Inescapable Sex
The focal question of this essay can be stated as follows ; what are the implications of the gender performances behaved by the characters? And to what extent can these performances help in their efforts to construct their own identities?
Crushproof (1998) and Breakfast on Pluto (2005) offer us opposing representations of characters who both strive to overcome the efforts by patriarchal society to impede them, they do so by means of; hypermasculinity, and hyperfeminity through drag. The psychological dimensions of power which may be rooted in and conditioned by the patriarchal nature of society (Michalski, 2005) remain an obstacle for the non-masculine, non-heterosexual male characters in both films. Nuala and Kitten become binary opposites in their efforts to pursue power and construct their own identities. While Kitten embraces elements of the stereotypical feminine, Nuala overtly rejects them and resorts to hypermasculinity.
From the opening scenes of both Crushproof (directed by Paul Tickell) and Breakfast on Pluto (directed by Neil Jordan) there is an immediate presence of patriarchal society. The former is set in suburban Dublin and exhibits the chaos of the 'pony club ' subculture of the city’s Northside where drugs, aggression and violence are all part of daily life. There is an ongoing power struggle between the last standing male-led gang and the garda authority, with gender-based violence taking on extremes. Unsurprisingly, amongst this masculine jungle we see the protagonist, Neal (Darren Healy) and his loyal companion conclude that a female is just “a hole for your knob”. Nuala (Viviana Verveen) enters the chaos early on, with ambitions of escaping misogyny by means of hypermasculinity. Her performances steer towards disaster and she subsequently becomes constructed as the object of sexual desire and becomes contained within the patriarchal discourse. In Breakfast on Pluto, we are introduced to the patriarchal nature of a Catholic
Crushproof (1998) and Breakfast on Pluto (2005) offer us opposing representations of characters who both strive to overcome the efforts by patriarchal society to impede them, they do so by means of; hypermasculinity, and hyperfeminity through drag. The psychological dimensions of power which may be rooted in and conditioned by the patriarchal nature of society (Michalski, 2005) remain an obstacle for the non-masculine, non-heterosexual male characters in both films. Nuala and Kitten become binary opposites in their efforts to pursue power and construct their own identities. While Kitten embraces elements of the stereotypical feminine, Nuala overtly rejects them and resorts to hypermasculinity.
From the opening scenes of both Crushproof (directed by Paul Tickell) and Breakfast on Pluto (directed by Neil Jordan) there is an immediate presence of patriarchal society. The former is set in suburban Dublin and exhibits the chaos of the 'pony club ' subculture of the city’s Northside where drugs, aggression and violence are all part of daily life. There is an ongoing power struggle between the last standing male-led gang and the garda authority, with gender-based violence taking on extremes. Unsurprisingly, amongst this masculine jungle we see the protagonist, Neal (Darren Healy) and his loyal companion conclude that a female is just “a hole for your knob”. Nuala (Viviana Verveen) enters the chaos early on, with ambitions of escaping misogyny by means of hypermasculinity. Her performances steer towards disaster and she subsequently becomes constructed as the object of sexual desire and becomes contained within the patriarchal discourse. In Breakfast on Pluto, we are introduced to the patriarchal nature of a Catholic
Bibliography: Breakfast on Pluto. Dir. Neil Jordan. Pathé!, Twentieth Century Fox, 2005. Brison, Susan J., Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self. (2003) Butler, Judith Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2008. Butler, Judith. Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence. New York: Verso, 2006. Michalski, Joseph H., “Explaining Intimate Partner Violence: The Sociological Limitations of Victimization Studies” Vol. 20, No.4, Springer, Dec., 2005 Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”