Core Post #4 - Josh Nallathambi

What stood out to me watching T2 was the lack of sexualization, for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton’s characters. Despite the movie being heavily physical in nature, the audience sees either of the two leads’ bodies objectified or portrayed in an alluring or sexual light.

For Schwarzenegger, his physicality not only informs his star persona and character but the cyborg element of the sexuality of T-1000. As Dyer points out, Schwarzenegger is playing more so his typical star role than a specific character. His accent and body is almost identical to his other roles in Predator and Twins. Dyer argues that “although each of his films is located in a fictional narrative situation – and so he is undoubtedly acting – the lack of difference in his performances has resulted in the familiar criticism that he is not acting because he ‘always plays himself” (185). Perhaps Terminator 2, considered one of his best roles, is because the whole basis of the character is his limited vocabulary and robotic movements.

Schwarzenegger isn’t considered a major sex symbol in this film because of the artificial element of his character and larger-than life physical nature of his body. His physique could be categorized under Bukatman’s “Body without Organs”, the idea that this body that transcends all other biological forms that it is considered too ideal for this world. It makes the interesting argument that someone who has achieved this can’t possibly relate to other organisms, their existence is fundamentally a different reality from other humans. It’s this notion that makes me think this is why Arnold and other men like him (The Rock, Sylvester Stallone) aren’t considered in the same conversation for ultimate male dreamboats like Ryan Gosling or one of the Chris’s. Their body is seen as so overly masculine and strong that it’s hard for people to find the same sexual attraction to them as they would a typical leading man. Their physicality is so close to perfect that it makes them more machine than man.

Even with Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, the film chooses to portray her as more cyborg than human woman. Her body is cut and constantly seen preparing for battle. The domestic traits typical of most female characters in this period are stripped away; even her relationship with John can be more attuned to a teacher and student more than a caretaker and child.