The Glass (Multivid)

I finally caved and put this up on UA-cam. Originally published May 1st 2008 (the second vid I ever made).
Henry Jenkins, speaking of the Spock death scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, said, "slash is what happens when you take away the glass." It has been said, in response, that death also happens when you take away the glass. ie, if you took away the glass Kirk would die of radiation poisoning too; the barrier between desiring men cannot be removed on pain of death. Homosexuality, or just loving touch between two people of the same gender, is equivalent to death in this media narrative.
One of the interesting things about slash is the way it takes away the glass, then puts it back, then takes it away, then puts it back, often pleasurably. I think this is both problematic and powerful. It is problematic because it reasserts the impossibility of the touch (it fetishizes oppression in a negative manner); it is powerful - and good - because it dwells on and thinks about and removes the glass (it fetishizes oppression in a transformative manner).
One of the interesting things about mainstream media is that it continues to put the glass back up, no matter how hard we try to tear it down. Queer desiring touches have been, and remain, imaginable but impossible.
TL;DR ALTERNATE SUMMARY: THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME KIND OF INVISIBLE BARRIER IDK WHAT IT MIGHT BE

[@Squinterian]

This is such an incredibly lovely piece of work. I've had my own copy saved on a hard disk for years, it was wonderful to find it still here!

[@bridgetshef5439]

Really interesting video! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for including your thoughts in the description.
I recall a Todd Haynes interview about the movie Carol in which he talked about the significance of the main characters appearing behind windows. I can't remember where I read that, exactly, but I found an article mentioning the influence of Saul Leiter's work (theguardian) on that as well as an interesting quote: "when the things being looked at are seen through windows and window panes and glass that’s dirty-the act of looking, and even the act of a camera looking is suggestive in that" (rogerebert). More food for thought...
Thank you for sharing!

[@anonymousanon3055]

lovely vid, thanks for making and sharing

[@dlasta]

Every time I watch this I cry.

[@rosemaryamico3295]

Whole thing is hauntingly beautiful, but I will never not cry at any reference to Not Penny's Boat.