Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: A Young Adult Novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a young adult novel about the experience and struggles of two Mexican-American queer boys growing up. This book also addresses themes masculine identity, the privilege of education, and the effects of mental trauma.

The book addresses masculine identity in several important ways. The first that I noticed was in the way Dante’s parents raised him versus how Ari was raised. Dante was raised with a lot of affection from his parents and was encouraged to pursue expressive activities like academics and art. In contrast, the only relation Ari has with his father is when they read together. Ari claims this is their way of talking without talking. In the novel this communication versus lack of communication is explicitly tied to the way the two boys picture themselves as developing in relation to a masculine construct. It is also key that these dynamics shape their relationship with each other and shows the damage a patriarchal image can cause in youth development. This is proven when Dante is able to come to terms with his sexuality faster than Ari and when Ari develops nightmares due to the lack of communication he is willing to conduct about things that bother him.

Another interesting thing that I found in this novel was the intersection of Dante’s privilege of education and his struggles with his Mexican identity. Dante was raised by a professor and studied things like literature and poetry. As a result, Ari notices that Dante’s family operates much differently than a typical Mexican American family, including his own family. Dante also openly admits to struggling with his Mexican identity when telling Ari about himself. It is important that his education is presented alongside his ethnicity because readers are able to interpret that there are internalized stereotypes from academia at work in Dante which fuel this struggle.

The differences in the boys’ families are also evident in their acceptance of queer people. Where in Dante’s family, which operates different from Ari’s, Dante is immediately accepted when it is made known he is queer. The situation is much different in Ari’s family. Ari’s aunt was shunned in the family for being a lesbian and his brother murdered a prostitute because she was transgender. Because of the role of openness and communication in his family, Ari suppresses his love for Dante until the end of the novel. These family dynamics are important because they show that growing up with specific privileges and oppression and the hegemonic images that go with those affects how young people see themselves. This in turn affects how they decide to develop their identity in the world.

Because of the complex stereotypes that this book aims to tear down, it is an extremely important text for young adults. It shows those who are shaping their identities that people are individuals, not stereotypes, and the intersecting identities they are born with are crucial to understanding their personal experience. As a feminist text, this book breaks down intersectional identity in a way that is accessible to younger readers, which is very important to showing why critical media analysis matters.

Am I Pretty? by The Maine: A Music Video

This music video is a fantastic example of using privilege as a tool to be an ally to marginalized communities and make them more visible and heard.

As a queer woman who is part of the alternative and punk music community, it often troubles me that I am in a community where the majority of people identify as outcasts, but only lip service is ever given to marginalized communities. All too often the faces of alternative music prove to be rich, white, cisgender, able-bodied straight men who wear “Some people are gay. Get over it!” shirts while doing nothing to ensure that there is representation in their music scene of the marginalized groups they want to support. The general claim of the alternative music community is that we are to be counter the dominant culture. Many do this by dressing and presenting different than the mainstream expects, but never address the issues that hegemonic mass media perpetuate that is harmful to marginalized people. The Maine, however, is a band full of privileged men who decided to do something about the lack of diversity in voices in their music scene.

The song “Am I Pretty?” has lyrics dealing with insecurities based on hegemonic ideals of appearance such as “I know you hate my body, If you don't like just what I do, Do what you like, So maybe then you'll want me.” The band could have easily done the music video for this song by showing people in punk clothing and covered in tattoos that society does not like, but no diverse representation, but they chose to do the exact opposite.

They start the music video by having people of different races, ages, class, body type, gender, and sexual orientation tell about their lives. This portion of the video is important first because not all things that affect a person’s intersectional identity are visible and it is key to not assume things off of appearance alone. Secondly, it is important because the band is point out that these complex people are meant to be heard and are not simply an accessory to give them diversity points in their music video.

It is also important that the interviewed people stayed visible throughout the music video. In the beginning of the song, people in the band and the interviewed people looking into the camera as if they were looking into a mirror examining the insecurities they have based on what society tells them. As the video goes on, all of the people are seen celebrating what makes them different and taking joy in it. Linking the lyrics of the song to these visuals was significant for the band to do because it is making a statement that these people are beautiful and meant to be seen for the complicated humans they are rather than a stereotype or as failing to meet expectations.

My complaints about the diversity in this video is that there is no clear representation of individuals of other nationalities, abilities (mental or physical), or trans representation (even though there is representation of drag, which was great but different.) This was a great way of showing how to use privilege to amplify others’ voices and a hopeful move in the direction of diversity in alternative culture.

Sense8: A Netflix Christmas Special

Sense8 as a whole is a radical development for the status of diverse representation in media, but when the Christmas Special was released I discovered it also covered an incredible amount of intersectional topics in a two hour period.

