In “Gender Without Genitals: Hedwig’s Six Inches” Jordy Jones argues for the consideration of Hedwig and the Angry Inch as an important political and cultural phenomenon (465). Yet, the analyzation of Hedwig reduces some parts of the Hedwig’s story to Oedipal complexes and phallic observations. I respect Jordy Jones’ knowledge of the audience in which this film is most well received and his status as a doctoral candidate in Visual Studies at the University of California, Irvine. However the archaic argument which reduces Hedwig to a confused transsexual (when one is a transsexual only after having gone through a sex change) is reducto ad absurdum or and argument which is reduced to absurdity.
I question the Oedipal-oriented approach of part of Jordy Jones’ analysis. The tragedy of “Oedipus” has already been written, why would John Cameron Mitchell feel the need to repeat such a one? It can be seen that the Oedipus complex is caused in Hedwig when Hansel suffers at the hands of his father, cross dresses, has a sex change, takes the name of his mother, and, at the end, strips himself for all the world to see. On the other hand this same series of events could be written in a different, anti-Oedipal way. As Jordy Jones notes it is unclear whether Hansel suffered at the hands of his father because of his femininity or became effeminate because of the abuse (452). With the hope that all humans are basically good intentioned one can reason Hansel’s father feared Hansel’s difference and therefore abused him to correct his difference. Further use of the abuse is directed towards the audience and can be used as a tool through which the audience identifies and hurts for and along with Hedwig/Hansel throughout the movie. One can then see that it was forcefully suggested to Hansel to cross dress and later to change sex if he ever wanted to escape from the East side of the Wall (456). Next, Hansel needs a girl’s name on the West side. It follows common sense and logic that Hansel should choose the name Hedwig, which is the name of the woman he was most around growing up, and could therefore replicate her womanly actions best as a transsexual, and it is a play on words for the gender he was playing: head-wig. The final act of showing him/her self to the world set before the stage is not Oedipal, it could be looked upon as spiritual. As when one is naked before one’s self, one is naked before God. Psychologically, Hedwig had been searching for his/her other half the entire movie and his/her other half was thought to exist somewhere in the world outside Hedwig’s body. As we both know Hedwig’s other half was reconciled within her/himself. Her/his unclothing was in recognition of this union, by nakeding (negating) her/himself and becoming one with his/her world which was the stage.
Part two of my response to “Gender without Genitals” involves the phallic-oriented analyzation of Hedwig. Whether or not one has a phallus plays a big part in definitions of sexuality. I understand Jewish people circumcise their male babies. I know Hedwig/Hansel is for most of the movie a transsexual and that s/he had a husband who is Jewish. Unfortunately the obsession of constantly questioning where the phallus is, where the power is leads to purely philosophical thought which on most days is inapplicable to real time situations in high schools and colleges where this movie and article are being received and troubled. The phallus oriented sections of the article would be better implemented in another time and space because in analyzing Hedwig they are tangential and unhelpful.
Consider the origin myths of love and sexuality as a main point in Hedwig. What lacks in “Gender Without Genitals” is a point that each human is his /her own origin of love and sexuality. Jones touched upon this in his quote from Anti-Oedipus about the n sexes. However his viewpoint was that only in reconciliation is the n possibilities of origin reached. No matter what happens, or is perceived to happen in Hansel/Hedwig's life it is important to note that s/he was the origin of it all. That his/her sexuality and love grew from his/her self. Hedwig/Hansel's sexuality and love originated in the reactions s/he had to his/her own body, thoughts and the events in his/her life. It would have been beneficial to note that the only reason Hansel/Hedwig is able to reconcile his/her masculinity and femininity is that the two existed in the origin of Hansel/Hedwig. The entire movie is a play which starts when Hansel believes s/he lacks something, and ends when s/he has found it. The only difference being Hedwig/Hansel's perspective and perception of him/herself and the world in which s/he is surrounded.
