RHE309K: Freaks and Geeks

I started this reading off be very confused. I had never known that there was another meaning for the word camp besides the one in which we use the word to reference a summer camp of some sorts. After a few quick google searches on the word camp I had a clearer understanding of the true definition of the word used in an aesthetic sense. But honestly after reading Camp Grounds I’m not too sure there really is one clear definition. It’s pretty remarkable when you think about the origin of this aesthetic and how subcultures in general come to be. “we had to hide what we really felt (gayness) for so much of the time…we couldn’t afford to stand out in any way, for it might give the game away about our gayness.” A group of people felt marginalized, therefore created their own society/community that has went on to influence numerous other subcomunities. This makes me think about all the different subcommunities that have emerged due to people feeling like they don’t really fit into a specific social category that is widely accepted in Society. For instance black nerd/skateboard culture was brought to light due to the nature of people feeling like they didn’t fit into the stereotypical norms in black culture.

While reading Jenna Geick’s "The Strangers, The Crowd, and The Lynching: Using Mimetic Theory to Explore Episodes of Human Violence,” I instantly thought of the Salem Witch trials especially in regards to the paragraphs about scapegoating. The idea of blaming one person or a collection of people has long been apart of human nature and demonstrated countless times throughout history. A great deal of innocent women and girls were burned alive, hung and killed simply because they were accused of witchcraft by a massive hysterical crowd. Very much similar to the community in Ajalpan, Mexico. the author made an interesting claim when she said, “the persecutors ( those who place the blame on a truly innocent victim) must perceive the victim to be fully responsible for the crisis that comes to an end when the victim is put to death”. But how can one perceive or determine anthers true nature or intentions based off physical appearance or any regards?

I do not watch drag or fashion shows but I can definitely respect their art and expression. Although camp often refers to it’s homosexual origins, fashion and performance have always been a means of artistic style and expression that stretches far beyond gender, and its important to keep it that way. Lastly, I’m glad Piggford’s study was included to add extra context to “behind the mask” culture and sort of an opposition (28).

Through this, the aesthetics that surround camp come to light, particularly the “self-love” aspects that create the “attitude of tenderness within the parody” (Shugart & Waggoner). The stigma that has surrounded homosexual culture is ever-present, so camp originally allowed this community to have a form of expression that is not as on-the-nose with homosexuality, but rather plays off of highly stylized performances, ironic situations, and unconventional characters (such as the drag characters mentioned in the reading). Personally, this was a very complex reading for me to digest but I now know that camp deals with many domains beyond homosexuality. Ultimately, the fact that other segmented groups within society have used this “virtual playground” to their advantage pleases me and I hope that others are not afraid to indulge in its subversive and exuberant nature.

Before this reading, the only definition of camp, other than the outdoor activity, was how some films have a ‘campy’ tone where its overly dramatic or exaggerated which I guess is would be it’s aesthetic dimension.It reminds me of a joke I use whenever anybody says I’m being too dramatic, I’d reply with how I like Doritos. I enjoy anything that cheesy and corny such as bad jokes and films that are borderline ridiculous. However, I would never have realized there were so many attributions with sexuality and gender. The reading also reminded me of the previous reading where scapegoating was actually a way to solve community problems (Geick). In this week’s, the author cites research that “camp ‘is a form of self defence… the fact that gay men could so sharply make fun of themselves meant that the awfulness of their situation could be kept at bay” (Shugart and Waggoner 25). In a way, the blame of an identity is put into a term that was already used to refer to the gays. Does this kind of make sense? Camp also plays into the stereotyping and stigma definitions. Because exaggeration and flamboyant natures are commonly associated with homosexuality, it leads to very strict definitions that restricts identity.

I really enjoyed this weeks reading in regards to the homosexual community and what they have done to fight back reoccurring oppression throughout the years. I had never head the term ‘camp’ used in this context before, so it was enlightening to read over it’s ties to the LGBQT+ community and their “peculiarly gay way to handle the burden of stigma,” (Shugart). Drag shows are something that have been slowly working their way more and more into the mainstream, and I had always understood it to be a form of self-expression embedded in a culture that fights against the heteronormative. However, it’s so much more than that. Drag culture carries “an aesthetic that is distinctly feminine,” that helps carry out performances that blur our traditional gender norms, and provide an environment to comfortably eradicate any stigmatization imploded by a heteronormative society (Shugart). Camp is deeply rooted in individual expression and can help us understand how oppression can be used as a tool for empowerment at times. These performances are exhibitions of self-expression that emphasize the power of community within the minority. 

So in reading the first pages of this article, I had to reread it a few times just to truly understand how Shugart and Waggoner were defining “camp”. After another read and a Merriam Webster definition, I fully understood it. I had never heard camp used in the way of meaning outrageous style to the point of humor especially used as tied to gay culture in often a derogatory way. I thought the way that Dyer explained the prevalence of camp in homosexual male culture to be both melancholy and illuminating. Shuggart and Waggoner quote Dyer as he explains that “camp ‘is a form of self defense” and that the ability for gay men to “‘so sharply and brightly make fun of themselves meant that the real awfulness of their situation could be kept at bay’” and that it “‘keeps, a lot of gay men going’” (Shuggart and Waggoner 25). I found that to be so enlightening because it was the first line to me that really explained why gay men embrace the idea of camp and submerse themselves in that culture without the context of the outside world and the rest of the public. I don’t think I had ever really thought as to why gay male culture acquired the aspect of a flamboyant outward style. I find it particularly sad that by allowing themselves to focus their energy into their style and outrageous fashion gave and gives gay men a distraction from the awful circumstances and bigotry that the world has thrown at them. I also find it to be inspiring that male homosexuals are able to make light of their marginalization in society in an outlandish way that almost dares the public to notice and pay attention to them which in turn distracts them from all the negative connotations that have been thrust upon their culture. Even though I believe this article could have proposed their thoughts in a more readable way, I did end up finding it to be interesting due to my complete lack of knowledge of this word, culture and all the various definitions and meanings it has to different cultures. I hope that this idea of “camp” can continue to be used but only in the positive way of making light of a bleak idealization of a culture such as the definition given by Dyer.

