I think its only natural to feel wary of the strange and bizarre, such as the mining town in Priscilla and the folk of Snydersville in To Wong Foo . However, unlike the folk of Snydersville, the people of the mining town were much more hostile in their attempts in harming Adam. The folk of Snydersville were wary, shy and very defensive. Carol Ann best embodies all these characteristics. She blocks out Vida's attempts at helping her yet needs it most. However, in the end the people of Syndersville come to love and protect the three queens from the misprint sheriff.
I quote Ms. Noxeema Jackson when she says, "...this is just so middle America". The queens are well aware of the phobias that Midwest towns harbor. And when they encounter sheriff Dollard, he even spat out "niggers" and "spicks" a blatant statement of the racism still existent in those areas. In Priscilla, we see several signs of homophobia, especially when "AIDS FUCKERS GO HOME" was sprayed onto Priscilla. But of course, there are they exceptions: Carol Ann and Bob.
In Sharon Willis' Race on the Road, she illuminates the magic in the film To Wong Foo, and how revives the life into the "deadened town" (293-94). And it's true! It's all thanks to the fabulousness of the queens that Syndersville comes to live again. Though Priscilla didn't achieve such boundless love in a rural town, they got it back in the city. These films definitely show a rural phobia, and a reciprocating homophobia & transphobia. At the end of To Wong Foo, Noxeema acknowledges her rural-phobia when she says that she never thought this little town would stand up for people like them. Her affirmation not only shows a fear of rural places, but a natural fear for those places.
Leave a comment