‘Fight Club and Queer Theory’ Phae Inçledon

Additionally, The Narrator and Tyler share a very profound and close relationship, as explored through the development of Fight Club and Project Mayhem – they are depicted to bathe, live, and fight together, as well as sharing a likeness to a married couple from TV, ‘Most of the week we were Ozzie and Harriet’, as referenced by The Narrator. It is through this richly entwined relationship the two share, that it can be inferred they are (or rather he is) gay, as it is continually alluded to throughout that The Narrator harbours attraction for men, specifically Tyler. Angel Face, one of the more significant members of Fight Club and Project Mayhem, wins over more and more of Tyler’s attention as Project Mayhem progresses, and is an individual who serves the purpose of illustrating The Narrator’s possessiveness over Tyler. The Narrator’s inherent sense of envy does not go unchallenged, however, as he acknowledges this in a dejected reference to the magazines he picks up in an earlier scene, ‘I am Jack’s inflamed sense of rejection’, he admits this to himself after seeing Tyler and Angel Face become increasingly friendlier with one another. This jealousy eventually culminates in the fight in which The Narrator breaks one of his own rules, as he gratuitously beats Angel Face out of disdain and jealousy, claiming, ‘I wanted to destroy something beautiful’. Albeit, despite the large number of people who choose to recognise and even appreciate this approach –including Brad Pitt himself – it does not come without controversy, as ultimately Tyler and The Narrator are the same person. The idea that this queer representation appears in the form of one individual who has two ‘personalities’* is rather warped and quite discouraging for queer consumers, and for such reason is rejected by few.

* I would like to acknowledge that the concept, or rather ‘representation’, of DID (dissociative identity disorder) is rather erroneous as it appears in Fight Club, as it disproportionately depicts how the disorder works and how it affects people, and it would be unfair to individuals who do have DID to claim the film or book accurately represents it in any way, shape or form. And for this reason, many fans of Fight Club reject the idea that Tyler Durden is a second personality altogether.

Our Flag Means Death review – Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi swash my buckle in this nautical rom-com packed to the gills with queer representation

(SPOILER WARNING)

Eloise Eccles

In this dark time, full of chaos, uncertainty and lies, there was only one thing that could really lift us up and drag us from our pit of despair: a gay pirate slow burn. Right?

The ingenious David Jenkins gifts us this 18th century romp, based on the true story of wealthy landowner Stede Bonnet (also known as ‘The Gentleman Pirate’), who left his family, land, and fortune to become a pirate, and briefly sailed with the infamous Blackbeard in 1717. Actor and comedian Rhys Darby plays Stede with (let’s face it) a historically inaccurate level of flamboyancy which I, for one, believe to be perfection itself. His passion for literature, theatre, his prized collection of “summer linens”, and his naivety regarding piracy make Stede Bonnet one of the most endearing characters of modern television. Vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ community and annoyingly talented screenwriter, director, producer and actor Taika Waititi plays Blackbeard (his real name being Edward ‘Ed’ Teach), the ‘sunshine protector’ to Bonnet’s ‘sunshine’ and is first revealed towards the end of Episode Three. Playful, kind, and surprisingly pacifistic in his middle-age, he is the direct opposite of the bloodthirsty tyrant written about in the piracy books: and he falls head over heels for Mr Bonnet.

Their romance is played out over ten episodes, with the first three half-hours building Stede’s character as an excruciatingly inadequate “pirate captain” and introducing us to the rest of the crew: including the only educated shipmate Lucius Spriggs (Nathan Foad), his soon-to-be boyfriend Black Pete (Matthew Maher), and non-binary nun-trained assassin Jim (Vico Ortiz). During a rip-roaring pilot, we very quickly learn that this crew are not exactly pros, and their amateur (see rubbish) attempts at pillaging lead them to be boarded by the Royal Navy. One thing leads to another, and Stede ends up stabbing the warship captain (and, coincidentally, his childhood bully) Captain Nigel Badminton (Rory Kinnear) through the head with a sword. Easily done. This minor faux pas injects the episodes with light-hearted conflict that drives the series forward and provides a foundation for the pirates’ love story to unfold. Throughout the series, Stede and Ed’s romance flourishes, providing many heart-warming moments that will have you giggling and kicking your feet. Episode Seven features the perfect depiction of nervous flirting (a scene entirely improvised by Darby and Waititi), in which the pair invent a world where Ed