Week 5 Not That There’s Anything Wrong with That

Week 5 Not That There’s Anything Wrong with That

Sexuality Perspective

1. What are the five major social functions of pop culture? Give (YOUR OWN) examples of each.

2. Kidd notes that most queer characters are written and portrayed by straight and/or cisgender folks. What are some of the implications? What does this suggest about representation?

3. Sexuality obviously intersects with other identities (think about gender, race, class, etc). Who, however, has access to “gay visibility” in pop culture? Who is prominently featured? Are there exceptions?

4. Kidd recounts the coming-out story of Christopher Bradley. According to Bradley’s agent, “No one cares about that anymore” (p. 150). Is this the case? How does an artist’s genre affect the amount of support and/or backlash they receive? Furthermore, how does heteronormativity continue to shape the lived experiences of (non-famous) queer folks?

5. Kidd gives examples of how queer youth might engage in “identity management” via Facebook and other social media sites. What is identity management? Why would a person need to censure or conceal aspects of their identity? In what ways are your personal identities privileged? In what ways are you perhaps pressured to control or manage them?