Female Sexuality Research Articles

From ‘Kill This Love’ to ‘Cue Ji’s Love’: The Convergence of Queer, Feminist and Global TV Cultures in China

ABSTRACT This research looks at women-centred Chinese competition-style programmes that are adapted from foreign TV formats and synthesise transnational televisual elements, idol cultures and gendered aesthetics. With particular attention to imaginaries of women with nonnormative gender and sexual identities, I expound how and why representations of female gender and sexuality on Chinese TV are fashioned by the intersected discourses on China’s TV and cultural globalisations and digitisation, the party-state’s manipulations and regulations of feminism, androgyny and homoeroticism, and the entertainment industry’s capitalisation of queer women’s stardom and fandom. My analysis reveals that the emergence, survival and endurance of queer women on Chinese TV has coincided with China’s appropriations of both global formats and twenty-first-century idol girl group cultures. Through examining some key moments in popular idol group-cultivating shows produced in 2020 and 2021, I capture a multilevel, ambivalent queer convergence that transforms these televisual stages into queer-charging venues through which queer imaginaries of womanhood have actively incorporated local situations and transcultural televisual, gender and sexual knowledge to bypass, compromise with – and even partly connive with – the government’s ideological and moral controls.

Segmental Rectum Resection for Deep Endometriosis and Excision Similarly Improve Sexual Function and Pain.

Segmental rectum resections for indications other than endometriosis were reported to result in up to 40% sexual dysfunctions. We, therefore, evaluated sexual function after low bowel resection (n = 33) for deep endometriosis in comparison with conservative excision (n = 23). Sexual function was evaluated with the FSFI-19 (Female Sexuality Functioning Index) and EHP 30 (Endometriosis Health Profile). The pain was evaluated with visual analogue scales. Linear excision and bowel resections improved FSFI, EHP 30, and postoperative pain comparably. By univariate analysis, a decreased sexual function was strongly associated with pain both before (p < 0.0001) and after surgery (p = 0.0012), age (p = 0.05), and duration of surgery (p = 0.023). By multivariate analysis (proc logistic), the FSFI after surgery was predicted only by FSFI before or EHP after surgery. No differences were found between low bowel segmental resection and a more conservative excision. In conclusion, improving pain after surgery can explain the improvement in sexual function. A deleterious effect of a bowel resection on sexual function was not observed for endometriosis. Sexual function in women with endometriosis can be evaluated using a simplified questionnaire such as FSFI-6.

Venetian travel narratives in Erica Jong’s work

ABSTRACT This article focuses on Erica Jong’s and her fictional characters’ travel experiences in Venice, which is portrayed as a carefree and sensual destination. Jong demonstrates how female solo travelling can help challenge unequal gender roles, explore female sexuality regardless of one’s age, and rewrite the narratives of the Grand Tour. However, in her later works, the depiction of Venice transitions from a glorification of its charm to portraying it as a seductive place of decadence. The dichotomy between beauty and decay becomes a reminder of the passage of time and the inevitability of constant changes. While Jong and her heroines defy the centuries-long and idealised cultural heritage of Venice by moving beyond its common association with male desire, they also reveal that ephemeral love affairs can lead to emotional disillusionment. They also become potential targets of the leisure tourism industry and romanticised discourses that continue to influence contemporary travel expectations.

‘A Walking Study in Demonology’: Postfeminism and Popular Misogyny in Jennifer’s Body (2009)

This article analyses the 2009 horror-comedy directed by Karyn Kusama, Jennifer’s Body. I describe how this female-centred horror film critiques the postfeminist or neoliberal feminine subject from an angle that aligns most comfortably with antifeminist sentiments and arguments from the centre-right and right. I discuss how a gendered neoliberal discourse of individualism, and the idea that the individual must be ultimately bear responsibility for their own biography, renders the titular character as an illegible subject of sexualised violence. I argue that the film naturalises threats of sexual violence, attributes blame to the violated female body, and renders her illegible as a victim or as person worthy of sympathy and support. I demonstrate how the film is prescient of secular forms of exclusion, specifically popular misogyny and conforms to some of popular misogyny’s circulated myths and philosophies regarding female sexuality.

