“Queerbaiting” as a concept first became apparent to me after vocalizing some of my frustrations with the ways cis straight white men were performing certain “queer aesthetics” online while still engaging in misogynistic and homophobic behavior. I initially didn’t really have a certain understanding of terminologies or frameworks through which to engage with these frustrations, but later, through twitter, realized that “queerbaiting”/to be a “queerbaiter” were often used to critique these straight cis-gender men that seemingly ambiguously present their sexuality yet ultimately still benefit from a heterosexual position of privilege.
The ways in which the term “queerbaiting” is used has gradually become more nuanced. Originally, queerbaiting came out of fandom cultures surrounding certain television shows to denote “a practice in which [producers] give either in-show nods to fandom (note: specifically gay cisgender romantic pairings that fans would ‘ship’)…Queerbaiting is usually done in hopes of expanding the audience for the show, attracting…fans and LGBTQ folk while allowing producers to refrain from isolating viewers who would be alienated by the depiction of openly LGBTQ characters. Queerbaiting often relies on subtext and narrative techniques to code characters as potentially queer to viewers ‘in the know,’ allowing queer viewers a space to identify themselves within the show without needing to make an explicit statement regarding the issue.” (Collier 1-2). Fans have lamented over how these tactics deny any real queer visibility, and merely exist as passes at exploiting superficially packaged queer representation for views, thus “preserving the status quo and enabling producers to pay lip service in support of ideas like equality” (Collier 2). Acts of commodifying and exploiting queer identities or aesthetics has also been observable behavior among certain celebrities and corporations like (here: https://kprcradio.iheart.com/featured/the-pursuit-of-happiness/content/2019-05-20-calvin-klein-apologizes-for-queerbaiting-w-bella-hadid/) and (here: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/04/02/ariana-grande-queerbaiting-monopoly/) (also satirically mocked by the Onion here: https://entertainment.theonion.com/taylor-swift-inspires-teen-to-come-out-as-straight-woma-1835591597 . As a selective marketing strategy that “baits” a queer consumer base, “queerbaiting” within the realm of corporatism (which includes media and entertainment, clothing and lifestyle brands, etc.) has been attacked for exploiting queer narratives or aesthetics for profit and failing to challenge dominant models of hegemonic masculinity that maintain compulsory heterosexuality and contribute to a lack of dynamic queer representation on a wider level (ie, within the consumer markets they target).
But how does queerbaiting operate on the individual level?
In 2018, frontman of indie pop project Porches, Aaron Maine, got himself into hot water with queer audiences because of an interview in a now edited article (https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2018/2/02/porches-aaron-maine-embracing-his-suburban-sensuality) published in Out magazine and mentioned here (https://www.spin.com/2018/02/porches-aaron-maine-responds-to-accusations-of-posturing-as-queer-for-capital-gain/). The article, originally titled “Porches’ Aaron Maine is Embracing His Queer, Suburban Sensuality” was deeply criticized for postulating some sort of relationship between Maine’s gender expression (that seemingly “contradicts” his identity as a straight man: ie, painting his nails, or wearing blouses) and queerness, which Out addressed in this statement published with edits made to the original article.
Maine also addressed the article with a statement and expressed frustration with the ways his words were represented in the Out article, citing that queerness was never explicitly mentioned in the interview. He continues by mentioning that he is “interested in queerness but mainly performance” and that acts such as wearing makeup or dresses were not presented to him as a way to engender himself, but rather “as a way to communicate what I felt or how I wanted to be seen”. He continues to add: “Does having only had sexual relationships with women render me not queer? Does it mean that when I paint my nails or put on eye shadow that I’m appropriating queer culture?” Although some part of his statements come off as a little bit naive or misguided to me (such as not really understanding of the ways “queer” has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community) or even feels not far removed from the super problematic term: queer heterosexuality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer_heterosexuality), which I discovered while researching this subject. At the core of Maine’s statement though, it appears that he is frustrated with the limitations of hegemonic masculinity: behaving in traditionally “feminine” ways despite identifying as a straight white man has garnered him criticism and even mockery, like in this meme here:
Although I am somewhat skeptical of the ways in which he uses the word “queerness”, I think there is an interesting conversation between performativity, gender expression, gender identity, sexuality, and queerness that comes from this controversy. Judith Butler’s theory of performativity argues that gender is understood to be a stylized repetition of acts. Gender is entirely a fabrication that we all participate in, which only contributes to its domination. It is only when one fails to do gender correctly that the true nature of its fabrication is revealed.
