The gay subtext of the first two X-Men films is so obvious it’s barely even subtext. You have characters who are rejected and outcast from mainstream society … a secret enclave where they can find others of their kind … forbidden loves … a government that pursues them … and when one reveals himself to be a mutant, a mom who asks, “have you tried NOT being a mutant?”
As Tim Rogers once said, “if it was any more on the nose, it would be … a nose.”
I’m in the middle of researching a new video about the queerness of those movies, and I’m digging up a lot of fun details (and a few details that are very much the opposite of fun!) about just how gay the films were by design. Marvel had long been engaged in a funny sort of dance with queer content, going back to the creation of the Northstar character in the 1980s. Writers John Byrne and Chris Claremont always envisioned the character as gay, but it wasn’t until the early 90s that Northstar could actually come out. And even then, Marvel’s PR department was furious. Byrne recalled doing an interview about the character, saying, “I talked to them for a half hour, with the PR person there, ready to put her hands over my mouth if necessary. … When the article came out, my quote was cut down to four words: Superheroes are outsiders, generally."
Eventually, Marvel would get a little better about that sort of thing…on paper, at least. To this day, the films remain conspicuously straight. In the comics, Bobby Drake — the teen who is asked if he’s tried not being a mutant — came out in 2015. But in the movies, we’re still waiting. (Though his character DID date a character played by Elliot Page, before Elliot came out as a trans man, which I suppose you could argue lends at least SOME queerness into the on-screen relationship? A stretch, I know, since actors aren’t their characters.)
At any rate, those first two X-Men films from 2000 and 2003 are unambiguous in their exploration of queer life. Ian McKellen himself said that he took the role of Magneto because the parallels intrigued him! I’ll be diving further into the making and the gaying of the X-Men for my upcoming video, so stay tuned for more.
What’s new this week
A new Patreon bonus video about the weird sodid history of ex-gay cures. Lots of very suspicious cuddling!
On The Sewers of Paris, I’m chatting with William Lucas Walker about his time writing for Frasier and Will & Grace, among many other shows.
I popped by the TrekCulture podcast to talk about visions of the future and powerful ladies!
What’s coming up
X-Men video coming your way later this month!
I’ll be at WorldCon in Seattle next week, hosting a talk about George Takei, joining a panel about gay TV history, and hanging out at a table to sign books and chat.
Other stuff I’m enjoying
I’m obsessed with how WILDLY tonally inappropriate this disco version of the MASH theme song is.
Please enjoy Uhura doing a fan dance. Good for her!
Here is an adorable video of cats causing (miniature) train derailments.