Sex, Gender, Becoming - PULP

34 Rory du Plessis
social necessity of deviance in that it initially defines the boundaries
of society and secondly that these borders need to be constantly
confirmed. This proves to be a detriment for Cohen in his
performances, in that it may be argued that he only confirms the
borderlines between homosexuality and heterosexuality, due to the
fact that at all times he is forcibly expelled from the centres of
heterosexual society. Thus he paradoxically confirms and
demonstrates the power of hegemonic society, in its rejection and
control of any deviance to gender norms. Erikson further explains
that: 82
Deviance is a rejuvenating force as well ... To contain and control
deviance, and thereby to master it, is to supply fresh and dramatic proof
of the enormous powers that are behind the social order. The visible
control of deviance is one of the most effective mechanisms by which a
social order can tangibly display its potency. The act of harnessing things
that are dangerous helps to revitalise the system by demonstrating to
those who live within it just how awesome its powers really are.
Fuss 83 argues that the figure of what she terms the ‘undead
homosexual’, the homosexual that continually reappears, even in the
face of the most beastly forms of violence and degradation, is
absolutely necessary for the creation and maintaining of a positive
heterosexual hegemonic identity. This reappearance of the ‘undead
homosexual’ characterises Cohen’s performance work that culminates
in his violent expulsion from hegemonic society. Cohen’s
expulsion from hetero-normative society and events refers to Girard’s
term of ‘scapegoating’; an explanation of his term and theory follows.
Girard’s use of ‘mimetic desire’ or mimesis is a model for the
formation of social or collective identity 84 and refers to a desire that
originates through the imitation of models. These models act as
agents between individuals imitating them and the world. The desire
that originates through imitation almost always leads to conflict that
in turn results in violence. 85 These results of mimetic desire are
confirmed by the fact that, if one’s desire and identification to a
model is strong enough, one will want to have or be what the model
is. It may accumulate to a level where one becomes either a rival with
one’s own model or otherwise one competes with other people to
become better imitators of the same model. Thus one both imitates
one’s rivals while simultaneously competing with them. 86
82 Dollimore (n 80 above) 220.
83 In Reid-Pharr (n 36 above).
84
PS Anderson ‘Sacred lives: Mimetic desire, sexual difference and murder’ (2000) 4
85
Cultural values 216.
JG Williams ‘Foreword’ in R Girard (ed) I see Satan fall like lightning trans JG
86
Williams (2001) ix-x.
As above, xi.