Essay Analysis Of Rocky Horry Picture Show

1274 Words Oct 16th, 2016 6 Pages
When summarizing Rocky Horry Picture Show, we must not only understand the history of the production- but also the history of the world at the time of its release. RHS is arguably a postmodern masterpiece, although it’s cult following would never claim that title. To proclaim itself a serious postmodern work of art would allow the show to be adopted by the mainstream, whose attributes are usually NOT what the show stands for whatsoever. Rather, the show provides both audience members and scholars an outlet to analyze gender roles, sexuality, and many more themes that are still incredibly relevant today.
The nature of RHS insists that we take a look at its bountiful allusions. In regards to why science fiction is so relevant throughout the production, we can look to popular films released around the 1930’s and 1950’s. The Day the Earth Stood Still and When Worlds Collide, both mentioned in Science Fiction/ Double Feature, alludes to a time where xenophobia was very much alive in post-World War II American society (the aliens, being the communist “other”). With the advent of drive-in movie theaters, where these shows would frequently be played, young adults would be given the freedom to sexual experiment in the backseats of their cars. Going back 20 years earlier, we have films like Frankenstein and Dracula, which highlight the fear of a monster. This “monster” again represents the fear of the “other”. The relevance of these two movies is thrown in our faces with how Dr.…

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