Gender, Sexuality, and Figure Skating [Video]

Saturday Night Live created this spoof, which made me laugh but more importantly helped me make a point about heteronormativity in my course.  In the US, figure skating is associated with femininity and is seen as a sport that only women and gay men participate in. SNL created a "Heterosexual Figure Skating Championship" in which 3 male skaters performed routines. Each man performs a comically bad routine that is made up of multiple 'masculine' behaviors. The underlying assumptions are that these are 'real men' and so they couldn't possibly be capable of the artistry and grace that the sport demands. You can use these assumptions to talk about the links between sex, sexuality, and gender.


Video Link Here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/588249

 If you want to pair this with a reading, check "The Frozen Closet", a great Newsweek article by Abigail Jones