Hot Pink Shorts

Masculinity is almost indefinable.

Whether we’re talking about masculinity or femininity, ‘acting like a man’ or ‘acting butch’, being faggoty, flamboyant, straight-acting or queer…  these are all contestable terms, frequently used to describe segments of our community.  Some may disagree with their usage, while others may use “queeney flambo” to describe their nearest and dearest.

Regardless, these terms are difficult to agree on; difficult to define.

Gender performance, or in this case masculinity, is almost indefinable.

Montreal-based filmmaker Owen Eric Wood explores this contentious subject in his short film Made Up.  It’s a film that makes no attempt to explain/identify/define the m-word, but rather demonstrate its fluidity.

For the past year point-five, Made Up’s been screened both here and beyond, everywhere from Barcelona to Stuttgart, stopping in Kassel along the way.  Here at home, Kingston, Toronto and Montreal audiences have been lucky enough to witness this exploration of male queer identity.  And who knows, maybe it’ll be gracing our western shores sometime soon?!

In the meantime, Wood raises (shameless giggles) some interesting questions about how gay men self-identify within the gay community, while indentifying in tandem within a larger so-called “gender” category of male.  …I have no idea what I just said, but I know my Queer Theory Professor at Queen’s U would be proud (holler!).

Wood’s video (a VO narration track laid over images of a changing [literally] male subject) has been described as a “reaction to homophobic behaviour observed among gay men”.  In an interview he had with the CKUT radio program QueerCorps in February of last year, Wood spoke about his concerns with the dismissal of effeminate or flamboyant gay men by others in their community.  He disagrees with certain standards that relate to how men should/should not act, and attempts to offer a subtle social commentary with Made Up.

The film is beautiful (as is Wood), and he doesn’t waste any time worrying about gay toe stepping.  He says everything he wants to say…

A quote from the film:

"I don't like guys who are too gay.  …It's kind of a turn off when a guy is really gay, like really gay acting.  I prefer if guys are straight acting, you know, normal, like they dress normal and they act like any other person.  Gay people should be masculine. They should act like men.”

Granted, in the end this is meant to be an ironic, self-aware critique.  But throwing around bombs like “too gay” and “normal”, Wood is sure to turn a few heads. 

(…that’s what he said.)