Married to the Eiffel Tower, and objectsexuality, is certainly something that has forced me to think about how I perceive the limits of sexuality. Before I saw the movie I assumed there was no way this form of sexual expression could be real. However, after seeing the way the characters of the film respond to and notice objects they find attractive, it’s hard for me to deny the presence or validity of their feelings.
This documentary makes me think about Juana Rodriguez’s piece, “Introduction to Queer Futures.” Though Rodriguez focuses her attention on racialized sexual encounters, she attempts to imagine a future for sex that is freer of heteronormative prejudice, or a gay sex culture which does not focus itself around the sexuality of gay white men. In this case, I think Rodriguez would embrace objectsexuality, as it challenges the restrictions we place on acceptable sexual behavior, even restrictions that exist within the LGBTQ community.
Though I am still unsure of my stance on objectsexuality, I do know that there are certain aspects of the film Married to the Eiffel Tower that I find to be unfair. For starters, the discussion of the main characters’ history of mental illness reminds me of previous conversations regarding mental instability, or unwellness, of gay people mere decades ago. Furthermore, I feel as though this film and its story focuses too much on the sexual relationships these women form with objects. To me, this is not so surprising or curious. What baffled me most about these women’s stories is the emotional, non-sexual connection they felt with these objects; often speaking to them and gently caressing them as ways to show affection. Even more surprising, it was clear that they felt this affection was returned by these objects.
This tendency to focus on sexual taboos rather than emotional relationships also reinforces Rodriguez’s argument. It’s possible that something like objectsexuality could help us forget these prejudices in order to obtain a more fair, inclusive sexual politics.