I really had a hard time understanding what exactly “camp” is. Prior to this reading I had never heard of the term before, and the only other definition of the word I knew apart from the word meaning to camp outside or “set up camp” was a reference to someone’s camp, meaning their inner circle or group of advisers. I guess the way I sort of understand it to the best of my knowledge after reading this is that it refers to a person’s standing within the LGBT community. Is it that it refers to how identifiable as a member of that community a person is? The way I understood the article was that it was discussing how people grapple with their identity in this group and who it is that they want to be, and whether or not they truly are a member of that group if they stick true to who they are.

This was a really interesting reading for me as prior to now I had never ever really heard of camp. The context of gender and sexual orientation was all new to me. What I thought was interesting was that the word “camp” means to stand your ground self-defense. In a way it does makes sense because in a movie something would go wrong, and the leader of the ground would say let set up camp here as I standing their ground. This was interesting to in a deeper way because I have a gay friend the use this method to protect him-self from others that disagree with him. Our other friends would make gay jokes about him but my gay friend would turn the joke back around so would be any laughing going on towards him at all. I never would have thought about this camp method at all if I didn’t read this article.

I feel like this week’s reading could have delivered better, as I was reading I felt unclear about the meaning of camp as it was thrown around in many different contexts; but maybe that was on purpose? Prior to this reading I had no knowledge that camp was even used as an adjective for the homosexual world. I simply thought camping was something you did on the weekends with your family out in the woods, but I guess every word has an origin right? What I liked most about the article is how it termed camp as a “…quintessentially elusive phenomenon, resisting attempts at definition…” (Shuggart & Waggoner 29). From this and the rest of the article, I took that camp doesn’t have one meaning, thus my initial confusion, but the meaning is left up to the individuals involved. Camp is not just being a gay man, it now consists of lesbian females, and simply theatrical performers that like to use extravagant props. I am happy to see that camp resists definition because it opens up the door of acceptance for anybody who feels out of place due to their sexuality or demeanor. Everyone deserves the basic human right of feeling accepted for who they are and if society has to create a term to allow them to do so, then so be it! .

Prior to reading this passage, I fully expected Shugart and Waggoner to talk about outdoor camping. I was entirely shocked to hear about the sexual connotation “camp” holds. When compared with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I realized my definition must be off-base. Learning about “camp” being apart of male gay culture, was not only informative, but interesting to read. This piece actually made me feel quite oblivious when I read that theorists like Newton have studied the given culture. Shugart and Waggoner and quote Sontag, “Camp is a solvent of morality. It neutralizes moralization, sponsors playfulness” (25). This quote gave me background to how this word encapsulates the homosexual integration to society. “Camp” goes on to be defined as a “form of self-defense” (Shugart and Waggoner quoted Dyer 25). Seeing that those who should be offended by the word are instead owning it and taking the meaning back is a overwhelmingly progressive mindset. It’s amazing to see people taking words that should oppress and not allowing that power to diminish them, but rather define them in a positive light. This reading has given me insight to a new word, a new culture and for that I am excited to keep learning. 

Brooks, Mel, director. Spaceballs. Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, 1987.

This was a really interesting read for me as prior to now I had never really heard of camp, especially not in the context of gender and sexual orientation. One thing that really stood out to me in the reading was when Shugart and Waggoner quoted Dyer as saying “”camp” is a form of self defense” (Shugart and Waggoner quoting Dyer 25). This struck me as being really poignant in how much sense it made. In my own personal life I’ve always been the person to get out ahead of being made fun of by always being the first one to make fun of myself. Using humor as a method of self defense has always kept me safe, acted as a kind of shield from ridicule. This is not to say that camp has to be making fun of anything, in fact, I don’t at all think that the gay community is making fun of themselves. They way the gay community uses camp seems to be more to disarm their critics and try to show the world that they aren’t some scary group with a world conquering agenda as some people believe them to be. Now of course this is all from an outsider’s perspective as I am not a member of this community but I think the reading did a good job covering this idea and opened my eyes to what camp is and how the gay community might be using it as a form of protection.

Before reading “Camp Grounds” by Shugart and Waggoner, I thought the word “camp” when used as an adjective meant flamboyant and was often directed at gay men. “Camp Grounds” opened up a new meaning to this word for me, but I am still unsure as to the exact culture of camp. When it comes to camp, “women, given their established status of objects of camp, cannot serve as camp subjects” (Shuggart & Waggoner 28). I do not understand why women cannot partake in the camp culture, yet they have laid the groundwork for what camp has become. A culture involving exaggerated performance, like drag, I feel like camp should be inclusive of all those who want to participate; however, Shuggart and Waggoner describe it is elite and exclusive of women, gay and straight. Camp is “a virtuaI playground for gender” (Robertson qtd Shuggart & Waggoner 29). This being said, the playground seems to be limited. I just do not understand the relationship between femininity and women to that of the camp culture, but I do see how camp allows for the exploration of gender and its structure.