Academic Journal
Fragmenting the Black Male Body: Will Smith, Masculinity, Clothing, and Desire.
| Title: | Fragmenting the Black Male Body: Will Smith, Masculinity, Clothing, and Desire. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Gilligan, Sarah1 sarah.gilligan@hotmail.co.uk |
| Source: | Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture. Jun2012, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p171-192. 22p. |
| Abstract: | This article examines the ways in which the representation of Will Smith in / am Legend and I, Robot constructs postcolonial performative visual narratives that both follow and disrupt existing discourses of sexualized black masculinity within visual culture. Through comparative analysis with examples drawn from photography, I will argue that Smith's representation enables the black body to be rendered as fashionable and aspirational, rather than simply objectified via sexualized visual discourses. Building on existing critical work on costume, identity and cinema (Bruzzi, Church Gibson, Gilligan), the article forms part of my wider research project, that responds to calls for further interdisciplinary work exploring the "new nexus" of film, fashion, and consumption that has emerged as cinema ever increasingly "bleeds across" different media. Despite Smith's popularity with audiences, the intersection of Smith, black masculinity, and fashion does not appear to have been the subject of extended academic attention. In starting to readdress this absence, I will argue that whilst Smith's body initially appears to be fetishized, his representation is characterized by performance and fragmentation that renders the body and blackness a construction, rather than a naturalized/ essentialist object of desire. Mythic phallic power and desire is displaced onto clothes and accessories that function to construct Smith's on-screen personas as a new male hero with crossover appeal in order to maximize his celebrity commodity status. Although such commodification is offered up as aspirational, it is potentially highly problematic in the ways that it attempts to further render Smith's blackness "safe" for audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Subject Terms: | *Costume, Masculinity in motion pictures, African American men in motion pictures, Fashion & sex, African Americans -- Clothing, Human body composition, Human body in motion pictures |
| Reviews & Products: | I Am Legend (Film), I, Robot (Film) |
| People: | Smith, Will, 1968-, Eubank, Chris |
| Copyright of Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| ISSN: | 1362704X |
| DOI: | 10.2752/175174112X13274987924050 |
| Database: | Art & Architecture Complete |
| Full text is not displayed to guests. | Login for full access. |