Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie has set a new milestone in the breaking of the gendered space of the theatre. So far, at least in Bollywood, the main case made for unequal pay between male and female leads has been the ability of male stars to garner more viewers and have larger star value. Theatres have been spaces where heroes are revered and idolized. Every time a commercial massy entertainer with a big star is released, the theatres are flocked with male fans who dance, whistle, and celebrate with fanfare inside and outside the theatre. The level of ordeal created for male stars has never been the case for female stars. In the recently released Tiger 3, we see fans bursting firecrackers within a theatre premises causing public disruption in their demonstration of hypermasculine fan support for their hypermasculine star.
However, with Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie, we are seeing a new unprecedented kind of energetic fan faring for a female star. Several clips have surfaced where theatres filled with fans singing along in a communal feeling of friendship, sisterhood, womanhood, and love. Although Swift has a larger percentage of women and queer fans than men, the number of men who support is not small either. However, male fans of Swift are mocked with queer slurs to downplay their significance and participation. Fans were seen singing along and dancing to the songs for hours in the theatre and many cases throughout the length of the film itself. This level of display has been unprecedented even for a Shah Rukh Khan or Rajinikanth film.
Previously, young women fans dominating in large numbers and expressing their bravado has been rarely observed. The last time such a number of women fans flocked to theatres to display their enthusiasm was observable at BTS movie screenings in the country. It is a breath of fresh air to de-gender the theatre space which has for so long been held under the masculine clasp.
Interestingly, although Tiger 3 had Katrina Kaif in a combat role with almost the same level of importance as Salman Khan, the fanfare was only reserved for the male lead. Katrina’s fight scenes were impressive and more tactical unlike SK’s which were based on brute force over technique. Yet, the fans called it a Salman film. This goes to show that in the presence of male stars, female stars irrespective of their performances and roles are always overshadowed. It will be a long time before we see mainstream films offer similar significance to male and female stars and the audience having as many enthusiastic women and queer as men. However, several viewers have expressed their hope on the internet that Katrina’s phenomenal reprisal of Zoya in Tiger 3 would allow for a segue to a Zoya standalone film.
Taylor Swift and Barbie de-gender the male dominated blockbuster theatre chart
Internationally, the Barbie movie created a breakthrough with a highest-grossing film directed by a woman and dealing with feminist issues. Moreover, what was especially noteworthy was the number of men dressed in pink who went to theatres to watch the film. It was a surprising yet pleasing experience to have a film like Barbie be celebrated in the mainstream for a change.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Movie and Barbie are examples of women reclaiming their space where it has been traditionally unseen, both onscreen and offscreen. It is an attempt at an alternate kind of spectacle that is transgressive and refreshing. Both Barbie and Swift are empowering the marginalized gender by offering scope for renewed perspectives and attitudes. The Eras Tour movie and the broader cultural movement it symbolizes offer a unique opportunity for Indian cinema to reassess its approach to female representation. While challenges persist, including the overshadowing of female stars and unequal pay, the fervor surrounding Swift’s movie signals a demand for change. Swift’s ability to command such an enthusiastic, diverse, and inclusive audience challenges the longstanding norms of male-dominated fandoms. The communal atmosphere during screenings fosters a sense of unity, breaking down barriers that have traditionally confined women to passive roles in the cinematic sphere as both entertainers and viewers.
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