Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

I watched the film by Pedro Almodovar, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! The film appears to be a love story, but in my opinion, it is far from that. Ricky just released from a mental hospital kidnaps Marina because he is in love with her. Ricky wants Marina to fall in love with him, and at the end of the film, his wish is granted. However, throughout the film, there are scenes of violence against Marina. She is tied down to a bed, he provides her with illegal drugs, and does not give her privacy.

I personally was appalled at the end of the film because after she has escaped from Ricky, Marina goes to find him because she realizes that she loves him. For this reason, one could almost argue that Marina is a masochist. No one in their right mind would fall in love with someone who has been physically and emotionally abusive like a kidnapper usually does. Also, I found that the film attacked the female gender because some of the scenes where a bit invasive. For example, Marina was portrayed as a kinky woman during the scene of the bathtub when she is masturbating with a child’s toy. She was also weak when she finds drugs on her dresser and quickly sniffs it, perhaps to help her deal with the current stressful situation. So, not only is Marina weak to her sexual desires, she was also a fragile women who could not defend herself from a kidnapper, but she also eventually had feelings for him. This plays with the issue of women not being able to control themselves from being  predisposed to be nurturing and caring beings. 

I did not fully understand the message the film was trying to send. I certainly did not feel like it was an inoffensive romantic story, but one who humiliated women because of the way the male got what his wish.

Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón

After overcoming the initial shock provoked by some outrageous scenes in Pepi, Luci, and Bom, I was more than curious as to why Pedro Almodovar was interested in creating such a film. With my initiation reactions of cringe-worthy discomfort and even mild disgust at the blatantly vulgar humor, looking into the historical context of it all helped me to understand Almodovar’s motives. Following the death of their patriarch Franco, his film could be seen as a revolutionary melodrama – a representation of Spanish society at the end of their “ancien regime” and maybe even as an anticipation for a more libertarian agenda. The treatment of gender in the film centers on the reversal of what is seen in classic melodrama by transplanting female passivity and destabilizing fixed categories of sexual identity.

But classifying the film merely as a product of the time period is perhaps too simplistic. The fact that I cannot pinpoint what purpose the film served is telling in itself. Even stylistically, with the murky shots and episodic scene sequences, the film seems to reflect the ambiguity and multiplicity of gender. As we touched on in class, the film seems to reaffirm that factors such as race, class, and sexual orientation are unattached from the multifaceted nature of ideas. It is the very notion that there is a limit to knowledge that allows us to make speculations draw from other ideas and theorize, and as we sat together as a group to share common reactions, it was as if our internal superegos were constantly policing and consulting with one another to reaffirm those theories.

Pepi, Luci, Bom

First of all i would like to preface this blog post by saying that while i was taken aback by this film may times throughout the 50 minute period we were watching it i would actually like to finish the film to get the full effect from it. This being said, i would like to go on to say that while watching the film i found many things to be shocking (and i dont mean just the peeing scene, although that was a bit weird). AT first i didnt quite understand what was going on with the entire film. I thought it was just depicting a bunch of overly sexual people running around. However the more i watched the more i noticed that the little things that i thought were weird at first really were being critical of the very things they represented. For example i noticed that the wife, Luci, wanted to be hit by her husband and wanted him to be a cheater at first. While i first thought to myself "who in their right mind would want that?" i noticed that toward the middle of the film she took control of the situation and became the one who was more in charge. While i cant say why the film maker put that into the movie, nor do i want to try, i can say that to me this point stuck in my mind. I would really like to finish this moviee to further my analysis of this situation and see how it develops.

Pepi, Luci, Bom

Overall, I found the film, "Pepi, Luci, Bom," fascinating, not because of all of the gratuitous sexuality, but because of its abnormal, erratic plot structure. I felt like the film kept me on my toes the whole time, inspiring a handful of genuine emotions in me, from awe, to disgust, to amusement....

I was amazed how the character of Pepi handled her own rape... while she was eager to get revenge on her attacker/assailant, I was not sure if Pepi ever experienced the psychological torment that usually accompanies an episode as traumatic as rape. I imagined she would have acted a lot more hurt and a lot less, forgive me, "peppy" than she did.

I enjoyed seeing many of the women employing their personal agency, but I did not understand quite how what they were doing was going to stop their oppressors from oppressing future generations of women. I was glad that the characters like Pepi and Luci escaped the mould of patriarchal society but I did not see (within the part of the film we viewed in class) any serious examples of Pepi or Luci opposing the society's values for all of society to see.

Pepi, Luci, Bom

Looking back at the notes I took during the movie, I see that the first thing I wrote down was, "Women use their sexuality as a weapon," and I was referring to the scene where Pepi basically trades a sexual favor for the policeman to ignore her plants (although she got more than she bargained for in the end).

