Book Reviews

Queering Teen Culture: All-American Boys and Same-Sex Desire in Film and Television
Jeffery P. Dennis Harrington Park Press, New York. 2006. ISBN: 978-1-5602-3348-0. Paperback, 221 pages.

& Reviewed by Daragh T. McDermott

Over the last decade, the presence of gay and lesbian characters on our television screens and movie theatres has increased dramatically. In the 21st century, television and film producers seem more at ease with the idea of representing fictional sexual minority characters, instead of perpetuating a painfully heterocentric image. Yet undoubtedly, these characters, and their behaviours, elicit stark criticism and outrage from a plethora of interest groups and media watch-dogs who deem their presence, let alone their behaviours, inappropriate. This is 2011, and the presence of gay characters on TV and in film still sparks considerable controversy. This begs the question, was same-sex desire ever portrayed through popular media, and if it was, how did it present itself? Since the advent of television and film, the presence of gay characters has had a speckled history, with their presence (or lack thereof!) on our screens mirroring distinct socio-cultural moods of acceptance towards sexual minorities. Yet at times, when no declarative statement is made about a characters sexual preferences, there are numerous incidences when the viewer was often left pondering: Is he gay? In his book Queering Teen Culture: AllAmerican Boys and Same-Sex Desire in Film and Television, Jeffery P. Dennis explores the presence of same-sex desire in television and film from the 1940s right through to the turn of the last century. Progressing in a chronological fashion, Dennis charts the history of film and television while contemporaneously examining the existence of characters who display some form of same-sex desire. Over-

whelmingly, explicit references of gay and lesbian characters are lacking in most film and television productions from this period, yet as Dennis astutely points out, a significant proportion of characters develop distinct same-sex bonds that go beyond the confines of friendship. Throughout, Dennis offers insight into the various male leading characters and the relationships that they have with other male characters. He notes that in a considerable number of film and television productions, the leading male characters are oftentimes content with distinct same-sex bonds being the primary source of comradery and emotional support. Further, only towards the end of the various story arcs, do protagonists acquiesce and set up all-American happy families. In the interim, Dennis argues that male protagonists appear reluctant to enter into relationships with female characters and instead choose to spend all of their time with their ever faithful sidekick. These sidekicks, more often than not, appear to be in awe (or in some cases clearly enamoured) with the leading man. These supporting characters will oftentimes 1

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also for-go opportunities with female characters, choosing instead to remain by the side of their best buddy. The question Dennis often asks is whether there is a hope on the part of the sidekick that time spent may develop into something more consequential. Queering Teen Culture explores the somewhat subtle, yet in Denniss opinion, omnipresent nature of same-sex desire in American film and television through a significant period of development in both these industries. While the presence of openly gay characters through in film and television was lacking, he notes that gay men had a considerable influence on their production. In his analysis, Dennis describes some of the particular Hollywood players who were rumoured, or came-out as gay, and then explores the influence that these individuals had on expressions of same-sex desire in film and television. In addition, Dennis is quick to point out how many male characters were often portrayed with tight-fitting or little to no clothing, while fellow characters either appeared in a similar fashion, or were simply content to ogle them. Denniss analysis is enjoyable and informative in two distinct ways. Firstly, he achieves the stated remit of the book and provides an analysis of the presence of same-sex desire in film and television from the 1940s through to the 1990s. His analysis provides the reader with a critical review of an abundance of plots and storylines from the various films and television programmes, and provides his own interpretation of how certain relationships portrayed by these players could be indicative of same-sex bonds beyond those normally described as platonic friendships. Secondly, Denniss examination provides a concise, yet rather comprehensive history of film and television in the US1. He provides a succinct overview of what was popular when, exploring the plethora of zombie themed, or monster-mash films of the 1950s right through the beach boy surfer
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films of the 1960s. In the same decade, Dennis discusses the emergence of the quintessential teen idols, or the Hollywood heart throbs/pin-ups, who stole the hearts of every teenage girl (and some boys!). His analysis continues right through to the 1980s/90s film regulars The Brat-Packers whose influence on films during this era remains unparalleled. Within the realm of television, Dennis discusses the emergence of family oriented situational comedies (e.g. Leave it to Beaver [CBS, 1957]), the re-emergence of 1950s themed comedies (e.g. Happy Days [ABC. 1974]) during the 1970s, through to TV dramas detailing the turbulent existence of teenagers in the 1990s (e.g. Saved by the Bell [NBC, 1989] and Beverly Hills: 90210 [Fox, 1990]). He also explores the careers of some of Hollywoods leading figures through the ages (e.g. Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley and Michael J. Fox) discussing some of the roles that each have played and providing his own interpretation of the characters and possible intimate same-sex sub-text associated with some of dyads formed by their fictional manifestations. His analysis goes beyond exploring the presence of same-sex desire in film and television and explores how the movies we watched and the television programs we stayed in for were influenced by various social and cultural factors pertinent to that era. For example, Dennis cites Sabrina the Teenage Witch (ABC, 1996) (a guilty pleasure of this reviewers teenage years!) which in early seasons (during the relatively liberal Clinton era of the late 1990s) was one of the first sitcoms to openly acknowledge the existence of gay teenagers in a progressive fashion and how this openness appeared to have disappeared in the early days of the George W. Bush presidency when the mere mention of a gay character elicits disgust from Mellissa Joan Harts fictional manifestation, Sabrina (Warner Brothers, 2001).

His analysis does not include any films or TV programmes that explicitly deal with gay characters (e.g. Queer as Folk).

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Dennis also charts the extent with which television and film acknowledged the presence of gay men and lesbian women in society. From a hidden and taboo subject in the 1950s and 1960s wherein fictional representations of gay men were purported to be suffering from of mental defects, to more open portrayals in the 1990s where gay men were often used as the comedic scapegoat, or target for derision by their fellow characters. Further, these characters were often proverbially neutered and were oftentimes more asexual than homosexual as their characters would be partner-less at times when the heterosexual characters would be snogging at the movies. Overall, this reviewer found this text to be an enjoyable read for any film and television lover who is interested in learning more about the history of this ubiquitous industry

and to what extent sexual minorities featured or influenced the production of television of film during this era. Through his exploration, Dennis provides an interesting and compelling analysis of the existence of same-sex desire in film and television; though in a few instances the links made between the characters and the samesex desires that supposedly exist appear tenuous. Yet, such instances do not detract from the overall quality of this book. In conclusion, Dennis provides a well-written and analysed text that will have the reader analysing all future films and television programs for similar subtle exemplars of same-sex desire. Dr Daragh T. McDermott is a Lecturer in Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

Psychology of Sexualities Review, Vol. 3, No. 1, Autumn 2012