An Analysis of the Treatment of Love and Sexuality in the Poems of Kamala Das

Kamala Das, a renowned Indian author and poet, has been widely acclaimed for her bold and confessional style of writing. The research article aims to explore the multidimensional portrayal of love and sexuality in her works, juxtaposing them with the social norms and cultural backdrop of postcolonial India. In fact, everything else is secondary and this subject takes center stage. In reference to Kamala Das’ poetry, the term “love” refers to both passions, which her husband and a number of other men were fully and even excessively satisfied, as well as real love, which she never experienced. Her poetry primarily expresses her dissatisfaction with love. The spectrum of her writings is laden with autobiographical elements. In her works, love is depicted not only as an emotion but also as a tool for self-discovery and liberation from the shackles of conventional society. Despite fully meeting her sexual desires, her husband never believed that a woman should expect true love from her spouse, which is why their marriage failed. There were several sexual partners for her, but none of them ever showed her true affection. Kamala Das discusses her unfulfilled love often in her poems, and she repeatedly confesses her longing for love. At this point, Kamala Das admits that love is a strong emotional connection between a man and a woman, and she also thinks that their physical relationship is significant but secondary. The sexuality of a woman is addressed by Kamala Das, who views it as a crucial component of her overall physical and psychological composition. The article further explores how Das’s portrayal of female sexuality acts as a rebellion against the traditional gender roles and societal expectations placed upon Indian women during her time. The intimate and sensual expression in her works is not only a testament to her unique voice but also reflects the underlying themes of self-assertion and search for identity. It brings to light how her exploration of female empowerment through sexual liberation was both groundbreaking and controversial within the context of Indian society. It highlights her as a trailblazer in bringing the discourse on female sexuality into the mainstream and as a proponent of women’s agency in postcolonial Indian literature. The article illuminates the enduring relevance and the multifaceted nature of Das’s writings.

Lifting the Veil: A Study of Ismat Chughtai’s “Lihaf”

‘Queer’ is defined as anything which is against the ‘normal’, ‘biological’, ‘God-given’ or ‘natural’. Queer theory is a field of study within gender and sexuality that challenges normative understandings of gender, sexuality, and identity. It emerged in the late 20th century and seeks to deconstruct traditional notions of binary gender and heterosexual norms, questioning societal assumptions about sexuality and identity. Queer theory broadens the scope of its analysis to include all types of behaviors that entail “queer” forms of sexuality because it is concerned with all kinds of sexuality which are “queer” in this regard. It rejects the notion that one’s sexuality is a fundamentalist in nature, something defined by genetics or assessed by immutable moral and truth standards, in line with feminist theory and gay/lesbian studies. The most controversial &amp; popular work of Ismat Chughtai, “Quilt,” or “Lihaf” was authored in 1941 and released by Adab-e-Latif, a literary magazine sometime later in 1942 voicing a woman’s sexual desires and setting an example of liberation of women from the shackles of the society which suppresses their need to be vocal about their sexual needs. The present research article aims at evaluating Ismat Chughtai’s short story, which delves deeply into a woman’s sexual needs and focuses on female sexuality. It also goes a long way towards examining a woman’s conscious decision to choose an alternative sexuality over her naturally heterosexual behavior.

A Radical Feminist Reading of Kamala Das’ Poetry

“I am different; I am an entity” —uttered Kamala Das, one of the India’s renowned poetess who was known for her iconoclast views regarding the female issues and their sexuality. She openly waged a war on the hypocrisy of society and fought against it to establish a society where women are not deprived of their rights and discriminated on the basis of their sex and gender. She was fearless when it comes to women issues and vehemently opposed the dictum ‘angel in house’ or ‘men for the field and women for the hearth’ which were used to confine the women to four walls of the house. Her poems celebrate the female sexuality and uniqueness of female body. She doesn’t shy away from putting it into public through her writing which has fetched her, the title of being the ‘radical feminist’. The paper will show how audacious was Kamala Das in her protest against patriarchy and embracing of matrilineal culture with a romantic fervour, the exploration of female sexuality and sexual desires of women — and, in the words of K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar, “aggressively individualistic,” is Kamala Das aka Madhavi Kutty, the icon of Indian feminism.

