del. icio. us

QUEER THEORY
.
www.theology.bham.ac.uk/guest/Queerying%20Theology/queer_theory.htm

REVIEW ON 'KINKY BOOTS', how did Chiwetel Ejiofor end up playing a transvestite in a Northampton shoe factory?

http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,1580954,00.html

GENDER IDENTITY

http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/huffaker.html

GENRE

http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/index.jsp

THEORY
http://www.theory.org.uk/directory.htm#

REPRESENTATION OF GAY MALES ON FILM

http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/Gay

ALICE'S BLOG

http://breakfastonmercury.blogspot.com/

EXTENDED QUEER THEORY

http://www.theory.org.uk/but-int1.htm

5 KeY tErMs

Gendered consumption: the way that gender affects our consumption of media texts.
This links to my text as gender is a big issue which is raised throughout the film, with the main charater, Lola being the prime target and character.

Queer Theory: Queer theory is a theory about sex and gender within the larger field of Queer studies. It proposes that one's sexual identity and one's gender identity are partly or wholly socially constructed, and therefore individuals cannot really be described using broad terms like "homosexual," "heterosexual," "man," or "woman". It challenges the common practice of compartmentalizing the description of a person to fit into one particular category.
This links to my text as the main character in 'Kinky Boots' is a transvetite, which challenges the typical 'man' or 'women' description.

Alternative comedy: A form of comdey, often experimental, that challenges mainstream values and expectations, first developed in radio programs such as the 'Goon Show' (1950s) and then on televison.
Alternative theory links to my text as this film is a comdey, this also shocks the audience by extreme, enexpected representations.

Niche market:Niche marketing is the process of finding small but potentially profitable market segments and designing custom-made products for them. Niche marketers are often reliant on the loyalty business model to maintain a profitable volume of sales.
This links as the primary audience this film is targeted at is transvetites, which seems to be a small market to target, although there are other secondary audience this film is linked to.

Prejudice: The pre-judging of an issue or soical group, usually in a negative or stereotypical way.
This definition links to the text i am doing as this issue is of great improtance and there is often may pre-judging and stereotypes made about transvesities. In the film there are many charaters who pre-judge the main character, athough they are finally converted near the end of the film.

Comments

I commentd on a few blogs although there werent that many others relating directly to my question, some may be linked through sexuality...

Alice:http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34170927&postID=115852975434455419

Ashley:http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=31113553&postID=115823338021553577

Sam:http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=34158663&postID=115802023521912306&r=ok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFcJUyZjS-I

This is the trailer for kinky boots if you havent seen it then this will help you understand what its about.

'Kinky Boots:A Gay Crowd Pleaser'

Within the world of gay cinema, the sub-genre of “drag queen vs small town hicks” films has become somewhat of an industry unto itself. From The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) to To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) to even Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988), etc., they have become pretty formulaic.
The cross-dressing lead “heroine” characters in such movies can be pretty one-dimensional. They rise above all adversity and eventually win the day with little more than stereotypically jaded vulgarisms, chipper “go girl” attitude and tacky fashion sense. Their finger-snap-in-the-air one liner/zingers always manage to stop troublesome homophobic brutes dead in their tracks.
Although basically a similarly predictable, “feel good” crowd pleaser movie about social tolerance and acceptance, Kinky Boots manages to rise above the genre's usual mediocrity by way of the smart, endearing performances by all of its cast, and especially its leads.
....
In the case of Kinky Boots, the good Samaritan is Charlie Price, owner of a financially failing footwear factory. The “special” person he meets in a chance encounter (in an alley where he tries to rescue her from thugs), and the recipient of his act of kindness is Lola, a drag queen. Her supernatural power is, well she's a drag queen and she's fabulous!
No, seriously. Lola, being a cross-dressing star at a London drag nightclub (and also a former heavy-weight boxer), possesses unique natural insights into the footwear needs of men who want to dress like outrageously sexy women. These insights help save Charlie's Northhampton shoe factory by designing ultra sexy and kinky drag boots of all kinds for the new footwear line.
(http://www.afterelton.com/movies/2006/4/kinky.html)

Ideology and Vaules
Typically in many Hollywood mainstream films the male is shown to be the hero and the women is the venerable person in need of assistance from the hero. Although in films such as ‘Bedazzled’ the women is the dominate character, which challenges a patriarchal society.