Although I do agree that the film portrays strong, independent women (Luci standing up to her husband, their sexual liberation), I think the times when they draw back to the social "norm" where the woman is weak stands out much more to me. To see them being held back is much more powerful than when they are being raucous and promiscuous.
For example, Bom cannot possibly exact her revenge on the policeman herself, she has to get a group, almost all men, to do it for her. The woman in the group is used more as bait.
When Luci asks questions about safety and the flat to her brother in law, he replies, "This is man's business." Her husband says things like, "I don't like independent women," "Why do you wear those trousers? I hate them," and even "I don't give a shit what you say."

To me, I thought the class was rather controlled in their reactions. The biggest reaction definitely came from the urination scene (it's hard to keep a straight face during that...) but otherwise, we were all pretty subdued for the content that was being portrayed on the screen. I couldn't help but think if that was a result of the fact that we knew everyone else in the room was paying attention to reactions too?

Pepi, Luci, Bom

I have to agree with Jenny that the fast-paced nature of the film made it very confusing. There were so many shocking images thrown at the audience and it was hard to both figure out what was going on while also trying to think about the bigger picture. Obviously the film was made to shock people, as many people have mentioned, but this also contributed to many people’s confusion, so in this way it can be viewed as one of the film’s strengths and weaknesses.

One scene that was particularly interesting was the first scene where Pepi offers to give the police officer oral sex, but he then rapes her. One theme that the Almodovar is playing with here is the idea of the victim having some responsibility in regards to sexual assault. Some would say that Pepi should be held accountable for putting herself in this situation because she sent out a mixed message to the police officer. However, I don’t think it is ever the victim’s fault in situations of sexual assault. Any other opinions on this issue?

Pepi, Luci, Bom

To be honest, when I found out that we were going to watch a movie, I had no idea what to expect; and once we started watching it, I realized that I was in no way prepared for what I was going to see. Although there were some parts of the movie that I thought were notable such as the way it characterized female independence and denounced female inferiority, I really did not like this movie. Tobe honest I thought it was a little disturbing and at this point, before the class discussion as I am trying to sort out my own thoughts about the film, I have no clue what to think about it. Even in the opening scene as themes such as bribery of the law and rape are shown, I began to realize that the film was not going to be one that I would enjoy. As the film goes on and is widely driven by the need for revenge, I do see where gender conflicts come into play. In the movie, especially evident in the marriage between the policeman and Luci, the power struggle between the couple illustrates the stereotypical male dominated relationship in which the domesticated wife is is supposed to be completely submissive as she cooks, cleans, and knits.
The positive aspect of the film; and personally, the only aspect I see worth mentioning, is Luci's ability to break free from her husband's tyrannical rule of her life in order to search for happiness. In this way, the film emphasizes female independence and promotes the equality between sexes as it encourages Luci to break free from her husband. Although I personally did not enjoy the film, I am curious to hear the thoughts of others in discussion so that hopefully I can learn to appreciate more aspects of the film that I am overlooking because I was so disturbed by it.

Pepi, Luci, Bom

I googled the film to see if I could find a plot summary of the movie to help me better understand what I had watched. I came across a review of the movie that was published in the Washington Post. I was pleased to read that the reviewer, Desson Howe, was confused about the movie in the same way that I was. After watching the movie in class, I was really confused about what was happening and who all the characters were and how they were related. In addition to a fast-paced plot line, the movie also displayed a lot of shocking imagery and actions. Howe comments that the movie is “a series of screen provocations, including frank and degrading sexual acts, it's designed primarily to jolt the viewer.”

I definitely agree with the idea that the point of the movie was to shock the audience. However, I also think that shocking scenes of the movie helped to emphasize the themes. The theme that most stood out to me was the way women were treated by men. To me, the shocking parts of the movie (like when Bom peed on Pepi) could be interpreted as slightly less shocking by the way that women were treated and objectified by men (like the way that Pepi’s husband treated her and other women). I think that in general, the point of using so many graphic images and scenes was to emphasize the various themes, such as the rights of women, that were challenged throughout the movie.

Pepi, Luci, y Bom; continued

So maybe I'm a a little strange, but I loved it.

I think that it's interesting that the topic of film discussion came up in our class because in my personal life I've recently decided that it is time for me to become better versed in film. I had had Almodovar on my to-do list but never really got around to it. Until our class in Monday, that is. And as anyone could presume was the general sentiment in the room during the film (I mean the way that people reacted and nervous polite laughter is always a tell tale sign), it was the kind of movie that left you very confused, not quite sure what you were supposed to get out of it. Which I think is right up my alley since I understand better the subtleties of reading as opposed to the brash demonstrations of many movies. This movie was fun and interesting in that the style was hyper exaggerated to make you feel a little like "WTF?" But by doing this, one gets to get a clearer sense of how "WTF" our established systems of gender are if looked at closely under the microscope.