(044) Sex Education: Including Simulation in CME Presentations

Abstract Introduction Lectures on female sexuality often include power point and video materials. However, perhaps the addition of simulation may enhance the educational experience. Objectives At a recent major presentation geared to the Ob/Gyn health team, the two authors were asked to present on taking a sexual history, with inclusion of sexual dysfunction. It was decided that simulation would be included to highlight strategies and interview skills related to the patient interaction and attendee responses would be evaluated. Methods By way of a virtual presentation, one of the authors presented the material that had to be covered in a standard power point presentation. However, before each point was presented, the two authors role-played a health care provider talking to a patient. The presenter, in her role as health care provider, first incorrectly asked the patient about her symptoms in what was an indirect and inattentive way, which was followed by a debriefing. Next, the presenter asked the patient in a more focused and responsive manner about her symptoms, and there was debriefing after this. This process was repeated throughout the presentation. Results The feedback from the presentation was overall positive. Comments from attendees noted that they could clearly understand, through the simulation the difference between correct sexual history taking and poor sexual history taking, and, as a result, would feel more comfortable in future patient interactions concerning sexual issues. Conclusions The use of simulation/role playing should be considered in all sexual health presentations. Disclosure No.

The Home and the World: Queering Diaspora and Recasting the Nation in Ananda Devi’s Indian Tango

This article attends to the legacies of Indian Ocean migrations in the construction of women as integral to the territorial sense of Indian nationhood. Specifically, it examines Mauritian writer Ananda Devi’s novel Indian Tango (2007), which rewrites Satyajit Ray’s cinematic adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Ghare-Baire (1916) from a transnational queer feminist perspective. Tracing the novel’s historical intertexts in Indian nationalist and anti-indenture discourses, the article argues that Devi reorients feminine desire towards an erotic autonomy that reimagines diasporic affiliation through queer kinship, challenging the control of female sexuality within the heterosexual family as the basis of the nation.

Gender and Female Sexuality: The Prism of Social Discourse in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness

Gender and Female Sexuality: The Prism of Social Discourse in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness

Cult of the vulva vs. cult of the phallus: A case study of media presentations of some famous genitals

The society we live in is patriarchal, binary and hierarchically coded, evident from social and economic inequality and the stereotyping of men and women. Men are portrayed as active subjects and women as passive objects. Gender stereotyping extends to glorifying the male genitals as active, powerful, excellent and superior and objectifying the female genitals as passive, weak and corrupt. The social power of the media is essential in selecting information through agenda-setting and media framing. This article researches how the two most influential Croatian daily news portals, the progressive Jutarnji list and the conservative Večernji list, present female and male genitals in the media articles, mainly focusing on the genitals of celebrities. Famous people and celebrities are commodified into products created to influence the audience. The media presentation of their genitals can also affect the social perception of female and male sexuality. The research is based on a linguistic discourse analysis that includes language, context and interpretation on articles published in the digital extensions of Jutarnji list and Večernji list in the summer months of 2022 as units of analysis. The analytical matrix includes textual and visual ways of presenting the genitals of celebrities (attributes and connotations), their value and political orientation, and the valorization of sexuality along the axis of sex and gender. Research shows that digital extensions of Croatian daily newspapers (including the portal gloria.hr and sportski.jutarnji.hr), despite their different value orientations, are stereotypical and follow the accepted patriarchal binary dogma of male–female, positive–negative, active–passive, powerful–powerless, and that they depict male and female genitals with a visible cult-phallic media perspective.

A Critical Analysis of a Law on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in India

In a developing country like India, with more and more entry of women into the workforce, which was conventionally and comparatively monopolized by men, the sexual harassment at workplace is steadily growing and women have started experiencing the intensity of it. Sexual harassment is considered as a violation of a woman’s fundamental right to equality, which is guaranteed by Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution. The problem of sexual harassment relates not so much to the actual biological differences between men and women, but to the gender or social roles which are attributed to men and women in social and economic life, and perceptions about male and female sexuality in a society. Gender inequality is both the cause of sexual harassment and the consequence of it. Sexual harassment is not an epidemic, it is a pandemic that is occurring every day and everywhere. Sexual Harassment is pervasive, there is no institution or industry which is immune to it. Women will not be fully equal with men as long as this behaviour continues. To curb this menace the Government of India has enacted ‘the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’ with the objective of providing a safe and secure work environment for women. However, nine years since its enactment, the government has still not published any information on how effectively this law and its committees are functioning. But the surveys conducted by private agencies highlight the poor implementation of the Act in the country. The present paper critically analyses the provisions of the Act and its implementation while discussing its evolution, objectives, and important provisions of the Act.