The representation in Sense8 begins with the creators. The Wachowskis are a pair of trans sisters who have been working in film since the 90s the siblings have been working together in the film industry and both have come out as transgender since then.

Furthermore, the casting and characters that the sisters have created in the show represent a huge variety of life, making the show a game changer for the visibility of different cultures and walks of life. In the show there is a Korean businesswoman who has been imprisoned, a trans woman in a queer biracial relationship, a female Indian scientist, a poor Kenyan man who was raised by a single mother with AIDS, two men who struggle with masculine constructs from growing up with only fathers, a queer, Hispanic polycule, and an Icelandic woman suffering from PTSD from a miscarriage. You would think it would be hard to bring all of these intersectional lives together, but the Wachowskis do it perfectly and in a way that never diminishes any of their unique experiences.

The Christmas special in particular brings up some important issue. Kala, the female Indian scientist, was recently married but had yet to have sex with her husband. She feels guilty about it and tries to force herself into it but has to stop part way through trying. It is expressed that Kala does not own her husband sex and it is crucial that she is able to revoke her consent even in the middle of sex.

The special also has unique moments in representation such as the polyamorous triad having a date night with TV and doing each others’ nails and a friendship between two masculine cisgender men that is the most important relationship in their lives, but it is never assumed to be emasculating. This may not seem like much, but to people whose lives reflect similar circumstances, this visibility can be very validating.

Finally, there is a moment in the special in which Lito’s (part of the Hispanic polycule) apartment building is vandalized with the word “faggot” directed at him. As the brains of eight of the characters in this show are connected, they share his experience and his pain, the word changing for each of them to things like “slut”, “nazi”, and things the other characters have been called. The scene makes a point to layer dialogue over this that talks about how their privilege and experience are different, but the visuals still unite the characters. In this scene the Wachowskis make a point to express that people in the world can be tied to each other without being essentialized into have one essential experience. The scene invokes similar pain in each character while making sure the audience can understand the intersectional identities of each of the characters. This is important because it shows humans can understand each other without being careless and ignoring oppression in marginalized experiences.  

Pariah: An independent film by Dee Rees

I was very excited going into watching this film, as I knew that it was a film about a black lesbian teen and how the intersections of those identities affected the development of them. I also heard praise from feminist film theorists on the impact of this film. I was not prepared, however, to see how multifaceted it was in a range of other cultural topics like gender, class, and religion.

One thing I noticed was that the movie had an enormous amount to deal with the intersection of not only being black and gay, but being black, gay, and a woman. From the beginning of the film when Alike wears the “Angel” shirt her mom buys her to perform femininity it is made clear to the audience that she struggles with the unreasonably high expectations her mom has for her to be the perfect woman.

This is further intersectionally complicated in the scene where she gets ready for church in masculine dress clothes and her mom tells her she has to wear more feminine clothes to look nicer. The intersection of being black and a woman is important in this case because black femininity is more masculinized in society because of the hegemonic views that pair the image of the black woman as impenetrably strong and the hegemonic views that pair strength with masculinity. Hegemonic ideology would entail that black women have to “try harder” to be considered feminine  Alike’s identity as growing up Christian further complicates this because, in many interpretations of the Bible, feminine and masculine roles are very important. Putting this all together then, Alike feels like she needs to present more masculine to relate to her lesbian identity because of lesbian stereotypes, but is also being pressured to present more feminine because of societal views of black womanhood and her role growing up in a Christian family. All of these factors are intertwined when Alike’s story of discovering her identity begins to unfold.

There were some things that were disappointing in this film despite the wonderful and complex story of Alike’s journey. The first thing I took issue with in this film is the trope of the untrustworthy bisexual woman, which is common in both straight and gay media. In this film, biphobia began presenting itself when Bina asks Alike to spend the night with her after kissing her. This would have been good but the next morning Bina turns cold and says she is not “like gay-gay” and later in the film has a boyfriend. This perpetuates the stereotype that those who like more than one gender are indecisive and do not know what they want.

Finally, I was disappoint in the way the film did not point out transphobia. In a conflict with Alike’s dad, Alike’s mom says angrily “Your daughter is turning into a man.” In this scene transphobia and homophobia are not distinguished from one another even though a butch lesbian is a different identity than a trans man. It is also said like Alike coming out as a man would be the worst thing in the world to her mom and the issue with that is never specifically pointed out, though her homophobia is.

Overall, this was a very complex film and I enjoyed taking the layers of it apart and understanding how the aspects of Alike’s identity affected how she developed.

