MASCULINITY AND CHANGING GENDER ROLES IN FILM

Masculinity and Changing Gender Roles in Film

Dayna Van Cott

Instructor: Tyler Smith

July 29, 2019

 MASCULINITY AND CHANGING GENDER ROLES IN FILM

Masculinity and Changing Gender Roles in Film

Film throughout the ages has depicted masculinity and changing gender roles in many

ways. This essay will explore these roles and the way they have changed throughout cinema’s

history. By analyzing the film Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, its casting,

message, and behind the scenes inspiration, we can see how film has evolved. Gender roles may

not be the same as they were in the 1920s, and 30s, but the cinematic generations that preceded

us have paved the way for Hollywood in the 21st century.

The film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar takes the viewer on a

comedic and heartwarming journey through the eyes of three drag queens. Although it is touted

as a comedy, this film is much more than that. In 1995, when the film was released, it was almost

of unheard of to see three male Hollywood stars take on a role, playing a member of the opposite

sex without being satirical. A far cry from the masculine portrayal of men in the early days of

cinema, To Wong foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar showed a new side to gender roles.

In the cinema of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, men were portrayed as strong, hardworking, and

heroic. It was not until the 1950s when the male role in cinema changed to depict a more

emotional and pensive type of masculinity (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). Though To Wong Foo,

Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar took place forty years later; it seems as though the

hegemonic negotiation of some 1950s films paved a path for its release.

The casting of three Hollywood stars, played by Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and

John Leguizamo were not the only gender roles that deserve consideration in this film. In a time

when there were very few female directors, this movie brought in the talent of Beeban Kidron to

raise the film to its cult classic following. Steven Spielberg thought that Kidron was the only one
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that could make the film what it is today. Kidron became pregnant during the filming of the

movie, and the production company threatened to kick her off as the director, but Spielberg

backed her up and insisted that it be completed by her (Puchko, 2019).

This film was released at a time when homosexuality was being openly discussed in the

media. The connotation, however, was not entirely positive. Being homosexual himself, Douglas

Carter Beane, the writer of the movie, felt it was a very appropriate time to put a positive spin on

America’s perception of the homosexual population. Undeniably a challenging task, especially

since the majority of the media was talking about the AIDS epidemic, and how it was the leading

cause of death in Americans between the ages of 25 and 44. However, Beane’s story gave

America a better perspective that focused on decisive and fun ideologies.

This cinematic experience was no doubt influential in the 1990s, but it may be more

important and relevant now than it was then. The LGBTQ movement started in the late 1960s,

but it is more prominent today than ever before. In what seems to be a third wave feminism

approach, the impact that we see today is extraordinary. There is a scene toward the end of the

film when the character of Carol Ann says, “I don’t think of you as a man, and I don’t think of

you as a woman. I think of you as an angel” (Parkes & Cohen, 1995). This line sums up the

direction that films are headed in today; abolishing the idea of quintessential masculinity or

femininity.

We are fortunate enough to live in a time when gender roles in films are often portrayed

closer to reality than ever before. Gay characters are not usually stereotyped as the flamboyant

best friend like they were in what seems to be every chick flick in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

A perfect example of this is the character of George Downes in the film My Best Friend’s

Wedding. Acting as the quintessential gay best friend to Julianne Potter, played by Julia Roberts,
 MASCULINITY AND CHANGING GENDER ROLES IN FILM

George was depicted as a Broadway loving friend that would drop anything for his female best

friend. Today, it seems that filmmakers do not feel it is necessary to exaggerate stereotypical

characteristics to accentuate the idea of a homosexual character in their films.

The cast of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar was played by

heterosexual males, which would have been frowned upon at an earlier time. The great thing

about this film is that it is a buddy film with a hint of earlier women’s films. Oppression and

acceptance are both present in the film as well. Misogynistic characters such as Carol Ann’s

husband and the sheriff that pulls the dynamic drag team over on their trip to Hollywood, show

their hatred of homosexuality. The rest of the town, however, is extremely accepting and

welcoming. The brilliance therein is the ability of the writer and director to show both sides of

the struggle that America was facing during the time this film hit the silver screen.

The change in gender roles and masculinity in film may have something to do with a

changing society. According to Powers, Rothman, and Rothman (1993), “We think that changes

in the representation of men and women in Hollywood movies correlate with measurable

changes in American society, particularly the conflicts among its elite leadership groups” (p. 262

– 263). Over time, the Hollywood elite, including directors, actors, screenwriters, and producers,

have become more diverse, which leads to a more varied view on these topics. Akin to the

diverse casting of white, black, and Hispanic males in the roles of three drag queens living their

best life.

Needless to say, what To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar was able to

accomplish is nothing short of astounding for its time. In a time when homophobia was running

rampant, and the AIDS epidemic was at its peak, Kidron’s direction and a great story were able

to create a movie that was ranked number one in America when it was released. The screenplay
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that Beane wrote is motivated by an anti-gay propaganda film from the 1980s called The Gay

Agenda (Watkins, 2015). Beane’s idea alone is an excellent indication of the way Hollywood had

changed from previous times. His ability to see the anti-gay propaganda film as a great idea,

rather than threatening to the drag queen population, is inspiring.

Overall, it is easy to see the way that gender roles and masculinity has changed

throughout American film history when we take a look into the past. This is not to say, however,

that we do not still have a long way to go for equal billings on IMDb and the red carpet. The role

of masculine characters started as hard, no-nonsense, do as I say figures, to what, in many cases,

is a more empathetic, hardworking, and caring portrayal today. Women tend to have more lead

roles than ever before, but in a pole of top-grossing films between 2007 and 2018, only 28% of

women had a lead or co-lead role (Women and Hollywood, 2018). We are well on our way to a

better and more diverse American film scene, and it will be interesting to see where the near

future takes us.

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References

Benshoff, H. M., Griffin, S. (2009). America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and

Sexuality at the Movies, 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell.

Parkes, W. F., Cohen, B., (Producer), & Kidron, B. (Director), (1995). To Wong Foo, Thanks for

Everything! Julie Newmar [Motion picture]. United States: Amblin Entertainment.

Powers, S. P., Rothman, D. J., & Rothman, S. (1993). Transformation of gender roles in

Hollywood movies: 1946-1990. Political Communication, 10:3, 259-283, DOI:

10.1080/10584609.1993.9962983

Puchko, K., (2019, June 6). Drag Queens, pregnancy woes, fist fights, and how Steven Spielberg

saved ‘To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar’. Pajiba. Retrieved from

https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/how-steven-spielberg-saved-to-wong-foo-thanks-

for-everything-julie-newmar.php

Watkins, G., (2015, September 11). The crazy, fabulous story behind 'To Wong Foo, Thanks for

Everything, Julie Newmar'. Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved from

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-crazy-fabulous-story-behind-to-wong-foo-

128781657157.html

Women and Hollywood. (2018). 2018 statistics – women onscreen. Retrieved from

https://womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/2018-statistics/