“Yes …, But I Was Drunk”: Alcohol References and the (Re)Production of Masculinity on a College Campus

You Like That, Pledge? Displays of Normalizing Sexual Rhetoric in Haze Him

“…The alcohol consumption only legitimizes homosexual activity in a single instance, as actors can and should retreat back to heterosexuality post-cum shot (Butler, 1990). This cyclically affects real world scenarios, as individuals use alcohol to perform sexual acts (Engstrom, 2012;Johansson & Hammare, 2007). This practice reiterates cultural norms of sexuality by reaffirming homosexuality as dangerous, and further extending the dominant paradigm that same sex desire and practice is disgusting and destructive.…”

“…Most episodes begin with alcohol consumption, which serves as justification for homosexual acts. Engstrom (2012) concluded that college students use discourses of alcohol consumption to justify actions that violate standards of hegemonic masculinity. Haze Him's depiction of masculine heterosexual bodies consuming alcohol prior to non-normative homosexual acts serves as both an extension of how college students use alcohol consumption to justify sexual behavior and reinforcement of heteronormative representations of masculinity (Engstrom, 2012;Hensley, 2011).…”

“…Engstrom (2012) concluded that college students use discourses of alcohol consumption to justify actions that violate standards of hegemonic masculinity. Haze Him's depiction of masculine heterosexual bodies consuming alcohol prior to non-normative homosexual acts serves as both an extension of how college students use alcohol consumption to justify sexual behavior and reinforcement of heteronormative representations of masculinity (Engstrom, 2012;Hensley, 2011). Alcohol consumption in these episodes goes on to influence compulsory heterosexuality, as inherently heterosexual men never question their sexual orientation until alcohol consumption.…”

“…All episodes have some form of competition, and whether it is the standard beer pong, strip poker, spin-the-bottle game, or instances of hazing, individuals use competition (usually paired with alcohol consumption) to legitimize forceful homosexual behavior (Engstrom, 2012;Maanboy11523, 2012;Zabreze21m, 2012). For instance, in "Winning Play" the actors just finished watching a football game, and the men whose team won are taunting the men whose team lost.…”

“…This is kind of gay" (Zabreze21m, 2012). When alcohol consumption and competition finally results in homoerotic behavior, many of the actors feel the need to verbally verify that they are heterosexual (Butler, 1990;Engstrom, 2012;Seidman, Fischer, & Meeks, 2011). This prompts other actors to either force themselves upon the protesting body or to say phrases such as "We're just a bunch of guys getting each other off" or "You play sports?…”