It’s been 5 years since Pitch Perfect 3 released and it still bothers me how they
sold the movie to audiences. It all stemmed from fan reactions
to two characters in the first film. There was such excitement for them that the filmmakers couldn’t
help but rub their hands together at the prospect of what this
could mean for the franchise. But not in terms of these characters and their place as potential LGBT* icons - instead, in terms of what the studio could do to manipulate this audience
into seeing their films. Audiences tend to be a little back and forth on deciding if they’re okay
with LGBT people existing. Sometimes, it’s good and profitable for the
media to be accepting of the LGBT community, and sometimes it’s not worth the controversy
to actually treat them like real people. However, a lot of companies
struggle with this dilemma because the LGBT community
and their allies have money and those companies would really like that money. So how can they meet in the middle? Well, that’s where queerbaiting comes in… What is Queerbaiting? Put simply, queerbaiting is when a tv show
or movie hints at having LGBT characters, usually in marketing the product beforehand, in order to increase viewership with little
to no actual pay-off to this suggestion. There also may be queerbaiting
within the story of the show itself, in order to get viewers to stick
around to see what happens next. Queerbaiting is usually
directed at the LGBT community since there is limited LGBT
representation in media; so any chance to see themselves represented
in popular media is very welcome, especially if it is honest and respectful. Additionally, sometimes people
find same-sex coupling hot, even if some of those people
don’t really like LGBT people. Typically, this consists of audience
members who want to see hot girls make out but not actually be interested
in each other romantically. Let’s not get those messy feelings involved. Instead, focus that romantic energy on
heterosexual relationships with men, ladies, and keep that sexy making out for parties or
public settings where the men can enjoy it. VERONICA: “Don’t freak out. Just trust me.” These characters are not LGBT. This moment is never referenced again and is even called out in the
episode immediately after, as if this excuses the obvious queerbaiting. CHERYL: “Check your sell-by date, ladies. Faux lesbian kissing hasn’t
been taboo since 1994.” While the show tries to lampshade its own attempt at a ratings boost for the
first episode of the series, the creators knew exactly what they
were doing when they filmed that scene; trying to excite audiences about what
else this new edgy series would get up to. Queerbaiting is heavily
criticised in the LGBT community because it is all about
viewership and shock factor, as opposed to creating the meaningful,
lasting relationships between characters that heterosexual characters get most of the time. It also indicates that LGBT
relationships are edgy and abnormal, and therefore, these relationships do not have
any proper substance or should be taken seriously. How Pitch Perfect Queerbaits In the midst of Glee-centric hype and a
movement for self-acceptance and inclusivity, Pitch Perfect was released in 2012. Pitch Perfect was a comedy-musical following a mix of college students
singing in acapella competitions, focusing on the all-female acapella group:
the Barden Bellas. The main character, Beca,
joins them somewhat reluctantly to give herself an edge for her future career. Like Glee, the setting introduced
a mix of diverse characters and the character known as Fat Amy even says FAT AMY:“So there’s like ten of us. That means one of us is probably a lesbian.” AUBREY: “You think? Which one do you think it is?” FAT AMY: “My money’s on black beauty.” STACIE: “So, when I drink too much tonight, can
I count on you to hold my hair back if I puke?” FAT AMY: “Don’t tell her I said that.” Well, she wasn’t wrong. Although the script meant
someone else in the group, the film unintentionally depicted
two characters as potentially queer, something marketing would really lean into later. Step forward ‘Bechloe’ LARRY KING: “What on earth is BeChloe?” BRITTANY SNOW: “BeChloe! Um… Yeah! Well, I didn’t really
know until very recently as well. It’s, um, I guess, these people who enjoy films
‘ship’ people, which is, basically, they…” ANNA CAMP: “It’s like a relationship?” BRITTANY SNOW: “They formulate a
relationship that they want to happen. So, this is Beca - Anna Kendrick - her character
and my character if we actually were together.” Now I do think this pseudo-romance/flirtation is something audiences assumed
independently of the film and wasn't the intention of the film. This was later confirmed by the writer
of the Pitch Perfect movies, Kay Cannon. However, there is good reason for why this would-be relationship
gained traction amongst fans. Let us be reminded of the intimate
and awkward way Beca and Chloe meet. Chloe overhears Beca singing and is very forward on insisting Beca joins the
acapella group, Barden Bellas It’s a strange introduction,
mostly played for laughs but the actresses’ chemistry carries the scene. As we know very little about
these characters so far, the little whisper in the back