Changing Narratives of Ageing: Emma Thompson’s Performances of Female Old Age in Late Night and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

At the onset of her sixtieth decade, Emma Thompson remains an active and prolific actress, whilst 'age' has become a more salient trait in her cinematic roles. In the recent Berlinale presentation of her latest film, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022), Thompson’s declarations on her character (a recently widowed woman called Nancy Stokes) received considerable media attention. Referring to her character’s story, Thompson declared that not only is women’s pleasure silenced and made invisible still in the twenty-first century, but the female ageing body is also hidden and considered a hateful view to look at. Thompson’s previous film in a leading role, Late Night (2019), depicts a similarly critical moment in the life of a successful late-night talk show host called Katherine Newbury, whose career seems to reach a dead end when she turns sixty and the channel she works for decides that her show is not profitable anymore. While Nancy Stokes starts a quest to have an orgasm past her sixtieth birthday, Katherine Newbury’s quest focuses on proving that a woman’s creativity and popularity do not have to diminish with age. In this article, we present a textual analysis of the counter-narratives of female aging developed through two of Emma Thompson’s latest lead roles. Within the genre of dramatic comedy, these cinematic narratives of female old age address and subvert topics that are still considered taboo from either ageist or sexist perspectives, or both, and which are closely related to (female) sexuality, creativity and body image in later life.

(055) Application of a Very Low Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) Protocol in Women's Endocrinology: Psychosexual Correlates of Weight Loss

Abstract Introduction The role of obesity in female sexuality is controversial and there are no intervention studies aimed at evaluating the effect of the Very Low Calories Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) on female sexual function, in particular on arousal. Objective To evaluate the psychosexual correlates of obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) in a sample of women consulting for sexual symptoms; to investigate the change in measures of arousal after weight loss obtained with VLCKD. Methods In a retrospective study, n=322 women consulting for sexual symptoms were enrolled. The patients underwent a clinical, laboratory, sexual and psychological examination and were studied by color-Doppler ultrasound for the evaluation of genital vascularization, with measurement of the Pulsatility Index (PI) of the clitoral artery. They completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Female Sexual Distress Scale - Revised (FSDS-R), Body Uneasiness Test, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE Q), and Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire, for psychiatric symptoms. Twelve patients underwent a nutritional intervention aimed at weight loss, based on a VLCKD protocol. These cases were compared with patients treated with different strategies for sexual symptoms, in a 1:1 case-control study (matched for BMI, age and menopausal status). Results In the total sample, clitoral PI was significantly higher in obese women (p = 0.018) and in those diagnosed with MetS (p=0.043). A statistically significant inverse correlation emerged between WC ≥ 88 cm and FSFI Arousal score (p=0.028). In patients undergoing a nutritional intervention with VCLKD protocol (n=12), after a mean follow-up of 20+-2 weeks, BMI showed a reduction of 6.7+-2.8 kg/m2 (p&amp;lt;0.001) and WC of 14.3+-5.2 cm (p&amp;lt;0.001), with fat mass loss of 14.6+-5.4 kg (-37.1%; p&amp;lt;0.001). At follow-up, the total FSFI and FSDS-R scores significantly improved (17.0+-13.6 vs. 11.2+-7.9, p=0.016, and 7.4+-8.3 vs. 13.3+-10.6, p=0.039, respectively). Among the FSFI subdomains, Arousal showed a significant increase (p=0.035). We also observed an improvement in EDE total score (p=0.032), Shape (p=0.008) and Weight subscales (p=0.011), BUT-B Positive Symptoms Distress Index (p=0.009) and BUT-A Body Image Concerns (p=0.043), and MHQ total score (p&amp;lt;0.001). The clitoral artery PI at follow-up showed a non-significant reduction. At multivariate analysis, the change in the Total FSFI was correlated with the BUT-B PSDI score change (p=0.031) and the EDE Shape change (p=0.043), when including DeltaMHQ and DeltaWC as further covariates. Finally, in a 1:1 case-control study, a significant difference emerged in the improvement of FSFI total score, which was more relevant in cases than in controls (p=0.046); on the other hand, there was no difference in the change in FSDS-R score between cases and controls. Conclusions Our data suggest that weight loss obtained by VLCKD is associated with an improvement in sexual function, and in particular in Arousal, whose change could be mediated by improved body image parameters. The effect of weight loss on cardiometabolic risk factors related to sexual dysfunction requires dedicated longitudinal studies, with the use of objective methods. Disclosure No

