The Rocky Horror Picture Show Analysis
“I’m just a sweet transvestite, from transsexual Transylvania,” Lyrics like these shocked audiences around the world in the mid-70’s. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” a culture shock that now has grown into a pop culture classic was received with mixed reviews and unimpressive box office appeal. The musical comedy-satire-spoof of the horror/sci-fi genre was released nationwide September 1975 with advance screenings in cities like London and Los Angeles. Sadly the success of the film didn’t begin until 1976, especially since around the same time movies like “Jaws” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” were dominating the box office. It later moved to midnight showings on Friday and Saturday nights which is where it quickly gained cult film
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followers. The movie pushed boundaries from the way the characters, audiences and dialogue fought what was socially acceptable at the time and challenged conventional ideas that to this day still affect the way we live. Rocky Horror excavates the bounty of Sexual Revolution of the 1970s, the American fetishes and the also dips into the cold and cruel lakes of the American dreams. Because it was foreign made (British to be exact) it has its upper hand in being “real” in its exploration of and satirical approach to these American happening. Also true to its British creators, the element of men cross-dressing is a key example of past British traditions such as Shakespeare’s original plays which then led to androgynous fabulous artist like Elton john and David Bowie. This however was the smallest, least shocking aspect of the film to London viewers at its opening. The movie opens with Brad and Janet, a superficial example of the traditional, all-American, couple that of course is stranded in the middle of nowhere with Mother Nature working as their antagonist. They knock on the door of a nearby castle in hopes of using a telephone but are taken prisoners by the owner, Dr. Frank- N- Furter, a cross dressing, sexually infatuated, Martian from the planet of “transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.” Frank-N-Furter turns out to be a madman who acts out what ever aggression or sexual desire that rises from inside his groins which, with help with other sources, contribute to the madness that leads him to murder one of the male characters who later gets served for dinner. Before all of this, frank had Janet and Brad stripped to their undergarments and sent to their separate dormitories. As the night progresses he enters each room disguised as the other and introduces each to a taste of blood that soon transforms them down the rabbit hole; Brad to the pleasure of the exploration of his sexuality and Janet to the pleasure of sex. Janet the once prude, virginal American girl discovered a whole new world and couldn’t resist temptation much like Eve with the apple in the Garden of Eden. Except in this case the forbidden fruit would be Rocky Horror, the muscle sexy boy toy of God himself Frank-N-Furter who has specifically made it clear that the apple is off limits. Once she gets a taste of the forbidden and powerful taste of what Frank’s life is capable of, Janet is transformed into a sexual goddess once again where she describes her thrilling encounter with the forbidden fruit. “Touch-a touch-me. I wanna be dirty,” She screams on top of Rocky Horror; “Thrill me, chill me, and fulfill me, creature of the night.” Janet Weiss can be a prime example of the Sexual Revolution that arose in the late 60’s early 70’s. During these times America was still looming over Vietnam and though the bell of hope and prosperity was ringing, America was still trying to piece itself together. In the 50’s, women were labeled as house wives, mothers, and nothing else. Their worth was labeled by how happy their kids and husband were at the end of the night. Mothers were told to involve themselves in the lives of their kids but not to suffocate them in fear that they might turn into homosexuals; to little love: Criminal, too much love: Faggot. Television at this time portrayed house wives in beautiful dresses cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their kids in a beautiful house with white picket fences. It taught women that housework was their calling and that being miserable, sexless, and really just plain unhappy was ok because that’s how life should be. In Rocky Horror, Janet’s lines “Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch-me, I want to be dirty,” represents a rebellious generation of woman in need of celebration and exploration of the things media and their mothers told them was unacceptable, un-ladylike, and downright disgusting. The movie then reaches its pinnacle point when Frank-N-Furter uses his space-age technology to transforms a couple of characters (which include Rocky Horror, Janet, and Brad) into fishnet wearing, corseted, high-heeled mini-me’s that perform on stage in a song that reveals something about their own personal change from being exposed to and ultimately their final last glimpse of humanity into insanity. Janet wise sings about her evolved state in one of the final acts of the play, “My confidence has increased, Reality is here, the game has been disbanded, and my mind has been expanded.” Throughout the film, Frank-N-Furter relies on costumes and “toys” if you will to deceive and act out his dark twisted fantasies.
