Queer Representation Matters

RESEARCH STATEMENT

Brief Synopsis

Queer Representation Matters (Krikowa 2023) is an online interactive documentary (i-doc) that explores historical and contemporary issues of queer representation in screen media in Australia and overseas. The documentary draws from interviews with queer screen media scholars, screen practitioners and film festival curators, to investigate storytelling tropes such as "bury your gays" and "cancel your gays" within an industrial context to highlight the importance of representation of queer people and stories in screen media.

Background

The catalyst for Queer Representation Matters stems from the death of Lexa, a queer female character on the CW’s The 100 (Rothenberg 2014-2020), in April of 2016. Lexa's demise, along with numerous other queer female characters during the "Spring Slaughter of 2016," underscored a harmful pattern within television narratives. This trend, commonly known as the “bury your gays” trope, perpetuates harmful messages to LGBTIQA+ audiences, reinforcing stereotypes and minimising representation. Screen Australia's Seeing Ourselves: Reflections on Diversity in TV Drama report (2016) further highlighted the lack of inclusive storytelling in Australian scripted television, revealing that only a small fraction of characters were identifiably LGBTIQA+. Such limited representation fails to reflect the diversity of contemporary society, sending a message of marginalisation to queer audiences.

Contemporary portrayals of LGBTIQA+ individuals have often been marred by negative stereotypes and tokenistic representation. Queer media scholars have illustrated how contemporary portrayals of LGBTIQA+ people have emerged from a long history of negative mainstream representations both in the United States and in Australia (Davis and Needham 2009; Monaghan 2020; Krikowa 2022). Until recently, queerness was either omitted from mainstream film and television, or, if represented, was portrayed as distasteful, depressing or deviant (Davis and Needham 2009). The prevailing narrative in mainstream media has perpetuated the notion that queer characters are destined for tragedy or trauma, contributing to the emergence of tropes like “bury your gays” and, more recently, “cancel your gays.” “Bury your gays” refers to the killing of LGBTIQ+ characters (usually lesbian or bisexual women) often because they are queer or to advance the story of a cis, heterosexual (usually male) character, whereas the “cancel your gays” refers to entertainment streaming services’ (like Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime) cancelling queer-themed or led shows after one or two seasons.

This research aims to scrutinise the evolution of queer representation in screen media and assess whether meaningful change has occurred. By exploring the persisting impact of harmful tropes on queer audiences, this study seeks to reveal why queer representation matters.

Contribution

This research pioneers the use of interactive online documentaries (i-docs) to disseminate academic insights on queer representation to a broader audience. The Queer Representation Matters i-doc employs a concentric nodal narrative structure, offering users the flexibility to explore the content as they desire. This structure follows key principles laid out by Donald and Galloway; aimed to create a website that was visually interesting, easily navigated, used quality materials, and most importantly provided a “seed” – something intriguing that would attract users to the site (2013, 232), in this case the persistent question: “why does representation matter?”

The main feature of the i-doc is the historical timeline consisting of a curated selection of 40+ video clips, interviews, and textual examples spanning decades. The user is dropped into a specific moment in time – the death of Lexa in 2016 and discussion of the “Bury Your Gays” trope. From there, users can move backwards or forwards in time to explore how these issues and themes have evolved over the last 100 years. Users are invited to navigate the historical trajectory of queer representation in media. The inclusion of diverse voices from academia, the media industry, and queer communities underscores the pervasive nature of harmful stereotypes and tropes in media representation. By bridging scholarly theory with creative practice, this project advocates for more authentic and inclusive storytelling, challenging both creators and audiences to demand better representation.

Significance

By transcending traditional academic boundaries and embracing participatory digital media, this project amplifies discussions of media representation in a manner accessible to media professionals, students, and wider audiences. Through interactive engagement, users gain insights into the significance of representation for marginalised communities, fostering greater understanding and empathy. By highlighting the detrimental effects of stereotypical representation, this research advocates for a more inclusive media landscape that reflects the complexities of contemporary society. Ultimately, Queer Representation Matters serves as a call to action for creative practitioners to prioritise authentic and diverse portrayals in media narratives. 

