Big ol' Longo Part Three: The Butch

I'm really enjoying your thoughts and looking forward to seeing the final cut. I would say that this particular character archetype is a very complicated one and might need to be a larger section. I think there is a subtle distinction between characters who are treated by the narrative as symbolic men and women who adopt and play with masculine attributes, which sometimes overlaps (normally if the character is also needed to be eye candy as well), but remains distinct.

Wooo! Exploring restrictive masculinity! I'm so stoked to see the finished product but also enjoying the process share SO MUCH. Also, as a woman who HAS been mistaken for a man, it would never occur to me to tell anyone to 'suck my dick', which I've just realised it such a lazy screenwriter assuming-butch-women/lesbians-are-just-lady-men.

Kait Hatch

Oh meant to say that i'm enjoying getting these rough cuts overall and i look forward to seeing the whole thing strung together.

AV

I agree with Freddy in that I think Furiosa generally fits within the butch trope and that should probably be acknowledged/addressed in some way, though I also agree with your points that the movie as a whole might not be saying 'you need to be X', it seems kind of like ignoring the elephant in the room if you just skate past that without acknowledging it. It's no less a great movie. I don't even know that it would be a better movie if Furiosa was less butch, because there is a lot there about like, the ways in which it's okay for women to utilize masculinity so while Furiosa doesn't speak to the power of 'violent feminity' it does speak to the power of 'women being allowed to look the same as any male action protagonist'.

AV

Strictly speaking, I'm not saying she isn't a Butch. I think Furiosa exhibits several of the feminine traits discussed - cooperation, self-sacrifice, empathy - but my larger point is that, if The Butch works to codify violence as antithetical to femininity, the movie AS A WHOLE rejects that. This leaves room for Furiosa to be in many ways masculine without making it a statement on femininity.

Ian Danskin

Interesting. I'm not married to the word "butch," it's just the term for "masculine woman" I'm most familiar with. I feel like "tomboy" doesn't carry the same connotation of toughness, and "hoyden" is pretty antiquated. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them! I have no interest in disrespecting lesbians.

Ian Danskin

Not sure I see how Furiosa doesn't fit the model of the Butch you describe. What femine signifiers does she display? I think this segment needs to better address this question. I'm enjoying these though :)

Freddy Moore

That was a very good analysis.

Natalia Manzano

Now, as a lesbian, I don't necessarily agree with your use of butch, because within lesbianism the identity of 'butch' has nothing to do with masculinity because lesbian identities have nothing to do with masculinity. But w/e. It's a good video.

Rissa Haller