LAYING OUT: AWARD WINNER
Mature: Female Gaze on The Pros & Cons of Having a Penis
Laying Out is a fantasy short film about misogyny and leveling the field on women’s rights. It uses the voice of a woman who imagines being a man, describing the act of fucking a woman in bed. She complains about wearing make-up for five years for a guy she liked, saying he only pretended to like it and threatened not to feed her dinner if she didn’t blow him. She exclaims, “If I had a penis, I would use it to cum in women,” being specific enough to make a point of pushing a woman’s face to the side while she fucks her. In mermaid costumes on the beach, the two women describe the power of fucking from a male perspective, swapping power in the act of fucking and being in control of a situation in sex.
The woman complains about not having enough space in her pants for valuables. She has fantasies about having a penis and being a man. The women also imagine having power over other women. Using a penis to “hate fuck” some needy bitch would feel right at the moment. The two women fantasize as one describes a guy who stopped seeing her; he directed her home from the bar and called her stupid after having sex. He degrades her while having sex. It continues the theme of misogyny in this short. Women are arrested by men and coached into lifestyles that are convenient for the men around them. It is also problematic for female partners. Laying Out deals with women who are uncertain about their role in male-dominated relationships, meaning they are unsure about their status compared to men who seem to use them only for sex and not view them as equals.
