ENG 3270 Project #1 Main Menu Works Cited

Introduction

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 The immensely popular 1990s sitcom, The immensely popular 1990s sitcom,  Seinfeld, introduced many scenarios involving thequeer community during its nine seasons, but these queer identities were never brought to theforefront of the show’s appeals and were used more for providing substance to the weeklynarrative. For my first project, I wish to examine one of these episodes in detail, titled “TheOuting,” which first aired in 1993. This episode centers on two of the main male characters beingmistaken for homosexual lovers, and their friendship and the ways others treat them change as aresult. The recurring line for this particular episode, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”
(in reference to homosexuality), will serve as the foundation of my analysis of how this culturalartifact both challenges and exemplifies norms of sexuality and gender. 
I can most apply Rich’s article on compulsory heterosexuality to this cultural artifact. Ican also apply Yep’s theory of heterosexuality and its need to be constantly reinforced anddefended, and I can apply Porfido’s analysis of queer representations in contemporary popularculture and television in terms of how this “homosexual” relationship is represented. The areasand issues I would like to examine in this episode include representations of privilegedindividuals in this context, heteronormativity, stereotypical assumptions of non-normativesexualities, and subversion by supplying a more “realistic” standard of varying body types andreduced economic status in this context.