A Man in a Dress = Laughs?
I would have to agree with Aitken and Lukinbeal's assertion that the depiction of masculinities in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert attempts to be liberating while reinforcing hegemonic masculinities; this is done through the depictions of femininity in the film. It seems as though, throughout the film, masculinity is celebrated at the expense of femininity. The male/trans protagonists of the film are often portrayed as comical and sometimes flighty. This occurs through the appropriation of feminine characteristics, mannerisms, and dress. It is as though they are attempting to become clowns by presenting themselves as women. Most often the viewer laughs at the characters while they are attacking like or dressing as women. A scene that illustrates is the one in which Tick is dressed in a woman's green dress and is flouncing around practicing his drag routine after the bus has broken down. We can see he is obviously male as he is wearing only a dress and no other female accoutrements like make-up, accessories, or a female wig (his head is bare and obviously male). We laugh at his actions, largely due to the fact that this is a man in a dress that looks ridiculous performing in such a way while he is wearing a dress.