Girls under surveillance: Engaging Zimbabwean parents on young people’s sexual health

Background: Parents play an important role in shaping young people’s sexual lives and behaviours with implications for their current and future sexual and reproductive health. This study examined the perspectives of rural Zimbabwean parents on young people’s sexual health. Design: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 19 (6 men and 13 women) participants. Setting: Interviews were conducted in a rural district in Zimbabwe. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Community Field Officers who were the parents or caregivers of teenage learners in two rural secondary schools. Transcripts were coded and thematic analysis conducted by reading, re-reading, interpretation and reflection on the coded texts. Results: Parents approached the question of young people’s sexual health by placing young women’s sexuality under surveillance and regulation. Puberty and female bodily changes triggered concern about heterosexual relationships informed by protectionist and moralising discourses. Abstinence and self-control were promoted as expectations for female sexuality based on cultural norms concerning purity and female virginity. Female sexual purity provided a claim to status, was differentiated from other forms of femininity and was an important cultural and economic resource. In a context of economic precarity, the institutions of marriage and bride wealth, whereby female virginity status is valued, provide opportunities for future economic security and reinforce cultural norms concerning respectability. Conclusion: Working with parents to address the ways in which gender and cultural norms operate within the local social and economic context is vital to understand the enduring processes by which young female sexuality is placed under surveillance while reinforcing gender inequalities.

(039) Vaginal Orgasms: Really exists?

Abstract Introduction In 1948 Alfred Kinsey’s investigation of female and male sexuality found that 80% of women reached orgasm mainly through non-coital sexual experiences, such as oral and physical manipulation of the genitals or through sex toys. After that many peer-reviewed studies confirmed these data as well as in our practice. However, the question remains; what happened with the other 20% that reached orgasm through vaginal penetration. Objective To describe the epidemiological sexual characteristics of the 20% of women who reached orgasm mainly through vaginal penetration. Methods Over 3000 sexual histories were done in our medical center and were used to collect data regarding the reasons for the orgasm obtained through vaginal penetration. This study includes retrospective and prospective questionnaires applied to all patients seen in our centers. Results The epidemiological sexual characteristic of this specific group of women are: - 75% have had only one sexual partner in their lives - 20% of them have had two sexual partners in their life and - 5% of them have more than two. It has been very scantly found that women with a history of multiple sexual partners enjoy sexual penetration. The orgasmic response resulting from coital sex was more persistent and presently found while the number of sexual partners was less. Increased orgasmic responsiveness was also present when the initiation of the sexual activity with the partner was earlier in life. Conclusions When the sexual development of a woman is allowed to mature in the presence of a lifelong partner. Their response to penetrative vaginal stimuli is better and the obtention of sexual pleasure and orgasm reinforce this response that persists throughout life and is more attainable over any other form of vaginal stimulation. Disclosure No

(078) Assessing Women's Sexual Well-being in the Context of Relationship Status and Nonconsensual Sexual Experience History