I loved all three of the women in their ow strengths and the fact that they did not follow the usual movie/television template of three-women-of-differing-backgrounds-and-personalities-that-in-being-friends-collectively-make-up-one-real-person. Each character had her own style and taste to offer to her role, sometimes differing from what she appears to be (ie Luci.) And honestly, isn't that one of the greatest struggles that women face? Being placed in the box of "you're a woman so you're like this?" The fact that this film addresses this and other issues is a great part of what gives it its bite. In fact, one of my favourite scenes was the little sequence of advertisements that Pepi had put together. Not only was it just hilarious and entertaining due to the superficial absurdity of it but it was also really candid and sincere. The issues of "what to do when you have to pee in public", "what to do when you have to pass gas with a lover", and "what to do when you're horny" are legitimate things that women often times have to face in silence because it's considered embarrassing and moreover improper for a women to respond in these scenarios with the same freedoms a man might have.

I think there absolutely is a lot of comedy and entertainment in poking fun at the silliness of our societal constructs but I feel even more important than this is the fact that when we blow up these images and scenarios we our allowed to see many of our mannerisms for what they really are, laughable, we are then confronted to question them.

--Jheanelle G.

p.s. I think my post might have saved funny because I hit the back button by accident, sorry :)

Pepi, Luci, Bom

When I realized that we were watching an old movie in class, I was mentally preparing myself for an hour of proper television. Within the first 10 minutes of the film however, I was surprised to see such sexual scenes and innaproppriate language being used. Everyone else in class seemed to feel the same way, as I noticed by the looks of shock on my classmates' faces, as well as the muffled giggles. It took me a while to finally understand what the movie was about--at first I thought it was just a film involving sex, drugs, and rebellion.
Pepi, Luci, Bom definitely did a good job of showing how culturally locked up women have been. This caused them to rebel not through protests, but through sexual acts and drugs, as shown in the film. I was surprised that the Spanish would allow such scenes in this film, but I suppose it was realistically correct, if not politically.

Pepi, Luci, y Bom

So maybe I'm a a little strange, but I loved it.

I think that it's interesting that the topic of film discussion came up in our class because in my personal life I've recently decided that it is time for me to become better versed in film. I had had Almodovar on my to-do list but never really got around to it. Until our class in Monday, that is. And as anyone could presume was the general sentiment in the room during the film (I mean the way that people reacted and nervous polite laughter is always a tell tale sign), it was the kind of movie that left you very confused, not quite sure what you were supposed to get out of it. Which I think is right up my alley since I understand better the subtleties of reading as opposed to the brash demonstrations of many movies. This movie was fun and interesting in that the style was hyper exaggerated to make you feel a little like "WTF?" But by doing this, one gets to get a clearer sense of how "WTF" our established systems of gender are if looked at closely under the microscope.

I loved all three of the women in their ow strengths and the fact that they did not follow the usual movie/television template of three-women-of-differing

Reactions from History, My Dorm Room, and Our Class Discussion

It was interesting for me to research about Pepi, Luci, Bom directed by Pedro Almodovar and see how its shock value affected people when it first came out in 1980. I've learned that it's considered to be a cult film that inspired sexual freedom. However, when it first came out reviews in Spain were mostly very negative, considering it to be too vulgar. One critic Diego Galan disagreed stating that it undermined the "most respected taboos in our foolish society." In 1992 it was released in the United States which had a generally hostile reaction. Rita Kempley of the Washington Post even called the film "a smutty sexual slideshow most safely viewed in a full body condom."

Reading about these opinions makes me feel better about how disturbed I was with the film since it's nice knowing I wasn't the only one who was pretty freaked out. I simply had never seen anything as shocking as the urination scene that many have enjoyed posting about in this blog. I was talking to my roommate about this assignment and I convinced her to watch the urination scene on youtube because she wouldn't believe that I had watched something like that in one of my classes. She couldn't watch more than a few seconds of it and said, "Remind me not to take that class." Although I found the film unnecessarily graphic, I at least appreciate that it encourages female resilience and independence against possessive men. For example, I am happy that Luci stands up for herself when her husband speaks rudely to her like when he says "Shut up, this is man's business."

In terms of our class, there were definitely different statements that stirred up emotions. For example, when the husband said "You know I don't like an independent woman" students in the class became alert and seemed to pay more attention. He then said, "Amuse yourself by getting dinner ready" which made a lot of people look around at each other with dropped jaws, and I heard a few guys laugh at this since I'm assuming they thought of this as a "woman joke" that tend to be popular lately. I heard some people whisper "Oh my god." I figure people acted like this because we weren't expecting to see such poor treatment of a wife in the movie.

Pepi, Luci and Bom

Since this is, as Diego said earlier, an obscure film, I don't believe that it is a representation of any type of "norm" in Spain or Europe but more of an indie film intended to shock the audience, whether that's an American or European audience. One of the most shocking scenes to me was when the female musician, who I think had one eyebrow missing, peed on a woman whom she just met, which both parties enjoyed throughly. As stated in prior posts, the general reaction of the class was one of confusion and stifled giggling, which was probably the intended reaction of the director so that the audience would be overtly aware of the themes of the movie and discuss them later.

