Paris is Burning Reading Guide PDF

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Paris is Burning Reading Guide...

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CMLT C-151

Papineschi Paris is Burning Reading Guide

Preliminary notes: Paris is Burning is a 1990 documentary by Jennie Livingston, who was then a young queer photographer. You can read the Wiki, but the gist of it is that she basically just came across a group of people voguing and using phrases she didn’t know, approached them, and was introduced to the Harlem ballroom scene. Obviously, this is not science-fiction. I wanted to watch it with you at the end of the semester to help us think about what shapes and forms science-fiction theories/ideas can take in the real world, and discuss how pop culture moves--geographically, ideologically, through social groups… Some of you may be familiar with RuPaul’s Drag Race and/or queer life and thus already have a sense of how ball culture evolved into the mainstream. It’s ok if you don’t, but please google and/or email me questions if you come across unfamiliar terms or concepts.

1) What was the most interesting aspect of the film for you?

2) How does ball culture reimagine the concept of family?

3) How do you understand the relationship between ball culture and mainstream culture in the film?

4) How/where do you see the influence of 70s/80s ball culture in our own society?

CMLT C-151

Papineschi

5) In what ways is “going mainstream” a good thing? In what ways is it not?

6) What is “realness,” and why is it at the core of ball culture?

7) How is the physical space of a ball akin to a different planet?

8) Do you see any parallels (not already mentioned) between the film and the other texts we’ve studied this semester?...