Narrative:
The story begins with a middle aged man who seems lonely and unwanted, as he goes about his every day life one day it will all about to change. Typically he fancies a women at his work which he cant get, and doesn’t even have the guts to ever talk to her. She predictably doesn’t acknowledge him altogether, although one night he decides to confront her in a bar. As his so called ‘Friends’ push him to go talk to her just to get fid of him. As he does so she does not recognise him and shortens the chat. As he get upset when she walks away he gets confronted by another attractive women, who he later finds out is the devil.
The devil wants to give him his wish as she knows his situation and wants his soul, as she finds him an easy target. She proves herself correct as he does what she wants, and signs a contract which he did not read fully. The devil then grants him with seven wishes of his choice, although as he wishes for what he wants, one by one these wishes are granted as she said. Although there is a twist, he was not specific enough to what he wanted. In the first wish he asks to be with this women he loves and to be rich, as doing so everything falls out of place and she did not love him back and he becomes a very big drug dealer.
Once he goes back and wishes for the second time again he also gets it wrong and ends up being to emotional and she leaves him for some ‘typical’ other man. And this continues throughout six of his wishes, as the end he realizes what he wants the devil can not give him so therefore he tells her that he does not want his last wish. The devil gets very angry and turns into a giant to scare him into saying his last wish so she can have his soul. It works although not the way she intended, as he wishes for a selfless wish. And this terminates the contract so he does not have to give up his soul to the devil.
Once he gets back to normal life he gets the courage to ask out Aicen, although she turns him down as she was going out with some one. Once he gets back to his flat he finds a women who happens to look much like Alicen moving next door to him. They then end up going out and living ‘happily ever after’.

Audience:
The primary target audience seems to be middle class, 18-34 year olds. Which would also target the gay community. Mainly targeting the gay community, as the key focus of this text is sexuality.
Review: ‘“something for everyone” philosophy’, therefore showing that this text appeals to everyone in some way.
Although transvestites are the main focus of the text, this can appeal to the male audience e.g ‘male gaze’, as there also women with a certain ‘sex appeal’.


The secondary audience would consist of males at the same age as it has an attractive women as another main character, which links to the male gaze.

Representation

Charlie: Charlie is a young white male trying to just simply live his life, along with his ‘wife to be’. The first impressions implied to the audience are the symbolism of his shoes, which showed that Charlie doesn’t take much interest in his fathers company, and the countryside. Charlie is represented as one of the main but weak characters, as he gets dominated by his ‘wife to be’.

Lola (Simon): ‘Lola’, the drag queen, also known as Simon, is the main character in this film, he also has the biggest characteristics in the film. ‘Lola’s’ dress sense seems to be over exaggerated to the ‘average’ person, although for his profession it seems appropriate. In his work he is presented as a idol, in which many admirers come to watch him perform. His dominance shows through, although he seems to have a weak side that the audience sympathises with. ‘Lola’ isn’t as strong as he seems to be, once he leaves his divine, although far from perfect life and moves to a shoe factory he breaks down. Simon becomes the hero type figure in this film by setting every right and helping Charlie.

Charlie’s wife to be: This women is represented as the villain of this film, as the audience don’t connect with her. She becomes very overpowering and in authority although, typical, she doesn’t get her own way. Being a women in power shows the un-stereotypical side to this film, and the fact that a women is a villain.

Genre:
'Kinky Boots' is shown as a comedy and drama , with comments from reviews and newpapers. "Fraser's brilliantly funny" (Sunday People) shows just that.

Institution

The institution for this film is Miramax, a very well known company which has made a successful range of top films. From films such as Bride and Prejudice, kill bill and Gangs of New York, which have been very triumphant.

Media Language

In the opening scene you as an audience are shown a close up of a young black boy, who you later find out is the main character. In background there are the sound of sea gulls, which would indicate that Simon is near the sea side. This then quickly turns into a long shot of the young boy sitting on a bench alone, with laughter coming from inside the café behind him. A close up of red feminine shoes directly follow, with another clip of Simon’s feet in another pair of red high heel shoes. The music over this clip consists of a high pitched, slow but up beat effect, this then links into a close up of the boys face.
The music seems to get louder as Simon begins to dance around more and more, this is then followed by a long shot of him showing the surrounding he is in. There are continuous close ups and long shots as he begins to dance more on the deck. There is suddenly a reflection of Simon in the window continuing to dance with high heels on, the background comes into focus to reveal his presumed father standing there watching. At he knocks on the window the music stops and there is a quick close up of Simons shocked expression. A long shot of the boy running back shortly follows, there is a close up of him changing his heels back into shoes as his father approaches. A medium close up shows Simons and his father takes him home.
There is slow motion of the previous clip of the boys shoes dancing around, this then moves into a tracking shot, slow motion is a sign of the past, being shown. The music also comes back on, and the title ‘Kinky Boots’ appears in a fancy red font. This finally fades into a crane shot of a shoe factory, and the music fades down quietly.
The next section shows a close up of a father and son talking about shoes, this fades into another close up of various shots of shoes being made. This then changes to two pairs of shoes which reveals its again the father and son out side, a long shot show this to the audience. The close ups of shoes being made is repeated again with fades in between every cut. The music now fades out as the father begins to talk, showing importance. Close ups and long shots of father and son, showing good relationship. Once again there are more close ups of shoes being made which also fade in between each cut, with the music continuing. There are then close ups of shoes completed, and it continues to fade into them being boxed up, may indicate time passing by.
The music now quietens down and again a clip of a pair of shoes are shown, these are the father and sons although the son is now wearing trainers, showing change and time pasting by. As the father makes a speech there is long shot which turns into a tracking shot of the factory makers and the father and son standing above them, showing superiority. After this there is a clip of the sons old trainers and a long shot of him at a train station, which may indicate he is moving on some where else.