Like Dr. Frankenstein, only fiercer, he creates a “simulation” of the perfect male specimen: Rocky Horror, whose sole reason of creation was for release and acting out sexual desires. Frank’s world is full of oxymorons, where everything pretends it’s something else and where parts of past films paste a never-ending, theatrical old-time burlesque show. Pop Culture, Like Frank-N-Furter are obsessed with Sex and Violence. Society Turns violence and sex into spectacles for all to enjoy, like violent videos games and daytime talk shows about infidelity for …show more content…
example. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was an expression of the new culture (a culture of of sexual freedom and fantasy role-play much like today) and a way to celebrate its arrival but at the same time made fun of the excess of too much sexual pleasure. With the help of Frank-N-Furter, the new culture found their mascot with his message of “Don’t dream it. Be it,” advocating to not merely fantasize but to act on your fantasies; Also to draw from Hollywood’s invented ideas and make them your own reality. It gives the viewer a chance to enjoy what is usually taboo by taking them to the limit of what is socially acceptable just to get a thrill out of it. Going against the social norm has itself become the new norm, the cool thing to do. In the 1950’s it was almost unheard to talk about sex let alone gay sex openly but one of the ways you could have gotten your fix of sexual stimulation in the comfort of your own home was one of the main focuses in creating Rocky Horror. Newsstands everywhere carried muscle magazines that become an acceptable form of gay porn for the masses. It was a way for gay men to watch almost naked men in an “innocent” way which actually helped contribute to the birth of gay soft porn. Damion Matthews a writer for “The Examiner” wrote for “Salon.com” in 2000 that "their appeal is seems to cross sexual orientations. Straight, gay and bisexual men have been known to enjoy them. In their pages, they eroticize both the flesh and the culture of men. To read them is to be sexually seduced into fraternity to which all men are invited. They untie their readers in a kind of sexually charged adulation of masculinity. To the cult of testosterone in America, they have an almost biblical authority.” The Charles Atlas “Dynamic Tension,” which is mentioned and sang by Dr.
Frank-N-Furter: “He'll do press-ups and chin-ups do the snatch, clean, and jerk he thinks dynamic tension must be hard work such strenuous living I just don't understand. When in just seven days. Oh, baby I can make you a man,” became the most sold mail order product in history and was even featured in comic books. The ads slogan was even “in just seven days I can make you a man!” Another famous bodybuilder, Steve Reeves, who was most notable for his role in “Hercules,” became a gay icon of the late 50’s thanks to his hunky muscles that glistened on the silver screen. This makes Frank’s great creation a manufacture of pop culture phenomenon’s Atlas and Reeves.
The New culture, thanks to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has offered us a release from the hectic real world. Even though brad was unraveled by the madness and “shamelessness” of Frank, Janet was somehow freed like a phoenix rising from the dark ashes of insecurity. Her once square, idealistic idea of what she should be and act like was infected by Frank’s dark and twisted fantasies which transformed her not into another Rocky but into a evolved image of himself; she would neither be a straight-minded and “traditional” but neither be taken over by insanity completely like
Frank-N-Furter. Frank-N-Furter, like a spirit guide, gives Janet the tools that she needs to release herself from the social conformity and break free to a more open, happier, confident life. In then end Frank is murdered as a savior like Jesus and Rocky like his faithful lover Mary Magdalene, dies for her beloved. The house flies off back to their home planet of Transsexual leaving Brad and Janet battered and bleeding on the ground that is now left behind in its departure. But much like death, Rebirth is not as easy as they thought.
"The Subculture of the Rocky Horror Picture Show." THINK-MAGAZINE.com - The Subculture of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013.
"Celebrating the Cult Classic 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' - FlipSide - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -." Celebrating the Cult Classic 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' - FlipSide - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013.
Austin, Bruce A. “Portrait of a Cult Film Audience: The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Journal of Communication. 31 (1981): 43-54.