PEER REVIEW 1

Queer Representation Matters (Krikowa 2023) is an interactive documentary that highlights the development of queer representation on screen over time from the early 20th Century through to the contemporary age. The interactive documentary (i-doc) is structured into sections that respectively provide (1) a timeline overview of key policies, case studies, and perspectives; (2) an effective sense of key issues at play (the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope, queerbaiting and the “bait and switch,” communication with and participation from fans, funding, distribution); (3) a showcase of a theatrical production previously; and (4) credits and project information. The project is quite substantial in scale with over three hours of video content across all sections. Much of this content is driven by video recordings of interviews with key scholars and practitioners in the field. In this way, the project is driven by a solid and broad variety of expertise on the issue of queer representation on screen. Such participation allows Krikowa to synthesise expert knowledge into the creative outcomes, and Krikowa appears herself to offer further perspective and analysis. In combining recorded interviews, case study analysis, and creative work outcomes by the author, the project highlights the significant intertwined relationship between fans and makers of queer screen works. Featuring examples of film, television, web series and theatrical productions, the project suggests there often exists an inter-/multidisciplinary nature to queer screen production, as well as an evolution of dissemination strategies across screen industries and communities. The project quite effectively illuminates the consequential impact that screen production professionals can have on viewers’ sense of identity and belonging in the world.

The submission uses documentary methods, including interviews, in a very effective way to highlight what responsible and ethical practice can look like for screen creatives dealing with queer characters and storylines across film, television, web series, theatre, and beyond. The project is large in scale, but I note the i-doc mode of dissemination allows the viewer/user agency to dip in and out, and explore at their own pace. There could be a greater sense of cohesion between the Timeline aspects of the project with that of the recorded theatrical production, but it is clear that this element contributes a wonderful illumination of the key issues at play here – and this demonstrates the power of creative practice research across documentary and fictional narrative modes, as well as in/through/about the disciplines that surround storytelling and screen production. I am in two minds about the decision to feature traumatic scenes from the case studies in the project, such as the notorious scene from The 100 (Rothenberg 2014-2020). While I hope that one day we won’t need to feature violence against queers to prove such points, I commend the way this project turns this into a lesson for future screenwriters. In the context of Screen Australia’s Seeing Ourselves: Reflections on Diversity in TV Drama report (2016), the project Queer Representation Matters makes an important contribution to the study of queer creative practice and screen production across industrial and academic contexts.

The research statement is very effective at highlighting the industrial (and broader societal) problem of damaging, violent, queer representation on our screens. By highlighting the screenwriting practices that can contribute in both negative and positive ways to such representation, through the use of rigorous interview technique, Krikowa lends an air of criticality to participating fans, scholars, and screen practitioners. In this way, this project is an excellent and innovative example of a screen production scholar lending a critical perspective to industry and community. The key evidence presented is through the presentation, contextualisation, synthesis, and analysis of the interview material. Krikowa positions the work well as a project that makes a strong contribution to the field of queer creative practice research, screen production, and inclusive storytelling practice.

PEER REVIEW 2

Scholarship examining queer female media representation, alongside documentaries such as Dykes, Camera, Action! (Berler 2018) and Queering the Script (Zilkha 2019), intersects with Queer Representation Matters (Krikowa 2023). Krikowa’s exploration is, to my knowledge, the most substantial interactive documentary on the subject. 

While Krikowa's work primarily explores the Australian television landscape, its critical insights resonate globally.

Queer Representation Matters boasts an intuitive design and seamless navigation, enhancing user experience. The media featured on the site maintains a high professional standard.

The open format ensures accessibility, allowing a wider audience to engage with the material on their own terms. There is an impressive amount of content to explore, however it does require a significant time commitment. It would be good to measure the level of user engagement with the content in terms of the work’s potential pathway to impact.

While the project excels in many aspects, the connection between its two primary components – the timeline and the play – remains somewhat unclear. The play, a substantial creative endeavour, appears somewhat overshadowed by the abundance of content in the historical overview. It is as if the project amalgamates two distinct sets of creative ventures, and rather than effectively intertwining them, the two elements appear somewhat disconnected.

The submission Queer Representation Matters critically unpicks storytelling tropes and queer representation in screen media utilising the screen content to effectively unpick the question of why does representation matter?

The interactive documentary format, with its concentric nodal narrative structure, is appropriate for this exploration. The historical timeline is a particularly strong element, spanning from the introduction of the Hays Code through to present day.

Although the statement clearly outlines motivation behind the choice of format, it lacks contextualisation within the broader field of interactive documentaries or even traditional documentary films, television programs or web documentaries addressing the same topic.

By effectively bridging academic theory with creative practice, this body of work offers valuable contributions to our understanding of queer representation in media.

RESPONSE TO PEER REVIEWS

I would like to thank the peer reviewers for their time, consideration and warm reception of my creative practice research. The reviewers’ thoughtful, respectful and critical feedback has been greatly appreciated. As requested by Reviewer 1, I will provide additional information to further ground the work in existing scholarly literature and cultural context.

