Book Chapter
Details
Citation
Elliott-Smith D (2013) ¡®Death is the New Pornography!¡¯: Gay Zombies and Hypermasculine Cannibalism in Queer Horror in Screening the Undead: Vampires and Zombies in Film and TV.. In: Screening the Undead: Vampires and Zombies in Film and Television. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, pp. 148-173. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/screening-the-undead-9781848859241/
Abstract
With the signs of horrific difference displayed on the surface of the monster¡¯s skin, difference can be acted upon (by avoidance or destruction). The zombie is a visibly ¡®outed¡¯ monster forced to inhabit its decaying flesh for eternity. The zombie can ¡®be watched¡¯, rendered visible and set apart in order to protect others from infection and conversion. The guardedness inherent in homosexual panic is also not far removed from this. I want to reconsider the zombie as a perfect metaphor for the homosexual within the moving image, first by analysing the figure¡¯s potential for queer meaning then looking specifically at contemporary depictions of the gay zombie in the horror film before focusing mainly on the shambling, semi-articulate, gay zombie from Bruce LaBruce¡¯s melancholic zombie satire Otto; or, Up With Dead People (2008). Here my objective is to understand how the figure can be used both as a cipher for homosexuality and for sub-cultural critique within Western gay male culture.
Keywords
Queer Horror, Horror Film, LGBTQ Studies, Horror Studies, Monster Theory, Vampires, Zombies, Pornography
Status | Published |
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Funders | University of Hertfordshire |
Publication date | 01/10/2013 |
Publisher URL | |
Place of publication | London |
ISBN | 978-1-84885-924-1 |
eISBN | 9780857735430 |
People (1)
Senior Lecturer in Film & Gender Studies, Communications, Media and Culture