But I'm a Cheerleader: Your Fable, My Light Heart Comedy
Written before the article:
This article was originally written in Mandarin and translated into English with the assistance of ChatGPT, followed by my revisions.
Originally titled “《戀戀模範生》：你的警示，我的喜劇,” you can check the article at the following link:
Q: What is the legacy of But I’m a Cheerleader?
We should all celebrate queer joy, and we should all take the sort of hard trials and tribulations of being gay people and basically make lemonade out of lemons.
And I think also But I’m a Cheerleader is reminding us that gender is a drag, and in the end, it doesn’t matter whether you’re masculine or feminine. We’re all somewhere in this middle ground and the binary is kind of gone.
It’s a celebration of queer joy.
—Jamie Babbit talks about "But I'm a Cheerleader," part of the Landmark Retro Replay Pride series. Out On Film: Atlanta's LGBTQ Film Festival interview.
The 1999 cult classic film "But I'm a Cheerleader" marks its 25th anniversary. The film portrays the story of cheerleader Megan, who is forced into a sexual redirection school for "heterosexual nurturing" by her family, teammates, and boyfriend.
Queer Joy and Internalized Homophobia
Before entering the school, Megan never considered herself a lesbian. She was just not too keen on kissing her boyfriend and occasionally remembered visuals of her teammates chanting, and just happened to have a Melissa Etheridge poster in her room. The comedic tone of the film starts here, with Megan being 'presumed' a lesbian by heterosexuals in a monochromatic heterosexual world, entering the colorful redirection school along with other queers 'grown' in the heterosexual world, undergoing 'heterosexual re-education' by ex-gay coach Mike (played by RuPaul) and school founder Mary (played by Cathy Moriarty).
Upon hearing the initial 'accusations' from loved ones, Megan first says with a smile:
I can’t believe this.
Only to later experience fear and disgust towards her newfound 'gay identity' amid continuous corrections and negativity, expressing in front of her queer classmates both sorrow and surprise, crying and laughing (mostly crying):
I’m a homosexual!
I’m a homo ——
Here, Natasha Lyonne's portrayal of Megan seems to reveal the transition from inherent 'queer joy' to the 'internalized homophobia' that arises from oppression.
The term queer joy, simply put, is the complete comfort in accepting one's gender and sexual orientation, experiencing a 'peaceful joy' that varies emotionally from person to person.
Try imagining this: the moment you first realized you were heterosexual, perhaps when you had your first crush on a classmate or colleague, without self-blame for the crush, truly feeling that it was very natural and reasonable. Let's call this 'heterosexual joy.'
Queer joy seeks nothing more than this.
Internalized homophobia, however, occurs when you, as a member of the queer community, deeply despise your own gender and sexual orientation. "I'm heterosexual, but heterosexuality is awful, and I hate myself for it"—just like that.
Perhaps Every Comedy Comes From the Tragedy of Life
The world is a comedy to those that think; a tragedy to those that feel— a solution of why Democritus laughed and Heraclitus wept.
― Horace Walpole, Letter to Lady Anne, Countess of Ossory, (15 August 1776)
Similarly depicting sexual 'conversion,' adapted from the eponymous novel, and featuring a protagonist also forced into a conversion school, "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" (2018) is realistic and a complete tragedy. But "But I'm a Cheerleader" exposes the absurdity of conversion education through stylized, humorous performances and almost surreal scene settings, hence giving birth to comedy.
Scenes of female students cleaning and caring for infants, and male students repairing cars and chopping wood, to viewers, each frame paired with the actors' improvisational comedic body language, appears like a comedy of errors. Audiences do not need to delve deeply because the creators' intention to entertain is quite clear; however, if one decides to empathize, adopting the spirit of Heraclitus, feeling they are in a conversion school, remembering that in many corners of the world, the pathologizing views towards queers still exist—then "But I'm a Cheerleader" would be a naked portrayal of 'the difficult predicaments experienced by homosexuals,' a genuine 'tragedy.'
Your Fable, My Light Heart Comedy
Of course, "But I'm a Cheerleader" has a happy ending, not falling into any clichés that would break both the queer characters' and the audience's hearts. Megan ultimately overcomes the internal homophobic voices. Not just for herself, but also for her lover Graham (played by Clea DuVall), she successfully reclaims queer joy, stepping into a happy future together.
The happy ending of "But I'm a Cheerleader" has always been Jamie Babbit's assurance to queers 'to no longer be heartbroken' and an initial intent of creation, often stated in interviews that in the years when the LGBTQ community was still overshadowed by the cloud of disease, she hoped to create a comedy that allowed lesbian women a chance to love and have a truly happy ending. (Quoted from an NBC News interview, title: "Director of queer classic 'But I'm a Cheerleader' wanted to 'make a gay "Clueless"'.")
Therefore, even though the narrative and character development in the film might not conform to logic or appear superficial, for me, this is not a film suited for academic analysis, dissection, or metaphor interpretation. Providing 'laughter' for the sad gay community of the time was the primary, major purpose of "But I'm a Cheerleader."
But laughter is certainly not about 'mocking queers,' but mocking the absurdity and stereotypes of the heterosexual world both inside and outside the film. Here lies the warning, and while reveling in joy, the audience should still reflect on why they laugh.
Gender as a Role, Queer Life/Drama
Ultimately, what Jamie Babbit referred to as 'gender is merely a role,' does not mean discarding any form of gender identity. On the contrary, role-playing is a tender, confidence-building attitude towards gender. "But I'm a Cheerleader" conveys a diverse acceptance of gender and respect for self-awareness.
Kate Bornstein describes queer drama in her book Gender Outlaw, and I think, perfectly summarizes "But I'm a Cheerleader":
Even if queer drama has no other virtue, it at least brings a smile—it blatantly mocks the so-called normal heterosexual narratives. The irony of queer drama makes heterosexual courtship rituals seem ridiculous because by exposing the disguise, it also exposes the rotten core beneath. In queer drama, men flirting with each other highlights the vulgarity of flirtation itself; women enjoying themselves without men, which infuriates the heterosexual system.
Quoted from New Star Press, translated by Aiwan Liao, page 191.
Note: The quote included from Kate Bornstein's "Gender Outlaw" is based on my reading of the translated version. As such, the text presented here is a retranslation and might not capture the exact phrasing of the original English version. I appreciate your understanding.
"But I'm a Cheerleader" is a light-hearted comedy that no longer buries queers but prompts reflection. Regardless of sexual orientation, may we all find joy on the path of self-recognition, no longer fearing ourselves.
(Note: Viewers can watch the director's cut of "But I'm a Cheerleader" on the legal, free streaming platform The Archive.)
Related Links
1. Jamie Babbit talks about "But I'm a Cheerleader," part of the Landmark Retro Replay Pride series
2. Watch "But I'm a Cheerleader
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