of some heads starts to ask “...is this a weird meet cute for a couple?” CHLOE: “Oh yeah, I’m pretty
confident about … all this.” Beca: “You should be.” It doesn’t help that their next one-on-one
encounter has this little interaction: CHLOE: “Hi!” BECA: “Oh!” CHLOE: “I am SO glad that I met you. I
think we’re going to be really fast friends. BECA: “Well, you saw me naked, so.” But then the guy Beca met earlier, Jesse, is back and it’s clear this film would rather have its
leading protagonist with a man than a woman. Plus Chloe is seen with a guy both in the shower
scene and aca-initiation night so okay, fine. Disappointing but I get it,
Hollywood’s not there yet. And maybe the characters aren’t either. In 2015, Brittany Snow, who played
Chloe, spoke about the shower scene in an interview with Out magazine, confirming the scene was not
implying anything romantic: “We never set out to make her anything. It was never supposed be bisexual or lesbian. I think she was one of those
girls who love everyone —but people can take that however they want it.” There was still a lot of buzz around this film and a possible future
relationship between the two. I was on Tumblr in those days and while Tumblr users tended to ship
everyone and their brother together the fandom went crazy for Beca and Chloe. It clearly had a strong fan base. Back to Amy suggesting one of the group is gay and what the script wanted you to think. Their one out queer character, Cynthia Rose, is characterised in a predatory
way for the majority of the film, feeling up and staring at
the promiscuous character and taking any opportunity to perv on the girls. In fact, her sexuality and Fat Amy
speculating on it is a punchline: CYNTHIA: “Well, for the last
two years, I’ve had a serious… gambling problem.” FAT AMY: “What?!” BECA: “What?!” CYNTHIA: “It started when I
broke up with my girlfriend.” FAT AMY: “Womp, there it is.” So Pitch Perfect wasn’t exactly kind
to its existing queer characters, making them the butt of the joke and reinforcing
stereotypes about gay people being predatory. This wasn’t the best setup for the writers taking
queer relationships seriously in the future but the fans held out hope for the franchise. Pitch Perfect 2 was announced
and fans were excited. Maybe now that they’ve safely
profited off a first film, the franchise could take LGBT representation
more seriously in the next one? Maybe the audience could even see something
more concretely queer from Beca or Chloe since fans have made their enthusiasm
for this coupling pretty well known and the actresses were even
acknowledging this fandom. The Sequels Get Worse In Pitch Perfect 2, the
Barden Bellas are disqualified from their position as National Champions when Amy accidentally exposes
herself on stage while performing. The film follows them trying to get reinstated
and their impending graduation from college. There are moments in the film that make it obvious the filmmakers are aware of fans’ excitement around the possibility of the
central character, Beca, being queer. And it’s this acknowledgement that starts
to make me see queerbaiting red flags. When interacting with the lead female
singer of a rival acapella group, Beca says: BECA: “You are physically flawless.” KOMMISSAR: “Thank you.” BECA: “But it doesn’t mean I like you.” KOMMISSAR: “And now I really must go rest my
neck. It is sore from looking down at you.” BECA: Okay! Just because you’re making me very sexually confused does not
mean you’re intimidating.” Beca complimenting her and being flustered around
this character continues throughout the film, even while Kommissar insults her. Again these interactions are played for laughs and there is no actual pay off to
Beca’s sexual confusion for a woman. When it comes to Beca interacting with Chloe,
there is far more content in this film. They have a great friendship, and Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow continue
to have fantastic chemistry together. But the filmmakers can’t help themselves and they throw in another tease to the fans
of this pairing during a camping scene. CHLOE: “You know Beca, we’re very close, but I feel like this retreat is really going to
let us discover everything about each other.” BECA: “Is that right?” CHLOE: “You know, one of my biggest regrets is that I
didn’t do enough experimenting in college...” BECA: “You are so weird.” CHLOE: “Thanks!” Naturally with the proximity of the
characters and the hushed tones, it’s incredibly clear what
Chloe is propositioning to Beca but alas, Beca turns away. The filmmakers dangled that carrot on a stick - Chloe literally suggesting to Beca that
they act on their undeniable sexual chemistry - and then snatched it away. Chloe then starts singing “Torn”, a song about emotional damage from a bad break up. Hmm… Not long after, Beca and Chloe get into an
argument and Amy tries to break it up, saying: FAT AMY: “Listen, I don’t want you guys to fight. You're Beca and Chloe! Together, you're "Bloe", and everybody loves a good blowy.” It may be another punchline but the writer literally adds a reference
to the women’s ship name into the script, which feels like a shout out to the fans, especially following the
experimenting in college scene. This all feels like it’s leading
up to something but it never does. Beca continues to date her boyfriend, Jesse, and these hints and suggestions are