The film definitely raised many sexual issues including rape, lesbianism, double standards of promiscuity between the sexes, fetishes, and gender identity. When discussing these, there was a clear feminist overtone, demonstrated by the evil husband attempting to control his wife and saying ridiculously mysoginistic comments to her, including "I don't like independent women." It's hard to be offensive than that. There was also a theme of sexual freedom and promiscuity, most notably through the wife's sexual awakening and joy in engaging in sex acts that she hid her desire for or was unaware of during her marriage. Overall, I wouldn't watch the movie for fun, but it did raise interesting issues relevant to our class discussions and expose a view of the world that I was unfamiliar with before watching.

A Strange Comedy

The film Pepi, Luci and Bom had obvious shock factors from the depictions of sexual and physical abuse. Although the movie was supposed to comically entertain the audience, our class hardly laughed throughout the entire movie screening. One scene in particular would be the urination scene. The sly joke revolves around how the solution for Luci to cool off, is for Bom to literally urinate on her. Although the scene may function as an outrageous and funny clip, it left the class confused and surprised. The reason why the class found it weird was because Luci enjoyed the humiliation/sexual pleasure of being urinated on. In the popular American movie American Pie, a similar premise occurs when one of the main characters is peed on unknowingly at a party. The scene in this film produces laughter because of dramatic irony, and the disgust portrayed in the character’s face. Luci enjoys the humiliation and as a result the audience is disgusted and the scene loses the comical appeal. However the urination scene effectively challenges social expectations on the views of sex.

The film satirizes sexual desire, and sexual abuse throughout the movie. The urinations scene and general masochism are not ordinarily accepted as apart of normativity. Anything that exists outside of traditional sexual appeal is looked down upon. Most people would find it gross or unacceptable to do such a thing. Sex in general is a touchy subject. Some people have issues accepting lesbian relationships, and ‘weird’ attractions. While the movie uses the sexual desires for shock value and as a joke, it also persuades the audience to accept differences. People should stray away from the idea of normativity.

Pepi, Luci, Bom: American Culture vs. Spanish Culture

The first thing I noticed about the film was how uncensored and unrestricted it was. Compared to current American films, this film probably wouldn't be allowed to be played in theaters even as a rated R movie. The way certain topics that are usually untouched in American culture (i.e. violent rape, female masochism) was easily depicted shows the large gap between gender norms in Spanish and American culture. The women in the film completely ignore society's rules and choose to do whatever they want to do. Pepi freely starts her own business, Luci leaves her abusive husband to become a tour groupie, and Bom is a lesbian punk rock singer. While some may believe that the film is too outrageous and blunt, some can also argue that the film is good in the way that it does not portray women by stereotypical standards. By not giving in to masculine figures, the women are liberated from the social constructs of female inferiority.

Taking this into consideration, I start to question how come American culture (most known for freedom and equality) is more confined than Spanish culture in terms of gender roles, or at least portraying them on screen. Sure, they may be some American movies about women doing "masculine" things such as fighting, but most of the time, the women on screen still follow gender social standards. The women that are portrayed as sexual in American films are usually trying to seduce a man, and the man is in control of the situation. However, in Pepi, Luci, Bom, the sexual women are independent and more in control of their own circumstances. They are attributed with a sense of freedom that women typically do not have. So in the end, is America really "the land of the free?"

Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón

Pedro Almodovar’s films have always portrayed strong female characters as evidently seen in Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón , his first successful movie. As the movie began, being familiar with Almodovar’s work, I had prepared myself for some shocking and thought provoking scenes. As the film progressed I was very surprised to see how far the director went in his critique of modern societies views on sexuality and gender roles. He clearly wished to push the boundaries to the extreme in order to shock, educate, and test his audience.

I loved the very direct and obvious critiques Almodovar makes toward gender classification through social norms throughout the movie. He leaves nothing to the imagination of the viewer. For example, the scene where he cuts to the “Puton Panties” commercials (the panties that can be used for everything) he makes a clear critique of the way women’s undergarments are always advertised as being “sexy”, but never for the actual reason we wear underwear in the first place. He also introduces the idea of eroticism. This entire movie is based on the movement of eroticism, freedom, and social change. By being very graphic and open through his portrayals of lesbians and gays his most obvious critique on society could be that of the people’s closed mindedness. He is clearly making a statement of the need for social change as well as woman empowerment when faced by the suppression of gender norms. For those who watch this film the only questions I would have you ask yourself are: Is this movie pure craziness? Or rather stroke of genius, a film way ahead of it’s time?

