"The Rocky Horror Show" debuted in 1975 on Broadway, produced by Richard O'Brien and directed by Jim Sharman. After a year, O'Brien and Sharman adapted the musical into a film, re-named as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." At the time, the film, however, was a box office flop. Not until did it come down to the second-run theaters, the film started to have its popularity. It combines the idea of postmodernism—the myth of heteronormativity should be in decline, and those characters from other planet, Transylvania, are overturning the myth by forcing an engaged couple to experience different sexual adventure. However, the outlook of those characters from Transylvania is only a style with no edge-cutting ideology.
This is not a real horror movie, once the audiences toss away the ideology of heteronormativity toward diverse sexual issues. Only by dancing to “Time Warp,” by imitating the "Sweet Transvestite" Dr. Frank-N-Further's dressing style, and by shouting "Slut" and "Asshole" at Janet and Brad in the theatre, the heteronormative couple, could you enjoy the movie and experience the mind-open journey where tradition of gender stereotypes are broken. Kinsinger, A. (2017, p.5) quotes Kinkade and Katovich (200), "Its basis is a paradox—the celebration of deviance to verify society." Gender fluidity, the mockery of heteronormativity, and the new definition of societal roles of gender are the key points of the film.
Based on the core messages of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," the existence of Dr. Frank-N-Further and the engagement of Janet and Brad are two discourses of postmodernism: heteronormativity of a society is in decline.
To enjoy the movie, as mentioned above, try not to be agitated with the (trans) sexual freedom that Dr. Frank-N-Further is persuading Brad and Janet. We all could be Brad and Janet. Brad sings "Damn It, Janet! I Love You" to Janet, who is holding a wedding bouquet in hands, for an immediate marriage proposal. Before they had a car crash and entered Dr. Frank-N-Further's castle, the audience may not find any problems with their marriage proposal. Everything taking place in the castle proves that Brad and Janet's romance and marriage is ridiculous.
Kinsinger suggests that Brad and Janet, who only recognize heterosexuals as normalcy, are living up to the social common expectations. (p.3) Dr. Frank-N-Further subverts the stiff myths by taking off their clothes and by assigning them to experience sexual stimulation with different characters. It turns out that Janet is not a sexually loyal woman because she enjoys the sexual adventure with Rocky Horror. Rocky Horror is Dr. Frank-N-Further's scientific creation who has perfect six-pack abs, wearing a golden short, with a gold hair and a tan. This is why the audiences would repeatedly call Janet, “Slut!” Brad easily gives in his body to Dr. Frank-N-Further after checking Janet is safe with Rocky.
Both are no more confined to physical loyalty to their marriage. Especially, the transformation of Brad, from holding his masculine self-esteem to dressing in corset and high heels, signifies the destoryence of cisgender, namely that your sex is the same with your gender identity. He enjoys the happiness and helplessness from his sexual confusion. Dr. Frank-N-Further breaks the myth of marriage and heterosexuality by leading them to experience the sexual stimulation they could have never imagined before.
It is firm to say that Dr. Frank-N-Further is the most worshiped character by fans. Remembering the day when I went seeing the musical of Rocky Horror at Hart House in Toronto, many people were wearing high heels, black lace corset, and white foundation on face, ending with a deep red lipstick. The husband of a couple wore high heels to the show. Here comes the second element of postmodernism—an emphasis on style more than substance. Although we tend to view the film as support to homosexuals, transsexuals, and cult culture, Kinsinger points out that Dr. Frank-N-Further is not a pioneer pushing boundaries(p.4).
