“I Saw the TV Glow” - Why Queer Storytellers Make a Difference
Written by Joyo Smit
Thumbnail and Header by Moreno Matković
A lot goes into telling a compelling story. To produce a movie, there could be thousands of cast and crew members who work hard to bring the story to life. Everything is overseen by the director, who ensures the overall vision is maintained. The film I Saw the TV Glow is written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, a nonbinary creative who is relatively new to the film industry. Though the film did not have much press before release, it exploded in popularity among queer and especially transgender audiences. Thousands of videos were posted on TikTok and other social media with viewer’s overwhelmingly positive reactions. Some even went as far as to say their lives would never be the same after watching. So, what sets I Saw the TV Glow apart from other queer films?
While this article does not contain direct spoilers for the movie, it does discuss the themes and symbolism present within it. These are best seen on screen without any prior knowledge of the message of the film, so I recommend watching it before you continue reading.
The film follows the duo Maddie and Owen as they grow up in a small rural American town. They bond over the horror show The Pink Opaque, which allows them to briefly escape their lives into the world of the show. Brimming with bold colours, 90s aesthetics, abstract imagery, and a heart-wrenching soundtrack, I Saw the TV Glow is guaranteed to occupy viewer’s minds long after turning off the television. The film stars the queer actor Justice Smith, whose performance of a young teen struggling with their identity goes above and beyond. A cautionary tale about where suppressing your true self leads, the film encourages its viewers to embrace who they are. Schoenbrun weaves a tale of escapism, suppression, and self-acceptance that reflects the journey many queer people can relate to.
Schoenbrun talks about how their transition was a big inspiration for the film. As previously discussed, the two main characters use The Pink Opaque to escape their lives. “There is this process that a lot of other trans folks hopefully maybe can relate to,” Schoenbrun says in an interview with Zsombor Bobák through the Teddy Award, “of finding these glimmers of yourself in the media you’re consuming.” This is especially relatable to queer and trans youth, who have grown up with television, movies, and internet access. Through these media they can secretly identify with characters they feel represents their true identity. Overall, Schoenbrun’s career goal is “to make movies for my people,” as they stated in The Guardian.
Image by Myke Simon
It is no surprise that queer stories are best told by queer people, and I Saw the TV Glow makes that very apparent. Non-queer storytellers make queer media from an outside-in perspective. When they put together a story focused on queer characters, they do not have much to go off of given the lack of lived-experience. Their perspective of what LGBQ+ people face is only external. They see external struggles like people coming out of the closet and facing discrimination from the world around them. From these observed experiences, they deduce what internal struggles queer people face. For example, if a writer sees that queer people have to come out, they conclude that the main struggle queer people have is wrestling with coming out to friends and family.
Queer creators like Schoenbrun do the reverse, creating media from an inside-out perspective. They understand the internal struggles of queer people and have experienced them firsthand. Then, they use these internal struggles to influence how queer characters interact with the world around them. In the movie, I Saw the TV Glow, the main character struggles with suppressing their queerness, and they try to forget about it enough to be “normal”. As a result, their interactions with other characters are awkward and held back, as if they are trying to avoid perception.
Make no mistake, it is important to tell stories about discrimination and coming out. Media like Love, Simon, Heartstopper, and But I’m a Cheerleader are still fan favourites of many queer people who want to be represented on-screen. This type of story can also encourage tolerance and acceptance to their non-queer audiences, which is necessary to maintain and progress LGBTQ+ rights. However, this has become the predominant narrative of what queer life is about. There is so much more to being LGBTQ+ than dealing with ignorance from strangers and loved ones. This is best explored by queer creators and storytellers like Schoenbrun, who can use their experiences to relate to other LGBTQ+ people. I Saw the TV Glow is a hopeful promise of more stories that extend beyond the status quo of queer media.