nothing more than teasing jokes. Anna Kendrick and Brittany
Snow even won a Teen Choice Award for their Chemistry after Pitch Perfect 2. To which Anna tweeted her celebration, hashtagging: “Bechloe Is Real” with a lips emoji. There is clear support from Kendrick for this ship - or at the very least, she’s happy
to promote it for marketing reasons. But we’ll get more into that later. The film’s director, Elizabeth
Banks, also tweeted her support. Regarding the actual out character, Cynthia Rose, she returns to the film as a now engaged woman, but we never hear the name
or details of her to-be wife, and she continues to feel up women on the
camping trip, despite her relationship status. STACIE: “You touching my goodies?!” CYNTHIA: “Yes.” The predatory lesbian trope continues. So maybe fans are reading too much
into a close female friendship. It could just be that, after all. Maybe the filmmakers never intended
for its leads to be LGBT or hinted at and would baulk at the accusation of queerbaiting. Or will argue that it’s just a comedy, lighten up! We are two films down; Beca has been in a long-term relationship with
Jesse and Chloe has been seen with multiple men, outside of her mildly flirtatious
interactions with the girls and Beca. I guess it’s just not meant to be… Then the marketing campaign happened. The filmmakers knew. Hype for a relationship increased and this marketing seemed to confirm Beca and
Chloe were headed for a real romantic plotline in the third and possibly final
instalment of the Pitch Perfect series. Surely the studio wouldn’t be
this blatantly queerbaiting? That would just be cruel and extremely obvious that they want butts in seats who hope
to see Beca and Chloe become official. Well, blatant they were. And the studio even went one step further by having the actresses create
a special promo for Snapchat: ANNA KENDRICK: “Swipe up for more.” Maybe it’s me but Anna Kendrick looks pretty
uncomfortable at the end of that promo. Maybe she wasn’t a fan of
the very obvious queerbaiting and sexualisation of herself and Brittany Snow to promote a film that did not include
anything romantic between the characters. Yep, in fact, this film ended up having the
least queer content of all three of the films. Pitch Perfect 3 starts by letting
us know Beca is now single but don’t worry, this is just so we can try to give her another male love
interest in music producer, Theo. Unfortunately for the filmmakers, Anna Kendrick ended up vetoing this love
interest storyline and a subsequent kiss because she found the power imbalance of
him being her potential boss “problematic”. So they stay mainly platonic. However, for the first time in the series, Chloe is given her own love interest - a completely bland, shoe-horned-in
soldier named Chicago. It feels intentional on the part of the
filmmakers to er, ‘ground’ Chloe as straight by having the final movie focus on her
heterosexual romance with this random bland man. Her possible bisexual tendencies were just playful
banter and now it’s time for her to get serious. And what’s better than the epitome of manliness
in a US Army soldier with Hollywood good looks?! There is still a tiny bit of queerbaiting
in the film itself, of course. The marketing used that moment of Chloe grabbing
Beca by the chest and holding on a bit too long in its queerbaiting promos,
so some content was needed. Plus more throwaway lines for laughs. CHLOE: “Girls! We have separate rooms! We don’t have to sleep on
top of each other anymore!” CHICAGO: “What?” CHLOE: “Not sexually …There was that one time.”] Behind the Scenes So, the studio was very aware
of the fandom around Bechloe and how that excitement sold tickets and
increased popularity for the franchise. By queerbaiting, the studio
could have their cake and eat it - by promoting their film as LGBT-inclusive but not actually having to walk that
controversial road with some audiences by delivering on that promise. I don’t think this intention to
deceive was shared by the cast. Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow mentioned
Bechloe positively in interviews multiple times. INTERVIEWER: “...Huge fanbase
surrounding Beca and Chloe as a couple. ANNA KENDRICK: Yes! I love it; I love it! INTERVIEWER: What are your thoughts on that?” ANNA KENDRICK: I love it! I
couldn’t be more excited about it. In the first movie when we were
doing the scenes I was like, ‘This is entering sketchy town and I love it, that’s where I live, that’s
my home, is in sketchy town’.” Anna even mentioned there were opportunities
for Bechloe to be realised in Pitch Perfect 2. ANNA KENDRICK: “It’s a weird
combination in the second one where there’s moments where you’re like, ‘Oh, come on! That’s a perfect
opportunity for a BeChloe moment’.” I believe Kendrick was a fan of the Bechloe
ship and wanted it to become a reality. This becomes clear when news
of a kiss between the two was sneakily filmed on the set of Pitch Perfect 3. REBEL WILSON: “...But they filmed a kiss.” FAN: “And we’re not going to see it?” REBEL WILSON: “They - The studio didn’t
want to put it in the finished movie but I’m hoping it’ll be on the DVD.” FAN: “I can’t believe they filmed it.” REBEL WILSON: “Yeah, we filmed it.
