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Moriarty's ghost: Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Moriarty's ghost: Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock. / Fathallah, J.
In: Television and New Media, Vol. 16, No. 5, 01.07.2015, p. 490-500.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Fathallah, J 2015, 'Moriarty's ghost: Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock', Television and New Media, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 490-500. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476414543528

APA

Fathallah, J. (2015). Moriarty's ghost: Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock. Television and New Media, 16(5), 490-500. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476414543528

Vancouver

Fathallah J. Moriarty's ghost: Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock. Television and New Media. 2015 Jul 1;16(5):490-500. Epub 2014 Jul 17. doi: 10.1177/1527476414543528

Author

Fathallah, J. / Moriarty's ghost : Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock. In: Television and New Media. 2015 ; Vol. 16, No. 5. pp. 490-500.

Bibtex

@article{d336368c3ec945288f36616faff4610c,
title = "Moriarty's ghost: Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock",
abstract = "This article argues that the BBC{\textquoteright}s Sherlock is outwardly a conservative text sedimenting the historical function of Sherlock Holmes as a model of hegemonic British masculinity. However, queer disruptions in the performance of masculinity may be read as, after Butler, destabilizing and revealing the groundlessness of gender constructions. For as Butler has argued, hetero-masculine performativity is “constantly haunted by that domain of sexual possibility that must be excluded for heterosexualized gender to produce itself.” Referencing Laclau{\textquoteright}s perception of “hauntologies” to texts (adapted from Derrida), I posit that the presence/specter of the queer villain Moriarty can be read as a caesura challenging performed hegemonic masculinity. With the possible death and promise of Moriarty{\textquoteright}s return at the close of the current season, the series now stands at a crossroads. It may either revert to the queerbaiting of previous seasons or foreshadow a more radical text.",
keywords = "cult TV, cultural politics, critical media studies, gay, sexuality, gender, queer, television, the United Kingdom, masculinity",
author = "J. Fathallah",
year = "2015",
month = jul,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/1527476414543528",
language = "English",
volume = "16",
pages = "490--500",
journal = "Television and New Media",
issn = "1527-4764",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Moriarty's ghost

T2 - Or the queer disruption of the BBC's Sherlock

AU - Fathallah, J.

PY - 2015/7/1

Y1 - 2015/7/1

N2 - This article argues that the BBC’s Sherlock is outwardly a conservative text sedimenting the historical function of Sherlock Holmes as a model of hegemonic British masculinity. However, queer disruptions in the performance of masculinity may be read as, after Butler, destabilizing and revealing the groundlessness of gender constructions. For as Butler has argued, hetero-masculine performativity is “constantly haunted by that domain of sexual possibility that must be excluded for heterosexualized gender to produce itself.” Referencing Laclau’s perception of “hauntologies” to texts (adapted from Derrida), I posit that the presence/specter of the queer villain Moriarty can be read as a caesura challenging performed hegemonic masculinity. With the possible death and promise of Moriarty’s return at the close of the current season, the series now stands at a crossroads. It may either revert to the queerbaiting of previous seasons or foreshadow a more radical text.

AB - This article argues that the BBC’s Sherlock is outwardly a conservative text sedimenting the historical function of Sherlock Holmes as a model of hegemonic British masculinity. However, queer disruptions in the performance of masculinity may be read as, after Butler, destabilizing and revealing the groundlessness of gender constructions. For as Butler has argued, hetero-masculine performativity is “constantly haunted by that domain of sexual possibility that must be excluded for heterosexualized gender to produce itself.” Referencing Laclau’s perception of “hauntologies” to texts (adapted from Derrida), I posit that the presence/specter of the queer villain Moriarty can be read as a caesura challenging performed hegemonic masculinity. With the possible death and promise of Moriarty’s return at the close of the current season, the series now stands at a crossroads. It may either revert to the queerbaiting of previous seasons or foreshadow a more radical text.

KW - cult TV

KW - cultural politics

KW - critical media studies

KW - gay

KW - sexuality

KW - gender

KW - queer

KW - television

KW - the United Kingdom

KW - masculinity

U2 - 10.1177/1527476414543528

DO - 10.1177/1527476414543528

M3 - Journal article

VL - 16

SP - 490

EP - 500

JO - Television and New Media

JF - Television and New Media

SN - 1527-4764

IS - 5

ER -