Description
TitleConsuming the centerfold: sexuality and the fantasy of the American good life
Date Created2022
Other Date2022-10 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (424 pages) : illustrations
Description“Consuming the Centerfold” is a cultural history that forefronts the perspectives and agency of sexually marginalized groups as they navigated the rapid cultural changes transpiring in the second half of the twentieth century. This dissertation analyses five sexually provocative magazines made by and for those other than heterosexual white men. Duke (1957), Drum (1964-1969), Playgirl (1973-1977), MsTique (1974-1976), and On Our Backs (1984-1994) each worked to construct newly visible and distinctive sexual identities for their respective audiences of Black men, gay men, white women, Black women, and lesbians. “Consuming the Centerfold” argues that the consumption of sexual imagery was a critical tool for marginalized groups seeking to construct new ideas of sexual and economic freedom. For those whose expressions of sexuality had long been politically oppressed and culturally stigmatized, the production and consumption of their own sexual imagery was not just an egalitarian gesture, but an unprecedented opportunity to publicly assert their right to the privileges of sexual citizenship. Duke, Drum, Playgirl, MsTique, and On Our Backs sanctioned their readers’ active explorations of pleasure, passion, and desire, and fought for their right to do so without shame, fear, or punishment. At different times and in different ways, these highly inventive and highly experimental magazines offered their readers an intimate, autonomous space to construct and claim control over their own modern sexual identities. These pioneers of sexual citizenship insisted that Black men, gay men, white women, Black women, and lesbians envision themselves as empowered sexual agents in rightful possession of a healthy erotic gaze. And by strategically appropriating elements of consumerism and sexual liberalism, they sought to extend the pleasures of fantasy and desire to those often denied. Examined in tandem, these five magazines help to reveal the intricate meanings, strategies, and contradictions that emerged for sexually marginalized people as consumerism and sexual expression became increasingly key privileges of American citizenship. Duke, Drum, Playgirl, MsTique, and On Our Backs each created their own public sexual discourse, and in the process, constructed compelling visions—or fantasies—of what it means to be a full participant in American society.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.