Alternative Representations of "Girlhood", the Indigo Girls, and so called "Queer" TV Shows

The Indigo Girls video would likely be classified as an “alternative” representation of girlhood identity. It would be considered “alternative” because female identities are not being sold in heteronormative ways or through a postfeminist sexualized media culture. The alternativization (a word I may have just created) of such cultural forms is ironic because when you think about it—is it really realistic (or normal) to be a sexually empowered size two? Female identities in the Indigo Girls contrast this normativity by taking on realistic—queer—abject positions of girlhood indentification. Unlike the Queer channel in the van Doorn, Wyatt and van Zoonen article—the Indigo Girl’s song “Driver Education” addresses the abject position of the queer. She’s a “tattooed girl” “with the switchblade set” who’s “feeling bad for giving it up to the man just to make the scene”.   Further, the Indigo Girls do not ascribe to heteronormative ideals of the female subject. They actually wear clothes that cover their bodies and fit comfortably (instead of skin tight dresses). They wear ties (because ties are not owned exclusively by that which is masculine), they possess non-normative female figures (by dominant culture’s aesthetic standards), and they do not strut around the stage oozing a sexual fantasy by shaking their booties and flipping their hair around the room. Unfortunately, the Queer channel in the article we read upheld a normative male-female position with body ideals, creating a “gay male norm” (433). I’ve also seen this happen on shows like Queer as Folk and The L Word. Despite the titles of these shows—the overwhelming majority of characters on both shows uphold heteronormative standards of the ideal male and ideal female subjects, leaving the male/female dichotomy unchallenged (van Doorn, Wyatt and van Zoonen 433). Skinny, beautiful, feminine, mostly White, and not queer characters prevail on The L Word, with Kit and Moira being the rare exceptions. Kit plays the bi-curious heavier built Black half sister of a leading character on the show and Moira (Max) is the only character who is an F to M transsexual. She is not brought on to the show until season 3—I’m guessing to be the token queer one. Queer as Folk is even worse as it doesn’t even have a token character that steps outside the bounds of the ideal male body. The characters of Teddy and Emmet may be the closest the show gets to being queer. Teddy’s character is shown to be a little less muscular than the rest with some minimal body hair—but he by no means even comes close to an abject masculine representation. Emmet is the only character who occasionally dresses in drag but this is quite rare on the show. There are no leading characters who are transsexual or transgendered or Black—just an overwhelming amount of—White, hairless, muscular, and toned—ideal masculine bodies.

Teddy is the one in the front wearing the light shirt and flexing; Emmett is the one in the top right hand corner.