Pepi, Luci, Bom

When watching the film “Pepi, Luci, Bom” during class, I was led to believe the film maker was trying to make a statement on homosexuality in society. The director used the strategy of going over the top and being camp to get their point across. Everything from the rape scene, to the party, to the first time Luci met Bom was very dramatic and graphic and done in a way not seen in mainstream media. I believe the film maker was trying to make homosexuality seem acceptable and normal in culture. The films over the top nature and casualness try to make even ludicrous occurrences such as those in the film seem normal and acceptable. As well the film was intended to be a comedy and make people laugh at the subject and become familiar with this kind of material.

            However, when watching the film my reaction was not to accept the subject material but to reject it. The scenes were often hard to watch and made me uncomfortable. I never found myself connecting with the characters or laughing at their actions. If anything, the camp style of the film made it difficult to watch the subject being presented. This was my reaction as an American male in the twenty first century however. My reaction may be completely different than those made by 1980’s Spaniards. In fact, the film being released after the end of a dictatorship in Spain may have caused Spaniards to enjoy the anarchical nature of the film. For modern audiences however, “Pepi, Luci, Bom” did not provide a depiction of homosexuality that is easily acceptable.

Differences and Similarities between Cultures

While watching Pepi, Luci, and Bom, I noticed both differences and similarities that America and Spain in the 1980s.

One thing that I and many of my peers reacted to similarly were the sexually explicit scenes in the film. I, for one, was taken aback and was so surprised to see such sexually explicit scenes that I did not know what to think of it at first. As many of my peers noticed, a lot of people in the class were uncomfortable and were either laughing or were silent. This was a difference in American culture and in culture in Spain and in Europe in general that I noticed. In America, it is not normal for people to see nudity or sexually explicit scenes on the screen, or even have dialogue with vulgar language. This is why the reactions of many of my peers including myself were shocked and taken aback. One of the first thoughts that ran across my mind was, is it even alright for this film to be shown at school? However, if you look at culture in Europe and in Spain, nudity and sex is something that is celebrated and seen as beautiful. Take for example, many French movies have nudity in them, and many buildings and statues across Europe show nudity, for instance, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The fact that the reactions to the same film being shown in two different countries are so different is interesting. If sexually explicit films, nudity, and vulgar language is "normal" in European countries, but is not of norm in America, what in America is "normal" but is not as easily accepted in European countries?

On the other hand, I saw a similarity in American and European culture--the view that women should be dependent and submissive to their husbands. In the film, there were some lines that the policeman said to Luci, his wife, that really stood out to me. One of them was "Be quiet this is man's business" when Luci was talking about how she did not understand why they bought the flat. This brought up the view that there were certain things that women should talk about and should not talk about. This brings to question what exactly is considered man's business and a woman's business? Another line was when the policeman said to Luci, "I don't like independent women...Why do you were those trousers? You know I hate them." This expresses the view that women are expected to be dependent on men and that independent women are looked down upon. This can also be seen through the policeman's comment on Luci's trousers. He did not like it when Luci wore trousers because it was in a way, a sign of independence. In his view, trousers are something that men wear, not women, and by Luci wearing trousers, it would be considered to be a sign of her trying to be more independent, more like a man, which was not acceptable to him.

Another Article about "Pepi, Luci, Bom"

One thing I noted was my classmates' shocked expressions and exclamations as scenes of sexual activity and violence flashed on the screen. This meant that they were not used to explicit scenes. The film was produced in 1980. That was over 30 years ago. With the passing of three decades, the world as a whole has become more sexually liberated. People were dressed more conservatively back then (as stated by Tessa, the more "uptight" characters such as Luci, her husband, and the closeted man married to a bearded man, are adorned in "turtlenecks, suits and ties"). Sexual intercourse was not openly depicted in film but now there are entire films with plotlines focused on such conduct. Pornography is widely available, be it through magazines or through websites. Being gay in China was considered as a mental condition until recently. Bukkake was not developed until the 1980s but now constitutes a sizable portion of Japanese pornography. And yet this thirty year-old film still continues to startle audiences.

What does this mean? Well, if this film, which reflects Camp in how there are exaggerated and excessive scenes (as noted by Sridevi), still shocks audiences in a world where sexuality is supposedly more open, perhaps it means the modern world is still repressed in certain ways. Sure, we think we have become more accepting: the allowance of gay-pride parades, the support for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, and the frequency of commercials which suggest certain products as being beneficiary for sexual prowess and health can attest for that. Yet we are still not used to such scenes. Does it mean that we are, in some ways, still back at square one? Should we become comfortable with such scenes? Would that undermine the Campiness of the film? 

-Jeremy

Huh??

Pepi, Luci, and Bom was like nothing I have ever seen before and I have to admit I was very shocked and taken aback after viewing it. First of all, having English subtitles for a movie in Spanish made it very interesting in terms of the way all of the sexual words translated. Reading something along the lines of "My pussy is sweet," versus hearing an actor say this is a very interesting experience. Because we were all reading the words, there was a bit of a delay before the reactions came to lines like that, however, when something physically happened that disgusted or surprised us as a class, the reaction was immediate. For example, when Luci was turned on when Bom peed on her, the entire discussion section responded with an abrupt "oh my god" and "what the hell is going on?"

