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| The Babadook: how the horror movie monster became a gay icon | The Babadook: how the horror movie monster became a gay icon |
| (7 months later) | |
| Top-hatted ghoul has been hailed as LGBT figure in corners of social media after it was jokingly floated on Tumblr that he was gay | |
| Elle Hunt | |
| Sun 11 Jun 2017 07.34 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 14 Jul 2017 18.00 BST | |
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| Queer communities of the internet are embracing an unlikely icon this Pride Month: the Babadook. | Queer communities of the internet are embracing an unlikely icon this Pride Month: the Babadook. |
| The top-hatted monster, from the Australian horror film of the same name, has been hailed as a LGBT figure in corners of social media since the end of last year, when it was jokingly floated on Tumblr that he was gay. | The top-hatted monster, from the Australian horror film of the same name, has been hailed as a LGBT figure in corners of social media since the end of last year, when it was jokingly floated on Tumblr that he was gay. |
| In recent weeks, the Babadook-as-queer-icon has gone from a internet in-joke to a Pride Month figurehead, with remixed representations of the monster he appears in a storybook in the film featuring in celebrations online and off. | In recent weeks, the Babadook-as-queer-icon has gone from a internet in-joke to a Pride Month figurehead, with remixed representations of the monster he appears in a storybook in the film featuring in celebrations online and off. |
| current favorite meme is the lgbt community insisting that the babadook is a gay icon pic.twitter.com/jetZomtDzd | current favorite meme is the lgbt community insisting that the babadook is a gay icon pic.twitter.com/jetZomtDzd |
| “Gay Babadook” was born when a somewhat ironic post to Tumblr in October went viral: “Whenever someone says the Babadook isn’t openly gay it’s like?? Did you even watch the movie???” | “Gay Babadook” was born when a somewhat ironic post to Tumblr in October went viral: “Whenever someone says the Babadook isn’t openly gay it’s like?? Did you even watch the movie???” |
| The post drew close to 100,000 responses – a jokey back-and-forth about the deeper meanings of Jennifer Kent’s 2014 independent film that prompted one user to complain it was “JUST A MOVIE.” | The post drew close to 100,000 responses – a jokey back-and-forth about the deeper meanings of Jennifer Kent’s 2014 independent film that prompted one user to complain it was “JUST A MOVIE.” |
| “A movie about a gay man who just wants to live his life in a small Australian suburb?” replied the original poster, “ianstagram”, from Boston. “It may be ‘just a movie’ to you but to the LGBT community the Babadook is a symbol of our journey.” | “A movie about a gay man who just wants to live his life in a small Australian suburb?” replied the original poster, “ianstagram”, from Boston. “It may be ‘just a movie’ to you but to the LGBT community the Babadook is a symbol of our journey.” |
| In December, a screenshot was posted to Tumblr showing The Babadook listed prominently among “LGBT Movies” on Netflix – more likely to be a doctored image indicative of the meme’s gaining momentum, than a categorisation error. | In December, a screenshot was posted to Tumblr showing The Babadook listed prominently among “LGBT Movies” on Netflix – more likely to be a doctored image indicative of the meme’s gaining momentum, than a categorisation error. |
| “The B in LGBT stands for Babadook,” another user responded. | “The B in LGBT stands for Babadook,” another user responded. |
| The so-called “Babadiscourse” meme riffed on the strident debate over cultural texts and “author’s intent” that is a cornerstone of online discourse, as well as projections of a queer identity or significance onto public or historical figures in the past. | The so-called “Babadiscourse” meme riffed on the strident debate over cultural texts and “author’s intent” that is a cornerstone of online discourse, as well as projections of a queer identity or significance onto public or historical figures in the past. |
| In the film, “Mister Babadook” is half-acknowledged by a widow and her young son, even as he has undeniable and chaotic impact on their family unit: “If it’s in a word, or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook” is the horror movie’s refrain. | In the film, “Mister Babadook” is half-acknowledged by a widow and her young son, even as he has undeniable and chaotic impact on their family unit: “If it’s in a word, or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook” is the horror movie’s refrain. |
