What did y'all think off the lesbians in the record store? (I call them lesbians because I saw a production video in which Haynes calls them that.)
I didn't find them particularly sympathetic-looking. Wouldn't it have been more fun (albeit distracting) if one was a looker?
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You want thingamabobs? I got twenty!
Not all gays and lesbians fall into stereotypes
I think it was as simple as that
I believe the point of the "Record Store Lesbians" scene was to show the confusion of Therese's character has with her sexuality and how she doesn't believe what she feels for Carol makes her a lesbian, because soon after that scene there's that discussion between Therese and Richard about two people of the same sex falling in love and when Richard says something to the affect of "Those type of people" in reference to homosexuals, Therese responds back in almost in an offensive way, like that's not what she meant in regards to what she's referring to, in regards to her feeling towards Carol, as she says something to the affect of "Not like that, just two people falling in love". Can't remember the exact quote, also can't find the scene on youtube.
http://www.dccomicsmovie.com
why should they be sympathetic looking or pretty? it doesn't do any harm to the story to show some more masculine looking women, just because it's the stereotype of a lesbian. carol and therese should have been good looking enough lesbians for the audience
I felt it was to show that lesbians did exist in that era whether people wanted to acknowledge it or not. I don't think there was a deeper significance than that and that Therese was recognizing who she was by recognizing women like her. The visual may have been heavy-handed, but with no dialogue for these 2 lesbians, their picture had to be worth a thousand words.
shareThe "record store lesbians" were, I think, the movie version of the two women Therese saw in the Palermo bar in the book:
She looked at the chunky figures of the two Italian workmen standing at the bar, and at the two girls at the end of the bar whom she had noticed before, and now that they were leaving, she saw that they were in slacks. One had hair cut like a boy's. Therese looked away, aware that she avoided them, avoided being seen looking at them. (p. 138 of the 1986 Naiad Press edition)
If she simply asked, she thought, Carol would let her sleep tonight in the same bed with her. She wanted more than that, to kiss her, to feel their bodies next to each other's. Therese thought of the two girls she had seen in the Palermo bar. They did that, she knew, and more. And would Carol suddenly thrust her away in disgust, if she merely wanted to hold her in her arms? And would whatever affection Carol now had for her vanish in that instant? A vision of Carol's cold rebuff swept her courage clean away. It crept back humbly in the question, couldn't she ask simply to sleep in the same bed with her? (p. 177)
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Yes indeedy, it was gaydar (lesgar?). In related matters, I think Record Store Lesbians would be a great band name.
shareThat scene resonated with me because I came out in the 90s and at that time I was aware of what the stereotype of a lesbian is and what she should look/act and think like. While I wouldn't call myself butch, I fall more on the masculine spectrum in terms of clothes/hair etc... but I didn't and don't have any of the typical masculine interests. Like Therese, I would look upon other lesbians and wonder if I am one of them now, does this mean I have to look and be like them too? I'm conservative politically which was and is most unwelcome in the gay community and I have a lot of other traits that are not in any way stereotypically gay. I'm old fashioned in many ways and again, reserved and cautious overall. With time I learned that just because I'm gay, doesn't mean I've received a personality transplant and that I'm still who I've always been and if the gay community is going to be as judgmental as the straight community, then screw them. Sadly the gay community is too monolithic and demands conformity which I refused so I turned my back on them and just decided to live as me. I can see Therese is struggling in this scene with what her newfound feelings might mean to her and who she is and I definitely remember that feeling oh so many years ago. Like me, Therese eventually decides to just be instead of conform to either the gay or straight world's expectations of her... Brilliant scene since it touched a personal cord for me.
shareThere are different lesbians. I like to dress feminine but also casual clothing as well. I'm not exceptionally feminine but I'm not butch either.
That scene resonated with me because I came out in the 90s and at that time I was aware of what the stereotype of a lesbian is and what she should look/act and think like. While I wouldn't call myself butch, I fall more on the masculine spectrum in terms of clothes/hair etc... but I didn't and don't have any of the typical masculine interests. Like Therese, I would look upon other lesbians and wonder if I am one of them now, does this mean I have to look and be like them too? I'm conservative politically which was and is most unwelcome in the gay community and I have a lot of other traits that are not in any way stereotypically gay. I'm old fashioned in many ways and again, reserved and cautious overall. With time I learned that just because I'm gay, doesn't mean I've received a personality transplant and that I'm still who I've always been and if the gay community is going to be as judgmental as the straight community, then screw them. Sadly the gay community is too monolithic and demands conformity which I refused so I turned my back on them and just decided to live as me. I can see Therese is struggling in this scene with what her newfound feelings might mean to her and who she is and I definitely remember that feeling oh so many years ago. Like me, Therese eventually decides to just be instead of conform to either the gay or straight world's expectations of her... Brilliant scene since it touched a personal cord for me.