The comments from our class also made the viewing of this film interesting. If we had all been in the movie theater, our behavior would have been much more controlled and civilized, but because this was a classroom setting, full of mainly people in their late teens and early twenties, we found it acceptable to react the way we did. After something shocking would happen, like the commercials for "Puton Underwear," I could definitely hear the class commenting and whispering to each other. I really felt like we were just trying to figure out what the heck was going on in this film. I mean, I personally still don't even know if the "bearded lady" character is really a man or a woman. If anything, this movie was definitely a conversation starter, and I found myself discussing it with my classmates even after class just to try and deduce what was happening. It seemed to show all sorts of gender issues from rape to homosexuality to transvestites and more, this film certainly displayed many engaging topics for us as a class to explore and discuss.

Tradition and Modernity

Something I found interesting about Pedro Almodovar’s “Pepi, Luci, Bom” was the contrast between tradition and societal change.

When Luci’s husband tells her he does not like independent women, he is saying he wants Luci to be the opposite: a dependent woman who cannot fend for herself and needs to be taken care of by a man. He also does not like it when she wears trousers, a conventionally male clothing item, because when women wear them they undermine this concept of patriarchal dominance. Man’s business is in the public sphere and in keeping order in his home and family; woman’s business is in shopping, cooking, and sewing, as demonstrated by Luci and Charito’s conversation about food prices and Luci’s cover story for spending time with Pepi and Bom. Tradition demands that these gender roles remain distinct, and that means trousers and power for men only. By extension, then, this power dynamic is also epitomized by the rape scenes: The husband has no qualms about forcing himself on unwilling women because in his view, men’s sexuality takes precedence over women’s sexuality (and desire).

Meanwhile, Pepi, Bom, and their friends subscribe to a different paradigm, one that celebrates openness and sexual freedom. What is described as a “wave of eroticism sweeping the country” is really a rebellion against the oppressive conservatism of societal tradition. Within the subculture Luci enters is an openness about, for example, fetishes, as well as a kind of fluidity in both sexuality and relationships. This fluidity is evident in the discussion the two young gay men have about the wealthy older man who will pay them for sex, and in the fact that Luci has two relationships, one with a man and the other with a woman. This untraditional way of life also rails against patriarchal dominance by ensuring greater gender equality. Women are given more power, as evidenced by Pepi’s success at getting done what she wants done, be it revenge or finding work. Additionally, women also find more equality in their relationships—or, as Luci refers to it, “fulfillment,” as her husband does not fulfill her masochistic needs and Bom does. Finally, neither of the rape scenes occur within this context of equality; all the sexuality seen is consensual.

Almodovar pits tradition against more modern ideas of gender and sexual expression, ultimately portraying tradition in a negative light and making the freer lifestyle seem like the much more comfortable choice. He makes Pepi and Bom’s world non-oppressive and much more egalitarian than the one the husband represents, which is corrupt and violent.

Like Mom

Right from the start in the opening credits, Pepi, Luci, Bom presents images of nudity and bright colors, foreshadowing the many obscene scenes to surprise a mild-mannered class of students. With elements of exaggerated camp juxtaposed with middle-class complacency, the movie, directed by Pedro Almodovar, was not afraid of expressing the sexual and cultural freedom in Madrid, Spain after the authoritarian Franco regime. Many scenes that represented the liberal youth culture included the "golden shower" incident, in which Bom urinates on the masochistic Luci, and the "general erections" competition, in which Luci is chosen to perform fellatio on the most "well-endowed" man at the party. To contrast the three taboo transgressors in the title of the film, there are strictly conservative characters representing the vestiges of the restricting Franco regime, like the chauvinistic policeman, who is ironically married to one of the three main characters, Luci. He states explicitly that he "does not like independent women", and that she should amuse herself by cooking.

In capturing a transitional time in Spain, Almodovar taglined the movie: Pepi, Luci, Bom, and Other Girls Like Mom.

However, much of our generation would not expect our mothers to as bawdy as the three ladies in this film. Interestingly, while we are a class of college students, who are infamously known for utilizing our youth to dabble in a hedonistic culture, we were still appalled at the portrayal of La Movida Madrilena, the cultural movement that Pepi, Luci, and Bom were immersed in. Pepi had offered the policeman oral sex in exchange for his silence on her sale of contrabands, and Luci responded to hearing about Pepi's rape incident by remarking that Pepi was "lucky". These representations of the youthful movement of the generation before us, while definitely exaggerated with elements of camp, has foundations in truth.