Skam Season 3: Isak

Skam (translated to “Shame”) is a Norwegian show that follows the lives and secrets of Norwegian teenagers in real time. It has a unique format in that clips, text messages between the characters, Instagram posts, and YouTube videos are posted in real time throughout the week and compiled on Fridays to form episodes. Each season revolves around a different character in the show. Being so heavily entrenched in the way modern media works for real teenagers, I was immediately intrigued to see what kind of messages the show sent and what representation would be like in it. The season I will be analyzing in this post (season 3) revolves around Isak Valtersen, a gay teen coming to terms with his sexuality.

I found this season so incredible because it covers coming to terms with sexuality, parental issues, mental health struggles, and having a partner with mental health struggles in around 4 hours of media total. There are also cultural issues addressed more in passing such as ethnicity, religion, islamophobia directly, and other sexualities outside gay and straight.

One complex issue that I thought the season addressed very well was internalized homophobia. In a clip from the fifth episode of the season Isak admits something romantic is happening between him and a guy named Even to his roommate Eskild, who is is out as gay. Isak says, however, “But this doesn’t mean I’m gay” and says he is not going to begin doing things like going to gay pride festivals. Eskild replies that he should know his history and the struggle that pride stands for before raising himself above it. This is really important because it addresses that people who are part of a marginalized group can take on hegemonic views, which affects not only how they view others, but also themselves. The season also shows how development, learning, and application to real life can remedy this, as Isak learns more about being a queer person and is forgiven later in the season.

As previously mentioned, this season is also important in its depiction of mental illness, as Even has bipolar disorder. While we do not see this from Even’s perspective, we do get an accurate depiction of what the disorder can manifest as while still seeing Even as a whole person with a complex identity. This is wonderful for representation of mental illness, which can help end stigma against it. It is also key that what trying to understand how to have a partner with bipolar disorder, Isak uses some very harmful language toward mentally ill people, but is then called out for it and learns from it. It is also shown that he learns that not all mental disability can be immediately seen from the outside.

One major thing I took issue with in this season is the representation of women. Though in previous and following seasons women are shown are complex and powerful, the main women in this season are seen as only obstacles to the development of Even and Isak’s relationship, obstacles in the improvement of Even’s mental health, oblivious, and sometimes disposable. While this can be interpreted as a product of the misogyny that comes from a cisgender man’s perspective, I do not believe the season did enough to call Isak out on it like other topics were.

The third season of Skam was very important to my understanding of why representation in media matters and how to show realistic depiction of different issues in modern culture.

Girlboss Season 1: A Netflix Original Series

Girlboss is a really good example of “girl power” and white or second wave feminism. Being that my interests lie within both the realms of fashion (though I relentlessly critique the world of hegemonic beauty) and unapologetically successful women, I was intrigued by this show when the preview was released. I was also interested because the cast included Rupaul, who regularly chooses a diverse array of drag queen participants on his show Rupaul’s Drag Race, and the producer was Charlize Theron of Mad Max: Fury Road fame. I saw little diversity in the preview, but had hope because of things I have applied critical media theory to that Rupaul and Theron have been part of previously. Unfortunately, the show ended up falling short for me.

This show depicts several images of strong, independent women who face adversity throughout the narrative. Sophia begins as a 23-year-old woman raised by a single father who is facing class struggles through nearly being evicted from her apartment. The whole show from there is about her hard work to be an entrepreneur in something she is passionate about, despite societal views that she will not be successful. The show also shows Annie, Gail, and a model Sophia meets on MySpace as women who are very capable. On top of these strong individuals, the shows gives examples of strong female relationships. It does not villianize Sophia’s mother for leaving when she finally meets her and when Sophia’s boyfriend cheats on her, she begins to get angry at the girl who he cheated with, but then makes a point to say it is not her fault. This is important because it means the show does not pit women against one another as if they are natural enemies, even though fashion is a major theme and the fashion industry is very competitive. The good things about this show, however, stop there for me.

The show uses queer characters as simply accessories to Sophia’s life and comic relief, rather than show them as complex people. The show also has very few people of color in it, most of whom are mocked for the skills they demonstrate at a point in the show before they prove to be useful to Sophia’s goals. Though the show addresses the struggles Sophia goes through when she is poor, it never discusses that she has the privilege of coming from a family with money and does not have to face poverty if she loses everything, as her dad offers to help her.

Another big issue I had with this show was the lack of body diversity. In the fashion industry, most of the representation we have are tall, skinny, white girls. Girlboss shows this accurately, as Sophia’s fashion representation is no different, but never makes effort to critique it. Though some may argue that the show only shows the world as it is, I argue that, if a show is claiming to be feminist and for the power of girls, it should also speak to the way the world should be and be for the power of ALL girls.