Female Filmmakers in Focus: Georgia Oakley on Blue Jean | Interviews


One aspect of the film that I thought was really interesting was the contrast between Jean watching “Blind Date” on TV at home, which really normalizes heterosexual dating and behavior, with her finding a copy of Radclyffe Hall’s The Well of Loneliness at her girlfriend’s apartment. “Blind Date” is just out there, available for everyone to watch, but she has to practically stumble into representation with this book.

That was one of my main motivations for telling the story, to think about the barrage of heteronormative messaging that everybody is subjected to. Not just Jean, but Sammy, the little boy. The whole idea is that we all grow up in the same vacuum where we are shown a certain type of experience over and over and over and over and over to the point where it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t even matter if you experience otherness in your immediate family circle, it still appears to be wrong because of all of this other messaging. 

I have conversations about that with queer friends all the time. I have a stepdaughter, and she often makes comments that you wouldn’t expect from somebody who has essentially grown up with two mums. You’ll be like, “Why did you just say that?” and she’ll say, “Oh, I’ve watched a thing on Netflix,” and you’re like, “Okay, yeah.” So, I was thinking a lot about that and thinking about how I grew up in a household where we watched “Blind Date” every Saturday night, and no one thought anything of it. 

When I was going back through the “Blind Date” archives, I didn’t expect to find such … it feels sort of almost like comedy, because the misogyny is just so pronounced. It’s in every single episode. It just makes the spine tingle. I wanted to think about how, essentially, from my experiences growing up during Section 28, the main takeaway was that if you remove all role models and you remove any conversation around homosexuality, it just sort of ceases to exist in your world. 

But then all of these messages get inside you without your permission. You just get hit over the head with it every day, and you don’t even notice the billboards you’re driving past. Or articles in the newspaper. At the time as well, it was a one-newspaper kind of time. If you were working in a school, there was a newspaper that that school decided that they were subscribed to and whatever was the headline that day was what everybody read. It helped shape public opinion. So if something was written—and there were so many headlines that were like “Loony lesbian … blah, blah, blah.” If that’s what everyone’s reading at lunch, you know, and you’re there amongst them, how is that different from the way we experience news now and that kind of thing?

You can view the original article HERE.

Diddy Claims Prosecutors Showed Judge Edited Cassie Video to Make Him Look Dangerous
Diddy Claims Prosecutors Showed Judge Edited Cassie Video to Make Him Look Dangerous
Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and more step out in style to celebrate country music’s biggest night
Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and more step out in style to celebrate country music’s biggest night
Kim Zolciak, Kroy Biermann Told by Cops to Stay Away From Each Other
Kim Zolciak, Kroy Biermann Told by Cops to Stay Away From Each Other
The joy of the celebrity look-alike contest
The joy of the celebrity look-alike contest
Black Harvest Film Festival 2024: Disco Afrika, It Was All a Dream, Dreams Like Paper Boats | Festivals & Awards
Black Harvest Film Festival 2024: Disco Afrika, It Was All a Dream, Dreams Like Paper Boats | Festivals & Awards
Dawsons Creek Had a Perfect Spin-Off, But No One Watched It
Dawsons Creek Had a Perfect Spin-Off, But No One Watched It
'Bad Sisters' Exclusive Clip – Wednesday November 20th Episode
'Bad Sisters' Exclusive Clip – Wednesday November 20th Episode
Tokyo International Film Festival 2024: Daihachi Yoshida on Prize-Winning “Teki Cometh” | Festivals & Awards
Tokyo International Film Festival 2024: Daihachi Yoshida on Prize-Winning “Teki Cometh” | Festivals & Awards
Jelly Roll on his battle with food addiction: “It’s like an avalanche”
Jelly Roll on his battle with food addiction: “It’s like an avalanche”
Here’s every song on the ‘Cruel Intentions’ TV series soundtrack
Here’s every song on the ‘Cruel Intentions’ TV series soundtrack
Zayn Reunites With One Direction at Liam Payne’s Painful Funeral
Zayn Reunites With One Direction at Liam Payne’s Painful Funeral
There is money being made in live music – give it back out to the people
There is money being made in live music – give it back out to the people
Fun and Frugal DIY Christmas Ornaments
Fun and Frugal DIY Christmas Ornaments
Draymond fires back at ‘janky’ Jenkins, Edey over foul
Draymond fires back at ‘janky’ Jenkins, Edey over foul
Skenes’ rookie award traps Pirates in uncomfortable situation
Skenes’ rookie award traps Pirates in uncomfortable situation
Jones: McCarthy hasn’t lost Cowboys’ locker room
Jones: McCarthy hasn’t lost Cowboys’ locker room
‘Gladiator 2’ Director Explains Why the Twin Emperors Are “So F**King Crazy”
‘Gladiator 2’ Director Explains Why the Twin Emperors Are “So F**King Crazy”
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 8 Review: Torres’ Guilt & Reid’s Mysterious Agenda Result in Tense Midseason Finale!
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 8 Review: Torres’ Guilt & Reid’s Mysterious Agenda Result in Tense Midseason Finale!
The Untold Story’ Trailer Unearths the Dark Crimes Behind the Scenes
The Untold Story’ Trailer Unearths the Dark Crimes Behind the Scenes
Is the ‘Friday Night Lights’ Reboot Necessary?
Is the ‘Friday Night Lights’ Reboot Necessary?
The Best Fashion and Grooming Men’s Gifts
The Best Fashion and Grooming Men’s Gifts
Miley Cyrus For Harper’s Bazaar, Louis Vuitton Taps Callum Turner, & More!
Miley Cyrus For Harper’s Bazaar, Louis Vuitton Taps Callum Turner, & More!
Meredith Marks Loves Caviar, Jewelry, & Being On Time!
Meredith Marks Loves Caviar, Jewelry, & Being On Time!
Charli XCX Takes Over Times Square With H&M
Charli XCX Takes Over Times Square With H&M