Adversity In Monster Culture

Michael Alig is the unique and flamboyant antagonist of the 2003 drama, Party Monster. During the film, watchers given a look inside Alig’s lifestyle and introduction to the New York City club scene. However, the glitz and glamour that is usually shown of the bustling city barely made an appearance during the movie. Instead, rather darker characteristics of The Big Apple were addressed, such as avid drug abuse, unhealthy friendships, the shady world of nightlife, and even murder committed by Alig. Many could ask how a small-town kid like Alig living a lifestyle that is so tragic and chaotic, but the answer lies within the opening scene, where viewers are given a look inside of Alig’s childhood. Michael Alig was a gay boy inside of the

In Michael Cohen’s “Monster Culture”, he discusses the thesis “The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference”. Cohen is essentially stating that facing a lot of adversity, especially at a young age can bring out the worst in people. Michael Alig is no exception to this rule. The scene opens with Michael Alig next to a drugged-out James St. James, whom he pushes over when he does not respond. Before viewers are even introduced to his background, they get a glimpse inside of the drug filled, dark lifestyle he lives as an adult. After James St James does not respond, Michael Alig begins talking about how he was the typical small-town kid who “felt different and really did not fit in”. “Not really fitting in” is a gross understatement of Alig’s situation as he was gay in a town where being a homosexual was not widely accepted in the community. This small difference caused him to be bullied by his classmates, and the opening scene even

Cohen’s thesis helps the audience understand that the Monster that is exhibited in Alig is a direct outcome of the adversity Alig faced throughout his childhood. Alig has sought out the lifestyle he has because he subconsciously believes that by partaking in strange activities like making out with his Sunday School teacher, he is better than his peers in South Bend. Not only are the abnormal choices caused by adversity he faced as a child, but they are also caused by the insecurity the adversity created. bell hook’s theory about how the desire of the other is usually rooted in insecurity helps to complete Cohen’s thesis, as Alig is not only acting out because he was bullied so much, but he is also acting out because that bullying made him insecure. It can be said that the “Gates of Difference” that Michael Alig experienced has greatly influenced his “desire of the