. Before this audition, Shelly was still dancing with Le Razzle Dazzle, an old-fashioned Las Vegas showgirl neo-burlesque. Alongside Shelly are her younger counterparts: Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Anne (Brenda Song). Eddie, portrayed by Dave Bautista, is the owner and manager of Le Razzle Dazzle and has been for many years. We get inside to their entire dynamic when the girls and Eddie are all having lunch with Shelly, including Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), who was a former Le Razzle Dazzle dancer and now works at the casino as a cocktail waitress. It’s immediately obvious that this way of life isn’t sustainable in the slightest, with Annete unable to retire and must continue attempting to sell her looks and body for a living, yet is losing hours to the younger servers in her establishment. Jodie still shows a youthful form of optimism for her future, promising to learn French with Shelly and retire in Las Vegas. 

It is at this lunch that Eddie breaks the news that the show is finishing in two weeks. Jodie and Mary-Anne begin to audition for raunchier and modern shows, and Shelly proves herself to be still stuck in the romantic fantasy of the past. Having been a showgirl with Le Razzle Dazzle for the last twenty to thirty years, she clings to her dreams of being a true dancer. She dreams of the ballet, and the vintage glitz and glamour of life that she was promised. However, Shelly pushes through, and in a time of doom, she has no one to face but herself, dressed and decorated to the max. 

This idealized version of her past self isn’t only prominent to her, but to her estranged daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd), who visits Shelly to let her know that she is now graduating college with a degree in photography. When Hannah decides to watch the show and see exactly what life her mother chose to live over herself, she throws shame into the face of Shelly. We also see the slight mother-daughter dependency that Jodie has grown to have for Shelly falling apart, when Jodie realizes that the life she chose is not and will never be acceptable to her family and she is truly on her own.

All of the showgirls are, unfortunately. Shelly can’t get a date or fix the relationship with her daughter, Jodie is without her family, and Annette is on the verge of homelessness. This brutally honest display on the life of a performer is what makes the technical choices made by Coppola stand out. The times change and the spotlight moves to highlight the next big thing. The next beauty standard, the next thing that's considered hot. Sex is selling more and more, and Shelly refuses to grasp it. In addition to that, as the director tells her in the audition, the talents that Shelly may have displayed in her earlier career have no space in the current age of performance. 

However, what else is there for these women when the spotlight moves off of them? Are they meant to just continue to adapt to something outside their standards? Are they meant for a life of maltreatment by the industry that promised them stardom and dreams come true? The film also calls into question the audience’s participation in the sensationalizing of these women. By the rules of the camera, we are not allowed to see anything but these women. 

Although Pamela Anderson took agency of her own life, making her own documentary with her son and writing a cookbook about the new life she’s adapted, she still finds herself a victim of the nostalgic romanticism of who she once was, or presented as to the public. Becoming an actress was never in her path, and certainly the sex-symbol status was something out of her control. Her past remains something in the spotlight, with newer generations watching shows like Pam and Tommy and older generations having the image of her 90’s persona ingrained in their mind for something that was completely out of Anderson’s control.  The spotlight itself sits outside the hands of the stage, and the sad reality is that until it moves on to someone else, the show must go on in any way it can. 

Written by Ana Marks