The Documentary “Paris Is Burning” by Jennie Livingston

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Summaries
Analysis
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

It is important to note that the subject of exploring and learning about the experiences of African American and Latino drag culture comprised of many members of the LGBTQ+ community is an intricate one. Although one might want to illuminate such pockets of cultural uniqueness to the world, it is evident that even a filmmaker can bring his or her own skewed lens altering the overall perspective. Therefore, even those who claim to be actively fighting the society based on patriarchy and racism tend to operate within the framework of imperial ruling-class capitalist patriarchal whiteness.

Summaries

In short, the film Paris Is Burning by Jennie Livingston is a documentary that shows the ball culture of African American and Latino gay and transgender communities. The concepts of ‘drag,’ ‘banjee realness,’ ‘voguing,’ and many others reveal how some of these individuals persevere despite the harsh world behind the veil filled with a multitude of issues (Livingston). The latter include homophobia, violence, poverty, homelessness, racism, AIDS, surgeries, shoplifting, and murder. The ninth chapter of Bell Hooks’s book provides a healthy and well-constructed critique of the filmmakers’ imposition of the patriarchal and racial framework. In addition, it is demonstrated that even the members of the gay and transgender communities featured in the film fall within this format rather than defying it.

Analysis

The main reason why the two materials are paired together is to show the depth and pervasiveness of the problem of patriarchy and racism. They inform each other because the film provides a more accessible gateway to some aspects of the ball culture, but Hooks lifts the veil of superficiality and illuminates the underlying problems with more inspection. The first scene to be analyzed is at the beginning, where the members of the community explain that the ball is the closest thing that they can get to “fame, fortune, stardom, and spotlights” (Livingston). These statements are immediately followed by the cover photos of famous white women and some white men, which reveals how they are still living and engaging within the white framework. The second scene to be analyzed is when one of the featured members of the community states, “I hope that the way I look puts money in my pocket” (Livingston). This scene adds another layer of the dominant societal force, which is capitalism.

It should be noted that both scenes reveal the influence the intersectionality, which is the term used to define the overlapping interaction of a multitude of forms of discrimination, such as race, gender, class, disability, and sexuality. Although Latino and African American ball culture and community are unique, it still reinforces the framework of imperial ruling-class capitalist patriarchal whiteness (Hooks 149). In the scenes, the understanding of sexuality by Latino and African American gay men and transgender women is dependent on putting the white ruling-class woman on a pedestal, behind whom a white patriarchal man stands in the shadow (Hooks 148). The whiteness is not decentered but rather anchored rigidly at the center, and this act of worship to imperial whiteness is done without a full acknowledgment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the film is still significant because having queer Black and People of Color experiences documented through it reveals the pervasive nature of imperial ruling-class capitalist patriarchal whiteness. The role of the viewer in this case is to be aware of reality instead of being blinded by the superficial celebration of whiteness. Thus, intersectionality can reach even the most isolated ball cultures, where the members are supposed to defy the norm.

Works Cited

Hooks, Bell. Black Looks: Race and Representation. South End Press, 1992.

Livingston, Jennie, director. Paris Is Burning. Off-White Productions, 1990.

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The Documentary “Paris Is Burning” by Jennie Livingston

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