Jasmine Perkins

Professor Pearce
Film Studies Com-230
January 13, 2018
But I’m A Cheerleader Review

The film, But I’m a Cheerleader written by Brian Wayne Peterson is a romantic comedy

that mocks our society’s ideological conception of what it means to be a “man” and a woman,”

while also mocking society’s conception of sexuality. The comedic elements throughout the

story allows viewers to recognize the way the film is portraying their representation of gender

and sexuality.

The Protagonist, Megan is sent to True Directions –a gay rehabilitation five-step

program, where she is forced to discover the “root” cause of her homosexuality. Her parents send

her there in hopes to cure her lesbianism. Coming from a strict Christian family, Megan’s parents

do not believe that being gay is the Lord’s path that he “intended for us to follow.” Her parents

believe that sending Megan to True Directions will help her live a natural, healthy and sacred

life. Megan who is now in the hands of Mary J. Brown, the founder of True Directions aims to

cure her campers of homosexuality, converting them to straight. Mary teaches her male campers

how to follow the stereotypes of what being a “man” really means, and teaches the women the

fundamentals to becoming “woman.” Despite all the objections that Megan faces at True

Directions, she begins to embrace her sexual orientation and falls in love with another camper

Graham.

From the beginning of the story we notice Megan’s initial signs of homosexuality. While

Megan is making out with her boyfriend in the car it is evident that she is not as intimate as he is.

Parallel editing displays to the audience that during their make-out Megan is thinking about
something other than her boyfriend. The use of parallel editing goes back and forth between their

make out and what Megan is actually thinking about. This edit shows that Megan is day

dreaming about the moving body parts on a female cheerleader as her boyfriend tries to make-

out with her.

Throughout the film there are many messages that suggest that being a Christian means

you must be heterosexual and follow the idea of fixed gender roles. According to the story in

order for Megan to be a “good” Christian, she must obey the Christian faith by obeying the Lord.

Before dinner her Dad’s grace sends subliminal messages praying for their daughter’s gender

and sexuality. During his prayer he states, “Lord please help us follow your path, the one you

intended for us to follow,” this implying that the Lord has made a path only set for those who are

straight. He says “us” which portrays that every one of the Christian faith must be straight. He

also says, “help us to obey the roles in life you set for us, for all that is natural, healthy and

sacred.” This statement reveals the story’s implicit message of society’s social construction of

gender roles. Throughout the film proper gender roles are determined by how women and men

think, act and interact within the context of their society. Therefore, Megan must follow the

natural, and healthy way to achieve the Christian lifestyle. As the story continues, while Megan

is at True Direction, Mary emphasizes the specific gender roles of men and women. Women

must learn how to clean the house, take care of the kids and taking care of their husbands after a

long day at work. While men are taught to learn to play football, fix cars and chop wood.

The social construction of gender roles is reinforced throughout the entire time at True

Direction through the use of color. The color pink and blue separates the male and female

campers, pink representing the women while blue represents the men. The room where all of the

female campers sleep is pink, with all pink furniture, they go to sleep in pink gowns, and their
daily camp uniform are pink. The men are also consistently in the color blue when participating

in all of their “manly” activities.

The film also reinforces gender roles seen throughout the tasks the campers must perform

in the second stage of the camp “Rediscovering Your Gender Identity.” The title of this stage

implies that since they are homosexual they must rediscover their gender identity the correct

way. This implying that they were previously doing it incorrect because they were doing it the

opposite way around. During this stage the girls and guys learn the norms of their gender roles.

The men are taught the responsibilities of what should only be accomplished by a man while the

women are taught the proper roles performed by a woman. The women are taught how to

properly clean, how to sew, and how to put on make-up. In the story this is considered the proper

mannerism in which women must follow. While the men are learning how to repair cars, chop

wood and fight. These activities are stereotypically considered the ways of how to be a man.

When these activities are performed by the proper gender the men and women have successfully

accomplished discovering their gender identity.

The fixed gender roles portrayed in the film also become obvious when Mary makes the

campers partner up to play a gender role card game. This game displays the specific roles of the

daily activities performed by men and women on separated pink and blue cards. While Megan

and Graham are playing the game, Megan encourages Graham to dig deeper on the meaning

behind the pink card showing a women cleaning. Megan explains to Graham, “Women have

roles, after you learn that you will stop objectifying them.” This implying that the cards display

the proper way women must live their life to fulfil their role in society. Megan begins to believe

in order to accomplish traditional gender roles, Graham must stop objectifying these specific

roles.
 It is evident that being homosexual is seen as “unnatural” throughout the film. Therefore,

Mary Brown encourages the campers to find the “root” cause of their homosexuality. She insists

that there is a specific painful incident that made them homosexual. She strongly believes

recognizing their “root” will help them conquer their painful memories and will lead them to the

way heterosexuality. All of the campers, recall “painful” instances such as being allowed to play

in mother’s pumps as a boy, being born in France and locker room showers. These in fact are not

painful memories that made the campers become homosexual. Realistically the “root” they can

be seen as excuses the campers are making for themselves because Mary Brown is forcing a

“root” cause out of them. Throughout the story the “root” suggest the idea of sexual orientation

being something that happens to you. Being homosexual does not happen because of a certain

incident, rather being homosexual is a part of how someone chooses to identify themselves.

Today society does not view sexuality the same way society did when the movie was released in

1999. Today society is more accepting of homosexuality compared to the time the movie took

place. Homosexuality is legalized by certain gay rights such as same sex marriage.

The use of stereotypical gender-associated roles is represented throughout the story, as

well as society’ stereotypically homosexual associated behaviors. The rest of the campers at True

Direction all have characteristics that follow society’s stereotypic view of homosexuality. Jane is

a female camper who identifies as a homosexual that plays softball. Andre is a very flamboyant

male, is proud to be an actor dancer and homosexual. Society wrongly stereotypes softball

players to be lesbians like Jane. Gay men are typically stereotyped to have very over the top and

very lively personalities like Andre.

The parody, But I’m a Cheerleader emphasizes our society’s stereotypical view of the

specific roles of how to be a “man” and a “woman. The social construction of gender roles is
often exaggerated throughout the film. Homosexuality is often wrongly misconstrued throughout

the film through stereotypes made by society. Being a woman does not mean, women must know

how to cook, clean and take care of children. Being a homosexual female does not always mean

that homosexual woman are dikes, or play softball. The film is mocking our society’s

misinterpretation of gender roles and homosexuality. Despite all the objectifications of becoming

man and a woman in the film, Megan embraces her homosexuality and realizes that it is who she

is. The final scene of the film implies that one cannot convert someone from gay to straight, and

society cannot force women to responsible for cleaning and men be responsible for all hard

labor.