But what is the line between gender expression and gender identity? And where does performativity fit in? Butler addresses the importance of distinguishing performance and expression. “If gender attributes and acts, the various ways in which a body shows or produces its cultural signification, are performative, then there is no preexisting identity by which an act or attribute might be measured; there would be no true or false, real or distorted acts of gender, and the postulation of a true gender identity would be revealed as a regulatory fiction…Genders can be neither true nor false, neither real nor apparent, neither original nor derived. As credible bearers of those attributes, however, genders can also be rendered thoroughly and radically incredible” (Butler 192). According to Butler, gender is not an expression, but instead a thing one does. But what happens when, like in Maine’s case, these acts do not necessarily “match up” with the expected performances of a certain gender identity?
When someone doesn’t “do gender” correctly, as mentioned by Butler, they face consequences: we question their sexuality and gender identity. Underlying these assumptions is the idea of an essentialist masculinity based on hegemonic masculinity: straight cis men are expected to present in traditionally masculine ways in order to be read as straight men. This overemphasized relationship between heterosexuality and masculinity is merely representative of the larger problems of overemphasizing relationships between gender identity and gender presentation. Despite the claim that we do have multiple masculinities that exist under the hegemon, the dominant masculinity is an overbearing and limited model that oversimplifies models of gender (and masculinity) and leads to problems like this (https://www.eonline.com/de/news/637014/james-franco-addresses-his-sexuality-in-bizarre-new-interview-i-m-gay-in-my-art). Just as much as these dominant understanding of gender and sexuality dictate how heterosexual men should present, they also dictate how, in comparison, queer men should, too.
It is complicated when there is often a reliance upon visual cues of gender expression in order to read one’s gender identity or sexuality. It can be hard to distinguish between a straight cis man challenging dominant models of masculinity by performing “feminine” behaviors and a straight cis man exploiting what is understood to be a “queer aesthetic”, but it is highly based on intent. If anything, I think there is a slight shift in the hegemon where straight men are more confident engaging in ways of gender expression that deviate from heterosexual, hyper-masculine understandings of masculinity. Maybe this is a step in the right direction? It may mean that we are loosening the tightened grip between gender expression, gender identity, and presentation as it relates to cis male heterosexuality. Or maybe it is a superficial trend? It is worth noting, though, that a shift in the gender presentation of a heterosexual man isn’t necessarily indicative of any progressive or comprehensive understandings of gender or sexuality: which may be revealing of its fragility. Misogynists can have painted nails too…
Citations:
Collier, Cassandra M. “The love that refuses to speak its name : examining queerbaiting and fan-producer interactions in fan cultures.” (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2204.
Sender, Katherine. “Selling Sexual Subjectivities: Audiences Respond to Gay Window Advertising.” Critical Studies in Media Communication 16.2 (1999): 172-96. Print.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer_heterosexuality
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-gender/
https://www.eonline.com/de/news/637014/james-franco-addresses-his-sexuality-in-bizarre-new-interview-i-m-gay-in-my-art
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/queerbaiting-lgbtq-ariana-grande-celebrities-james-franco-jk-rowling-a8862351.html
Judith Butler, “Gender Trouble”.
Butler, Judith. “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory.” Theatre Journal, vol. 40, no. 4, 1988, pp. 519–531. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3207893. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/04/02/ariana-grande-queerbaiting-monopoly/
https://kprcradio.iheart.com/featured/the-pursuit-of-happiness/content/2019-05-20-calvin-klein-apologizes-for-queerbaiting-w-bella-hadid/
https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2018/2/02/porches-aaron-maine-embracing-his-suburban-sensuality
https://www.spin.com/2018/02/porches-aaron-maine-responds-to-accusations-of-posturing-as-queer-for-capital-gain/
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