| As Karen Tongson, an associate professor of gender studies and English at the University of Southern California, told the LA Times: “Someone was like, ‘How could “The Babadook” become a gay film’ and the answer was readily available. ... For many LGBT people, that’s what it feels like to be in your own families sometimes.” | As Karen Tongson, an associate professor of gender studies and English at the University of Southern California, told the LA Times: “Someone was like, ‘How could “The Babadook” become a gay film’ and the answer was readily available. ... For many LGBT people, that’s what it feels like to be in your own families sometimes.” |
| openly gay and with an affinity for hats and drama, the Babadook was the first time I saw myself represented in a film | openly gay and with an affinity for hats and drama, the Babadook was the first time I saw myself represented in a film |
| Most people have never even seen the most iconic workroom entrance in Drag Race herstory pic.twitter.com/YMUnzIPGR8 | Most people have never even seen the most iconic workroom entrance in Drag Race herstory pic.twitter.com/YMUnzIPGR8 |
| don't call yourself gay if the babadook hasn't entered your home through the pages of a children's book 👏👏👏👏👏 | don't call yourself gay if the babadook hasn't entered your home through the pages of a children's book 👏👏👏👏👏 |
| Breaking News: @HRC to honor The Babadook with the Visibility Award pic.twitter.com/IO0VXYlqEG | Breaking News: @HRC to honor The Babadook with the Visibility Award pic.twitter.com/IO0VXYlqEG |
| The Babadook’s status as a symbol of equality was cemented with the beginning of Pride Month in June in the US, with the teeth-baring spectre spotted at rallies in Boston and Washington. | The Babadook’s status as a symbol of equality was cemented with the beginning of Pride Month in June in the US, with the teeth-baring spectre spotted at rallies in Boston and Washington. |
| happy pride month from queer icon the babadook pic.twitter.com/f2JxwQbRDd | happy pride month from queer icon the babadook pic.twitter.com/f2JxwQbRDd |
| babadook made it!!! pic.twitter.com/pxosxlAdbH | babadook made it!!! pic.twitter.com/pxosxlAdbH |
| just met my future spouse at #BostonPride #babashook pic.twitter.com/6Cd7cfvszY | just met my future spouse at #BostonPride #babashook pic.twitter.com/6Cd7cfvszY |
| y'all there was straight up a babadook at dc pride and. i just can't believe the babadook is an actual symbol of lgbt culture. what a time | y'all there was straight up a babadook at dc pride and. i just can't believe the babadook is an actual symbol of lgbt culture. what a time |
| The Massachusetts attorney-general, Maura Healey, tweeted on Saturday the Babadook waving a pride flag: “We believe in equal rights for everyone – and we mean everyone.” | The Massachusetts attorney-general, Maura Healey, tweeted on Saturday the Babadook waving a pride flag: “We believe in equal rights for everyone – and we mean everyone.” |
| We believe in equal rights for everyone — and we mean everyone. Happy #Pride2017 #Babadook pic.twitter.com/So6jdIyIbf | We believe in equal rights for everyone — and we mean everyone. Happy #Pride2017 #Babadook pic.twitter.com/So6jdIyIbf |
| Miles Jai, an LGBT YouTube personality, dressed as The Babadook to the taping of the season finale of the reality television show RuPaul’s Drag Race. | Miles Jai, an LGBT YouTube personality, dressed as The Babadook to the taping of the season finale of the reality television show RuPaul’s Drag Race. |
| Though director Jennifer Kent is aware of the meme, she has not commented on it. | Though director Jennifer Kent is aware of the meme, she has not commented on it. |
| But Tim Purcell, the actor who played the monster in her film, told New York magazine’s Select All that the character demanded he wear not only the hat but a heavy jacket, contact lenses, a prosthetic mouth and “crap all over my teeth”. | But Tim Purcell, the actor who played the monster in her film, told New York magazine’s Select All that the character demanded he wear not only the hat but a heavy jacket, contact lenses, a prosthetic mouth and “crap all over my teeth”. |
| “I didn’t feel like a gay icon at the time, I can tell you that much.” | “I didn’t feel like a gay icon at the time, I can tell you that much.” |
| Ianstagram, the Tumblr user credited with sparking the Babadiscourse, told Select All that it had “almost become a joke around queer representation in the media” – “a very deep reading on a mindless post I fired out one night. | Ianstagram, the Tumblr user credited with sparking the Babadiscourse, told Select All that it had “almost become a joke around queer representation in the media” – “a very deep reading on a mindless post I fired out one night. |
| “It’s been fascinating to watch.” | “It’s been fascinating to watch.” |
| Kent’s next film is due to be Alice + Freda Forever, a love story about a lesbian relationship in 19th-century Memphis. | Kent’s next film is due to be Alice + Freda Forever, a love story about a lesbian relationship in 19th-century Memphis. |
| when people complain about the babadook meme pic.twitter.com/bkpVcoSrmK | when people complain about the babadook meme pic.twitter.com/bkpVcoSrmK |
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