What does “performance” mean and how does it matter?
What can Takarazuka tell us about anything beyond Takarazuka?
Does being “just on stage” limit or expand Takarazuka’s influence?
Tommy
"To a certain extent, then, everyone is passing--she or he is selectively (over)acting and (over)dressing in order to be perceived unequivocally as female or male. Is this a true representation of what gender is, a certain way to act or clothes to wear? Is a cross-dresser really becoming female or male in gender when they are in character?
Matt
Robertson describes a cross dressing male not as a copy of a female, but a copy of a copy. Are they trying to portray themselves as women really are, or as society expects women to be?
Ashley
In the introduction, the author describes how the Takarazuka performers do not simply imitate men but rather "camp it up" and exaggerate certain actions and gestures. Is this simply for the sake of humor or is there a deeper meaning in this purposeful exaggeration?
Jennifer
"Once cross-dressed inside the club, the males take on a feminine name and, accordingly, speak in a high, somewhat nasal, feminine voice." Does the cross-dressing as well as acting as a different gender enforce gender boundaries even more, as people enforce stereotypes of each gender?
Beth
The takarazuka producers appear to make the men and women gender roles very defined when in reality they are anything but. do you think this is done intentionally? how do the fans view this?
Katie
The author says that "human reproduction need not be synonymous with social reproduction" (145). How do you think this is proven in society?
Ashley
As psychologist Yasudo Tokutaro points out, "lesbianism represented female and ultimately cultural emancipation," although it seems that Takarazuka may actually inhibit this ultimate freedom because it is only temporary. How and to what extent does Takarazuka allow fans an escape from gender inequalities in their everyday life?
Simone
Do you think that takarazuka would be as socially acceptable if they didn't train the women to be good housewives?
Lauren B.
After watching Dreamgirls, how has your perception of these women changed compared to how you perceived things from the reading? How has your perception of this whole genre of entertainment changed? Do you think the medium in which you learn about Takarazuka affects the way you think about it?
Lauren H.
Robertson writes that one of the goals is for "the Takarasiennes to remain objects of fans' desires without any reciprocating sexual agency of their own." Does the Revue exploit the sexuality of the performers?
Jerome
Why do fans matter so much in Robertson's analysis of takarazuka?
Chris
Would popular culture have the same hold on the general public without fan obsession (i.e. Takarazuka writing fans and Star Trek conventions)? If so, how?
Katy
Is fandom a disease? Can fandom effect a cultural system as a whole?
Greg
Do all people view the word "fan" as an outlet to lesbianism and a serious illness associated with fantasies that are real and unreal? It seems as if only those that are critical and against the Takarazuka make the distinction that "fan" is a terrible word.
Marie
"...the Takarazuka Revue has attracted a much more specialized audience--the majority now are adult women, married and in their thirties or older." This quote relates to the film we just viewed, as some of the women being interviewed explained that going to the Takarauka shows is an escape from being a mother and housewife. Yet, why do these women hide the fact that they go to these shows from their husbands? If Takarazuka is a mainstream activity in Japanese culture, why is it so secretive among many of these women?
Danielle
Do you think that the women that attend Takarazuka are women that are not satisfied with their relationships just like the women who read romance novels?
Jarred
Do the woman use the exhausting difficulty of hard work labor as a fantasy alternative to the reality of Japanese husbands which are unromantic and very work obsessed?
Collin
"Endurance and strength are the qualities that we spend two years instilling in our girls." How does the Takarazuka "boot camp" prepare the young girls for their on-stage performance? Does the manual labor and strict schedule benefit the girls or just reinforce the patriarchy of Japanese society?
Cara
Why do you think it is that male fans have been largely ignored by the press, and have recieved little positive response to requests for their own official fan club?
Brandon
Because men are known not to show as much emotion towards things that are not considered masculine as women do you think they are embarrassed to express their true feelings when it comes to the performing arts?