Before there was Bottoms, Natasha Lyonne starred alongside Clea DuVall to give us the gay, satire masterpiece that is But I’m a Cheerleader. Megan (Lyonne) is a cheerleader and wholly believes that she is straight, but those around her disagree. They decide that the only way to get their precious, straight, little girl back is to send her to the True Directions conversion camp headed by Cathy Moriarty’s Mary Brown.
Isn’t it ironic?
The satire element of the film comes from its reliance on stereotypes. When her family try to form an intervention, they explain that it is obvious she is a lesbian. This is due to the fact she eats tofu, displays posters of women, and yonic symbols are hidden in her room decoration. Much of the conversion therapy is reliant on stereotypes as well; by forcing the characters to dress in blue and pink and perform gender stereotypical tasks, they believe they can make them straight.
Through set design, the characters are also often surrounded by phallic and yonic imagery. Director Jamie Babbit portrays the idea that these characters cannot escape their homosexuality, it is who they are and that cannot be changed.
One key moment where we see this is when the boys are taken out to poorly play American football, taught by “Ex-Gay” Mike (played by the Queen of Drag Herself, RuPaul!). Mary’s son (who she is very obviously in denial about being gay) enters the scene slowly, clad in hot pants and a tight shirt, distracting the boys and momentarily, Mike.
Understanding the relationships
The film explores relations between members of the LGBTQ community and their families. Megan fights with her internalised homophobia and eventually realises she has feeling for Graham (DuVall) when they all sneak out to a gay bar. They end up with a happy ending, Graham’s parents are not accepting of her. We are able to see the different familial situations that queer youth experience.
While Megan’s parents are originally very apprehensive and not understanding of Megan’s sexuality, by the end they are more open-minded. They even attend a group meeting for “Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays”. This suggests they are just ignorant rather than deeply homophobic and unaccepting as Graham’s parents are.
But I’m a Cheerleader uses colour theory and comedic dialogue to highlight irony and absurdity of conversion therapy and homophobia. The use of satire in portraying stereotypes expose the artificiality of heteronormativity and fight to express that being gay is not a choice!
With stellar performances from all of the cast and a fun approach to fighting for gay rights, But I’m a Cheerleader is not one to miss this pride!
Feature Image Credit: Cheerleader LLC, HKM, Ignite Entertainment.
