Week 8: Stereotypes and the ethics of representation

           Stuck Rubber Baby is an Eisner Award-winning (for best graphic album) graphic novel by Howard Cruse, the founding editor of Gay Comix. This novel is often referred to as “the best since Maus.” Cruse’s semi-autobiographical narrative is set in a southern town in America, during the 1960s. At this time, civil rights activists, African Americans, Gender/Sex minorities, and youths were developing their identity as individuals. Stereotypes held particularly strong at this point, for those who opposed these individuals for “stepping out of line.”

            This novel gives the viewer deep insight into the mind of Toland Polk, the main character of Stuck Rubber Baby, as an entire flashback narrated by him, with several appearances of his present-day face, as if he is regaling his experiences to you in person. His story covers how he observed his sexuality from when he was a child, eventually becoming comfortable with it as an adult. Toland had difficulty with talking openly about it as a result of negative stereotype – it wasn’t considered as “normal.”

            Toland also recalls his participation in solidarity with the black community in his town, making connections, listening to the wisdom and stories of those targeted by racism. Once Toland started to associate with them and the gay community, he quickly became targeted for hate crimes. The “normal” people in his town opposed “abnormality” so much that they reacted violently, and out of pent-up energy.

            Reading Stuck Rubber Baby made me think about the election. Actually, everything makes me think about the election, taking into account how close and dire this one is. Both Obama and Romney have particular stereotypes affiliated with them, and anyone who sides with either one of these men is also lumped into that stereotype. One side apparently doesn’t care about the economy and won’t cut their hair and get a job, the other is excessively wealthy and highly intolerant of anyone who isn’t a straight white man. These stereotypes are extremely hard to counter right now, and soon one will be on top.