Intersections of Gender, Sexuality, and Fandom in the Contemporary American Crime Drama Melanie Cattrell
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University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository American Studies ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 8-31-2011 Gendered Crimes, Gendered Fans: Intersections of Gender, Sexuality, and Fandom in the Contemporary American Crime Drama Melanie Cattrell Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/amst_etds Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Cattrell, Melanie. "Gendered Crimes, Gendered Fans: Intersections of Gender, Sexuality, and Fandom in the Contemporary American Crime Drama." (2011). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/amst_etds/7 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in American Studies ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Melanie Cattrell Candidate American Studies Department This dissertation is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Dissertation Committee: Dr. Michael L. Trujillo, Chairperson Dr. M. Jane Young Dr. Janet Cramer Dr. Jake Kosek ii GENDERED CRIMES, GENDERED FANS: INTERSECTIONS OF GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND FANDOM IN THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN TELEVISION CRIME DRAMA BY MELANIE A. CATTRELL B.A., English, Kent State University, 2001 M.A., English Literature, Bowling Green State University, 2003 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy American Studies The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico August, 2011 iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Francis and Brenda Cattrell, whose love and encouragement is unparalleled; to Frank, Judy, and Nate Kooistra, for being an excellent “second family” to me for the last decade; to Roger Jerabek, for his encouragement and humor throughout the entire grad school process; and, finally, to my cat—and future Internet/TV star—Angel/us, for keeping me company during countess hours of writing and televiewing. iv ACKNOWEDGEMENTS Numerous mentors, colleagues, and friends are responsible for the completion of this dissertation. I am indebted to Dr. M. Jane Young, who has served as a tireless mentor to me for the last eight years. The initial idea for this dissertation was born in her Research Methods class, and she has encouraged my work since that point. Likewise, Dr. Michael Trujillo has been a supporter of my work since our first conversation, and he has always been available for advice, feedback, and encouragement. Dr. Janet Cramer was instrumental in framing the feminist methodology of this text, and has always been available for advice—and for a good talk about television. Dr. Jake Kosek’s input was essential to this dissertation; when this work was in the beginning stages, he offered feedback on multiple dissertation proposals, always pushing me to think more deeply about my ideas. He encouraged me to link my ideas about television to a larger cultural context whenever possible. My dissertation support group, Carmen Samora, Karen Roybal, and Matthew Valnes, were instrumental in the progress of this dissertation; their weekly feedback and encouragement kept me focused and on track. Similarly, Katherine J. Lehman, Pam Gravagne, Carolyn McSherry, and Laura Haley, have served as friends, collaborators, and advisers during this process. Anna Nordenskjöld Bergman, Bill Dewan, Jennifer Richter, Eric Castillo, Melanie Armstrong, Bob Wycoff, Karen Smith, Jennifer Schaller, Michelle Baca, Shannon McCoy-Hayes, Rachel Liberatore, and Kathleen Richardson have all contributed to this text through their support, friendship, and feedback. Rebecca Feldman, v Lauren Silverstein, and Lisa Jackson-Wilson have all shown me the importance of online friendships and collaboration. Melissa Ames provided detailed editorial feedback on chapter five of this work, generously including a version of it in a forthcoming anthology. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the UNM Graduate and Professional Student Association for their encouragement throughout the final year of this process, especially Lissa Knudsen, Megan McRobert, Katie Richardson, Kris Miranda, Nick Engquist, Elroy Keetso, Eileen Shaughnessy, Japji Hundal, Matthew Rush, Mark Worthy, Ashley Carter, Amna Malik, Brandi Lawless, and Megan O'Laughlin. Finally, I would like to thank Sandy Rodrigue for her guidance and endless patience. vi GENDERED CRIMES, GENDERED FANS INTERSECTIONS OF GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND FANDOM IN THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN TELEVISION CRIME DRAMA BY MELANIE A. CATTRELL ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy American Studies The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico August, 2011 vii GENDERED CRIMES, GENDERED FANS: INTERSECTIONS OF GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND FANDOM IN THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN TELEVISION CRIME DRAMA Melanie A. Cattrell B.A. English, Kent State University, 2001 M.A. English Literature, Bowling Green State University, 2003 Ph.D. American Studies, University of New Mexico, 2011 ABSTRACT This dissertation analyzes the changing representations of gender and sexuality in American network crime dramas over the last thirty years. It also examines the growing Internet fan communities that have developed to discuss these shows. Specifically, it provides a feminist and queer textual analysis of a variety of television crime dramas, comparing 1980’s crime dramas such as Cagney & Lacey and Hunter to contemporary programs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Bones . This textual analysis is followed with an analysis of the contemporary shows’ surrounding fan communities. Thus, this work charts the relationship between television studies, audience studies, fan culture, and gender and sexuality, arguing that today’s crime dramas encourage participatory viewing. This work builds upon feminist television studies. It discusses the contradictory manner in which lead female characters in crime dramas are viii positioned within their respective series, since they are placed in the role of victim far more frequently than their male counterparts. Furthermore, it examines the way in which the female crime-solver is often placed outside of normative familial structures, leading to suspicions of lesbianism. Overall, it argues that the female crime-solver remains a complex figure in the television crime drama. This dissertation also discusses the representation of queer bodies in contemporary crime dramas, analyzing how these bodies are interpellated through the law and forensic science. It focuses on the role of the queer guest character in crime dramas, analyzing the way in which this guest character challenges the main characters’ definitions of gender and sexual orientation. These characters show how regulatory structures attempt to contain and identify sexuality and gender, and the problems which arise when a person does not fit into these constraints. Along with a historical and textual analysis of the crime drama, this dissertation provides an analysis of fan production by examining gendered fan responses to crime dramas. Specifically, it discusses the way in which viewers queer the texts through fan fiction, as well as through the conversations fans have on multiple discussion forums. It examines the convergence of production and fan culture, showing that the dichotomy which used to exist between fan and producer is blurred by the use of new media. It makes a contribution to several critical areas of study: contemporary ethnography, new media, television studies, feminist theory, and queer reading. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1: TELEVISION STUDIES, GENDERED AUDIENCES, AND THE QUEERING OF TELVISION FAN.13 Reading Television.13 The Viewing Audience...18 Soap Operas and the Female Viewer................ 22 Gay and Lesbian Television Images....... 26 Decoding Television... 31 Queering Television 35 Audience Communities, Ethnography, and Fan Culture.....................38 Community......................................................................................... 40 Re-defining Ethnographic Research.................................................. 46 CHAPTER 2: FROM CAGNEY AND LACEY TO RIZZOLI AND ISLES : 30 YEARS OF WOMEN IN CRIME DRAMA..................................... 48 Representing Women in the 1980’s: Cagney & Lacey and Remington Steele............................................ 50 The Flawed Investigator..................................................................... 56 “One Tomato”: “A Single Life” and the Female Crimesolver................................................................... 56 “Damn, I thought you was a lesbian”: The Specter of Lesbianism and the Female Detective......................... 60 “You’ve Never Been the Victim”: When the (Female) x Law Enforcer Becomes the Victim................................ 65 Law & Order: SVU........................................................ 72 Profiler: The Gaze and the Female Protagonist................................. 74 Rizzoli and Isles.................................................................................. 75 CHAPTER 3: FROM STRANGE WOMEN TO AMAZING TRANNIES: CRIME DRAMA AND THE QUEER OTHER................................................ 78 The Nefarious Bisexual.......................................................................79 Hunter : From San Francisco With Love............................... .... 80 Law & Order: Criminal Intent : Anti-Thesis................................82