Comparative
When 19-year-old Arthur Andrew Kelm made his screen debut in 1950, he not only adopted a new name—Tab Hunter—but a new persona, that of a virile heterosexual male. In the ‘50s, America was decades away from mainstream acceptance of gay actors, so Tab Hunter was forced to hide where many others like him hid: in the closet.
Some seventy years later, the country’s social landscape has changed dramatically. Still, as the old adage goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Yes, 21st century LGBTQ actors have enjoyed unprecedented exposure and opportunities, but not all acting mediums have been equally inviting. While LGBTQ actors in television and theater have made great strides in representation, the film industry remains stubbornly hetero-normative. In many ways, the Hollywood of Tab Hunter’s era never really went away. For example, only a handful of openly-LGBTQ actors have ever won Oscars, and there are currently no openly-LGBTQ “A-listers”—actors with, say Leonardo DiCaprio or Margot Robbie-level cachet.
For his comparative analysis, examine the 1950s attitudes that kept the truth about Tab Hunter under wraps and the ways in which some of those attitudes persist today. For instance, what would be different for Tab Hunter if he were a young actor today—and what would likely remain the same? For this essay, draw your evidence from Tab Hunter Confidential, as well as a minimum of three outside sources—which you are responsible for finding.
Requirements:
- MLA Style, including works cited
- Approx. 500-750 words
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