Also, I had really mixed feelings about the portrayal of Lord Fanny in Invisibles. "Apocalypstick" gives a surprisingly nuanced picture of her background, but Morrison generally seems more interested in a semi-comic indulgence in stereotypes of the flamboyant drag queen. Although it was refreshing to see Morrison recall in "Kissing Mister Quimper" that Fanny could indeed be a bad-ass, she's frequently trivialized in ways the others are not. (Future-Fanny's admonition to Robin to tell her younger self to diet springs to mind.)
Morrison seems less comfortable outside of cisgender norms than Gaiman. Fanny treads into caricature a lot, as does Jolly Roger (and what the hell was up with Robin's line about drag queens and lesbians hating each other? That one still nettles). Meanwhile Boy, who I gather was supposed to be a butch straight girl, suffers from Morrison's obvious uncertainty with what to do with her. I liked Roger in spite of myself (enough to make me rather angry with her ultimate fate), but both she and Fanny suggest a presumption of gender essentialism that makes me itch.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:10 pm (UTC)Morrison seems less comfortable outside of cisgender norms than Gaiman. Fanny treads into caricature a lot, as does Jolly Roger (and what the hell was up with Robin's line about drag queens and lesbians hating each other? That one still nettles). Meanwhile Boy, who I gather was supposed to be a butch straight girl, suffers from Morrison's obvious uncertainty with what to do with her. I liked Roger in spite of myself (enough to make me rather angry with her ultimate fate), but both she and Fanny suggest a presumption of gender essentialism that makes me itch.