Abstract
This essay analyzes how the films Less Than Zero and The Doom Generation intersect with their overlapping themes regarding sex, sexuality, and death. The intended goal of the readings in this essay is to examine how queerness was represented in film during the AIDS crisis, specifically through the feature of a sexually fluid trio of friends. It first identifies the common elements of both films, including the gender makeup of the friend group, ambiguous or unrealized queerness, the role of the car in sexual desire, and themes of death and demise. The essay then considers the context of the AIDS crisis and 80s conservatism, Lacanian ethics, and queer theory to dissect how these elements and themes are explored in opposing ways. My central argument then is that Less Than Zero uses these narrative elements in problematic ways to condemn its queer character and, subsequently, queer audiences, while The Doom Generation uses these elements to offer a more respectful and sympathetic view of its queer characters and audiences. This essay stands as another example of queer analysis conducted by a queer researcher to place both Less Than Zero and The Doom Generation in a unique conversation with one another as similar, though ultimately opposing films.
Thesis Completion
2023
Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair/Advisor
Koszulinski, Georg
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Film and Mass Media
Degree Program
Film
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Release Date
12-15-2023
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Ariana M., "The Plight Of The Beautiful People: Sexuality And Death In Less Than Zero And The Doom Generation" (2023). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 1492.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/1492