by Roberto Paolo Malaspina
This contribution focuses on the symbolic form of the family—as a topos and stereotype of Italian culture—investigating its intersections with sexuality, cinematic, and post-pornographic representations. Starting from the analysis of the disciplinary family in Foucault, this article shows, through the lens of queer and performative gender theories, the possibility of disorienting the normative status of the family and its cinematic representations. Finally, in the contemporary national context, the role that the dissident practices of post-pornography have played with respect to representations of sex and family forms is analyzed. Through the investigation of performances, videos, and films by the “pornoterrorist” couple Rosario Gallardo, this article shows how the duo played a central role in constituting the specificity of the national post-porn scenario, precisely in light of their ability to crystallize and exploit stereotypical Italian forms (such as the family) in favor of a broader practice of political dissidence.