"I DON'T DANCE": A QUEER READING OF DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
| dc.contributor.advisor | Cooper, Anna | |
| dc.contributor.author | LANDREVILLE MILLER, HANNAH AILEEN | |
| dc.creator | LANDREVILLE MILLER, HANNAH AILEEN | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-11-03T19:29:20Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-11-03T19:29:20Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021 | |
| dc.identifier.citation | LANDREVILLE MILLER, HANNAH AILEEN. (2021). "I DON'T DANCE": A QUEER READING OF DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (Bachelor's thesis, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA). | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10150/666651 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Despite its apparent heterocentrism, Disney’s High School Musical franchise warrants a queer reading due to the gendered dynamic between sports and musical theatre, thereby rendering the central conflict (i.e., Troy Bolton’s decision between basketball and singing) as one that potentially transgresses dominant ideologies of gender and sexuality. The franchise frames musical theatre as a stereotypically ‘queer’ pursuit due to its ties with camp culture, stylized effeminacy, and homosexuality. Sports culture is placed in diametric opposition, depicted as the traditionally ‘masculine’ pursuit due to its focus on cisgender, heterosexual male physicality and superiority. However, in a subversive twist, High School Musical offers a campy representation of normative masculinity through latent homoeroticism, revealing the trilogy’s implied address to queer boys. Troy operates as a locus of identification for this queer boy spectator because of his pseudo-sexual identity crisis, “coming-out” storyline, and tenuous rapport with his father/coach. Rather than being a legitimate love interest, the character of Gabriella Montez operates as Troy’s “beard” since their relationship provides the perfect heterosexual “cover-up” for his queer passion for singing. In conclusion, this essay reconciles High School Musical with its ‘Disney-fied’ origins and exploring why Disney products seem to perpetuate hidden queerness in a contemporary era where queer readings of films seem less and less relevant. | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | The University of Arizona. | |
| dc.rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
| dc.title | "I DON'T DANCE": A QUEER READING OF DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL | |
| dc.type | Electronic thesis | |
| dc.type | text | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Arizona | |
| thesis.degree.level | bachelors | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Film and Television | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Honors College | |
| thesis.degree.name | B.A. | |
| refterms.dateFOA | 2022-11-03T19:29:20Z |