While a majority of the plot involves the many lively adventures of the three ladies, the end of the film (as stated in the plot summary on IMDb) Luci eventually returns to her policeman husband, after he brutally attacks her. Her return to housewifery probably comes from her masochistic desires; but regardless, she leaves the youthful cultural and returns to complacency. In addition to that, Pepi and Bom also clock out from the rebellious life become roommates and both work in their respective occupations. Almodovar points out how the three ladies, while having "fought the system" in the counterculture in Madrid, they end up giving into the system, possibly becoming the mothers of the next generation.

Pepi, Luci, Bom

As we watched the film “Pepi, Luci, Bom”, I felt that my reaction and those of the people sitting near me were similar in that many of us were not expecting scenes that were explicitly sexual. The film was filled with several scenes that in our society and culture can be considered vulgar or taboo. However, this brings the focus to the question of what kind of reaction the film's director, Pedro Almodóvar was trying to evoke in the audience. The most likely reaction would usually be shock. This in a way reflects the ideas of Camp in that there are scenes of exaggeration and excess. Sontag also notes that “Camp is playful, anti-serious,” and this is shown in the scenes where Pepi, Luci and Bom go out to parties and clubs. Regarding the sexual scenes, Almodóvar probably brought the element of shock with them to make the film grab the audience's attention in order to more effectively convey his message. The message that was prevalent throughout the film, and in many of Almodóvar's films, is female strength. This was shown through the film's greater focus on Pepi and Bom's friendship and Luci and Bom's relationship than any of the relationships with the male characters. One example is when Pepi is shown to become the strong one as the power shifts from her male rapist to her when she organizes the attack on him.

I also found it interesting that almost everyone who posted about the film so far commented on the sexual aspect of it but did not comment as much on the violence. I acknowledge that there wasn't nearly as much violence as there was sexual scenes, but it brings up the fact that there is a difference between American entertainment and European entertainment. In America, sex is censored a lot more than violence, while in Europe, it is the opposite and violence is censored more than sex. “Pepi, Luci, Bom”, a Spanish film, set in Madrid, is an example of this, in that it more prominently featured sexual scenes, such as the scene where the police officer rapes Pepi in the beginning of the film, the scene where he rapes the neighbor, Charo, later in the film, the scene where Bom urinates on Luci, and the “General Erections” competition. These sexual scenes overtake the movie, while the scenes of just violence are featured less. The one scene of violence that sticks out the most is when Bom gets the band to beat up the police man. The fact that the earlier posts focused more on the sexual scenes in the film also reinforce the idea that here in America, sex is the more taboo topic, while we have just become accustomed to violence in films and other entertainment, and have even come to expect it as the norm, whereas we don’t always expect as many explicit sexual scenes as there were in this film.

Pepi, Luci, and Bom

Pepi, Luci, and Bom proves to be an incredibly vulgar and overtly sexual film that utilizes the strategies of excess and camp to illustrate themes concerning the dichotomy between men and women’s roles in society and what is considered to be normal.

The film greatly depicts the idea of male superiority and their power over women as through the actions of the policeman as well as some of the other men in the story. In the opening scene, the policeman rapes Pepi at his own will and hardly thinks anything of it; to him, it is completely normal and socially acceptable to take advantage of women. Later on the film, he comments to his wife about how he does not like independent women, further continuing the idea of the controlling nature of men. As the film goes on, the policeman also then tries to force himself upon another woman. It is almost as if he does not think of the women as actual people, as the policeman considers himself as well as other men to be on another level. Pedro Almovodar uses these vulgar and uncomfortable acts of the policeman to express the power that men seem to have, or at least they believe they have, over women.

Almovodar also uses the techniques of extreme excess found in Camp idea to portray the idea of normativity. The film plot is extremely focused on sex, as there is constantly either a sexual act being done or sexual comment being made. The emphasis of sex, and more specifically a sex that is mostly very vulgar and impersonal, is one that is not as familiar to our culture and thus makes the audience question what is actually normal. By using extreme situations and scenes, the film ultimately leads viewers to question their own ideas on the concept of normativity.

Gender and Clothing in "Pepi Luci Bom"

I thought one of the most interesting scenes of “Pepi Luci Bom” was the juxtaposition of the rape of Charito (the neighbor in love with Juan) and the two women on the street take a drunken man’s money. Although it was very subtle, it was very interesting to see how women, in their own way, take advantage of the opposite sex. The women on the street are looking for money and talking amongst themselves about how they need to find money. When they see a drunken man stumbling down the street, they immediately start asking him for money and just take it out of his pocket without asking. In the same way (in the scene right before the women on the street) the policeman takes advantage of Charito by grabbing hold of her in his apartment and forcing her in a corner to have sex with him. It made me really think about how women also frequently take advantage of men, even if it is not in a physical way, which is therefore less acknowledged.

