Out Takes

7 Mar 2016

The Queer Beauty Myth & Body Obsession

Arts, TV & Film

Before he shed 60 pounds to play Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt was a chubby larakin in Parks and Recreation. Paul Rudd beefed up for his role in Ant Man. It’s clear that society likes its leading men to look a certain way. One need only look at queer dating apps and gay men’s porn sites to note that Hollywood’s obsession with beautiful men has penetrated queer cinema.

This week we ask how healthy Hollywood’s obsession with beauty is, and look at some of the issues that the bodies we view on screen engender. To aid us in our discussion we chat with Dr Duane Duncan, honorary research fellow at La Trobe University, and Dr Warwick Hosking, senior lecturer in psychology at Victoria University.  We also look at key queer films like Beauty that have confronted body anxieties and beauty in gay culture.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:22 — 22.6MB)

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17 Mar 2026

Oscars Recap 2026

TV & Film

For this Out Takes Extra, we got together 24 hours post-Oscars for a debrief and to see if any of ...

17 Mar 2026

2026 GLAAD Media Awards, A Nice Indian Boy interview encore and our Oscar predictions

TV & Film

With Awards season wrapping up for another year, we thought we’d celebrate some of the winners at this year’s GLAAD ...

10 Mar 2026

Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy

TV & Film

For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Running from March 19–23 across ACMI ...