Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand

© 2019, © 2019 SOAS University of London. Camp humour in the counterpublic sphere is one mode to express survivalist subversion when open resistance is not possible. This essay takes stock of camp aesthetics specifically in independent digital films that critique the Thai state while simultaneously...

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Main Authors: Sudarat Musikawong, Malinee Khumsupa
Format: Journal
Published: 2020
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http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/68106
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Institution: Chiang Mai University
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spelling th-cmuir.6653943832-681062020-04-02T15:20:09Z Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand Sudarat Musikawong Malinee Khumsupa Social Sciences © 2019, © 2019 SOAS University of London. Camp humour in the counterpublic sphere is one mode to express survivalist subversion when open resistance is not possible. This essay takes stock of camp aesthetics specifically in independent digital films that critique the Thai state while simultaneously healing the oppressed, through perversity, queer politics and satirical humour. The films discussed in this article use the following queer strategies: (1) the reversal of values through exaggeration and excess (Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy critiques authoritarian prescriptions for happiness, taking them to excess to unleash murder and mayhem); (2) revelling in sexual perversity through temporal postulations (Supernatural poses as complex layers of sci-fi Thai gay pornography, but is in fact social critique); (3) presenting postcolonial critique of the country through satire (Madam Anna, Nipples, Macaron, Ponyangkam and Basic Education satirizes Anna and the King); and (4) using poorly acted melodrama in drag to trigger the comedic uncanny (Behind the Painting is a remake of Sriburapha’s popular 1937 novel, a commentary on Thailand’s elite alignment with Japan). 2020-04-02T15:20:09Z 2020-04-02T15:20:09Z 2019-07-03 Journal 0967828X 2-s2.0-85074605108 10.1080/0967828X.2019.1682277 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85074605108&origin=inward http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/68106
institution Chiang Mai University
building Chiang Mai University Library
country Thailand
collection CMU Intellectual Repository
topic Social Sciences
spellingShingle Social Sciences
Sudarat Musikawong
Malinee Khumsupa
Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand
description © 2019, © 2019 SOAS University of London. Camp humour in the counterpublic sphere is one mode to express survivalist subversion when open resistance is not possible. This essay takes stock of camp aesthetics specifically in independent digital films that critique the Thai state while simultaneously healing the oppressed, through perversity, queer politics and satirical humour. The films discussed in this article use the following queer strategies: (1) the reversal of values through exaggeration and excess (Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy critiques authoritarian prescriptions for happiness, taking them to excess to unleash murder and mayhem); (2) revelling in sexual perversity through temporal postulations (Supernatural poses as complex layers of sci-fi Thai gay pornography, but is in fact social critique); (3) presenting postcolonial critique of the country through satire (Madam Anna, Nipples, Macaron, Ponyangkam and Basic Education satirizes Anna and the King); and (4) using poorly acted melodrama in drag to trigger the comedic uncanny (Behind the Painting is a remake of Sriburapha’s popular 1937 novel, a commentary on Thailand’s elite alignment with Japan).
format Journal
author Sudarat Musikawong
Malinee Khumsupa
author_facet Sudarat Musikawong
Malinee Khumsupa
author_sort Sudarat Musikawong
title Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand
title_short Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand
title_full Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand
title_fullStr Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand
title_full_unstemmed Notes on camp films in authoritarian Thailand
title_sort notes on camp films in authoritarian thailand
publishDate 2020
url https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85074605108&origin=inward
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/68106
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