Dr. Frank-N-Further has his first scene in welcoming Brad and Janet into the castle, with his song, Sweet Transvestite. Both Kinsinger and Siebler, K.(2012, p.76) have indicated that when the movie was published, the terms "queerness" and "transgender" have not popped out yet. They also focus on whether Dr. Frank-N-Further is a real model of queerness who has a future impact on postmodern feminism and transgender theories. Their viewpoints may contradict with the fans. Siebler suggests that his outlook could only make himself consider as a gender-bending performer, who plays between the ambiguous line of gender stereotypes. (p.76) Dr. Frank-N-Further doesn't have a fake breast hidden under his lace Basque as well as an underwear which can cover his bulge. In conclusion, Dr. Frank-N-Further is the character who doesn't present herself as a female much, yet relatively shows a man's dominance and bossiness.
Dr. Frank-N-Further instead deprives of the chance of Columbia, his groupie girl, to love another man in her life, Eddie, his ex-boyfriend. In order to force Columbia to show her loyalty to Dr. Frank-N-Further, he kills Eddie with a pickaxe. So heartless and brutal he is that buries Eddie's corpse under their dining table and makes Columbia see it. In sum, through Dr. Frank-N-Further's behavior and dressing, his femininity is more of a style, instead of a substance. He uses his power to forcefully incur the inner sexual desire of Janet and Brad, who finally finds himself homosexual. Studlar, G.(1989, p.9) provides a female fan's account, who wears like Dr. Frank-N-Further to the show, "As Frank, I have a chance to be on top of things…, but he's still so masculine there's no way you could mistake him for a woman." In essence, the existence of Dr. Frank-N-Further could not overthrow the patriarchy because he is only a powerful man who enjoys cross-dressing and disdains women's freedom to love others—femininity is the outlook, yet the masculinity is the soul. (p.12)
After all, the film is science fiction. The concept of time and space is fluid. Riff Raff, dressed in a suit with a sense of future and technology, played by the screenwriter of the film, Richard O'Brien, eventually kills Dr. Frank-N-Further, Columbia, and Rocky by his laser gun in hand. Before the death scene, Dr. Frank-N-Further sings "I'm Going Home" to change Riff Raff's
mind of taking them home. However, the home Dr. Frank-N-Further referring to is not Transsexual planet. Paradoxically, it is Earth that could let him be free and smile. Dr. Frank-N-Further’s avowal is a failure. Riff Raff still brings those aliens back to their planet. Brad and Janet are left on Earth, yet they know each other more and consider the significance of their marriage.
Kinsinger views that Richard O'Brien's intention to return the couple back to the heteronormative society signifies that people living in drag culture are aliens who are also disrupting social orders. (p.5) In addition, "The society should be protected," Dr. Scott said in the movie. The author thus believes that Dr. Scott is the character who remind people of the existence of cult culture is only a crucial element to complete this science fiction. After all, science fiction is only a fantasy, and we should all head back to real life, a heterosexual dominant life.
However, I also agree with the perspective of how Miner, A. (2011) view Dr. Frank-N-Further's behaviors and performance in the castle.Dr. Frank-N-Further is the scientist who creates Rocky, which we could see him as Rocky's birth mother. Although Rocky is relatively an epitome of his sexual ideals, he is heartbroken when he finds out the romance Rocky has with Janet. After hearing the shocking news, he starts being jealous and controls his servants' lives. It could be attributed to the fact—he is not loved back. At this point, the transvestite, as a mother, is equipped with a feminine soul. (p.58) Dr. Frank-N-Further, perhaps, realizes himself that only staying on earth could he become a woman, guiding the couple to experience sexual stimulation and taking care of his son, Rocky.
According to the article, Curse of the Cult People, recording the conversation between Hoberman, J. & Rosenbaum, J. (1991, p.19), Rocky Horror is a definite example of postmodernism because it has an emphasis on identity. The other thing of postmodernism is that the film has its science-fiction material which provides places for us to be aware of cult culture and gender identity’s future development in cinema presentation. (Wilson, H., 2008, p.148) Dr. Frank-N-Further's significance on future feminism and cult culture would never stop in debate, however, he will always be considered a role model by fans—“Don’t dream it. Be it.”
Text/ Nick Hsu
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