It was, like, on the last day.” REBEL WILSON: “[Anna] Kendrick wanted to film it.” FAN: Kendrick wanted to film it? REBEL WILSON: Yep! Unfortunately the studio did not include
this kiss in the film or on the DVD extras. It was lost to the cosmos, perhaps just
another marketing gimmick in queerbaiting. It became a rumour, a myth, a legend… And then it was leaked online in December 2020. Excuse the quality. THEO: “You look great.” BECA: “I gotta go show this guy how it’s done.” THEO: “Ohh, I always knew.” I think it’s cute. Kendrick and Snow wanted to give
Bechloe fans a little something after all the teasing and queerbaiting, and even though the snippet took a while to
see the light of day, it’s a cute gesture. Even if it is about 3.5 pixels. Plus you can see Kendrick and
Snow really going for that kiss! It’s also interesting to note that Kendrick
mentions in an interview with Collider that the editing of Pitch Perfect 2 actually
leant further into the queerbaiting: ANNA KENDRICK: “Hailee and I
filmed this perfectly normal scene, and they cut it together
with these lingering looks. And I was like, why does it look
like I want to bone this chick? Like, first of all, I’ve already got my
potential lesbian storyline with Chloe!” Coupled with the existing Bechloe moments, Beca feeling sexually frustrated by her
female rival and now this flirtatious editing, it was extremely intentional on behalf of the
editors and filmmakers to hint Beca might be queer and therefore attract a larger
audience without any actual pay off. Within the film, they keep the
moments sparse and subtle enough to allow plausible deniability
for the general audience while still feeding into the excitement
and hope of LGBT-seeking audiences. And ultimately, this queerbaiting did pay off
for the filmmakers - directly into their pockets. Conclusion I find it cruel when studios queerbait because there is limited representation of
the LGBT community on television and film, and the promise of more is so desired. Although this has fortunately
improved in recent years, back in 2018 when Pitch Perfect 3 was released, there was even less mainstream
LGBT representation. So to actively promote that a film
is delivering on a relationship that has been relentlessly teased for so long and then firmly shutting it down is
just unnecessarily mean-spirited. It tells audiences that queer
relationships are meant to remain a fantasy and not meant to be endgame for the characters. In fact, queer relationships are best used as
a marketing ploy, in the eyes of the studios. It’s also plain old false advertising
and that deception is not okay. I was honestly shocked at how blatantly Universal Pictures tried to deceive
audiences by baiting them into thinking Bechloe was actually
going to happen in Pitch Perfect 3 - and on reflection, this was
a clear ploy to improve profits after the film initially received
negative reviews from critics. Queerbaiting is not okay. If anything, it’s immature and dishonest. Be honest about the values you have and
what you intend to represent in your film, instead of trying to please both sides
of an extremist coin of opinions. Because, in the end, you’ll please no one. So, what queerbaiting moments
did I miss in the series? Do you agree that Pitch Perfect
and its marketing queerbaited? Did you actually want to see
more of the BeChloe ship? And, in general, what are the most offensive
uses of queerbaiting that you’ve seen?
