by Michal Bočák
Bočák, Michal. 2009. "Porno, metro, sporno: Contemporary Gay/Queer Culture and Heterosexual Masculinities." Pp. 121–142 in Culture – Media – Communication: Special Edition (Narration – Identity – Difference. Selected Topics in Cultural Studies.) 2009, Vol. 1, No. 2 (spec. ed.). Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého. (Ed. by Daniel Topinka, Pavel Zahrádka, Martin Foret, Martin Fafejta, Jiří Hrabal). [Paper published in Slovak.]
In this study I interpret the interaction of gay/queer culture and straight masculinities, especially the hegemonic... more
In this study I interpret the interaction of gay/queer culture and straight masculinities, especially the hegemonic masculinity. I concentrate on gay porn, observing the ways it handles the category of heterosexuality: on the one hand, gay porn fetishises it as an ultimate masculinity (in so-called straight gay porn), on the other hand, it endeavour to dominate it, at least symbolically (e.g. in genre “broke straight boys”). I also analyse the “gay-for-pay” phenomenon and so-called “bisexual porn”. Furthermore, I analyse the possible onset of a post-identity, indicated by several authors, according to which “fix” identities yield to the current positioning of subjects on the basis of performed sexual practices (e.g. gay identity is being replaced by the “men who have sex with men” label). A new visual discourses of consumer culture, connected to masculinity, are metrosexuality and sporno. Metrosexuality represents a new type of masculinity of urban origin fetishising the male body, sporno a new iconography inspired by gay porn, putting up (straight) men into admiration of men of any sexuality. On the basis of these examples I conclude that despite the seeming democratization of identities, evoking the success of the queer theory or a postmodern „pomosexuality“ concept, all identities still remain controlled by the hegemonic masculinity, moreover, at present they are being noticeably subjected to the consumerist logic.
Keywords: gay – queer – masculinity – hegemonic masculinity – heterosexuality – gay culture – gay identity – gay porn – “straight gay porn” – “gay-for-pay” – bisexual porn – “straight gay” – “straight-acting gay” – post-identity – metrosexuality – sporno – gaze – consumerism
Download (.pdf) 
