Male rape in film comedy: Representations in contemporary Hollywood
Male rape in film comedy: Representations in contemporary Hollywood
This thesis focusses on contemporary popular Hollywood comedy films and argues that the main way we can conceptualise male rape from its representation is through its comic framing. The aim of this thesis is to explore how films evoke humour from the sexual victimisation of men and the social context that allows and encourages comedic male rape. Male rape has been presented as a forbidden and hidden subject that is yet to be in public discourse. In the last 25 years, however, male rape has been represented more and more through comedy, making it the most common place to find a male rape representation. The comedy that frames male rape sets up suitable and deviant types of masculinity, where men are punished through rape. The comedic techniques used to represent male rape are analysed through textual analysis of case study films, which offers insight into how rapists and victims are represented and what male rape looks like. Contextual analysis and reception analysis discusses the social influence of the comedic rape representation. This thesis has found that in comedic representation, male rape is a punishment for deviant masculinity, which suggests it is justifiable and culturally acceptable.
University of Southampton
Gustafsson-Wood, Isaac, Miles
6e4e839c-ca4a-4f6b-9047-9755486065e1
September 2019
Gustafsson-Wood, Isaac, Miles
6e4e839c-ca4a-4f6b-9047-9755486065e1
Williams, Michael
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Mazdon, Lucy E
fdf3a464-0131-4f73-ab53-eb37e2745d56
Gustafsson-Wood, Isaac, Miles
(2019)
Male rape in film comedy: Representations in contemporary Hollywood.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 199pp.
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Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis focusses on contemporary popular Hollywood comedy films and argues that the main way we can conceptualise male rape from its representation is through its comic framing. The aim of this thesis is to explore how films evoke humour from the sexual victimisation of men and the social context that allows and encourages comedic male rape. Male rape has been presented as a forbidden and hidden subject that is yet to be in public discourse. In the last 25 years, however, male rape has been represented more and more through comedy, making it the most common place to find a male rape representation. The comedy that frames male rape sets up suitable and deviant types of masculinity, where men are punished through rape. The comedic techniques used to represent male rape are analysed through textual analysis of case study films, which offers insight into how rapists and victims are represented and what male rape looks like. Contextual analysis and reception analysis discusses the social influence of the comedic rape representation. This thesis has found that in comedic representation, male rape is a punishment for deviant masculinity, which suggests it is justifiable and culturally acceptable.
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Published date: September 2019
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Local EPrints ID: 437576
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437576
PURE UUID: 4d29493d-6318-4c40-8b18-c1230962cfa6
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Date deposited: 06 Feb 2020 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:02
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