In Roberts article, she writes, “Miranda performs a
femininity so exaggerated that it becomes comical, undercutting any threat that
her female sexuality might pose but also calling into question society's
assumptions about feminine essence.” This discussion of the exaggeration of
Miranda’s image reminded me of one of the Elvis articles we read that connected
his image to Bakhtin’s ideas of carnival and the grotesque. Since many of
Bakhtin’s ideas have to do with excess and finding grotesque humor in the
heightening of bodily functions, including those related to sexuality, it
seemed relevant to this heightening of Miranda’s sexuality to a comic extent. And
in relationship to Elvis, both were seen to become parodies of themselves later
in their careers. While the images themselves both are tied to the values of
their respective time periods, the way in which they were created and consumed
within their contexts were similar. The main difference seems to be the way
that Miranda potentially used her image to challenge the heightened stereotypes
she played, while Elvis seemed more stuck in his type.
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