Queer writers reflect on the complicated legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Since its earliest midnight showings at the Waverly Theater in New York City, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been an underground sensation. For five decades, people around the world have dressed up and gathered in dark theaters to dance, yell, mime obscene acts, and forge connections with other queer people and weirdos.
The film shattered expectations and social norms at the time of its release. But how does its presentation of queerness—not to mention its portrayals of murder, manipulation, consent violation, and cannibalism—hold up today? The essays in Absolute Pleasure—by queer writers including Sarah Gailey, Grace Lavery, and Magdalene Visaggio—explore the film's complicated legacy, along with queer and trans joy, sexuality, family, generational understandings of queerness, and what we do with our problematic faves.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show rocked my world as a teenager in the ’70s, and the light it showed me over at the Frankenstein place was where I first learned I could remove the cause, and enjoy the symptom, of being trans. The essays in this expansive anthology are so many lighters, held aloft, that illuminate the enduring influence of this film.” —Susan Stryker, author of When Monsters Speak
"Virgins and veterans alike will find something to contemplate in this wide-ranging collection, which is not afraid to interrogate a beloved classic while also celebrating its profound impact on weirdos and misfits across generations. As one of those weirdos, I’m so glad it exists." —Jess Zimmerman, author of Women and Other Monsters
"A collection as colorful, subversive, and comforting as the film it celebrates, Absolute Pleasure immortalizes in print The Rocky Horror Picture Show's still-unrivaled capacity for building queer connection and community in ways both wistful and wicked." —Joe Vallese, editor of It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror
Deep and active fan community: Fifty years after its release, fans worldwide continue to host midnight showings of the film. We expect that the active and well-connected community will embrace the book and spread information about it by word of mouth.
Star contributors: Rocky Horror Picture Show has legions of dedicated queer fans, some of whom are now famous in their own right. Well-known names such as Grace Lavery and Magdalene Visaggio will draw audiences and also drive significant social media interest.
