The readings from this week were “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess” by Linda Williams and “Mega-Melodrama! Vertical and Horizontal Suspension of the ‘Classical,’” which is also by Linda Williams. The thesis that was articulated for “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess” reads “This essay explores the notion that there may be some value in thinking about the form, function, and system of seemingly gratuitous excesses in these three genres… My hope, therefore, is that by thinking comparatively about all three "gross" and sensational film body genres we might be able to get beyond the mere fact of sensation to explore its system and structure as well as its effect on the bodies of spectators” (3). The genres that she focuses on throughout her essay are horror,
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She discusses that this can be found in the three movie genres that she mentioned above: the orgasm, which is commonly found in pornographic videos; violence and absolute fear, which can be found in the horror films; and extreme sadness, which is found in melodrama’s. Williams also mentions an important part of these three genres, the excess of the body. In these films, the female body becomes a major part of the movies and it is shown through “the sexual saturation of the female body that audiences of all sorts have received some of their most powerful sensations” (4).
Williams decides to break down the internal components of these genres. In pornography, the most common audience that is seen is men. As mentioned above, the excess of the body is shown through sex and the ecstasy obtained by the audience is received through sex is often obtained through a woman’s orgasm or a man’s ejaculation. However, “pornography's appeal to its presumed male viewers would be characterized as sadistic” (7). This is because the female victim is sexually tortured and teased until the desired outcome is produced, the woman
She discusses that this can be found in the three movie genres that she mentioned above: the orgasm, which is commonly found in pornographic videos; violence and absolute fear, which can be found in the horror films; and extreme sadness, which is found in melodrama’s. Williams also mentions an important part of these three genres, the excess of the body. In these films, the female body becomes a major part of the movies and it is shown through “the sexual saturation of the female body that audiences of all sorts have received some of their most powerful sensations” (4).
Williams decides to break down the internal components of these genres. In pornography, the most common audience that is seen is men. As mentioned above, the excess of the body is shown through sex and the ecstasy obtained by the audience is received through sex is often obtained through a woman’s orgasm or a man’s ejaculation. However, “pornography's appeal to its presumed male viewers would be characterized as sadistic” (7). This is because the female victim is sexually tortured and teased until the desired outcome is produced, the woman