412: Stars + Celebrity

My favorite tidbit about Terminator 2 was this scene of Linda Hamilton at the very end of the film where she had bulked up so much for the part that she was able to pump the shotgun with one arm. Apparently, that part of the scene was unscripted but the sheer level of cool for her to be able to do that made Cameron include it in the film. While I agree wholeheartedly with the argument in the latter half of Jeffords’ piece of the Terminator replacing the role of the mother and the father and Linda Hamilton’s character being “not a mother at all but only a soldier for the future,” I still can’t deny that I adore that moment. Yes, she is only allowed to be strong to operate arms and weaponry and to protect her son who will set in motion the actions needed to save the future, but despite it all, she's just so undeniably cool. In Jeffords’ piece, the beginning outlines the common plot features of some 90’s films where the man discovers that his body has failed him, that what he thou...

While the Oscars occurred several weeks ago, I highly recommend watching the Last Repair Shop, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film. Ben Proudfoot, an USC alumni, co-directed it. The film is only around 45 minutes long and focuses on the Los Angeles Unified School District’s free musical instrument repair shop for its students, one of the last in the nation. Rather than documenting the process of repairing the instruments, however, it records the life stories of some of the workers. They explain the life events that led to them getting the job, the importance of their work, and include student testimonials.  I bring this up now because I'm an intern for LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin. I had the fantastic opportunity to tour the Last Repair Shop and meet the people in the documentary (one of whom knew Elvis!). It was incredible to see the documentary’s success in raising awareness and funds to keep the shop open, which is highly necessary. Back in 2003 there ...

  In Susan Jefford's Hard Bodies , I loved her notion that "sequentiality," was "Hollywood('s) response" in displaying “crises” of masculinity. Although Robocop II comes up in passing, it had me considering the way the original Robocop really toyed with the idea of the male body, especially in the way that amnesia and the family play a role in the original film. I was surprised that she didn’t talk about the original Robocop more, as the film has elements of each piece of her analysis of the shift that she talks about when discussing Terminator 2, with the "hard body” becoming the “family man.” Robocop is essentially a film about that exact struggle, presenting tug-of-war between the two versions of masculinity in a far more literal sense, albeit through the form of satire. Robocop's main struggle lies in his amnesia and hard metallic body, as they are what prevents him from ever returning to his family. Jefford’s writing about amnesia, especially ...

            In “Terminal Resistance/Cyborg Acceptance,” Scott Bukatman discusses the armored, hypermasculinized body as “a mental projection of the surface of the body” that emerged as a reaction to a new age both in terms of politics and technology (303, 306). As Bukatman explores the rigid, structured shell constructed by this conceptualization of masculinity, he addresses its connection to a “masculine aversion to the soft, the liquid, and the gooey—elements associated with the monstrous feminine” which irrationally positions women and their fluid characterization as threats that “wash away all that is rational” if not kept contained (303). This extreme alienation is depicted in Terminator 2 which pivots the feminine against the masculine through the form of T-1000 as digital entity and that of Terminator as a mechanical body. But interestingly, Bukatman points out that the character of Sarah Connor (although both a woman and a mother) is paradoxi...

  In chapter Star Bodies and Performance, Dyer calls to attention Dryan S. Turner’s concept of a ‘somatic society’ as a lens for understanding how the body is connected with modern social and political issues. This concept allows us to consider bodies as not simply an individual being, but a part of a larger and interconnected society. Specifically, Dyer uses action films as a way of exemplifying this idea, as action heroes often exhibit their large muscles and strength which in some way serves as a main point in the story. However, Dyer maintains that this is one type of body represented in one type of film, and other types of bodies represent different cultural complexities in other genres.  When looking at star bodies, Dyer suggests that you also have to look at their performance to understand how subtle bodily actions have a significant impact on broader themes and messages in the film regarding the body and sexuality. The small, minute actions such as mannerisms, facial e...

     With the constant societal discussion around female bodies, I found this week's literature refreshing. Both body types are arguably equally extreme and for show, however, they spark entirely different conversations. It is peculiar that the female on screen body type is perceived as attainable and becomes a borderline expected norm in society, while the male on screen body type is perceived as fake and never becomes an expectation. The desirable muscles and height add to the male protagonist's character, while the female protagonist is simply expected to have a conventionally attractive body type and is notable when she doesn’t fit into this mold.       In real life, both body types are enviable; however they play different roles in their affects on society. Women are defined by the need to be small and when they are not they are attacked about their innate femininity. Alternatively, the extreme masculine body does not set the same precedent in wha...

  It is no secret that for decades film has utilized its narratives to drive political and social agendas. Specifically, film has channeled characters and plot lines that glorify white men and seemingly belittle every other group. This week's readings highlighted the concept of masculinity that was warped and transformed throughout the Regan era. They analyzed various films, such as Terminator 2 , with underlying tones that challenged perspectives of the era.  The 80s were a time that idolized hyper masculine body types and utilized this physique to emphasize the power of men. However, as film transitioned in the 90s, white men obtained a bad wrap for their heartless decisions and began to prioritize their control on familial structure and reproductive rights, as both their agenda changed and their image that they wanted conceived about them altered. Film encouraged troupes and storylines that credited the reason for men’s violence to defending their family and showed them a...