Is every transvestite a natural performer? Certainly if one understands the phenomenon of transvestitism as a performativity exercise that undermines the very core of the heterosexual normativity, then yes, every transvestite would be a great performer. It's no surprise, then, that at the beginning of this short film Corey, the protagonist, is performing in front of an audience, albeit quite small, singing and playing an electric guitar. He's dressed as a woman and wearing stark make up. His attitude and his lyrics are a powerful diatribe against hegemonic heterosexuality. Of course the audience, composed by a couple of teachers, adamantly demands one thing: for Corey to leave the stage and go away. As if one could so easily silence Corey's need of screaming out the unfairness of such heterosexual-centric activities like the prom night.
If transvestites have been placed at the very bottom of the social chain, then it's easier to understand Corey's frustrations and demands. Contemporary cinema has often showed us examples of gays well inserted in the symbolic order; it's easy to spot a gay friend or a gay-token character in a large number of productions. These are tamed and softened version of the gay individual, which in most cases obey only an exaggerated sense of political correctness. McCarthy's production does exactly the opposite, much like filmmaker Tom Kalin in "Savage Grace" (who is acknowledged in the credits). The short film displays the intrinsic wrongfulness of high school dynamics regarding that which eludes the heterosexual normative. But in doing so it also proves that the level of courage and bravery an individual like Corey must have is ultimately detrimental for him.
When Corey seduces the brightest and hottest of the class, he finds out that this is a pyrrhic victory, because that boy will invalidate any possibility of an ongoing relationship. When this boy's girlfriend is rumored to become the next prom queen, Corey bursts into the party in a most theatrical way. He is a performer after all. And he performs his last desperate gambit.
Can the viewer imagine a more complicated scenario? High school bullies, closeted homosexuals and in the middle of it all, stirring up prejudices, a male homosexual dressed up as a girl with all the makeup and accessories to match. As the dramatic events unfold, one discovers that for all of Corey's theatrical abilities, he is the living embodiment of loneliness, because in the end no matter how brave you are, some things cannot be changed. Society will keep on rejecting anything that deviates from the rules, and will lash out even more strongly to those who intend to subvert the established order.