Another interesting aspect of the movie was the way the characters dressed in reflection of their own sexual identity. The more uptight characters, such as Luci, her husband, or the homosexual married to the bearded lady, who had not formerly accepted their true sexuality, dress much more conservatively—turtlenecks, suits and ties. However, the other characters in the movie, such as Pepi and Bom who are not sexually frustrated dress in flowing skirts, tight, revealing clothing, which correlates with their acceptance of their sexual identity and fluidity. Neither Pepi nor Bom seem to have a specific sexual preference and are very open with their sexuality, as reflected in their outfits. In fact, when Luci wears pants, her own husband comments on how he doesn’t like her wearing pants, which connotes that Luci’s husband feels emasculated from the way that his wife dresses. Ultimately, I think “Pepi Luci Bom” is in a way a commentary on the ways that people deal with their sexual desires and how the people are more miserable and uncomfortable if they do not accept their own sexuality (as reflected in how they dress). This made me think about how today the business world and the more uptight cultures that are less accepting of anything other than heterosexual norms tend to impose a dress-code of ties (what is the purpose of ties?), suits, and monotone colors.

"Pepi, Luci, Bom"

FYI Everyone: the name of the film is "Pepi, Luci, Bom" and it was made in 1980, just a few years after the end of Spain's Franco dictatorship.

The Hidden Themes

My initial reaction to this movie: what in the world is going on?!
A man just walks into a woman's apartment and rapes her as she simply says no but doesn't really struggle (although she is mad she can no longer sell her virginity)? What... And the movie just gets weirder and weirder. By the end, I was just glad that it was over. In retrospect, however, the movie had many themes that escaped my thoughts initially.

The movie should the hypocritical nature of chauvinists. Luci's husband rapes women, is disloyal to his wife, but he expects her to be pure and clean (and beats her when he finds out she has been engaging in inappropriate activities). Interestingly enough, the same goes to show feminine resilience. While Luci has been undergoing abuse for ages, she is slowly beginning to learn that she does not need to take it anymore. When her husband takes out his belt to whip her, she simply leaves for her groupy event, slamming the door in his face. Female power is shown throughout the movie, especially when Pepi has a group of people plan to beat him up (for revenge) and paying them with marijuana. At a time where women predominantly played domestic, subordinate roles, such bold statements made by the movie were probably very unconventional.

The film (as noted in the blogpost below) does utilize some camp techniques, engaging in frivolous, exaggerated scenes that shock the audience, ultimately allowing them to see the irony of the situations and laugh at it. The friendship between Pepi and Bo is perhaps the strongest part of the movie, which shows that two women can face the world without the strong, supporting shoulder of a man. Luci seems to be understanding this concept as Pepi continues to lure her away from her abusive husband. She clearly states her discovery when she exclaims that the money she is earning is going to pay for his debts, a clear and caustic blow to his self-conceived superiority and masculinity. The film strongly supports female empowerment in a time women are just beginning to explore the idea of total autonomy (in Europe).

Size 0: The new 6

 My image is a commentary on how our society places a huge value on a number, a dress size that is for women. While other countries fight so hard to reach just a healthy level of nutrition.

Gender: not just black or white

France's Ban

[Image Description: A woman wraps the French flag around her face, covering her mouth. The words "Whose the suppressor now?" is bolded in white text, similar to Barbara Kruger's pieces]

"Almost Perfect"

"Veni Creator Spiritus"

In my final image, I tried to recollect Michelangelo's image of God reaching out to Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, with the outstretched finger of God as the heel of the stiletto and as Adam's finger as my pinky, the two almost but not fully touching. In the article I read, it said that Michelangelo likely got his inspiration for the Sistine Chapel ceiling from the hymn, "Veni Creator Spiritus." When I made this, I thought about how Adam is lazily reaching out to God almost in a ambivalent, indifferent way, and I tried to reflect that sentiment with this piece.

"For A Limited Time Only"

Here is another image I made that is intended to reflect and question the prevalence of advertising and how it creates desire.

Multi-tasking

The original picture is credited to: http://ak3rs.deviantart.com/art/Split-Personality-180571249

"Form $wallow$ Function"

I have thought about the concept of "Form Swallowing Function" since last year, when we looked at the feminist works of several influential experimental video artists, like "Je Suis Une Bombe," by Elodie Pong. For the first time, I realized that images and portrayals of women in art most often objectify the women, transforming them into sexual objects. When I was shooting these photos this week, I talked with my friend David about how the lens through which women are viewed is a male lens. If, in art, women cannot escape this objectification, how can they dream of escaping it in society?

Additionally, I thought of this quote/concept in one of my art history courses, when we learned of this famous quote, "Form Follows Function," coined by American architect, Louis Sullivan. This quote embodied a school of thought that believed architectural design should be free of/denounce frills, the functionality of the structure was the ultimate goal. I began to think that, today, in contemporary society, form does not follow function. It is the form that inspires this endless consumption. Today, it seems that many people in society are willing to pay through the nose for purely aesthetic goods that have no function whatsoever. It is this blind consumption and attraction to pure form that inspired me for this assignment.