Queer Culture

          In the reading for tomorrow, titled "There's Something Queer Here" by Alexander Doty, the study of queer culture is discussed and analyzed. Doty brings up "queerness" as mass culture reception practice. Reception practice means “focusing upon the dense patterns and practices ‘of daily life and the way media are integrated and implicated within it’” (Doty, 2). He uses the word “queer” to describe both lesbian and gay culture as a whole. I thought it was interesting that Doty discussed how most of us are brought up in a “straight” culture and learn everything as heterosexual. When something is homosexual or queer, Doty explains that we are more likely to repress the text or information. We have not really been able to examine queer culture and Doty explains that queer culture is not gender specific to lesbians or gays and wants to explain that queer culture also includes people who identify as straight. 
          Doty begins to use examples of media that contribute to the queer culture. “Traditional narrative films such as Silvia Scarlet, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Trapeze… which are ostensibly addressed to straight audiences, often have greater potential for encouraging a wider range of queer responses than such clearly lesbian- and gay- addressed films…” (8). Ultimately I think Doty’s point in this reading was to prove that queer culture is experienced by all types of people whether they associate themselves with lesbian and gay culture.