Abstract Introduction Being involved in a romantic relationship has consistently been associated with better general well-being and life satisfaction, relational and sexual satisfaction, and sexual function. Research indicates that these relationships also buffer women against negative mental and sexual health outcomes after traumatic experiences. Regardless of quality, the presence of a romantic relationship is associated with better general and sexual outcomes for women. Though it has been well established that romantic relationships are positively associated with better sexual and general well-being for heterosexual individuals, the influence of relationship status on other important indicators of sexual well-being has received significantly less attention. Research has not assessed sexual well-being by self-schemas and sexual excitation and inhibition propensities. Given the associations of sexual schemas and sexual excitation and inhibition with sexual function and satisfaction, these two constructs are important to consider when evaluating sexual well-being for women. Additionally, it is imperative to consider nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) when evaluating women’s sexual well-being as 20% of women in the U.S. experience an NSE in their lifetime. NSEs are known to negatively impact sexual excitation and inhibition, self-schemas, and sexual and general well-being. Objective The current study expands upon existing research on sexual well-being by including measures of excitation and inhibition and sexual schemas as well as considering participants’ NSE history. Filling these gaps in the extant literature could prove important for understanding the combined effects of relationship status and NSE history on women’s sexual well-being. Methods The data for the current study was taken from a larger assessment of female sexuality in February and July of 2016. Data from 1152 women was analyzed in the current study. The women completed assessments of previous consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences using the Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences Inventory, sexual excitation and inhibition using the Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women, sexual self-schemas using the Sexual Self-Schema Scale and relationship status. Results The results from an ANOVA and subsequent independent t-test pairwise comparisons indicate significant differences in sexual schemas and excitation and inhibition propensities across various relationship statuses (p values &amp;lt; 0.05). After Bonferroni corrections, there were a few significant findings. Women in married or cohabitating relationships report significantly more conservative/embarrassed sexual self-schemas than single women. Single women with NSE histories also reported significantly lower scores on the “setting” excitation subscale of the SESII-W compared to single women with no NSE histories. Conclusions The results indicate that women conceptualize their sexual schemas and experience facilitators and inhibitors of arousal differently across various relationship statuses. Consistent with previous literature, married and cohabitating women reported more conservative/embarrassed self-schemas. Interestingly, single women with an NSE history reported that sex in novel or public settings was less activating for their sexual arousal than the sexual setting for women with no NSE histories. These findings highlight the importance of considering relationship status and NSE history when examining sexual well-being, sexual self-schemas, and sexual excitation and inhibition. Disclosure No

K. CHOPIN AS A PIONEER OF FEMINIST LITERATURE

The article discusses the feminist themes in Kate Chopin’s novel, “The Awakening,” which challenged traditional gender roles and expectations when it was published in 1899. The article analyzes the novel using the methods of discourse analysis, continuous sampling, and interpreting a literary text. The research finds that the novel explores feminist ideas such as women's independence, new morality, patriarchal society, motherhood, and gender roles. The article cites several scholars who have identified “The Awakening” as a feminist work, and also discusses the controversy the novel faced upon its initial publication due to its portrayal of female sexuality and desire. The article concludes by noting that the novel continues to be widely recognized as an important feminist work that explores women’s agency and autonomy.

The Concept of a Religiously Ideal Muslim Woman in Two Treatises on the Customs of Bosnian Muslims

Abstract The main aim of this article is to examine the construction of a religiously ideal Muslim woman as presented in two sources documenting Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) customs. The concept of a religiously ideal Muslim woman adopted in this article is based on recent theoretical studies in mainstream Sunnism, which can be arranged into three thematic areas: (i) the nature of female sexuality; (ii) gender segregation and veiling; and (iii) husband-wife dynamics and corresponding gender roles and norms. This article argues that the concept of a religiously ideal Bosnian Muslim woman in the two selected sources strongly reflects the ideal presented in mainstream Sunnism, which are premised upon beliefs that women embody an aggressive socio-morally corrupting sexuality, that upholding strict segregation and veiling is vital, and that husbands hold the locus of authority and control over their wives.

Lock Them Up: The Cold Conservatism of Ang Lee's The Ice Storm

Abstract This article considers how The Ice Storm (dir. Ang Lee, US, 1997) reframes the politics of Rick Moody's novel of the same name and works via a network of symbols to align character Elena Hood (Joan Allen) with Hillary Clinton, suggesting an analogy between the scandals of the Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton presidencies. Simultaneously, the film mounts a sustained campaign to constrain female sexuality, chiefly through its sanitizing of male characters’ own sexuality and recasting of Wendy Hood (Christina Ricci) as a sexually predatory Riding Hood/witch figure. Through its constraining of social transgression more generally, punishing Mikey Carver (Elijah Wood) for the sins of his parents and wider community in a way that can be read fruitfully through Jacques Derrida's “Plato's Pharmacy,” the film produces a narrative of profound conservatism even as it courts progressive audiences. Notwithstanding its “independent” status, its distribution through Fox (then owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp), situates the film institutionally in ways that challenge our understanding of the category of “independent” as necessarily politically progressive. The film's double-dealing, this article argues, demands that we attend to the phenomenon of a film that invites identification with progressive or transgressive characters only to punish them with reintegration into regimes of the normal or, failing such a maneuver, death. The lingering question this article identifies is how we hold to account films that are misunderstood as belonging to canons of progressive aesthetics while functioning as stealth engines of retrograde normativity.