Vid: Straightening Up the House, Marvel Comics and Films

[eruthros]

Title: Straightening Up the House
Fandom: Marvel comics and films
Song: Straightening Up the House by Romanovsky and Phillips (from "Emotional Rollercoaster," released in 1988)
Length: 4:00
Contains: No standard content notes. Queer erasure. Suicidal ideation (in comics speech bubbles). Opens with a terrible James Gunn interview.
Summary: Commemorating more than ten years of queer characters (not) appearing in Marvel films.

This is my premiere for the wiscon_vidparty! I have been thinking of making an angry vid like this about the translation of comics to films and tv for a long time, and I happened upon this amazingly perfect song last year. I had a lot of ... fun? trying to combine comics and films (I initially was doing some comparison panels that did video and comics side by side that just did not work) plus trying to combine lyrics + comics dialogue + title cards.

Thanks so much to thingswithwings for making this vid what it is - her beta work was invaluable.

Also, kuwdora made the motion text in the opening credits - this was so so helpful, because I didn't have to figure out how to do it or what it should look like (my brief was, like, "here's the music, something about text getting less rainbowy") and also, once someone else had made credits for me, I was committed to the vid and couldn't give up when it got infuriating.

Most comics footage in the vid is titled with character names, but if there's anything you want to hear more about I would be happy to tell you where it's from or the context of the panels.

Download: Straightening Up the House, 68 MB, 1280x720
Subtitles: Straightening Up the House subtitles

Streaming version:

Interview + Lyrics:
James Gunn:
You know, somebody asked me, you know, will there be any gay characters in, you know, Marvel movies? And, what - what I, you know, what I meant is, there's a lot of characters in the MCU, and very few of them have we delved into what their sexuality is, whether it's gay, or straight, or bisexual, we don't really know. Um, so I imagine that there are probably, you know, gay characters in the Marvel universe, you know, we just don't know who they are yet.

Romanovsky and Phillips
Today I took the nudes down off the wall
Ten minutes after I received her telephone call
She'll be here Friday morning so there's not much time to clean
Better hide the Advocate and Mandate magazine
We'll redecorate the guest room so it looks like it's been used
Separate our wardrobes or she'll really be confused
Then get ready for a lonely week of sleeping on the couch
We're straightening up the house

Tomorrow I will put away your gay pride shirts
And our Halloween assortment of jewelry, pumps, and skirts
Then pack up all the books by Quentin Crisp and Rita Mae
And the "His & His" towels that you bought me yesterday
And you'd better hide the albums by that lesbian group
She has no ear for music, but she has been known to snoop
And remember not to kiss me, just forget that you're my spouse
Straightening up the house

The snapshots of the two of us in Spain will have to go
Don't tell me this is totally insane, because I know
And I cannot wear the wristwatch with our names engraved in gold
The one that says "I love you, John, with all my heart and soul."

This is our first Christmas here in our new home
In a hostile world, it's our only safety zone
I never should have promised I'd continue with this lie
But Dad was so certain if she found out she would die
But if it's killing anyone I think it's killing me
'Cause it tears me up inside to hide my true identity
And asking you to help me makes me feel like such a louse

I'm thirty-two years old, why am I acting like a mouse?
I'm a man and he's my lover
If she freaks out she'll recover
Come on and help me to just clean the house!

Comments

[eruthros]

Thank you!

Roger and Jack are one of the couples who didn't make it into the end montage - there are a bunch missing for various reasons, partly because I needed to make the pacing work and partly because I couldn't get comics or the comics quality was not good. I felt bad about it because I have a lot of friends who ship them!

[eruthros]

Thank you!

[cinco]

This is SO GOOD. I'm going to need to watch it several times to really even understand how good--there's so much packed in here. The song is amazing, the list at the end is wonderful, and I am absolutely furious about all of it and ready to punch everybody at Marvel in the face, starting with James Gunn and going from there. THANK YOU.

[ifreet]

Thanks for making a vid that makes me want to yank other people into the room to watch it, so I can gesture angrily about the choices made in the Marvel film universe, like just LOOK.

(And it works because it's so well crafted! I've already watched it a handful of times, the second time because I'd never heard the song before and kept laughing and missing stuff on screen, and every time I notices something new.)

[ratcreature]

What a perfect choice of a song. And that ending. It makes the point really well.

[fightingarrival]

I'm on at least my fifth watch of this and I feel this so much. I feel this all so so much. Oh, Marvel.

[runawaynun]

I'm still in awe of how well this is done and how much research you must have done to find the right panels and everything! It's just a stunning vid.

[beccaelizabeth]

This was good
now I am tired and annoyed
but this was good

[sophygurl]

Wow. So good. Loved the song and the message. Fucking five to ten years huh?

Your opus

[brainwane]

This vid is an amazing achievement in that devastating systematic laying-out-the-evidence way. And in particular the clips you use for

But if it's killing anyone I think it's killing me
'Cause it tears me up inside to hide my true identity

are just a gutpunch, and the reverse-chronological litany at the close is sublime.

And the way you mix several kinds of stills and moving images here makes me want to watch it over and over and take notes like I did when I was making "Pipeline". I can't recall ever seeing a better-executed many-media vid.

I predict people will want to refer to this vid for years to come. You ought to get accolades and showers of flowers from the heavens for making it.

[scintilla10]

Oh jeez, I'm feeling a lot right now. This is so good, and so smart, and there's so much packed in here. I'm in awe of the way you made using different kinds of media look easy! Really great vid.

[jb_slasher]

Perfect objection to the heteronormativity that encompasses the whole of MCU.

[longwhitecoats]

That was really powerful and really sad. Thank you for making it. <333

sending love

[littlecatk]

this video is wonderful, it gave me so many emotions, i love the way you present it, specialy the end with the backwards chronological order.
thanks so much for making and sharing this!!!

[eruthros]

Thank you - I'm glad it worked for you!

[eruthros]

Thank you so much! And yes, I'm still mad that Arnie didn't make it into a movie like 25 years after he was introduced in comics :(

Also your icon is GREAT.

[eruthros]

Ha, thank you!

[eruthros]

Thank you, I'm so glad that i worked for you!

[eruthros]

Thank you so much - that is exactly the emotion that I was hoping to inspire (and also how I felt every time I exported a draft and watch that James Gunn interview all the way through again).

[eruthros]

Thank you so much! Also I love this song to pieces and I'm so glad it made you laugh :)

[kiki_eng]

Thank you for this. That ending sequence is fantastic, and the whole vid.

[(Anonymous)]

This is lovely -- really intelligent video, so beautifully put together. It's a great way of showing Marvel's hypocrisy, but also a lovely celebration of all the queer couples we love. Gorgeous work.

[meelie]

wow great vid!

[dr_fumbles_mcstupid]

hi, i am putting together a panel for a con about fandom as a form of critique and i wanted to know if i could have permission to show/talk about this vid in the panel. I will of course be giving full credit to you :)

[eruthros]

Hi - yes, that's fine with me!