[Un]Justified

Subordinated to specific aesthetic norms, the pop star invites idolization and endless amounts of intrigue. In recent years, the male variant of this creature has become more transgressive as his body has appeared to be released from heteronormative constraints and racial divisions. Based around this assumption, the study undertaken in this chapter concentrates on a range of strategies that produce and sell pop. In whatever way we view the body, it emphasizes biographical materiality, symbolizing a site of struggle. This chapter not only looks at some of the causes for queering boundaries, but also considers the representation of male bodies and how they function in this process. The straight-queer pop idol, Justin Timberlake (from now on J.T.) takes center stage as I attempt to explore how his identity is packaged in various guises. Indeed, it seems that the space he occupies belongs to the world of queering, where gender travel through straight-play emphasizes the restrictions of masculinity while still clinging on to them.