What is “realness,” and why is it important in the ballroom?

Use this film, article, and book:

Bailey, “Gender/Racial Realness”

Bronski, Pellegrini, and Amico, “You Can Tell Just By Looking”

What is “realness,” and why is it important in the ballroom? What does it take “to be real?” Please include at least one direct quotation from Bailey’s article and at least one reference to Paris is Burning.

Choose one myth from You Can Tell Just By Looking and explain the reasoning of the authors in both explaining and dismantling of the myth. What is the myth, and what does it do? In other words, what function does it serve, given the explanations of what myths do, taken from the introduction?

Next, how do the authors dismantle the myth? What evidence do they use to do so? Why is it important to the authors that the myth be dismantled? Do you agree or disagree with their argument against the myth?

What is “realness,” and why is it important in the ballroom?
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