Hoberman, J. and Jonathan Rosenbaum. “Curse of the Cult People.” Film Comment. 2.1 (1991): 8-10.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dir. Jim Sharman. Perf. Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. 20th Century Fox Entertainment, 1975.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Anniversary Commentary. 20th Century Fox Entertainment, 2000.
followers. The movie pushed boundaries from the way the characters, audiences and dialogue fought what was socially acceptable at the time and challenged conventional ideas that to this day still affect the way we live. Rocky Horror excavates the bounty of Sexual Revolution of the 1970s, the American fetishes and the also dips into the cold and cruel lakes of the American dreams. Because it was foreign made (British to be exact) it has its upper hand in being “real” in its exploration of and satirical approach to these American happening. Also true to its British creators, the element of men cross-dressing is a key example of past British traditions such as Shakespeare’s original plays which then led to androgynous fabulous artist like Elton john and David Bowie. This however was the smallest, least shocking aspect of the film to London viewers at its opening. The movie opens with Brad and Janet, a superficial example of the traditional, all-American, couple that of course is stranded in the middle of nowhere with Mother Nature working as their antagonist. They knock on the door of a nearby castle in hopes of using a telephone but are taken prisoners by the owner, Dr. Frank- N- Furter, a cross dressing, sexually infatuated, Martian from the planet of “transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.” Frank-N-Furter turns out to be a madman who acts out what ever aggression or sexual desire that rises from inside his groins which, with help with other sources, contribute to the madness that leads him to murder one of the male characters who later gets served for dinner. Before all of this, frank had Janet and Brad stripped to their undergarments and sent to their separate dormitories. As the night progresses he enters each room disguised as the other and introduces each to a taste of blood that soon transforms them down the rabbit hole; Brad to the pleasure of the exploration of his sexuality and Janet to the pleasure of sex. Janet the once prude, virginal American girl discovered a whole new world and couldn’t resist temptation much like Eve with the apple in the Garden of Eden. Except in this case the forbidden fruit would be Rocky Horror, the muscle sexy boy toy of God himself Frank-N-Furter who has specifically made it clear that the apple is off limits. Once she gets a taste of the forbidden and powerful taste of what Frank’s life is capable of, Janet is transformed into a sexual goddess once again where she describes her thrilling encounter with the forbidden fruit. “Touch-a touch-me. I wanna be dirty,” She screams on top of Rocky Horror; “Thrill me, chill me, and fulfill me, creature of the night.” Janet Weiss can be a prime example of the Sexual Revolution that arose in the late 60’s early 70’s. During these times America was still looming over Vietnam and though the bell of hope and prosperity was ringing, America was still trying to piece itself together. In the 50’s, women were labeled as house wives, mothers, and nothing else. Their worth was labeled by how happy their kids and husband were at the end of the night. Mothers were told to involve themselves in the lives of their kids but not to suffocate them in fear that they might turn into homosexuals; to little love: Criminal, too much love: Faggot. Television at this time portrayed house wives in beautiful dresses cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their kids in a beautiful house with white picket fences. It taught women that housework was their calling and that being miserable, sexless, and really just plain unhappy was ok because that’s how life should be. In Rocky Horror, Janet’s lines “Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch-me, I want to be dirty,” represents a rebellious generation of woman in need of celebration and exploration of the things media and their mothers told them was unacceptable, un-ladylike, and downright disgusting. The movie then reaches its pinnacle point when Frank-N-Furter uses his space-age technology to transforms a couple of characters (which include Rocky Horror, Janet, and Brad) into fishnet wearing, corseted, high-heeled mini-me’s that perform on stage in a song that reveals something about their own personal change from being exposed to and ultimately their final last glimpse of humanity into insanity. Janet wise sings about her evolved state in one of the final acts of the play, “My confidence has increased, Reality is here, the game has been disbanded, and my mind has been expanded.” Throughout the film, Frank-N-Furter relies on costumes and “toys” if you will to deceive and act out his dark twisted fantasies.
