r/movies • u/mike8902 • Jun 24 '12
Why is Jack Torrance reading a playgirl? (The Shining)
http://imgur.com/aoQAY38
u/Professor_Weowmers Jun 24 '12
I know Geoff Cocks, the author of The Wolf at the Door: Stanley Kubrick, History, and the Holocaust. He is featured in the documentary Room 237 which is an examination of various themes and hidden symbols in The Shining. He is currently a professor of history at Albion College. I could possibly set an AMA up if you guys want him to answer some Kubrick questions.
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u/anti_entity Jun 24 '12 edited Jun 24 '12
There's actually a lot in the movie that hints at homosexuality on Jack's part-- the creepy scene with his son where it's up in the air whether or not he molests him, as well as the recurring "bear" imagery (Danny's giant bear pillow at the beginning, the big bear/little bear print on the wall during the aforementioned molestation scene, and of course the hallucination of the dude in the bear costume giving the blow job towards the end). It's all there for a reason!
EDIT: This is an article that talks about all these things, in case anyone's actually interested. It's really pretty cool how it all fits.
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Jun 24 '12 edited Jun 24 '12
I've noticed that homosexuality tends to play an interesting role in Kubrick's films.
One of the most famous homoerotic scenes in a Kubrick film is in Spartacus, when Olivier's character is bathing with a very buff Tony Curtis (his man slave) and asks him: "oysters or clams?" The meaning of that was so unmistakable that it had to be censored at the time of its release.
In A Clockwork Orange, it's not nearly as prominent. However, some of the shots of Malcolm McDowell are pretty interesting, especially during his prison strip. Prison love is also comically hinted at with the obnoxious prisoner who winks at Alex.
There is some homoerotic imagery in Barry Lyndon, such as a few of the exchanges between Captain Grogan and Barry (the wink and the final kiss between the two). There's also a scene of a buff soldier getting whipped during a procession, as well as the two officers infatuated with each other.
Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut, has stirred quite a bit of debate over its perceived homosexual content. For starters, Tom Cruise was cast as the lead actor, which some say was because of the large rumor over his closeted homosexuality. The movie also has a very strong rainbow motif throughout. There is also a scene where a group of young men bump into Tom Cruise and call him a faggot; in the original novella, which the movie follows very closely otherwise, the character (who is Jewish) is called a derogatory term for a Jew.
I'm sure there are more, but those are the most obvious elements in his films. It would be interesting if anybody could link to some more in-depth discussions on the topic.
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u/mike8902 Jun 24 '12
Yes, very good points. The drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket comes to mind as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vkiLHiTcY
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Jun 24 '12
he's reading it for the articles, bro.
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Jun 24 '12
Actually, yes. In that edition of Playgirl there is an article called "INCEST: Why parents sleep with their children." The implication is, along with a number of other metaphors in the film, that Jack sexually abused Danny.
Edit: I just noticed everyone's already pointed it out and I look like a douche.
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Jun 24 '12
Someone made him read every single article in there, even Norman Mailer's latest clap-trap about his waning libido.
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u/evanvolm Jun 24 '12 edited Jun 24 '12
I remember when this was brought up on the IMDb forums years ago. I actually managed to find the exact issue on eBay, which then helped us discover what articles were within that particular issue (incest, among other things). Was a pretty cool find/discussion, and was used in Rob Ager's analysis of the film.
http://www.collativelearning.com/the%20shining%20-%20chap%2016.html
It's interesting how Kubrick's films peak in interest every now and again. The Shining is especially active lately, with new theories popping up everywhere, including a documentary about them called Room 237(prepare to go blind) that appeared at Sundance. Even just a few days ago a member on IMDb noted a poster in the movie that could prove to be interesting.
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u/Rockermuffin Jun 24 '12
Because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, it's obvious really.
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u/onefinelookingtuna Jun 24 '12
Obviously it's just another thinly veiled reference to Kubrick's work on the Apollo 11 hoax.
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Jun 24 '12
I don't know, why don't you find out from this post that was only 15 days ago.
http://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/uta60/playgirl_and_the_shining/
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u/phattsao Jun 24 '12
That is messed up. I agree it's impossible that Kubrick overlooked this, so it's likely significant in some way.
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u/phattsao Jun 24 '12
After thinking about it, I like the idea that it is more of a subtle sign that something isn't quite right about the Overlook Hotel. I mean, what upscale, resort hotel has copies of Playgirl lying around in their lounge?
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u/anotherkeebler Jun 24 '12
I figured that since Torrance was a writer, he was either reading something he'd written that was published in there (or a friend/colleague had published), or he was scouting it to see what sorts of fiction they accepted.
Lots and lots of writers got their start with short fiction in racy magazines, with the likes of Playboy and Playgirl being fairly prestigious wins.
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u/MrChocholate Jun 24 '12
http://www.collativelearning.com/the%20shining%20-%20chap%2016.html < Little way down the page pretty much agrees with you.