Scholarly Contextualisation

Interactive documentaries (i-docs) historically have served social, cultural, or political advocacy and activism purposes. Scholars have researched their practice and outcomes, with creative practice academics exploring how the medium enables inclusive storytelling and cultural activism. In my i-doc work, I draw on Judith Aston’s (2016) elucidation of i-docs as a “framework of possibilities,” rather than a specific medium, genre or platform. Aston (2016) suggests this fosters interest in “experiential storytelling” and “a potential re-framing of what is meant by interactivity” (Aston 2016, para 1). Recent studies demonstrate how interactive affordances of choice, complexity, modularity, and variability can create urgent and transformative narratives (Aston 2023; Scott-Stevenson 2019). 

Queer screen activism traditionally manifested through modes like informational websites, social media, and traditional documentaries including Dykes, Camera, Action! (Berler 2018) and Queering the Script (Zilkha 2019). Accessing these films and their messages can be challenging due to distribution and broadcast agreements. I chose i-doc specifically for its online accessibility and distribution control, aligning with Kim Munro and Paola Bilbrough view on widening visibility beyond academia (2018, 267). 

The “Spring Slaughter”

The term “Spring Slaughter” emerged in online communities and media outlets to describe a cultural phenomenon being experienced at the time where numerous lesbian, bisexual, and queer female characters were killed onscreen (Gretchen 2016; Riese 2016). This term remains pivotal in discussions of that period within queer screen media history, even featuring in a timeline clip within the Queer Representation Matters i-doc.

Including the theatrical play alongside the historical timeline

Reviewers questioned the inclusion of the theatrical play in the i-doc, suggesting it might be better suited to a separate project. This was a deliberation throughout development, but I opted to integrate the play, situating that content to the right-hand side of the screen to allow interested users to explore the work’s origins while prioritising the primary user experience with the historical timeline on the left. While the theatrical play alone may not captivate all audiences, its inclusion enriches the overall i-doc experience for those interested.

REFERENCES

Aston, Judith. 2016. “Interactive Documentary – What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter?” I-Docs. March 27, 2016. http://i-docs.org/interactive-documentary-what-does-it-mean-and-why-does-it-matter/.

Aston, Judith. 2023. “Interactive Documentary: Steps Towards Embracing Complexity.” Filmed April 28 and uploaded by Bellyfeel. YouTube video, 45:13. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24MKnXbnIUE.

Berler, Caroline, dir. 2018. Dykes, Camera, Action! USA: Frameline Distribution.

Davis, Glyn, and Gary Needham. 2009. Queer TV: Theories, History, Politics. New York: Routledge.

Donald, Iian, and Dayna Galloway. 2013. “Documenting debate: Online communities and the expansive interactive documentary.” Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies 10, no. 2: 220–234. https://www.participations.org/10-02-13-donald.pdf

Gretchen. 2016. “Acedia Revisited: GOT, The 100, and the Spring Slaughter,” The Fandomentals, July 15, 2016. https://www.thefandomentals.com/acedia-revisited/.

Krikowa, Natalie. 2022. “Where Is Australia’s GLAAD? A Case for Establishing an Australian LGBTIQA+ Media Institute to Improve Diversity in Screen Media Representation.” Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media, no. 24: 49–63. https://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.24.03.

Krikowa, Natalie. 2023. Queer Representation Matters. Interactive Documentary. http://www.queerrepresentationsmatters.com.

Monaghan, Whitney. 2020. “Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Representation on Australian Entertainment Television: 1970–2000.” Media International Australia 174, no. 1: 49–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X19876330.

Munro, Kim, and Paola Bilbrough. 2018. “An Ecology of Relationships: Tensions and Negotiations in Documentary Filmmaking Practice as Research.” Media Practice and Education 19, no. 3: 256–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741136.2018.1511361.

Riese. 2016. “All 235 Dead Lesbian and Bisexual Characters On TV, And How They Died,” Autostraddle, February 27, 2016. http://www.autostraddle.com/all-65-dead-lesbian-and-bisexual-characters-on-tv-and-how-they-died-312315/.

Rothenberg, Jason, creator. 2014–2020. The 100. Produced by The CW Network.

Screen Australia. 2016. Seeing Ourselves: Reflections on Diversity in Australian TV Drama. http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/157b05b4-255a-47b4-bd8b-9f715555fb44/TV-Drama-Diversity.pdf.

Scott-Stevenson, Julia. 2019. “Virtual Futures: A Manifesto for Immersive Experiences.” Immerse, March 9, 2019. https://immerse.news/virtual-futures-a-manifesto-for-immersive-experiences-ffb9d3980f0f.

Zilkha, Gabrielle, dir. 2019. Queering the Script. Canada: Shaftesbury Films.