William Smith

William Smith is a recent graduate of Marymount Manhattan College and holder of a BA in Communication Arts. William studies the lived experiences of gay men as well as conducting cultural analysis through examining queer cinema classics such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Showgirls. He is particularly interested in issues of representation and appropriation.

no. 2, Student Voices, vol. 6April 22, 2021<April 26, 2021

Different Places! Real and Hyperreal Las Vegas in Showgirls

William Smith

William Smith analyzes how the film Showgirls engages with themes of the hyperreal in its portrayal of Las Vegas. The film makes a jarring break from typical representations of the city, peeling back the layers of Las Vegas to reveal its promises to be inaccessible, profit-driven myths.