Like Dr. Frankenstein, only fiercer, he creates a “simulation” of the perfect male specimen: Rocky Horror, whose sole reason of creation was for release and acting out sexual desires. Frank’s world is full of oxymorons, where everything pretends it’s something else and where parts of past films paste a never-ending, theatrical old-time burlesque show. Pop Culture, Like Frank-N-Furter are obsessed with Sex and Violence. Society Turns violence and sex into spectacles for all to enjoy, like violent videos games and daytime talk shows about infidelity for …show more content…
example. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was an expression of the new culture (a culture of of sexual freedom and fantasy role-play much like today) and a way to celebrate its arrival but at the same time made fun of the excess of too much sexual pleasure. With the help of Frank-N-Furter, the new culture found their mascot with his message of “Don’t dream it. Be it,” advocating to not merely fantasize but to act on your fantasies; Also to draw from Hollywood’s invented ideas and make them your own reality. It gives the viewer a chance to enjoy what is usually taboo by taking them to the limit of what is socially acceptable just to get a thrill out of it. Going against the social norm has itself become the new norm, the cool thing to do. In the 1950’s it was almost unheard to talk about sex let alone gay sex openly but one of the ways you could have gotten your fix of sexual stimulation in the comfort of your own home was one of the main focuses in creating Rocky Horror. Newsstands everywhere carried muscle magazines that become an acceptable form of gay porn for the masses. It was a way for gay men to watch almost naked men in an “innocent” way which actually helped contribute to the birth of gay soft porn. Damion Matthews a writer for “The Examiner” wrote for “Salon.com” in 2000 that "their appeal is seems to cross sexual orientations. Straight, gay and bisexual men have been known to enjoy them. In their pages, they eroticize both the flesh and the culture of men. To read them is to be sexually seduced into fraternity to which all men are invited. They untie their readers in a kind of sexually charged adulation of masculinity. To the cult of testosterone in America, they have an almost biblical authority.” The Charles Atlas “Dynamic Tension,” which is mentioned and sang by Dr.
Frank-N-Furter: “He'll do press-ups and chin-ups do the snatch, clean, and jerk he thinks dynamic tension must be hard work such strenuous living I just don't understand. When in just seven days. Oh, baby I can make you a man,” became the most sold mail order product in history and was even featured in comic books. The ads slogan was even “in just seven days I can make you a man!” Another famous bodybuilder, Steve Reeves, who was most notable for his role in “Hercules,” became a gay icon of the late 50’s thanks to his hunky muscles that glistened on the silver screen. This makes Frank’s great creation a manufacture of pop culture phenomenon’s Atlas and Reeves.
The New culture, thanks to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has offered us a release from the hectic real world. Even though brad was unraveled by the madness and “shamelessness” of Frank, Janet was somehow freed like a phoenix rising from the dark ashes of insecurity. Her once square, idealistic idea of what she should be and act like was infected by Frank’s dark and twisted fantasies which transformed her not into another Rocky but into a evolved image of himself; she would neither be a straight-minded and “traditional” but neither be taken over by insanity completely like
Frank-N-Furter. Frank-N-Furter, like a spirit guide, gives Janet the tools that she needs to release herself from the social conformity and break free to a more open, happier, confident life. In then end Frank is murdered as a savior like Jesus and Rocky like his faithful lover Mary Magdalene, dies for her beloved. The house flies off back to their home planet of Transsexual leaving Brad and Janet battered and bleeding on the ground that is now left behind in its departure. But much like death, Rebirth is not as easy as they thought.
"The Subculture of the Rocky Horror Picture Show." THINK-MAGAZINE.com - The Subculture of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013.
"Celebrating the Cult Classic 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' - FlipSide - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -." Celebrating the Cult Classic 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' - FlipSide - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013.
Austin, Bruce A. “Portrait of a Cult Film Audience: The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Journal of Communication. 31 (1981): 43-54.
Hoberman, J. and Jonathan Rosenbaum. “Curse of the Cult People.” Film Comment. 2.1 (1991): 8-10.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dir. Jim Sharman. Perf. Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. 20th Century Fox Entertainment, 1975.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Anniversary Commentary. 20th Century Fox Entertainment, 2000.