Call Me by Your Name, Carol, and Gay Age Gaps

"Why do age gap relationships make people so angry? Why do queer ones make them even angrier?" This week we discuss the strengths, weaknesses, misconceptions, and moralism of gay and lesbian age gap relationships. Jane and Elaine relate the representation of such relationships in romantic drama films Carol (2015) and Call Me by Your Name (2017), to their own experiences as a couple. Both texts offer nuanced glimpses into the intimate lives of gay people and have a thing or two to say about Oedipus and Electra complexes. Despite their widespread acclaim upon release, these films have since been subjected to varying degrees of criticism, but is any of it really earned? Is prejudice towards people who do things differently earned? No. Not really, and we will tell you why.